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E-Commerce · head to head

Swell Commerce vs Vinted

Swell Commerce logo

Swell Commerce

E-Commerce

Headless ecommerce for modern brands

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vinted logo

Vinted

E-Commerce

Lithuania-founded secondhand fashion marketplace that charges the buyer, not the seller, a platform fee

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Vinted has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Swell Commerce each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited; Vinted the Buyer Protection fee is not shown in the browsable item price, so comparing a listing price across Vinted and a commission-based competitor understates Vinted's true checkout cost unless the buyer manually adds the fee.
  • They diverge on capability: Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture, Vinted covers No seller commission.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Swell Commerce and Vinted actually diverge.

Attributes where Swell Commerce and Vinted differ
AttributeSwell CommerceVinted
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree for sellers, no commission; buyer pays a variable Buyer Protection fee at checkout
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebiOS, Android, Web
Founded2019Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Swell Commerce

  • Headless architecture
  • GraphQL & REST APIs
  • Subscription commerce
  • Multi-currency support
  • Inventory management
  • Custom checkout
  • Webhook integrations
  • Developer-friendly SDK

Only in Vinted

  • No seller commission
  • Buyer Protection fee
  • Direct shipping via carrier partners
  • Item verification service
  • Bundle discounts
  • In-app messaging and offers

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Swell Commerce

  • Running a headless commerce backend with APIs for a custom storefrontnot Vinted
  • Selling subscription products alongside one off purchasesnot Vinted
  • Operating multi currency stores from one commerce backendnot Vinted

Vinted

  • A seller who wants to keep the full listed price of an item rather than losing a percentage to platform commissionnot Swell Commerce
  • A buyer comparing item prices across marketplaces who understands the checkout total includes a protection fee not shown on the listingnot Swell Commerce
  • Someone selling many low-value items where a commission-based platform fee would eat disproportionately into returnsnot Swell Commerce
  • A shopper in a European market where Vinted has deep local inventory and established shipping partnershipsnot Swell Commerce

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Swell Commerce

  • Each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • Starter at $29 a month allows 2 admin users and includes only 100,000 API requests and 1GB of storage per month
  • Additional API requests cost $5 per 100,000 and extra storage $5 per GB
  • Role based permissions and developer support are restricted to the Unlimited plan at $2,250 a month
  • Advanced reports and priced currencies require the Standard plan or higher
  • Published prices are the billed yearly rates, so monthly billing costs more

Vinted

  • The Buyer Protection fee is not shown in the browsable item price, so comparing a listing price across Vinted and a commission-based competitor understates Vinted's true checkout cost unless the buyer manually adds the fee.
  • The fee is proportionally larger on cheap items, so buying several low-value pieces separately costs more in fees relative to item price than buying one higher-value item.
  • Sellers keeping the full sale price shifts cost to buyers rather than removing it, so the platform is not free to use overall, only free for the seller side of a transaction.
  • Item authentication is optional and limited to eligible higher-value categories, so counterfeit risk on everyday clothing items rests mostly on buyer judgement of listing photos and seller history.
  • Market strength is concentrated in Europe, and inventory depth, shipping partnerships and buyer volume are considerably thinner in markets outside its established base.

Pricing, plan by plan

Swell Commerce

$29/month
  • Starter$29/month
    • Up to $50K annual revenue
    • Basic reports
    • Up to 5 admin users
  • Basic$79/month
    • Up to $250K annual revenue
    • Most popular plan
    • Basic reports
  • Standard$299/month
    • Up to $1M annual revenue
    • Advanced reports
    • Up to 15 admin users
  • Unlimited$2250/month
    • Up to $5M annual revenue
    • Unlimited scalability and granular control
    • Unlimited admin users

Vinted

Free
  • SellingFree
    • No commission deducted from the sale price
    • Seller receives the full listed amount
    • Shipping label cost typically passed to the buyer or built into price
  • BuyingFree
    • Buyer Protection fee calculated from item price, added at checkout
    • Covers refund if item does not arrive or does not match description
    • Fee is proportionally larger on lower-priced items

Which should you pick?

Choose Swell Commerce if

  • You need headless architecture.
  • You also want graphql & rest apis.
Swell Commerce review

Choose Vinted if

  • You need no seller commission.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want buyer protection fee.
Vinted review

Questions people ask

Is Swell Commerce or Vinted better?
Neither clearly leads. Swell Commerce starts at $29/month and Vinted at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Swell Commerce or Vinted?
Vinted has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Swell Commerce and Free for Vinted.
Does Swell Commerce or Vinted run on more platforms?
Swell Commerce runs on Web. Vinted runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Vinted for free?
Yes. Vinted has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Swell Commerce starts at $29/month.
What is Swell Commerce best used for?
Swell Commerce is most often used for running a headless commerce backend with apis for a custom storefront, selling subscription products alongside one off purchases, operating multi currency stores from one commerce backend. Of those, running a headless commerce backend with apis for a custom storefront and selling subscription products alongside one off purchases are not what Vinted is typically brought in for.
What can Swell Commerce do that Vinted cannot?
Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture, GraphQL & REST APIs, Subscription commerce, Multi-currency support. Vinted covers No seller commission, Buyer Protection fee, Direct shipping via carrier partners, Item verification service.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Swell Commerce: How much does Swell Commerce cost?

Swell offers four tiers starting at $29 per month for Starter and going up to $2,250 per month for Unlimited. Annual billing provides a 25% discount compared to monthly billing. All prices are in USD.

Source
Vinted: Does Vinted charge sellers a commission?

No, sellers receive the full listed sale price with no percentage taken by the platform.

Swell Commerce: What are Swell's revenue tier overages?

Each plan includes a revenue ceiling based on 12-month trailing sales. Starter allows up to $50K with 2% overage, Basic allows $250K with 1.5% overage, Standard allows $1M with 1% overage, and Unlimited allows $5M with 0.4% overage. Custom plans are available for merchants exceeding $10M annually.

Source
Vinted: So how does Vinted make money?

From a Buyer Protection fee added at checkout, calculated from the item price, which the buyer pays on top of the listed amount and shipping.

Vinted: Is the buyer protection fee shown on the item listing?

No, it is calculated and added at checkout, so the browsable listing price does not reflect the final total a buyer pays.

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