As of early 2025, more than 50% of internet users around the world shop online weekly, and there are over 28 million online stores worldwide. These stores may be individually owned businesses or spread across multiple online marketplaces, including long-time pioneers like Amazon and other Amazon alternatives from newer platforms.
Most of the time, they are not only active in one particular marketplace but sell across several other platforms simultaneously. To maximize an ecommerce business’s online presence, explore what Amazon alternatives sellers can consider and the sourcing channels these sellers can use to list products on those platforms.
Table of Contents
Amazon alternatives for popular channels
1. eBay
2. TikTok Shop
3. Walmart Marketplace
Popular-channel inventory sourcing
1. Wholesale sourcing: Scale better with Alibaba.com
2. Dropshipping solutions: CJDropshipping & more
Amazon alternatives for niche/ specialized channels
1. Etsy/ Bonanza
2. Newegg/ Reverb
Niche-channel inventory sourcing
1. Offline sourcing
2. Online sourcing
Branching out to Amazon alternatives
Amazon alternatives for popular channels
1. eBay
One of the main reasons that most sellers gravitate toward Amazon is undoubtedly in line with its worldwide reach and visibility. Hence, popularity is obviously the main consideration for any seller who is looking for an alternative, apart from all other functional factors of an online marketplace.
In this regard, eBay serves as a strong choice, holding the position of the world’s second most popular online marketplace in 2023, trailing only behind Amazon. This is indeed hardly surprising since it actually bridges millions of buyers and sellers across over 190 countries.
At the same time, contrary to the common stereotype that eBay is a marketplace for secondhand and vintage goods only, it has since transformed into a new-product-focused marketplace, reportedly having about 80% of brand-new products listed on eBay now.
In fact, this has greatly unlocked more opportunities on eBay since both customers who are looking for new products and used goods can anticipate finding something on the platform, and those who are looking for unique products or vintage goods almost always head for eBay in view of its renowned reputation in secondhand or resale products.
For beginner sellers wondering how to sell on eBay, one of its most attractive and uniquely helpful features is the first 250 free listings and the “casual seller” or “hobbyist seller” option. These benefits show how eBay provides practical support to newcomers getting started.
Simply put, eBay works as a great alternative to Amazon through its massive global reach, famous dual product listing approach for both new and used goods, as well as lower fees compared to Amazon, particularly when it comes to beginners who are new to ecommerce.
2. TikTok Shop
Since popularity and discoverability play a significant role in helping ecommerce sellers determine online marketplaces suitable for listing their products, marketplaces that are built up on top of their globally or regionally famous brands are the next options that sellers should look into. That’s why both TikTok Shop and Walmart Marketplace emerge as attractive choices for sellers seeking effortless product exposure and maximum visibility.
TikTok Shop, for example, stands out as a compelling alternative to Amazon, especially for sellers targeting young, social media native crowds. Its pure video-oriented marketing approach also signifies a higher chance of supporting cross-channel promotion. Sellers can include their static Amazon storefront link in their profile bio or video captions at the same time, thereby allowing TikTok Shop to act as both a sales and marketing channel that drives traffic back to their original or other online presence.
However, it’s worth noting that TikTok Shop is very much region-specific, currently only some countries among the 3 main regions covered: America, Asia, and Europe. It’s therefore extremely important for sellers to first identify their respective regions before considering registration. In the meantime, TikTok Shop also presents itself as a new seller-supportive platform, with its US-specific portal, for example, offering a 50% discount across referral fees for all product categories applicable for eligible new sellers, starting from April 2025.
Overall, TikTok Shop can be a strategic alternative to Amazon, particularly for sellers who are aiming at an extensive young customer base (aged between 18–34 years old) and focusing on trend-driven products such as fashion, beauty, and lifestyle items.
3. Walmart Marketplace
On the other hand, with a steady visitor number of around 130+ million per month, Walmart Marketplace certainly qualifies as another popular generic marketplace option for those selling within the US. As a well-known, highly regarded US retail brand and the world’s largest retailer, Walmart brings massive audience access and swift, reliable local delivery support that sellers can trust and make the most of.
Similar to TikTok Shop, Walmart Marketplace also features a straightforward fee structure centered around referral fees and offers its own fulfillment service capable of supporting 1-day delivery commitments. It is consistently highlighted as one of the most practical and cost-effective Amazon alternatives, especially notable for its substantial traffic, low entry barrier, and instant exposure to a large, established consumer base.
Popular-channel inventory sourcing
Wholesale sourcing: Scale better with Alibaba.com
Since sellers on mass-market platforms like Amazon or eBay tend to offer a broad and diverse range of products, it’s best for them to conduct sourcing through a comprehensive B2B marketplace like Alibaba.com to ensure all needs can be covered at a competitive, low wholesale price—on top of gaining direct manufacturer contacts that can support various customization and branding requirements. In fact, many Amazon sellers are already sourcing through Alibaba.com with ease.
With more than 200 million products and over 200K suppliers available on the platform, Alibaba.com also offers a comprehensive Trade Assurance program to provide buyer protection for all transactions, designed to fully empower ecommerce sellers in building their businesses through a secure, reliable, and safe B2B online marketplace.
Dropshipping solutions: CJDropshipping & more
Owing to the fact sellers on mass-market platforms often carry everything from basic to niche products; dropshipping can indeed be a strong business model that allows them to outsource the otherwise complex inventory management and fulfillment process so they can focus on selling and marketing instead.
For this reason, platforms such as SaleHoo and CJDropshipping, which lists thousands of suppliers that support dropshipping services, including some pre-vetted options, and offer same-day processing from US-based warehouses serve as reliable sourcing solutions for ecommerce sellers. CJDropshipping, for example, offers a streamlined approach to shipping China-made products to the US with flexible sourcing options for ecommerce sellers.
Amazon alternatives for niche / specialized channels
1. Etsy/ Bonanza
For ecommerce businesses that have some specialized products, such as arts or any handmade goods including some artisan jewelry and accessories, starting in a generalist platform like Amazon may help them learn the fundamentals, understand multiple facets of the ecommerce business, and discover where their passion and the market demand lie.
To these sellers, it’s time to move on to a focused, specialized platform where most recognized experts in a similar field gather for visibility whenever they are ready. Platforms such as Etsy and Bonanza, which are known for their handmade and creative products, are some of the great alternatives to Amazon. With Etsy, for example, sellers can tap into more than 300 million monthly visitors and more than 95 million active buyers to promote their brands.
2. Newegg/ Reverb
In the same vein, sellers who specialize in other products can also look into niche marketplaces tailored for their respective industries rather than relying only on mainstream marketplaces that cover everything. For instance, Newegg is well-recognized as a significant niche marketplace for electronic products, clearly highlighted across various sources for its tech-focused traffic and currently boosting more than 10 million monthly traffic from global electronics and computer product fans.
Meanwhile, musical instrument marketplaces such as Reverb and Sweetwater Gear Exchange are consistently recognized as top music-focused platforms, clearly recommended for sellers who specialize in music gear at reasonable fee structures or even free listing for used products. Similarly, both companies accumulate more than 10 million monthly visitors too, offering a clear assurance to sellers focused on these fields.
Niche-channel inventory sourcing
Offline sourcing
The unique niche each of these marketplaces inherently commands a certain degree of back to the hands-on/in-person sourcing kind of operation, that is, going back to the traditional sourcing methods such as local craft fairs, pop-up maker markets, local pawn shops, and even thrift & collector auctions or local music store consignment.
On the whole, these offline sources offer unique advantages for sellers aiming to differentiate a brand as they each provide access to one-of-a-kind materials, gently used or vintage items, and even chances to retrieve rare collectibles with potential story value that resonates with niche buyers. More often than not, these sources enable the discovery of underpriced gems, tap into local trust and foot traffic, and attract customers seeking originality and craftsmanship.
Online sourcing
Certain online sources specialize in craft, art, and related supplies that ecommerce sellers can take advantage of. Wholesale bead and jewelry websites like Fire Mountain Gems and BeadSmith, for example, work as suppliers that cater to specific needs. Meanwhile, ecommerce sellers in technical or computer categories may also look into sourcing directly from authorized distributors such as Ingram Micro and TD SYNNEX, or liquidation platforms like Liquidation.com.
In the meantime, OEM or ODM partnerships offered on Alibaba.com also stand out as viable options for these sellers, as they represent genuine, warranty-backed inventory with access to volume pricing and factory-direct customization that enables high margins on everyday components. Discounted bulk deals through liquidation and overstock platforms are also ideal for competitive pricing.
Branching out to Amazon alternatives
To many existing Amazon sellers, going beyond Amazon is essentially a branching-out decision that lets them expand instead of staying limited to a single channel of sales. There are basically two main types of marketplaces sellers may expand into besides Amazon: mainstream, large-scale marketplaces like eBay or niche, specialized marketplaces for different target products like Etsy and Newegg.
Sellers branching out to each of these platforms can source their products through either wholesale B2B marketplaces like Alibaba.com, dropshipping supplier platforms such as CJDropshipping, offline sources like local trade fairs and auctions, or online specialized wholesale platforms, authorized distributors, and partnerships for niche and specialized products.
For more ecommerce selling ideas, wholesale sourcing tips, logistics insights, as well as overall business strategies, stay tuned on Alibaba.com Reads and check back regularly for refreshing updates and essential guides.
