Selling on Amazon suits products people already search for, because you sell to Amazon's shoppers and can hand storage, packing, delivery, customer service and returns to FBA. Shopify suits brands that want their own store, their own customer list and control over how they sell. You don't have to pick one: Shopify's help centre lists Amazon as a sales channel you can manage from Shopify admin.
This is less a software choice than a strategy choice: rent a spot in a very busy store, or build your own. I read Amazon's Sell on Amazon, FBA and Brand Registry pages and Shopify's plans page and help centre on sales channels.
Amazon and Shopify side by side
| Amazon | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A seller account in Amazon's store | Your own online store and admin |
| Customers | Amazon's shoppers | People you bring to your store |
| Fulfilment | FBA picks, packs, ships and handles returns | You or your chosen partner fulfil |
| Brand tools | Brand Registry, a free program | Your own design, domain and customer list |
| Other channels | Amazon's store | Social, Google, Amazon, Temu, Shop app, POS |
| Getting started | Individual or Professional selling account | 3-day free trial |
You don't have to choose
Shopify's sales channels page says you can list products on Amazon and manage them, with your orders, from Shopify admin, alongside social channels and Google. So many sellers run a Shopify store as home base and treat Amazon as one channel among several. It's the setup that keeps your brand and customer relationships while still reaching people who start their search on Amazon.
What FBA takes off your hands
Amazon describes FBA as a way to outsource fulfilment: you send stock into its network of fulfilment centres and Amazon picks, packs and ships orders, and handles customer service and returns, with Prime delivery for eligible items. For a small team that's a big operational relief. The trade-off is that Amazon owns the customer experience, so the buyer is Amazon's customer first and yours second.
Protecting your brand on Amazon
If you own a brand, Amazon Brand Registry is worth knowing about. Amazon calls it a free program that helps you protect and grow your brand. Register before you scale, so you have tools to deal with copycat listings.
Questions to answer first
- Do people already search for your type of product by name?
- Do you want to own your customer list and email them later?
- Can you handle packing and returns, or would you rather hand them off?
- Is your product easy to copy, so brand protection matters?
For the Amazon side, read my guide on how to sell on Amazon. For your own store, these ideas to boost Shopify store sales help with the hardest part, which is traffic.
What you're responsible for on each
On Amazon with FBA, Amazon's fulfilment network stores, picks, packs and ships your orders and handles customer service and returns. Your jobs are the product, the listing, keeping stock levels right and getting inventory into Amazon's fulfilment centres. You switch FBA on from the Seller Account Information page. On Shopify, the store, the traffic and the customer relationship are all yours, and you choose how orders are fulfilled. Shopify adds tools to lighten that load, including Sidekick, its AI assistant, and Markets for selling in other countries. Neither is less work overall: Amazon moves the work into fulfilment and listings, Shopify into marketing.
My advice on Amazon or Shopify
If your product is something people already search for, test Amazon with FBA and register your brand first. If you're building a brand with a story, start on Shopify so you own the customer relationship, then connect Amazon as a channel once your listings and stock are ready. For most growing sellers, the honest answer is both, run from one place.
Do you make ecommerce platforms or seller tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I sell on Amazon from Shopify?
Yes. Shopify's help centre lists Amazon as a sales channel you can connect and manage from Shopify admin.
What does Amazon FBA do?
Amazon says FBA picks, packs and ships your orders from its fulfilment centres and handles customer service and returns, with Prime delivery for eligible items.
Is Amazon Brand Registry free?
Amazon describes Brand Registry as a free program that helps you protect and grow your brand.
Does Shopify have a free trial?
Yes. Shopify's plans page offers a 3-day free trial.
Who owns the customer on Amazon?
The shopper buys through Amazon, so Amazon manages the customer experience. On Shopify the customer buys from your own store.
Which is easier to start?
Both are quick to set up. Amazon gives you shoppers straight away; Shopify gives you more control but you bring the traffic.
