20 Best Online Marketplaces To Sell Products

Are you looking for the best online marketplaces to sell products this year? 

While it’s always a good idea to build your own ecommerce platform, the reality is that not everyone has the time and resources to do so.

That’s why some business owners choose to sell on established online shopping sites instead since they already have the infrastructure and the audience.

Those who are looking to do the same need to check out these top online marketplaces. One of these might be the platform that you’re looking for.

Amazon

Everyone knows Amazon — which is the reason why it should be the first marketplace you consider selling your products in. For some sellers, Amazon is the only place to find and sell products. They won’t even consider exploring other options. That’s the power this platform holds on businesses.

Amazon is the go-to online marketplace for most Americans. Which is good news for every retailer that wants to sell on the platform. However, that does mean that there’s a ton of competition. And sometimes you’ll have to compete against Amazon itself since it has its own line of products, Amazon Basics.

Despite the controversies that Amazon finds itself in from time to time, there’s no denying that it is still the king when it comes to ecommerce. So it’s still advisable that you try and sell your products there first before trying other marketplaces.

Pros

• It’s an established brand with a huge audience
• Orders can be fulfilled by Amazon itself
• You can optimize your Amazon listings using SEO

Cons

• Amazon is a competitive platform
• Amazon tends to compete with its own sellers through Amazon Basics

Related Reading: The Best Products To Sell On Amazon.

Alibaba

While Alibaba isn’t a household name in some parts of the world, this Chinese online marketplace is one of the biggest players in the world right now.

It’s possibly the best global marketplace for B2B transactions. Most of the products featured on the site are meant to be resold in local markets. That’s one of the reasons why products on this site are sold at low prices.

This platform accepts product postings from sellers all over the world. According to Alibaba, it caters to more than 40 million active buyers in 200+ countries and regions.

Alibaba is a no-brainer for businesses that want to sell products in bulk to other vendors. It’s also great for sellers that want to explore dropshipping.

Pros

• Widely recognized ecommerce platform
• Orders can have a lower minimum order requirement
• You have a wide range of product categories to choose from

Cons

• Some buyers associate foreign marketplaces with low product quality
• Shipping might take longer for some orders

Bonanza

Bonanza is an online marketplace that’s touted by some as an eBay alternative. But it’s really more of a place to find and sell unique fashion items for men and women. You’ll also find jewelry, handbags, health and beauty, as well as garden products on this platform.

This online business claims that it can save you 50% in fees compared to its competitors.

Bonanza has Google Integration which means your product listings will work with Google Shopping. And if you sell in other places, Bonanza will automatically sync all of your products at no cost to you.

In addition, Bonanza makes it so easy to print labels for the products you’re shipping out. You can also have access to over 100 blogs and content publishers in Bonanza’s affiliate network. And if you run into any issues, Bonanza’s support team is only a call away.

Pros

• A great place to sell handcrafted items
• Only takes a small percentage for every sale
• Has a wide range of categories

Cons

• There aren’t that many users on the platform
• It’s not a widely recognized online marketplace

Chairish

Chairish is one of the few online marketplaces that specialize in home furniture and decor. 

There are benefits to selling on specialty ecommerce websites especially if your products fall under a specific niche. On Chairish, your products are always presented to the right buyers. It doesn’t hurt that listing products on this site is free. You can take down listings anytime you want.

You have full control over pricing and markdowns. 

It’s worth pointing out that Chairish is a consignment site. That means you can list your products for free and add photos but the platform will curate all items added to see if they will appeal to Chairish shoppers.

Pros

• There’s an option to let Chairish handle shipping logistics
• The platform attracts a very niche audience
• It is free to join

Cons

• You have to get your product approved by the curatorial team before selling
• Sales commission is a little high

Craigslist

Is Craigslist still a good platform for sellers?

Craigslist may not be as polished as other online marketplaces. And yes, some of the items for sale on the platform are questionable at best. But people also know that you can find great deals over there. 

What’s good about Craigslist is that there are no marketplace fees. You can deal with customers directly if that’s what you want. However, it’s not advisable to depend on this platform to grow your business. This is meant for selling one-off items like collectors items and the like.

Pros

• No need to pay to post items for sale
• Buyers can get in touch with you directly

Cons

• Buyers can haggle or back out at the last minute
• Your listing can get posted alongside questionable ones

eBay

If there’s ever been a platform for online sellers, that has got to be eBay.

eBay is a platform that’s been around for a long time. For a while, its name has been synonymous with online shopping. And if people want to get their hands on refurbished items, eBay is the place to go.

You can just about sell anything on eBay. So you’re not restricted to a specific category. And while the site is better known as a marketplace for refurbished items, you can sell brand new ones as well.

Sellers on the platform have a choice on when they get paid. You can receive payments daily or weekly. Your earnings will get deposited directly to your bank account.

Pros

• There are already a lot of potential customers on the platform
• It’s a trusted platform so people won’t question its legitimacy
• It already has a built-in global shipping program

Cons

• Selling on eBay can get expensive because of the fees and commissions
• Some categories are highly competitive

Related Reading: Top eBay Stats You Should Know.

Etsy

Etsy is a beautiful ecommerce marketplace for hobbyists and craftspeople who want to make some money on the side. Small businesses are also welcome to sell on the platform. It’s no wonder that Etsy is doing so well.

This platform is special in that buyers and sellers on the platform have come to expect a specific aesthetic. Products that give off a DIY kind of vibe can thrive on Etsy. 

Etsy is great for anyone who’s never sold a product online before. It makes it so easy to set up an account and get started with an online store. It provides tools and support for entrepreneurs who’d like to be Etsy marketplace sellers. 

Also, it’s very easy to manage a business on Etsy. It takes care of payment processing which means you’ll have one less thing to worry about.

One thing to note is that Etsy is one of those online marketplaces that charge listing fees. A listing can stay active for up to four months or until the product sells through.

If you’re not sure what to sell on the platform, check out Blogging Wizard’s guide to the best selling Etsy products.

Pros

• It is very beginner-friendly
• The platform is very respected by its customers
• Great platform for selling handcrafted items

Cons

• Recurring listing fee
• Takes a lot for products to stand out

Related Reading: Top Etsy Stats You Should Know (Users & Revenue).

Flipkart

What if the American market is getting too saturated for you? Should you explore online marketplaces in other countries?

If you ever want to tap into the Indian market, you should create product listings on Flipkart. It’s a huge ecommerce site that sells just about everything. The list includes electronics, clothing, and grocery items. 

Flipkart is going out of its way to make it as easy as possible for sellers to get started on the platform. You’ll only need three things: at least one product to sell, a pickup address (for product pickup and shipping), and your GSTIN details.

Those who have all three requirements can start selling on Flipkart. The marketplace operators claim that you can have a store up and running in 10 minutes.

Pros

• The platform is backed by Walmart
• Quick to set up
• Ideal for businesses that want some presence in India

Cons

• Reports that the commissions are high
• Also reports of fake reviews on the site

Grailed

Grailed is the right place for marketplace shoppers that are into high-end fashion. If you think you’ve got your hands on the trendiest accessories and clothing, this is definitely the place to sell them. 

One look at the site and you’ll be able to tell that it’s going after a sophisticated clientele. That means the products on the site most likely won’t appeal to the average shopper. It also means that most products are priced higher.

Most products on the platform are from high-end brands. If you want your products to be associated with these brands then having your products on Grailed is a must.

Pros

• Very fast transaction processing
• You’ll get featured alongside reputable brands
• Products get promoted every 10 days after getting listed

Con

• The site isn’t as popular as other online marketplaces

Handshake

Handshake is an online marketplace that’s designed to bring wholesalers and retailers together. The platform welcomes suppliers that have unique products to sell that buyers won’t find anywhere else. 

According to Handshake, there are over 65,000 retailers that are ready to discover your brand. That’s a ton of exposure and potential sales. And because Shopify owns Handshake, you’re able to manage your Handshake store from within Shopify.

What’s even cooler about Handshake is that you don’t have to pay listing fees. So you’re guaranteed that every dollar you make will go straight to your pocket. 

However, Handshake is a wholesale marketplace. So its sellers should be able to handle bulk orders.

Pros

• Can integrate with Shopify
• Buyers are conditioned that what they see on Handshake are unique items
• Handshake is a no-fee marketplace

Con

• Not all suppliers can get listed on Handshake

Mercari

Who said you can’t start a business from home?

Mercari is the perfect solution for anyone who wants to sell products from their spare bedroom, living room, or garage. However, you’d have to keep in mind that products sold on Mercari are mostly preloved items like clothes, toys, and electronics.

Selling online using this platform is easy because Mercari keeps it that way. First of all, the site allows you to see what products were sold for. So if you ever need help pricing an item, you can use Mercari to find out what people are willing to pay for it.

Mercari encourages users to use a home pickup solution with USPA, FedEx, or UPS to ship products. That way, a seller never has to take a step outside their property. Once an item is sold, sellers have to ship it within 3 days.  

With Mercari, you’ll get paid the moment the buyer rates you.

Pros

• A great platform for first-time sellers
• Lower seller fees compared to other online marketplaces
• Easy-to-maintain listings

Cons

• You only receive payment after the buyer rates you
• The site isn’t optimized for selling a ton of products 

Newegg

Those that are in the tech space should already be familiar with Newegg. It is the go-to for PC builders. It’s full of computer parts and peripherals that one might need to build their system.

If this is your category, it only makes sense for you to sell on Newegg. The company has over 2.1 million unique active customers and gets 382 million total visits on average. 28% of its customers are repeat buyers. The average order value on the site is $419.

Signing up as a seller is not a complicated process. However, you will need a W8 and a business license. Newegg’s commission will depend on the type of product being sold. It’s usually between 10% and 15%.

Common products sold on this online store include motherboards, GPUs, gaming consoles, software, and peripherals. Newegg has features that make it worth investing in such as the Newegg Premier Seller Program. The program incentivizes shoppers to buy using cashbacks and faster shipping.

Pros

• Widely respected online marketplace in the tech industry
• It comes with several marketing tools for sellers
• Sellers outside the United States get access to this market

Cons

• Commission fees are on the higher side
• The free plan lacks features

Poshmark

What if the online shopping experience had a social media component? That’s what Poshmark has set out to do with its unique approach as an ecommerce store. 

Here you post product listings as you would on other ecommerce marketplaces. The difference is that on Poshmark, you can have brand followers. When you create a listing, your followers will be able to see it in their feeds. They can engage your listing or buy the product straight away.

It should be noted that most of the products sold on this platform are in the fashion category.

Poshmark helps with shipping. It provides the label you’ll need to ship a product. All you need to do is print it. You can use any device to make a product listing which is convenient for people who mostly do their work using their phones.

People can download the Poshmark app on iOS and Android.

The site claims that there are over 80 million Poshmark users on the platform. 

Pros

• It lets you create a community of loyal supporters
• It makes shipping products a breeze
• Good customer service

Cons

• It limits you to fashion, beauty, and home decor

Rakuten

Are you looking for online selling platforms in Japan? If you are, then Rakuten might be the marketplace you need. Sellers are invited to open a shop at Rakuten. You don’t necessarily have to be a Japanese business to sell on the platform. However, foreign businesses will need to meet the company’s requirements.

What are these requirements?

You’ll need to be proficient in Japanese. You should also have an established logistics solution for product shipping. Because all products are sold in Japanese Yen, a seller will have to accept foreign exchange risk. Having a Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), D-U-N-S number is also a must.

Of course, the product you’re selling must comply with Japanese laws.

Sellers will have to pay a registration fee. There’s also a fixed monthly fee and a payment processing fee. So using this platform can get expensive fast. This is certainly not the platform for people that are just new to global marketplaces.

Pros

• Rewards customers with cash backs
• You get to have your very own storefront
• You get a dedicated ecommerce consultant to drive sales

Cons

• You need to be registered in the US or Japan to sell on Rakuten
• You’ll need to pass a screening process to join
• Not ideal for solopreneurs and small businesses

Ruby Lane

Ruby Lane is an online marketplace that specializes in antiquities and collectibles. Think of it as Etsy only the items in Ruby Lane look vintage by comparison. If your products match the aesthetic that Ruby Lane is going for, then this site would be a better fit than online marketplaces like Amazon.

Aside from antiquities and collectibles, this platform also sells dolls, fine art, furniture, lighting, glass, and jewelry.

Ruby Lane does not require sellers to pay a monthly fee. But there is a 9.9% service fee for every item sold. It should be pointed out that if you’re selling mass-produced items, they must be signed by a designer or luxury brand.

Pros

• It has a secret shopper feature that evaluates a seller’s performance
• The site can attract an upscale market

Cons

• You have to pay a monthly fee if you want to sell unlimited products
• You also have to pay for service fee based on order totals

Shopee

Shopee is one of the biggest ecommerce marketplaces in SouthEast Asia. It first launched in Singapore before making its way to neighboring countries like the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Vietnam. This platform has a very strong mobile presence as most of its customers order products through their phones or tablets.

Signing up for an account is pretty straightforward. And there are two paths to becoming a seller on the platform. Official brands and authorized distributors can sign up for the Shopee Mall where you’ll pay minimal fees and get access to mall-inclusive in-app features like games campaigns. 

The second way to make sales on the platform is by becoming online marketplace sellers. This option is open to anyone who’d like to join. And as part of the deal, you don’t have to pay commission fees for the first six months.

There are other benefits to becoming a Shopee seller including access to seller promos (free shipping, voucher codes, etc.), free training, and affiliate programs. The Shopee app also has a live streaming feature where sellers can showcase their products to the platform’s users.

Pros

• It’s a huge marketplace with plenty of returning customers
• Frequent promotions keep attracting new customers
• Robust shipping and logistics

Cons

• Competition on the platform is fierce
• Limited control over what your store looks like

Shutterstock

Shutterstock gives you a chance to make money from all the photos and videos you have lying around on your phone or computer. If you’re unfamiliar with how stock sites work, you basically give people the right to use your image or video in exchange for cash.

According to the company, it’s been able to pay out $1 billion in contributor earnings so far.

But not all types of images and videos will do. Shutterstock has strict rules and conditions that you’ll have to abide by before you can start posting your media to sell them. You can’t upload anything illegal, you’ll have to secure model release forms if necessary, and you’ll have to meet the site’s image and video quality guidelines.

If all these rules and restrictions seem too much to process, don’t worry. There are helpful resources on the site that will help you navigate through it all. It can be tricky especially if you’re not familiar with the process. But you can end up making a ton of online sales once you get the hang of it.

Pros

• Great source of passive income
• Special licensing opportunities can help you earn more
• One of the most trusted online selling sites for photographers

Cons

• There are strict requirements for submitting photos and videos
• You’ll need to upload a lot of content before you can live off online sales 

Related: The Best Sites To Sell Photos Online.

Swappa

Swappa is a marketplace for third-party sellers of used phones and laptops. It also sells other types of electronics such as smartwatches, tablets, and cameras. So if you’re someone who refurbishes electronics, you can sell all of your electronics here.

To ensure that customers don’t get scammed, Swappa goes through the products to make sure that all of them are in working condition. That’s the reason why its customers aren’t afraid to come back, which benefits all of the sellers there.

Selling on the platform is easy. Once you find your product in Swappa’s catalog, you can create a listing and upload product photos. And when your product gets approval from the site’s moderation team, you should be all set.

Swappa doesn’t charge users a listing fee. However, both buyers and sellers have to pay a 3% processing fee once items get sold. To be fair, this is a small fee compared to other online marketplaces. So there’s a good chance of earning more when you sell on Swappa.

Sellers can receive their payments before products are shipped.

Pros

• It vets all of the products sold on the platform
• You don’t need to pay to get a listing
• Payments are protected by PayPal

Cons

• Very limited niche
• Listings only last a couple of days

Walmart

Walmart is a widely recognized ecommerce business. For that reason and more, it would be wise to sell products on the platform as a way of gaining exposure. It gets you in front of people that may not have heard of your brand before.

Because Walmart has been in the industry for a long time, it has all the features that online sellers look for in a marketplace. There’s already a solid infrastructure in place. Having limited fees is also a plus.

But you’ll need to meet some requirements before you can be a part of Walmart’s marketplace.

You’ll need a business tax ID or business license number, supporting documents that verify your business name and address, history of marketplace or ecommerce success, products with GTIN/UPC GS1 company prefix numbers, and a catalog that complies with Walmart Prohibited Products Policy.

As a seller, you’ll also need to fulfill orders through Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) or have a B2C US warehouse with returns capability.

Because there are far too many requirements, it’s not the ideal marketplace for startups and small businesses. But if you’ve been in the industry for a while and have a good track record, the Walmart marketplace can take your business to the next level.

Pros

• There are no monthly or set-up fees
• Gets 120 million monthly visitors on average
• Solutions for catalog management and order fulfillment

Cons

• Prices you set must adhere to Walmart’s rules
• You get lower profit margins

Related Reading: Top Walmart Stats You Should Know (Sales And Revenue Data).

Wayfair

Wayfair specializes in the home category. Not only does it sell furniture but also products that help people with their gardening. They sell hot tubs and saunas. It even has products that help with outdoor fencing and flooring. And if you have products that fall under these categories, you can sell them on Wayfair.

When you sign up as a Wayfair seller, you get access to its all-inclusive partner site. This lets you manage your catalog and fulfill your orders. There are support teams available to help you if you need assistance. And there are learning and development resources which include training courses and live webinars.

Pros

• There’s a massive community of buyers
• Great site user experience for potential customers
• Comes with access to analytics data

Cons

• You’ll need to have product liability insurance that covers a minimum of $1 million for every occurrence
• You also need to have qualified personnel to handle customer service

Final words

Having your own ecommerce store doesn’t have to be difficult. With an online marketplace you can easily set up your shop without having to design or create your own platform from scratch.

However, this is not to everyone’s taste.

For those who have established websites and want the freedom to create their own store, then using an ecommerce platform is highly beneficial. Sellfy is a personal favorite of ours thanks to its ease of use.

If not, this list of 20 online marketplaces is a great start for your ecommerce store.

Thinking about starting an online business? Here are some resources to help you out:

• Trending Products To Sell Online (Profitable Product Ideas)
• 68 Best Digital Product Ideas To Inspire You
• The Best Small Business Ideas You Can Start
• What Is A Business Plan? A Beginner’s Guide