Shopify vs Amazon Dropshipping: Which One Is The Best in 2025?

Dropshipping is still one of the easiest ways to start an online business in 2025. But one big question remains: Shopify vs Amazon—which is better?

Both platforms let you sell products without keeping inventory. But they work in very different ways. Shopify gives you full control over your store. Amazon gives you access to millions of buyers.

In this article, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of Shopify vs Amazon. By the end, you’ll know which one fits your goals best.

Overview Of Shopify and Amazon: What Are the Differences?

Shopify and Amazon are both dropshipping platforms, but the main difference is control vs. convenience—Shopify gives you full control over your brand and store, while Amazon gives you instant access to buyers but with strict rules and less freedom.

Shopify is like building your own business from the ground up. You design your site, choose how it looks, and run your marketing. You own the customer relationship and have more flexibility in pricing, branding, and strategy.

Tools like Sell The Trend can help speed up this process by helping you discover trending products and test them quickly through your Shopify store.

How can you use Sell The Trend?

• Sign up for an account and connect your Shopify store.
• Browse the product database to find items that are already performing well on platforms like Amazon, AliExpress, and Shopify.
• Use the NEXUS AI tool to discover products based on real-time trends, not just random guesses.
• Check profit margins, supplier ratings, and shipping times to avoid bad products.
• With one click, import the product to your Shopify store using their built-in push-to-store feature.
• Launch quickly by copying high-performing ad creatives and targeting suggestions provided inside the platform.
• Monitor results and test multiple products efficiently until one starts selling consistently.

Amazon is a ready-made marketplace. You don’t need a website or ads to get traffic—shoppers are already there. But Amazon decides the rules, takes a cut of your sales, and doesn’t let you build much brand identity.

Let’s break down these differences in more detail so you can decide which path fits your business goals.

Shopify vs Amazon: Key Differences

Before we dive into the full breakdown, here’s a quick side-by-side look at how Shopify and Amazon compare across the most important features. Use this table to spot key differences at a glance and decide which platform fits your dropshipping goals best.

1. Fees

When comparing Shopify and Amazon, don’t just look at how much they charge — look at how they charge and what that means for your profit.

Shopify works on a monthly fee model. You pay a fixed amount to run your store, starting at $39/month. This doesn’t change based on how much you sell. It’s predictable, but it also means you’re spending money even if you haven’t made a single sale yet.

On top of that, you may need to invest in apps, tools, and most importantly, ads. Shopify doesn’t give you traffic, so your main cost will often be marketing.

Amazon flips that model. You can start with no monthly fee, but they take a cut from every sale, usually 15% to 18%. If you sell more than 40 items per month, you’ll move to the Professional plan, which costs $39.99/month — almost the same as Shopify. But even then, Amazon still takes a slice of each sale. So while it’s cheaper to start, your costs grow with your success.

Here’s what that means for you: If you expect low sales at first, Amazon can be easier on your wallet. But if you’re planning to scale up, those per-sale fees can kill your margins. Shopify, on the other hand, rewards volume. Once you cover your fixed costs, most of your revenue goes to you.

The smart move? Run the numbers. Take your product price, subtract Shopify’s fixed costs or Amazon’s per-sale cuts, and see which one leaves you with more profit, not just on day one, but at scale.

2. Ease of Setup

Getting started quickly can be the difference between launching your business and giving up halfway. Shopify and Amazon offer very different first-time experiences.

Shopify gives you a clean slate. You sign up, choose a theme, add products, and set up payments. It’s beginner-friendly but requires more decisions. You’re building a store from scratch, which means you control everything, but you also need to figure out everything.

Expect to:

• Choose a domain name
• Customize your store layout
• Connect a dropshipping app (like DSers or Spocket)
• Set up shipping zones and policies

Most of it is guided, and Shopify’s dashboard is easy to use. But if you’re not tech-savvy or new to ecommerce, it might feel overwhelming at first. The platform doesn’t handhold you, but it gives you freedom.

Amazon, on the other hand, is more structured. You don’t need to design anything. You just register as a seller, list your product, and follow Amazon’s steps. There’s less setup work, but more rules. Every listing must meet Amazon’s strict standards, from product images to descriptions. And if you make a small mistake, your listing could be removed.

3. Fulfillment and shipping model

How your product reaches the customer is a big part of your business — it affects delivery time, customer satisfaction, and even your reviews.

With Shopify, you handle fulfillment through third-party suppliers. Most dropshippers use platforms like AliExpress, Spocket, or Zendrop, which ship products directly to the buyer. You don’t need to hold inventory, but you’re responsible for choosing reliable suppliers. Shipping times vary, especially if products are coming from China — expect anywhere from 7 to 21 days, unless you use local warehouses.

You also have to set up your own shipping rules and rates. Shopify gives you the tools, but you’re in charge of the entire customer experience, from order tracking to returns. It gives you more freedom — and more responsibility.

Amazon takes a stricter approach. Dropshipping is allowed, but only if you follow their policies exactly. Most successful sellers use FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon), where you send inventory to Amazon’s warehouse, and they handle storage, packing, and fast delivery — often within 1–2 days. But this means upfront investment and inventory risk, which many dropshippers want to avoid.

If you don’t use FBA, you need to ship products quickly and provide tracking information on time. Amazon’s system expects speed and accuracy, or your account could get flagged.

Here’s what to think about:

• Shopify gives you more supplier options, but slower delivery
• Amazon gives faster delivery through FBA, but it needs more setup and risk

4. Traffic source

No traffic means no sales — so where your customers come from is one of the biggest differences between Shopify and Amazon.

With Shopify, you’re responsible for bringing people to your store. That means running ads, building a social media presence, using influencers, or writing content to rank on Google. If you don’t promote your store, no one will see it, even if your product is amazing.

You’ll likely start with paid traffic:

• Facebook and Instagram ads for impulse buys
• TikTok and influencer content for trending products
• Google Ads or SEO for long-term search traffic

It takes time, skill, and money. But the upside is that you own the traffic — you can build email lists, retarget visitors, and grow your brand over time.

Amazon is different. It already has millions of shoppers searching for products every day. When you list your product, you get instant exposure — you’re plugging into a search engine, not building your own. This makes it easier to get early sales, especially if your product has demand and good keywords.

But Amazon controls everything. You can’t collect emails or build a following. You’re just one of many sellers, and your product can be buried under others unless you optimize your listing or run Amazon ads.

Here’s the trade-off:

• Shopify = harder to get traffic, but you control it and can grow long-term
• Amazon = easier to get seen, but you’re always competing in their system

5. Branding options

If you want people to remember your store, come back, and trust you, branding matters. And this is where Shopify and Amazon feel worlds apart.

Shopify gives you full control over your brand. You choose your store name, logo, colors, layout, product pages — everything. You can build a unique shopping experience that reflects your style, tone, and values. Customers see your brand, not a marketplace.

Want to look premium? You can use a clean design and luxury-style packaging.
Want a fun, youth-focused brand? Go bold with colors, fonts, and playful product pages.

• You can design a branded homepage
• Add custom product descriptions, reviews, and videos
• Even send branded emails and upsells

With Amazon, it’s the opposite. You’re selling under Amazon’s umbrella. Your product may appear with your store name in small text, but customers don’t usually notice or care. They trust Amazon, not the seller.

Unless you register as a brand through Amazon Brand Registry (which requires a trademark), your customization is limited. Even then, your branding is squeezed into a rigid format. There’s no homepage. No email list. No way to stand out unless you dominate with reviews or pricing.

The bottom line:

• Shopify lets you build a real brand from day one
• Amazon limits branding unless you invest heavily and register a trademark

6. Customer access

Selling a product once is good, but being able to reach that customer again is what makes a business grow. That’s why customer access is a major difference between Shopify and Amazon.

With Shopify, you own the relationship. When someone buys from your store, you get their email, phone number (if collected), and order history. This means you can follow up, offer discounts, ask for reviews, or launch new products directly to people who’ve already trusted you.

This is how smart Shopify sellers grow:

• Set up email marketing flows (like welcome or abandoned cart emails)
• Run loyalty or rewards programs
• Build a list of repeat customers over time

You’re not just selling a product — you’re building a community.

Amazon doesn’t work like that. You don’t get the buyer’s contact info. Amazon keeps that data because the customer belongs to them, not you. You’re not allowed to email buyers outside Amazon’s system or send them promotional messages. Even packaging inserts that try to pull customers off Amazon can get you suspended.

This makes it hard to build loyalty. Each sale on Amazon is just that — a one-time sale. If the customer loved your product, they’ll likely buy again… but not necessarily from you.

Here’s the key difference:

• Shopify gives you tools to build long-term relationships
• Amazon gives you the sale, but not the customer

7. Product control

Being able to choose what you sell, how you sell it, and how it looks is a big part of running your store, and this is where product control comes into play.

Shopify gives you full control over your product listings. You decide what to sell, how to price it, how the product page looks, and what to write in the title and description. You can use your product images, add videos, create bundles, set your return policies, and update your offers anytime.

This flexibility helps you test and improve:

• Change prices based on what works
• Swap out low-performing products quickly
• Add upsells or special offers with just a few clicks

You’re in charge, which means you can move fast and adapt based on what customers want.

Amazon is much more restrictive. If you’re listing a product that already exists on Amazon, you have to use their existing product page. You can’t change the title, images, or description unless you’re the first person to list it or you’re enrolled in Brand Registry. Even then, Amazon reviews every change.

Also, Amazon has strict rules about what you can and can’t sell. Some categories need approval. Some products get banned without notice. If your item doesn’t follow their listing standards, it might be removed, even if it’s selling well.

8. Account Risk

Account risk is something most beginners ignore — until it happens. And with dropshipping, it’s a real concern.

On Amazon, your account can be suspended easily if you break even a small rule. Late shipping, poor reviews, incorrect tracking, or listing a restricted product — any of these can trigger a suspension. Sometimes, even if you’re doing everything right, Amazon’s system can flag your account by mistake. Appeals can take weeks, and while you wait, you lose money and momentum.

Shopify is far more forgiving. Unless you’re selling illegal items or violating payment rules, your store is unlikely to get shut down. You have more room to fix mistakes and grow without fear of sudden bans.

9. Marketing Tools

If you want to grow, you need the right tools to attract and convert customers.

Shopify gives you full access to marketing tools. You can install apps for email marketing, SMS campaigns, upsells, SEO, social media integration, and more. You can run Facebook, Google, or TikTok ads that send buyers directly to your store. You own the data, so you can retarget, build funnels, and improve results over time.

Amazon doesn’t give you much room to market. You can run Amazon PPC ads to promote your listings within their platform, but that’s it. You can’t retarget users outside of Amazon or send promotional emails. Everything happens inside Amazon’s ecosystem, and your brand has little visibility.

10. Business Resale Potential

Eventually, you may want to sell your store. This is where the long-term value shows.

A Shopify store with traffic, sales history, an email list, and a brand identity can be sold on platforms like Exchange Marketplace, Flippa, or through private deals. Buyers are interested in real brands, and Shopify lets you build one. The more data and customer loyalty you have, the higher your store’s value.

On Amazon, you can also sell your account or brand, but only if it meets certain standards. Most buyers look for stable revenue, FBA use, strong reviews, and clean metrics. Amazon brands are often acquired by aggregators, but you usually need high volume and a registered trademark.

Shopify vs Amazon: FAQs

1. Which Is Best, Amazon or Shopify?

Amazon and Shopify are two of the most popular choices for selling online, but they serve different needs. Shopify lets you build your online store and gives you full brand control. You can design your ecommerce website, set your prices, and control the full brand and customer experience.

On the other hand, an Amazon seller account plugs you into an online marketplace where buyers are already searching. The choice depends on your goals: if you want freedom and to grow a unique brand identity, Shopify is better. If you want fast access to buyers and don’t want to build your website, Amazon is easier to start.

2. Why Do People Buy From Shopify Instead Of Amazon?

People shop on Shopify stores because they’re looking for something special. A Shopify marketplace store usually offers a more personal touch, custom packaging, and niche products. Shoppers enjoy the experience of buying from a real e-commerce store, not just another Amazon listings page.

Shopify enables business owners to use better marketing strategies, offer discount codes, and create a better emotional connection with prospective customers. The checkout is smooth too, thanks to Shop Pay, Google Pay, and credit and debit cards.

3. Can I Sell On Amazon If I Have A Shopify Store?

Yes! You can use both Shopify and Amazon to reach more customers. Shopify makes it easy to sell on multiple channels. You can list products from your online store directly on Amazon and manage everything from one dashboard. This helps with managing inventory and order flow.

Many sellers do this to get the best of both worlds—building their ecommerce platform while also selling on a massive online marketplace with third-party sellers.

4. Can Amazon Fulfill Shopify Orders?

Yes, but there’s a better way now. You can use Shopify’s fulfillment network instead of Amazon’s fulfillment system. Still, some sellers choose to compare Amazon FBA with Shopify’s service.

While FBA is great for large sales volumes, it comes with referral fees and additional fees that eat into profits. Shopify’s system works well with its pricing plans and gives more control to the store owner.

5. Does Shopify Track Amazon Orders?

Yes. Shopify integrates with Amazon and helps you track all your orders in one place. Whether it’s your basic Shopify or advanced Shopify plan, you can connect your sales channels.

You’ll still need to watch out for transaction fees, especially if you use Amazon Pay instead of Shopify payments. But overall, Shopify offers powerful ecommerce tools, like abandoned cart recovery, that help with customer acquisition even across channels.

The Shopify debate continues, but one thing is clear: whether you use one or combine both Amazon and Shopify, you can build a solid business with the right strategy.

Conclusion

Choosing the right platform depends on your goals. Shopify gives more control over business operations and better branding.

Sellers like the flexibility and Shopify pros that support growth. Amazon works well for speed and reach, especially for niches like selling books. Make sure the platform fits your product, audience, and supported payment options.