Amazon vs Shopify vs own-site fee comparison
Compare the true per-unit cost of selling through Amazon, Shopify, and direct (Stripe-only) — and find the volume at which each channel becomes most profitable.
Amazon vs Shopify vs own-site fee comparison
Per-unit comparison
| Amazon | Shopify | Own site | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sale price | — | — | — |
| Platform / referral fee | — | — | — |
| Payment processing | — | — | — |
| Fulfilment | — | — | — |
| Unit cost (COGS) | — | — | — |
| Monthly platform fee (÷ units) | — | — | — |
| Profit per unit | — | — | — |
| Monthly profit | — | — | — |
| Margin % | — | — | — |
Crossover volumes
What these numbers don't tell you
The fee comparison shows the cost side of each channel — not the revenue side. Amazon's referral fee is high, but Amazon brings customers you didn't have to acquire. Your own site's payment fees are low, but every customer costs you in ads, SEO, or word-of-mouth effort. A fairer comparison adds your blended customer acquisition cost per unit to the "own site" column.
Shopify sits in the middle: a small monthly fee, moderate payment processing, and you own the customer relationship. The real advantage of Shopify over own-site is the ecosystem — the cost comparison above is almost identical; you're really paying for the storefront, cart abandonment emails, and integrations, not lower fees.
About this tool
Enter your product price, category (for Amazon's referral rate), unit cost, and monthly sales volume to compare Amazon, Shopify, and direct-to-consumer (Stripe-only) on profit per unit and monthly profit. The tool also calculates the crossover volume — the number of units per month where each channel becomes more profitable than the others.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Amazon's per-unit cost so much higher?
Amazon's referral fee (8–20% depending on category) replaces payment processing but is substantially higher than Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30. The trade-off is access to Prime customers, built-in trust, and organic discovery. For a $40 product in the "most categories" bracket, Amazon takes $6 vs Stripe's ~$1.46. The Amazon channel is essentially paying for customer acquisition built into the fee — the tool strips that away so you can see the raw economics.
What's not included in the Shopify or own-site numbers?
The "own site" column includes only Stripe payment processing — no storefront platform, no email marketing, no hosting, no ads. Shopify's monthly fee covers the storefront but not advertising, fulfillment, returns, or customer support tooling. Amazon's fee covers payment, fraud protection, and customer service on the transaction, but not your advertising spend (Sponsored Products, etc.). Add your true COGS and marketing costs to compare channels fairly.
Should I include FBA costs?
FBA fees depend on your product's size and weight tier. The $3.22 default is Shopify's published rate for a standard small item — vary it to match your product. If you're using FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant), set the fulfillment cost field to your actual shipping + packaging cost per unit.
What is the crossover volume?
The crossover is the monthly sales volume at which two channels break even on total profit — above that point, one channel becomes more profitable than the other. It's calculated by setting the monthly profit equations equal and solving for volume. Shopify vs own-site crossover is driven purely by the monthly platform fee ($39/mo Basic); once your monthly Stripe savings from Shopify's lower processing rate exceed $39, Shopify wins — but since both use the same 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic, Shopify is strictly worse unless you use a higher Shopify plan with lower rates.
When does Amazon make more sense despite higher fees?
Amazon's fees are higher, but so is the organic traffic. If you're sourcing 100% of your own-site traffic through paid ads, the effective CAC per unit may exceed Amazon's referral fee. The right comparison is (Amazon fee) vs (own-site fee + paid CAC per unit). This tool shows the pure fee economics — add your blended CAC to the own-site cost field to make it a fair comparison.