eBay gives you instant access to buyers. Shopify lets you build your brand. Here's how to choose.
eBay's biggest advantage is its built-in audience. Millions of Australian buyers search eBay daily, so your listings get exposure without any marketing effort. The trade-off is higher fees (12-15% per sale), no control over your brand experience, and algorithm dependency — eBay decides how visible your listings are. You also can't build direct customer relationships or email lists.
Shopify gives you complete control over your brand — your own domain, your design, your customer relationships. Transaction fees are lower (around 2.9% plus payment processing). But you must drive your own traffic through SEO, social media, and paid advertising. For most resellers starting out, this is a significant barrier. Shopify also charges a monthly subscription ($39-399 AUD depending on plan).
Start with eBay. The built-in audience lets you validate your product range and build cash flow without marketing spend. Consider adding Shopify when you have a strong brand identity, repeat customers, and are ready to invest in marketing. Many successful resellers run both — using eBay for volume and Shopify for brand-building. See our guides on eBay fees and accounting software for resellers for managing multi-platform finances.
Franked is built specifically for Australian resellers. Join the waitlist to be first when we launch.