eBay Dropshipping vs Shopify Dropshipping – Pros & Cons
eBay dropshipping vs Shopify dropshipping, Which one to choose? Which platform is the best and which platform is the most profitable? Well, eBay dropshipping and Shopify dropshipping are two different type of dropshipping models. Each has their own pros and cons.
| Platform | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| eBay | – Totally Free to Start – Huge Customer Base – Have Seller Protection – Customer Trust | – Lot of Rules and Restrictions – Limited Control of Listings – High Competition |
| Shopify | – Fewer Restrictions – Customizable Shop – Can Add Staff to Manage Shop – Unlimited Product Listing – Have much Freedom – Build up your Own Brand – Add Your Own Payment Methods | – Have to pay a monthly fee – Do not have a Customer Base – You have to use paid Advertising |
So these are the basic pros and cons of eBay and Shopify. Let’s dig deep into eBay dropshipping vs Shopify dropshipping. Which is better eBay or Shopify?
eBay has so many restrictions for their sellers. If you pick eBay you have to follow every single rule and regulation they have. So before you choose a platform, you need to know the following.
Does eBay allow dropshipping?
Yes and No. eBay allows dropshipping to a certain extent. They allow you to dropship from a wholesale seller but they don’t allows you to dropship from a similar marketplace. For an example, they allow you to dropshipping from marketplaces like Alibaba, Global Sources or from local supplier. But eBay does not allow you to dropshipping from Amazon, AliExpress, Etsy or any similar websites to eBay. It is strictly prohibited. If eBay finds out that you are dropshipping from a similar marketplace, your account will be banned.
How much does it cost to dropship on eBay and Can you start eBay dropshipping with no money?
eBay doesn’t charge anything to list a product on their marketplace. It cost you noting to start dropshipping on eBay and yes you can start dropshipping on eBay with no money. However once you make a sale, eBay take a percentage from the transaction as handling and processing fees. The amount they take depend on the category of your item. Check eBay Fees here to learn exactly how much eBay charge you per item. Also if you want to list more than 250 items per month on eBay you have to pay extra for each listing.
Is Shopify best for dropshipping.
Yes it is. Shopify is specially made for dropshipping business model. So it is the best platform there is for dropshipping today. It is very easy to create, link between platforms, customize and automate the system.
Can I use Shopify with eBay and Can I dropship from eBay to Shopify?
Yes you can. You can use Shopify with eBay and you can dropship from eBay to Shopify. However you cannot dropship from a Shopify to eBay. eBay do not allow that but you can link those two platforms together using eBay Shopify app on Shopify. This will automatically update your listing on Shopify according to eBay listing details.(in-stock, prices, discounts, etc..) Here are everything you need to know about eBay dropshipping vs Shopify dropshipping. Their pros and cons, their fees, difficulty and the possibilities of linking both platforms and all the other details. So you can pick what’s best for you.
But in my personal experience and opinion, these two methods are not options for you to start dropshipping. These are just two steps of your dropshipping journey. These are the steps I took when I was starting dropshipping. Let me explain each step and why did I do that.
Step 1 eBay. In my personal opinion, you should start with eBay dropshipping. Because this will be a very good learning opportunity for you. it’s free so there are no rick involve in starting dropshipping on eBay without knowing anything about dropshipping. You have nothing to lose. Also there are so much to learn.
– How to find good products
– How to manage orders
– How to handle customers
– How to calculate profit
– How to deal with customers
– How to recover from a loss
And so on. eBay is university to learn all these things. You can gain so much experience from eBay and you will need to experience if you want to be successful in dropshipping.
Step 2 Shopify. Once you become successful on eBay you can then invest your money to start a shop on Shopify. The reason I did eBay first is because Shopify requires more money, more time, more knowledge and more experience. Now you know how to handle orders, customers, shipping, losses and other problem that occurs in dropshipping. But Shopify is still could be a learning opportunity. Your ultimate dropshipping goal should be to open your own store. We are doing all these to reach that goal.
You learn most about dropshipping in step one eBay dropshipping. So what left to learn from step two, Shopify dropshipping. Well Shopify do not have a huge customer base like eBay. So you need to promote your products using some method. By doing so, you will learn about social media marketing, google advertising, and all the other advertising methods to make your Shopify store a success.
Also in this step you will be able to build up your own brand and your own customer base. This is a huge advantage for you when you start your own dropshipping store.
Step 3 Own Store. You can stick with step two if you want. But starting your own store gives you so much freedom and you will not have to pay any fees to any platform. The whole profit is yours. Also there will be no rules and restrictions. Your store, your rules.
You learn how to handle everything related to dropshipping in step one and you have learnt all about advertising and you build a good customer base in Shopify dropshipping step. Now you are ready to build your own business. Invest your money to build a very user-friendly modern e-Commerce website and start dropshipping under your own terms. You are not paying anyone any fee the whole profit of the sales are yours.
So if you are new to dropshipping this is a good way to start dropshipping. Research first, learn second, then learn while doing and finally become a successful dropshipper.
– Start free eBay dropshipping and learn
– Then start Shopify dropshipping and learn further
– Finally start your own company or a brand and start winning
This is all for eBay dropshipping vs Shopify dropshipping. Hope this article helped you to understand the difference between eBay and Shopify dropshipping. And if you want to learn more about dropshipping read our article about how to start dropshipping in 2022 for free.
FAQ
Is amazon to eBay dropshipping allowed?
Is AliExpress allowed on eBay?
Like I said earlier, eBay does not allow dropshipping from above websites since both of them are similar marketplaces.
Mawan Lakshan Aluvihare is a software engineer, social media marketer and an online entrepreneur in Sri Lanka. He completed his bachelor's degree in Interactive Media at Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology in 2014. He is a level 2 seller on Fiverr, a successful dropshipper and the owner of redwolfTAG Solution, a web development company in Sri Lanka.
