Side-by-side comparison of total selling fees on Amazon FBA vs Shopify Plus including platform fees, fulfillment, advertising, and payment processing.
Channel economics determine where each dollar of revenue goes. Amazon takes 35-55% of revenue in total fees (referral + FBA + advertising), while Shopify Plus total cost-to-sell ranges from 22-40%. Understanding total fee burden by channel prevents the illusion of profitability on high-revenue, low-margin channels.
| Tier / Category | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon FBA (Referral + Fulfillment) | 30-45% | Referral fee (8-15%) + FBA fulfillment ($3-$8/unit) + storage fees |
| Amazon Advertising (PPC) | 8-15% | Required to maintain visibility; ACoS rising 10-15% annually |
| Shopify Plus (Platform + Payments) | 2.5-3.5% | Platform fee (0.25% GMV) + Shopify Payments (2.15% + $0.30) |
| Shopify Plus (Fulfillment/3PL) | 10-18% | 3PL costs vary by product size, weight, and volume tier |
| Shopify Plus (Paid Acquisition) | 10-20% | Meta, Google, TikTok spend required to drive own traffic |
Methodology
Fee structures sourced from Amazon Seller Central and Shopify Plus published rates as of Q1 2026. Fulfillment and advertising ranges reflect mid-market merchant averages.
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Amazon FBA economics look simple on the surface and get brutal fast.
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Shopify Plus merchants pay three distinct fees that most operators never combine into a single number: the platform fee (starting at 2,000 per month and scaling with revenue on large accounts), transaction fees of up to 0.15 percent for merchants not using Shopify Payments, and payment processing fees that start at 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction on Shopify Payments.
On a per-order basis, Shopify Plus is typically more profitable because total fees are lower (22-40% vs 35-55% on Amazon). However, Amazon provides built-in traffic, so the comparison depends on whether your Shopify acquisition costs are lower than Amazon's combined referral, FBA, and advertising fees.
Total Amazon FBA costs typically consume 35-55% of revenue: referral fees (8-15%), FBA fulfillment ($3-$8/unit), storage fees ($0.75-$2.40/cu ft/month), and advertising (8-15% of revenue). For a $30 product, Amazon takes roughly $12-$16 before you account for COGS.
Most mid-market merchants benefit from a multi-channel strategy, but you need per-channel profitability tracking. Use Amazon for customer acquisition and brand exposure, Shopify for retention and higher margins. The critical mistake is treating blended profitability across channels instead of managing each independently.
Margin Analysis
The gradual, often undetected loss of profit across many orders — driven by small per-order cost overruns that compound into significant revenue erosion over time.
Margin Analysis
The percentage of revenue remaining after subtracting the cost of goods sold — a foundational profitability metric that excludes operating expenses, taxes, and interest.
Cost Management
The total cost of a product delivered to the customer, including COGS, freight, duties, tariffs, insurance, and handling fees.
Agentis Solution
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