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Amazon is a huge company, and not everyone is a fan of it. If you want to avoid Amazon for moral or political reasons, or if you just want to see if you can find a better deal somewhere else, here are a dozen other places to look. Amazon.com has grown to be one of the biggest and most popular e-commerce sites in North America, if not the whole world.
It has done this because it is easy to use and has good customer service. It also has a wide range of products that users can buy or sell. But the prices of things on Amazon can be high, especially when you consider the cost of shipping and the fact that you can’t bargain over them. Even though you can track your Amazon order, it may still be a bit of a guessing game as to when it will arrive.
Best Amazon Alternatives Comparison Table
| Product | Features | Price | Visit Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thrive Market | Organic and Non-GMO groceries and home goods delivered | $5/month | Visit |
| Hive | Smart home devices for lighting, heating, and security | $99.99+ | Visit |
| eBay | Buy and sell electronics, cars, and more | Varies | Visit |
| AliExpress | Online retailer offering a wide range of products | Varies | Visit |
| Overstock | Home decor, furniture, and bedding | Varies | Visit |
| Newegg.com | Computer hardware and consumer electronics | Varies | Visit |
| Grove Collaborative | Eco-friendly household and personal care products | $7.99+ | Visit |
| Made Trade | Ethical and sustainable clothing and home goods | Varies | Visit |
Thrive Market
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Membership-based online grocery store | Offers a wide range of organic, non-GMO, and sustainable products |
| Curated product selection | Provides carefully curated products that align with specific dietary preferences and values |
| Competitive pricing | Offers discounted prices on products compared to traditional retail stores |
| Convenient delivery | Delivers products directly to your doorstep, saving you time and effort |
| Thrive Gives initiative | Supports social and environmental causes through their Thrive Gives program |
In 2014, Thrive Market opened as a certified B corporation with a mission to sell organic and natural groceries and other eco-friendly products at prices that everyone could afford. Members of the online grocery store can save 25–50% on more than 6,000 items.
Including healthy foods, meat, pantry staples, wine, bath and body products, beauty and skincare, baby care, supplements, and home goods. Membership plans start at $5 per month, and you can shop by diet and lifestyle as well as by values like non-toxic, Environmental Working Group-verified, certified organic, cruelty-free, and more.
- A membership-based model gives you access to a handpicked selection of high-quality products that you can’t get anywhere else.
- Healthy and eco-friendly products are easier to afford when their prices are competitive.
- Delivery right to your door saves you time and effort.
- The Thrive Gives program helps social and environmental causes, which has a good effect.
- You have to pay a membership fee to get access to exclusive products and prices.
- Compared to bigger online stores, they don’t have as many products.
- Not all areas may be able to get delivery.
The Good
The Bad
Hive
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Smart home automation system | Provides a comprehensive range of smart home devices and accessories |
| Centralized control | Allows you to control and automate various aspects of your home, such as lighting, heating, and security |
| Easy integration | Works with popular smart home platforms like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for seamless integration |
| Customizable automation | Allows you to create custom automation routines based on your preferences and needs |
| Energy-efficient | Provides energy-saving features that help reduce your home’s energy consumption |
Think of HiveBrands.com as your favorite general store or emporium. It has unique snacks, drinks, health and beauty products, and household goods. Almost all of the options are made in a way that is good for the environment and people, and they come from companies that care about social issues.
But they are also great products in general, like organic nut butters and homemade sauces for your pantry and clean salves and lotions for your skincare routine. Just in time for summer, we found cleaning products that are gentle on the environment and don’t harm bugs.
- A wide range of smart home devices and accessories for a complete home automation system
- Centralized control makes it easy to run different parts of your home.
- Easy integration with the most popular smart home platforms for seamless compatibility
- Personalized smart home experiences are possible because automation routines can be changed.
- Energy-saving features help reduce the amount of energy your home uses.
- Setup may require technical skills and knowledge at first.
- Cost of buying many smart home devices to make a full system
- For the best performance, ongoing maintenance and updates may be needed.
The Good
The Bad
eBay
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Online marketplace | Offers a wide range of products from various sellers worldwide |
| Buyer and seller protection | Provides measures to protect buyers and sellers, such as dispute resolution and feedback system |
| Auction and fixed-price listings | Allows sellers to choose between auction-style or fixed-price listings for flexibility |
| Global shipping program | Facilitates international shipping for sellers, expanding the customer base |
| Wide range of product categories | Offers a diverse selection of products, including new and used items, collectibles, and more |
eBay.com is probably the best-known alternative to Amazon, and it began around the same time. eBay, unlike Amazon, doesn’t sell its own goods. Instead, it connects businesses or third-party sellers with people who want to buy. Many of the items on eBay can be bought right away, but many others are put up for auction.
This is something that makes eBay unique. When an item is up for auction, the person who wins gets to buy it at the price of the second-highest bid. Some products will even give you the option of buying them outright or bidding on them.
- Many sellers around the world offer a wide range of products.
- Measures to protect both buyers and sellers make online shopping safe.
- Both auctions and fixed-price listings give sellers a lot of options.
- With the global shipping program, sellers can reach more people.
- There are many different types of products to meet the needs of different customers.
- There could be fake or fraudulent listings
- Because of competition between sellers, prices may change.
- Shipping costs and times can be different depending on the seller and where they are.
- The process for returns and refunds can be different for each seller.
The Good
The Bad
AliExpress
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Online retail platform | Offers a wide range of products directly from manufacturers and sellers in China |
| Competitive pricing | Provides competitive prices on a wide variety of products |
| Buyer protection | Offers buyer protection measures, such as escrow service, to ensure safe transactions |
| Worldwide shipping | Ships products to various countries around the world, expanding the customer base |
| Diverse product categories | Offers a vast selection of products, including electronics, clothing, home goods, and more |
AliExpress.com is run by the Alibaba Group, which is Chinese and not Middle Eastern. They offer factory-direct prices on a wide range of items. They also have a lot of guarantees and safety measures in place to protect buyers from scams.
These include not giving a vendor your money until you receive and approve the item you ordered, giving you a full refund if your order never arrives, and letting you get a full refund if the item you get isn’t exactly what you were told you’d get.
- China has a lot of manufacturers and sellers who make and sell a wide range of goods.
- Shoppers who want to save money have options with competitive prices.
- Buyer protection measures make sure that transactions are safe.
- Products from all over the world can be bought because of worldwide shipping.
- Different types of products meet different consumer needs.
- Shipping times can be different depending on where you live and who you buy from. The quality of products can also be different because they come from different manufacturers and sellers.
- Language and cultural differences could make it hard to communicate.
- The process of returns and refunds can be complicated and take a long time.
- Possible customs fees and taxes for shipments to other countries
The Good
The Bad
Overstock
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Online marketplace | Offers a wide range of products from various sellers |
| Discounted prices | Provides discounted prices on products compared to traditional retail stores |
| Flash deals | Offers time-limited flash deals on selected products for additional savings |
| Loyalty rewards | Provides a loyalty program for regular customers, offering exclusive discounts |
| Eco-friendly initiatives | Promotes eco-friendly practices through programs like Carbon Neutral Shipping |
Overstock.com is one of the best sites that are like Amazon. The website doesn’t sell food or drinks, but it does have a great selection of trendy furniture, home decor, electronics, and office supplies. If you spend more than $45 on an order, shipping is free.
If you spend less than that, shipping costs $4.95. The fact that you can return things you buy on Overstock is another benefit. If you start the return process within 30 days of your order, you’ll get the full cost of the item plus any shipping costs you paid.
- There are many sellers with a wide range of goods.
- When prices are cut, they are easier to afford.
- Flash deals are ways to save money for a short time.
- The loyalty rewards program gives regular customers extra discounts.
- Sustainable shopping habits are helped by eco-friendly projects.
- The quality of products can vary from seller to seller.
- Flash deals might only be available for a short time and sell out quickly.
- The process for returns and refunds can be different for each seller.
- Depending on the seller and location, there may be shipping costs.
The Good
The Bad
Newegg.com
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Online retailer for tech products | Offers a wide range of electronics, computer hardware, and software |
| Product reviews and ratings | Provides customer reviews and ratings to help make informed purchasing decisions |
| Exclusive deals | Offers exclusive deals and discounts on tech products |
| Detailed product information | Provides comprehensive product information, specifications, and compatibility details |
| Fast shipping options | Offers expedited shipping options for quicker delivery |
One of the best alternatives to Amazon for shopping for electronics and tech products is Newegg.com. This top e-commerce site has a lot going for it, like great customer service, daily deals, and fast shipping. Amazon has great shipping, and so does Newegg.
Items can arrive in as little as one business day. White Glove Delivery is an option for some bigger items, like TVs and appliances. This top-notch service will bring your purchase to the room of your choice, unpack it, and get rid of any leftover packaging.
- There is a wide range of tech products for both tech fans and professionals.
- Customer reviews and ratings give information about a product’s quality and how well it works.
- You can save money on tech products through special deals.
- Having a lot of information about a product helps you decide what to buy.
- There are fast shipping options so that products can be delivered quickly
- There aren’t many product categories besides tech-related ones.
- There may be specific rules and requirements for returns and refunds.
- Possible shipping costs, depending on where you live and which shipping method you choose.
The Good
The Bad
Grove Collaborative
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Online retailer for eco-friendly home and personal care products | Offers a curated selection of sustainable, non-toxic, and eco-friendly products |
| Subscription-based model | Provides a convenient subscription-based model for regular product deliveries |
| Auto-shipments | Offers customizable auto-shipments for hassle-free replenishment of essential products |
| Eco-friendly packaging | Uses eco-friendly packaging materials and practices to reduce environmental impact |
| Product ratings and certifications | Provides product ratings, certifications, and transparency about ingredients and sourcing |
We’re more determined than ever to keep our homes as clean and free of germs as possible, and Grove Collaborative makes that easy and affordable. This certified B Corp offers flexible subscriptions that send you nontoxic, eco-friendly, and cruelty-free household and personal care products.
Also, Grove offsets the carbon footprint of each shipment to reduce its effect on the environment, and the company is currently plastic-free, with the goal of being plastic-free by 2025. A few years ago, our founder switched all of her monthly Amazon shipments to Grove, which makes it easy to get organic household goods and toiletries delivered to her door.
- Eco-friendly home and personal care products that have been carefully chosen.
- Easy-to-use model for regular product deliveries based on subscriptions
- Automatic shipments that can be changed to make sure you’re always stocked up
- Materials and methods that are good for the environment and can be used for packaging
- Few product categories are mainly about home and personal care
- Subscription-based shopping may not be right for everyone.
- Products may be overstocked if they are sent automatically.
The Good
The Bad
Made Trade
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Online retailer for sustainable and ethically-made products | Offers a curated selection of sustainable and ethically-made products |
| Fair trade and artisanal products | Sources products from fair trade organizations and artisanal communities |
| Transparent sourcing | Provides transparency about the sourcing, production, and labor practices of products |
| High-quality and durable products | Emphasizes on high-quality and durable products, reducing the need for frequent replacements |
| Supports social and environmental causes | Supports social and environmental causes through partnerships and donations |
Made Trade was started in 2018 as a place to find beautiful, ethically made, and long-lasting things for our homes and closets. Today, this curated platform makes sure that every product fits with one of Made Trade’s core values: fair trade, handcrafted, made in the USA, BIPOC-owned, women-owned, sustainable, vegan, or recycled/upcycled.
Made Trade has everything you need for home decor, from kitchen stoneware to bedding. They also work with hundreds of other brands to make the buying process more mindful and sustainable. The brand is owned by a family and gives 1% of its profits to environmental causes. It is also carbon-neutral.
- Curated selection of products that are made in a sustainable and ethical way
- Pay attention to fair trade and handmade goods, and help communities.
- Transparency about where things come from, how they are made, and how people work
- Focus on products that are of high quality and will last for a long time
- Through partnerships and donations, help is given to social and environmental causes.
- Fewer product categories than those that are sustainable and made ethically
- Prices might be higher than for regular goods.
- Some products or brands are hard to come by.
- Possible variations in product designs and styles
The Good
The Bad
FAQs
If you want to buy electronics, BuyDig is one of the sites you can use instead of Amazon. It sells things like luggage, mattresses, bedding, and software in addition to consumer electronics. It was started in 1983, and in 1997, it started selling online.
The UPS Store is another place where you can leave your items. Choose The UPS Store Dropoff as the way you want to return your Amazon purchase. With this method, your items don’t need to be in boxes or marked. Instead, The UPS Store will send your return for free by packing, labeling, and shipping it.