If you want to tap into the growing ecommerce market, a great first step is to register on one of the best online ecommerce platforms.

But why are these platforms becoming so popular?

63% of shopping journeys start online, making online sites an increasingly lucrative option for selling your products.

Also, according to Statista, ecommerce retail sales accounted for 14.2% of all sales in 2021, and the number is expected to rise to around 21% by the end of 2025.

These stats prove that ecommerce has changed the way consumers shop and paved the way for new business opportunities like dropshipping.

In this article, we've researched and compiled the best platforms to sell online to consider, with advice and tips about each one.

Let's begin!

The Best Platforms to Sell Products Online: An Overview

Before starting the article, we would like to show you this overview of all the best platforms to sell products online covered in this article:

PlatformBest forPricing
ShopifyEcommerce stores of any sizeThe monthly fee ranges from $39 to $399 per month.
WooCommerceEcommerce stores of any sizeFree and open source.
SendOwlSelling digital productsStandard ($15/month), Premium ($24/month), and Business ($39/month).
BigCommerceSmall businesses, especially if you have a lot of productsStandard ($29.95/month), Plus ($79.95/month), Pro ($299.95/month), and Enterprise plans with pricing based on a customer's online sales.
FastSpringBest platform for SaaS ecommerce platforms8.9% charge on the transaction's total transaction amount or charge of 5.9% of the overall transaction amount, plus 95 cents for every transaction.
SmugMugAnyone who wants to show and even sell their visual work online – including artists and designers as well as photographersThe Power plan starts at $13 per month, the Portfolio plan at $28 per month, and the Pro plan at $42 per month.
Amazon International tradeThe individual plan starts at $0.99/ item sold, while the professional plan costs $ 49.95 per month.
EtsySelling handmade arts and craftsEtsy charges a $0.20 listing fee for each product. Then when you sell a product, there is a 5% transaction fee and a 3% plus+$0.25 processing fee.
Facebook MarketplaceSocial media marketplace, best for selling locally5% or $0.40 on each sale
eBaySelling clothing and accessories globally$7.95 / month or $4.95 / month for a yearly plan. 
CraigslistSole proprietors and small businesses to sell locallyFree
Ruby LaneSelling antiques online$25/month and a service fee of 9.9% on order totals that caps at $250.
HandshakeConnecting suppliers with retailersFree
DecluttrSelling electronics overallFree
NextdoorSelling locallyLocal deals start at $3.
PoshmarkSelling electronics, accessories, and men's and women's fashion globallyFree to list, but the fee structure is a flat $2.95 commission for all sales below $15. For more than $15, the commission is 20%.
GumroadDigital creators selling via social media9% transaction fee plus $0.3 for each transaction.

What is an online selling platform?

Explanation of what an online selling platform is

Before we dive deep into each platform, let's go over a few basics, like what exactly is an online selling platform?

An online selling platform is an ecommerce website incorporating elements for selling online.

Where a standard website platform/builder has features for adding pages, posts, and menus, an ecommerce platform takes it a step further by including product management, shipping tools, payment processing, and more.

Two types of online platforms: ecommerce vs. marketplace

The best platforms to sell online will differ depending on each seller's product categories, goals, and needs.

Online marketplaces are a good place to start for ecommerce beginners since they allow you to reduce the upfront expenses (marketing, web design and setup, SEO), risks, and time required to set up a business.

Otherwise, setting up your own ecommerce store can be the best option if you already have a well-known brand and do not want to split your earnings with a marketplace or want a custom-made solution.

Here's a quick overview comparing the two:

MarketplacesEcommerce
TrafficAttract traffic organically.The store owner must do marketing to attract visitors.
Time-to-launchQuick to set up. You set up the entire site yourself; it can be time-consuming upfront.
CostsCharge commissions (usually between 5-15%); some charge for membership. Low or no costs upon setup.No commission; the seller pays for hosting/maintaining the site online.

17 Top platforms to sell your products online

Without further ado, let's dive into the best platforms for selling online.

Let's start!

Platforms to start an online store

If you decide to establish your own ecommerce storefront, you will need the assistance of an ecommerce and online shopping cart solution provider.

In the first part of this guide, let's cover the top platforms for creating an online store.

1. Shopify Review

Shopify Home Page

Shopify is the leader in modern ecommerce and allows users to create online stores to sell physical and digital goods.

Moreover, it powers more than 2.6 million online stores in the United States alone. Just take a look at this screenshot from BuiltWith:

Built with Shopify stats

And the best part is that you can try the platform risk-free as they have a free trial option.

All you have to do is sign up for the free trial and cancel at any time if you are not happy. No questions asked. (More info about their trial here)

The ecommerce website features an extensive collection of themes and styles with full customization options. There are also free and paid apps that allow users to create stores that resemble the likes of Gymshark and Allbirds when it comes to product selling.

Shopify is always looking for innovative ways to help merchants sell more effectively by developing creative features such as quick online store setup, product customization, and mobile shopping applications.

As a result, you can delve into Shopify dropshipping without any technical knowledge.

For more information, check out our guide on how to start a Shopify store.

Pros
  • 100+ payment gateways. You can integrate your Shopify store with over 100 external payment gateways worldwide. (And they have their own payment gateway called Shopify Payments)
  • SEO, marketing, and analytics. A variety of free and paid SEO optimization programs can help you locate buyers. These allow you to optimize your URLs, update title tags, meta descriptions, and product descriptions, and increase your online visibility.
  • Create an online store fast, without a development background. Even if you don't have a development background, you can confidently create and publish a store for your business.
  • Bulk upload products. If your brand has a large product catalog, adding them to your Shopify site is simple. You can upload your items using a .csv file, making it easy to set up your store.
  • Easy to market your store. You can launch Google and Facebook Ads from within the platform.
Cons
  • Pay a monthly service fee. Using Shopify does come with a monthly service fee, which ranges from $39 to $399 per month.
  • Use for business-to-consumer. The platform focuses on B2C companies.
Pricing

The Basic plan starts at $39 per month. But as your business grows, it will make sense to switch to a higher pricing plan to save money on commissions.

Shopify pricing
Shopify pricing

For more information about Shopify's pricing plans, check out our other article here!

Also, don't forget that Shopify has a trial available, which you can learn more about here.

Tip: Have you already created your Shopify account? If not, sign up by clicking this link here to get a free 3-day trial + pay $1/month for the first 3 months!

Get your free Shopify trial

2. WooCommerce Review

WooCommerce Home Page

WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress that adds ecommerce to WordPress sites. This tool's major features include an online shop setup, on-the-go order management, and flexible and secure payment.

Because WooCommerce is open-source software, developers have a variety of customization options.

WooCommerce Payments, WooCommerce's own payment processing system, is a distinguishing feature of the platform. Customers can buy straight from your site instead of being redirected to an external payment processor.

Transactions can also be seen and managed using WooCommerce. There are no setup or monthly fees, only per-transaction payment processing fees, which vary by country and payment option.

Tip: Not sure between Shopify and WooCommerce? Check out our in-depth comparison article here!

Pros
  • Completely free and open source. Any user, designer, or programmer can alter its code because it is based on open collaboration.
  • Great flexibility. You can configure it to sell physical, virtual, or downloadable products. It can also be adapted to affiliate systems and other business models.
  • Large community. It has a community of users, developers, and contributors. In case of problems or technical queries, you will get help from a large community of active users.
  • Designs. There are hundreds of both free and paid WooCommerce themes available.
Cons
  • Steep learning curve. Although you can start with a preinstalled version, the setup process can be quite a pain for inexperienced users.
  • Lack of support. Unlike with Shopify, there is no central support. Every theme, plugin, and hosting comes with different support channels.
  • Need to pay for extensions. Installing some extensions may require payment.
Pricing

The WooCommerce plugin is free; you just pay for hosting.

3. SendOwl Review

SendOwl home page

SendOwl allows you to create and design an online store, which you can then integrate into your blog in minutes. You may also use Facebook and other social media sites to generate social connections that allow you to sell online.

A mobile-friendly check-out system and one-click up-selling are further revenue-boosting solutions.

It also includes a variety of payment alternatives. Also, SendOwl can handle transactions in several languages and currencies.

Other features include affiliate marketing, promo codes, and email marketing.

Pros
  • Affordable shipping costs. Depending on location and how long you want it to take to arrive.
  • Easy and fast. SendOwl is easy to use and saves time. You'll be able to create your customized package in just minutes.
  • Dedicated landing page. For your affiliate program, allowing you to promote uniquely.
Cons
  • Few templates to choose from. Although there is customization, it is limited.
  • No immediate support. SendOwl provides customer support only through email and FAQs. There is no phone or live chats.
Pricing

Standard ($15/month), Premium ($24/month), and Business ($39/month).

SendOwl pricing

For more information, check out their pricing page here.

4. BigCommerce Review

BigCommerce Homepage

Would you like to ‘create’ your own ecommerce site? If so, you will be able to do it with BigCommerce!

BigCommerce is a paid, 'hosted' ecommerce platform that allows you to create an online shop and sell your items online.

BigCommerce is 'hosted,' which means it operates on its own servers; you don't need to acquire web hosting or install any software on your system to use it.

But you can design and maintain your store from anywhere, provided you can access a web browser and the internet.

The platform has a variety of customizable templates to assist you in designing an online store and then using it to sell both digital and physical items. Furthermore, there are tools to help users in marketing their businesses.

Tip: Not sure between Shopify and BigCommerce? Check out our in-depth comparison article here!

Pros
  • Many great features. Includes more features as standard than any other ecommerce website builder.
  • Product variants. Upload up to 1,000 products per category.
  • Scalability. Ideal platform for both small and big brands.
  • Low transaction fees. The transaction fees on the platform are a bit lower than other similar sites.
  • Solid SEO features. Regarding SEO capabilities, BigCommerce is one of the best store builders we've ever tried.
Cons
  • Yearly sales threshold. Each plan has an annual sales threshold. If you exceed the limit, you will be upgraded to another plan which can cost more.
  • No email marketing tools. Unlike its competitors, BigCommerce doesn't provide email marketing tools. You'll need to pay for a third-party app.
  • No multilingual option. It is only available in English.
  • Expensive. Advanced reporting tools like 'ecommerce insights' are expensive.
  • No RSS feeds. The built-in blog doesn't facilitate RSS feeds.
Pricing

The Standard plan starts at $29.95 per month, but they also have a $79.95 and $299.95 plan, which you can learn more about here!

BigCommerce pricing

Also, don't forget that BigCommerce has a trial available, which you can learn more about here.

5. FastSpring Review

Fasfspring home page

If you are a software firm looking for a way to increase online sales, you will love FastSpring. Selling digital products and services on a worldwide scale is not always easy.

Sometimes you have to deal with foreign costs, and other times you discover that certain clients cannot pay in their own currency.

FastSpring changes all that by providing a full-stack ecommerce platform with subscription support and a wide range of languages and currencies.

The features include 3rd-party integrations, global payments, branded check-out, and global taxes. Regarding integrations, you can use FastSpring with Facebook, WordPress, or Impact.

Fastspring features

Also, if you are unsure of what you are getting into, you can request a demo and see how the platform can grow your software business.

Pros
  • Digital focus. FastSpring caters specifically to businesses selling software, digital goods, and subscriptions.
  • International orders. Accept international payments, and show customers prices in currencies based on their location.
  • All-inclusive platform. Serves as both your payment processor and ecommerce store builder.
Cons
  • Can’t sell physical goods. If you sell physical products or goods, this will not be the ecommerce platform for you.
  • High fees. There are solutions with better pricing models in the market.
Pricing

FastSpring has two pricing options: 

  • An 8.9% charge on the transaction's total transaction amount.
  • A charge of 5.9% of the overall transaction amount, plus 95 cents for every transaction.

6. SmugMug Review

SmugMug home page

Let’s continue the list with SmugMug, a great website builder for photographers, artists, and designers who want to show and sell their work online. It lets sellers decide how much they want to charge their photos and allows them to keep 85% in commissions.

For example: if you sell a 5×7 for $15.80 and the SmugMug default price for it is $0.80. The markup is $15.00. You keep $12.75 as profit (85% of $15).

Its curated portfolio template selection is modest but properly designed, and its ecommerce capabilities are excellent.

Depending on the price plan you pick, you can sell your images as prints, digital downloads, or even have them gift-wrapped.

Then there are other innovative ideas like digital watermarks, the Adobe Lightroom plugin, and custom right-click messages.

However, we would like to see phone support and live chat on the platform. The knowledge base and email support are good, but there are situations where you need one-on-one assistance, particularly if you have buyers waiting on the other side.

Pros
  • Affordable. Cheapest and easiest way to create a professional-looking portfolio site.
  • Lots of customizable templates are available. Beautifully designed and mobile-responsive portfolio templates.
  • Quick and easy to get started. Get your site live in under an hour.
  • Wide range of ecommerce options. Very well set up for ecommerce and selling your own photos with private galleries and many printing options.
Cons
  • No invoicing. You will have to invoice and sell separately. Not really a big issue, but if you are looking for an all-in-one solution, SmugMug does not provide it.
  • No free SmugMug plan. If you are looking for a free plan, SmugMug is also not for you.
Pricing

Here's a screenshot of their pricing plans:

Smugmug pricing
More info about their pricing here

Platforms to sell on a marketplace

Let's check out the best online marketplaces to sell your products on!

7. Amazon Review

Amazon home page

Even though Amazon is one of the toughest online marketplaces, it offers an immense opportunity to businesses. That's why more than one million small-to-midsized companies sell on the platform, using it to generate sales and brand awareness.

Finding a space on Amazon might be difficult for manufacturers and sole proprietors with new items, but there are few busier venues to sell online.

Amazon offers competitive commissions and practically anything you can think of. There is no better moment to start an online business and no better location to locate an infinite variety of products without paying a dime for manufacture.

Pros
  • An established and trusted online marketplace. There are over 250 million people actively shopping on Amazon. There is no way for any small business to access that size of a customer base on any given day.
  • Instant credibility. Because Amazon processes the payments and distributes the money to its vendors, consumers have more confidence to purchase items from someone new.
  • Take advantage of Amazon’s affiliate program. This allows affiliates to refer vendor products, which means you get all of the advantages of an affiliate program with none of the work.
  • Low marketing costs. Amazon already attracts millions of customers to their website daily, and you get access to them. Depending on your niche and how crowded the market is, you can start selling from day one without any significant marketing efforts.
  • Low Upfront Costs. It takes very little to set up a seller account.
  • FBA. Fulfillment by Amazon makes selling a breeze. You ship everything to a single location, and Amazon handles the rest. That means you can make money while sleeping without worrying about customer-specific logistics or inventory.
Cons
  • High competition. You probably saw this one coming, and yes, the competition is fierce, including copycats and Amazon itself.
  • Paying referral, shipping, and subscription fees. Amazon charges retailers hefty commissions for every product sold through them. It’s good to familiarize yourself with them before starting.
  • Returned items. If a buyer returns your product, Amazon will not refund or relist the item.
Pricing

You can find more information about their pricing here!

8. Etsy Review

Etsy home page

Next up is Etsy, a unique site for creative sellers who want to list antiques, art collectibles, and handmade goods.

Over 40 million shoppers worldwide use the platform, allowing different sellers to show and sell their products.

So if you have unique products that you want to sell online, Etsy is your best bet. It also features built-in analytics, access to potential customers, sales tools, and an easy-to-use interface.

Etsy built-in analytics

You won't reap the benefits of Etsy immediately because it might take time for your listings to appear on the first pages of search results.

After you set up your Etsy store, we recommend you share its link on different social media channels to attract traffic.

Pros
  • Make as much as you want. There is no sales limit on Etsy.
  • Setting up an online store and keeping costs low is easy. It literally takes 15 minutes to get your Etsy store up and running with products for sale.
  • Etsy encourages sales to new stores. Many of the algorithms on Etsy are designed to drive traffic to new stores,
  • Etsy has an established audience. Etsy already has shoppers who are looking for cool products, so it's much easier to sell on their platform.
  • Great testing ground. Etsy offers a great way to start selling online as you test the waters before you invest more resources into a website.
Cons
  • Etsy is saturated. It has become very competitive over the years.
  • Copy cats. Etsy is very popular among crafters, which makes it easy for anyone to copy your products.
  • Not possible to change the layout. You can change the layout, fonts, and colors on platforms like Shopify to enhance your users' shopping experience. But on Etsy, it is not possible.
Pricing

Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee for each product. Then when you sell a product, there is a 5% transaction fee and a 3% + $0.25 processing fee.

9. Facebook Marketplace Review

Facebook Marketplace
Screenshot of Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is a great option for selling products or services locally. It offers one of the easiest and fastest ways to sell items online.

I've sold tons of stuff on the marketplace, and my experiences have been fine for the most part. I'd say 75 to 80% of my entire transactions usually go pretty smoothly.

The site gives you access to over 2.5 billion people in more than 70 countries. Listing your products is pretty straightforward (it is like creating a post).

Take great photos, add descriptions, and post. The platform's algorithm will take care of the remaining issues.

Other advantages of using Facebook to sell products online include the following:

  • Listing your products in related Facebook groups
  • You get organic traffic from plenty of Facebook users

Although Facebook charges vendors 5% or $0.40 on each sale, these costs are relatively low compared to other platforms. Furthermore, you will only be required to pay the selling fees after our items have been sold.

Additionally, there is no sales limit, so you can sell as many items as you like.

Would you like to sell more on Facebook? If so, check out our guide on how to sell on Facebook here!

And you can find more information about selling on the Facebook Marketplace here.

Pros
  • Broader audience. With over 2.5 billion daily users, Facebook is ideal for sellers who want to reach a vast audience.
  • Easy communication. You can communicate with buyers directly through Messenger.
  • Easy-to-use platform: Take good pictures of your products, describe them, and you are good to go.
  • Personalized experience. The platform shows buyers the products they are willing to buy, depending on their local communities, browsing history, and past activities. They can also add filters when searching for a specific product.
  • No monthly subscription. FBMP has no subscription fees, so you don’t have to pay upfront to use the platform.
Cons
  • Facebook doesn’t vet buyers and sellers. Facebook doesn’t verify products or vet buyers and sellers, which opens up the platform to scammers.
  • Better alternatives. Shopify, Amazon, and other platforms provide better services in online selling stores or business-to-business (B2B).
  • No storage space. Buyers and sellers are responsible for sending/receiving packages at their own convenience and risk.
  • Unsafe meet-ups. People you sell your products to might request meet-ups at random places. For experienced users, this might be a noticeable red light.
Pricing

If you sell items from a 'shop' and use the marketplace check-out, Facebook charges 5% per shipment or $0.40 for items $8.00 or less.

10. eBay Review

eBay home page

Let’s continue with a platform you may have heard of; eBay! Before Amazon, eBay was the most popular online marketplace globally.

It is still one of the best platforms if you want to sell items online. You can list up to 200 items a month for free, and you'll be charged only 10% once you sell.

Regarding how it works, a seller posts an item, including images and a description, as well as a price and delivery options. Buyers can place bids or hit the 'Buy it Now' button.

Customers pay using many different payment methods when a deal is struck and the seller ships the item.

Occasional sellers don't need advanced features. But if you want your listings to stand out, consider subscribing to features like 'promoted listings.'

Pros
  • eBay is an easy-to-use. You can get your first listings up and running in under 30 minutes.
  • Sell anything. As long as it is not illegal, you can create a listing for it with this marketplace.
  • Excellent seller protection. eBay prioritizes making sure you get paid and challenges sketchy money-back guarantee cases.
  • Free organic traffic. eBay enjoys great popularity and trust among its users (buyers).
  • eBay offers fixed rates. You can therefore evaluate the profitability of your sales on eBay beforehand and plan future strategies.
  • Free listing. You can list up to 150 products every month for free.
Cons
  • Stiff competition. Because many items share similar characteristics, sellers often implement competitive pricing strategies.
  • Seller fees. Fees are one of the primary impediments to ecommerce sellers expanding to eBay. Certain products may not benefit you if your profit margins are extremely low.
  • Cheap customers. eBay attracts buyers who come to the platform for a good deal. Because of this, as well as a large number of sellers, entrepreneurs must be prepared to list reasonable rates.
  • Branding limitations. One disadvantage of eBay's quick and easy setup is the lack of room for customization. When you first start selling on eBay, it can be difficult to establish your brand.
Pricing

Selling on eBay non-professionally is free.

However, if you're already a business seller or plan to sell regularly, you'll need to get a subscription to one of eBay's professional plans.

Seller accounts start at $7.95 / month or $4.95 / month if you sign up for a yearly plan. 

eBay pricing

11. Craigslist Review

Craigslist home page

Another online selling platform is Craiglist. A dull home page, right?

Well, the site has been around for a while, and we might excuse them for that. Craigslist is still one of the best platforms to sell items locally.

Keep an eye out for products you might be able to sell at a higher price.

The website appears particularly attractive for small, one-location enterprises, but it may not be as cost-effective for bigger, multi-location firms with more complex inventory management requirements.

Other options like Shopify might work better if you are a bigger company or want to venture into large-scale dropshipping.

Pros
  • Mobile app. Craigslist's UI, which was developed for desktop but not mobile, was historically one of its disadvantages. However, the mobile software CPlus is now officially a certified Craigslist partner.
  • Quick and easy listing in a matter of minutes. Joining is a simple task, and posting advertisements and uploading pictures is a breeze.
Cons
  • Notorious for scammers. You might receive five or more bogus offers before being contacted by a serious buyer.
  • Limited ad customization. The templates are fixed.
  • No automated posting. You might spend in man hours managing your listings.
  • No support to complete the transaction. You take care of everything.
Pricing

It's free to list on the platform.

12. Ruby Lane Review

Ruby Lane home page

You’re going to love the next platform for selling online.

Their store design is something you probably haven’t seen before. It is known as Ruby Lane.

A marketplace for you if your inventory is collectibles, jewelry, art, and antiques.

The latest estimates indicate that the site receives 1.1 million visitors each month.

It makes it easy for sellers to create and set up online stores without technical experience. Sellers' benefits include cropping product photos, Skyping directly with customers, and automated resizing.

Ruby Lane also offers a Secret Shopper program, where a team buys things from stores and reviews the experience, including response times and package quality.

The team then contacts establishments that do not fulfill their requirements personally and provides comments and advice.

Pros
  • Seller fees. The seller fees and commissions are lower than those of other online marketplaces.
  • Benefit from a great reputation. A good reputation in the antique community.
Cons
  • Copy cats. Like Etsy, it is easy for other craftsmen to copy your product.
  • Competition. It has become very competitive over the years.
Pricing

For $25/month, you can sell unlimited items.

As a bonus, you can get a rebate of $25 if you add more than 15 items to your shop. There is also a service fee of 9.9% on order totals that caps at $250.

Rubylane pricing

13. Handshake Review

Handshake home page

Next up is Handshake, a wholesale marketplace designed to connect suppliers with retailers.

There are unique, non-mass-produced products to sell online in categories like beverage, fitness, and jewelry. The Handshake team handpicks each supplier. 

Both online store owners and brick-and-mortar shops can buy on Handshake. So if your business sells unique products in bulk, you can apply to sell on Handshake

The best part? The platform integrates with Shopify. The integration allows wholesalers to track sales, fulfill orders, and manage inventory in one place.

Pros
  • Easy to use. It is easy to add products or change prices on the online store.
  • Great interface. Clean and basic layout.
Cons
  • Does not record orders permanently. It would be great if older orders were kept in the system since it does not save orders permanently.
Pricing

It's free!

14. Decluttr Review

Decluttr home page

It describes itself as the 'best place to sell tech online,' and it's a great option if you have several electronic gadgets lying around the house that you'd like to sell.

Decluttr, unlike some of the other online marketplaces on this list, buys gadgets and other stuff directly from you. All you have to do is scan the barcode of the products you want to sell using their app, and they will offer you a reasonable price.

Decluttr covers all shipping costs and pays you as soon as your products are received.

It's a terrific choice to explore if you're seeking a simplified way to sell your electrical products. You may also sell video games, books, and other items.

Pros
  • Quick and easy to use. Type in the ISBN for the item, click on the correct model number and get your offer price.
  • Quick payment through Direct Deposit or Paypal. PayPal payments are usually made within 24 hours of your shipment's assessment.
  • Free shipping labels. After accepting your item, free shipping labels and instructions are immediately sent to your email inbox.
Cons
  • Not good for making money. Their offer price is usually much lower than what you'd get if you sold your items yourself. If making money is your primary aim, Decluttr may not be your best solution.
Pricing

Decluttr is free!

15. Nextdoor Review

Nextdoor Neighbour home page

Like Facebook Marketplace and Craiglist, Nextdoor is great for selling and buying locally. The company is active in 11 countries and boasts over 30 million weekly users in 280,000 neighborhoods. 

A unique feature of Nextdoor is that it allows buyers and sellers can turn on filter settings only to include households within one, three, or five miles. The result is that items can often be delivered by foot or car, so shipping fees never enter the equation.

Additionally, since members must submit details like email and physical address when registering, Nextdoor is much safer than Craigslist due to increased accountability.

Pros
  • Clear neighborhood insights. It shows how many people can see your page and the number of neighborhoods you're qualified to reach.
  • Free to use. Set up an account without paying a cent.
  • Easy communication. Buyers can contact you directly through the app. 
Cons
  • Limited outreach. You can only reach people using the app.
  • Challenging to get traction. In the absence of recommendations, it might be hard to get buyers. Your listings will appear at the bottom of the search results if you don't have any referrals.
Pricing

Local deals start at $3 and may go up to hundreds of dollars. You'll be able to see how much different neighborhoods cost when you create your Local Deal.

16. Poshmark Review

Poshmark sign up page

Let’s continue this list with another awesome platform called Poshmark.

It is an online marketplace for selling electronics, accessories, men's and women's fashion, and more.

The platform has over 80 million users in Australia, the US, Canada, and Australia. Currently, there are over 150 million items for sale on the site.

You can list products on the site in simple, easy steps directly through the site or the Poshmark application. Poshmark covers all shipping expenses and delivers a pre-addressed mailing label after an item is sold.

As a seller, all you have to do is pack your merchandise in a box, apply the appropriate mailing label to the box, and dispatch.

Poshmark's social networking function is one of its main distinguishing features.

Sellers can attract followers, who can then leave feedback. Sellers have newsfeeds full of updates from individuals they follow and recommended products, just like on other social media platforms.

Pros
  • You can make money. Poshmark only takes a commission when you sell an item; the rest is yours. You simply need to ensure it's in the condition you described in your listing.
  • No listing fees. It is free to list, and you can list as many items as you want.
  • Straightforward shipping process. Shipping is simple, as they charge a flat amount of $6.79, which the buyer pays. The software allows you to print a shipping label and ship Priority Mail through USPS.
  • Poshmark Ambassador status. A designation to let people know you're a reliable seller.
  • Many features to promote sales. Bundle discounts, making it easier to negotiate prices, conducting events like Closet Clear Out, 
  • Taxes. Poshmark collects taxes on sales and remits them to states on behalf of sellers.
Cons
  • Time-consuming to maximize Poshmark's potential. You'll want to share your listings, respond to questions, and send out offers to see more sales.
  • Competition. Since Poshmark is well-known, it makes it hard for people to stand out and make tons of sales.
Pricing

It's free to list, but the fee structure is a flat $2.95 commission for all sales below $15. For more than $15, the commission is 20%.

17. Gumroad Review

Gumroad homepage

Finally, let's wind up this list of the best platforms to sell online with Gumroad. It is a simple and user-friendly shopping cart that lets you start selling products online quickly.

It has a decent amount of features and charges you a percentage of the transaction, which makes it great for low volume, but not ideal for professional sellers.

Despite being one the cheapest shopping cart solution on the market, Gumroad has a LOT to offer, both in terms of shopping cart flexibility and hosting the deliverables.

All you have to do is upload your albums, books, games, films, videos, and other media to the Gumroad servers, choose a price and let the magic happen.

The embeddable Gumroad widget simplifies the integration of Gumroad into your website, giving you control over how you sell and advertise your products.

You can also use it as a stand-alone platform to sell digital items through social media. It is similar to Sellfy for selling digital items without a site.

You can't go wrong with a free Gumroad plan to get your feet wet as a new online seller.

Pros
  • Simple to use. The platform offers a simple drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy and quick to create an online service or product.
  • Great flexibility. You can not only offer a variety of product types but also set your own prices.
  • Great support team. The support team responds promptly and is always active on Twitter.
  • Lower fees. The platform only charges 5% + $0.30 per transaction, while other platforms can charge up to 15%.
Cons
  • Integration. Lacking many native integrations (though you can use Zapier).
  • Limited payment options. No Apple Pay or other forms of payment processing.
  • No way to track inventory levels. If you are selling physical goods, you will need to keep track of stock levels yourself.
Pricing

You can start selling for free with a 10% flat fee!

Pricing of Gumroad

7 Tried and tested tips for selling products online

Here are our seven tips for selling products online!

1. Keep optimizing your online shopping experience

This is our rule of thumb. The online business world is ever-evolving. Always try to find and enhance the part of your business that performs the least well.

2. Pick the right ecommerce platform

A good platform should give you all the features you need to start, manage and scale your online business. Spend time researching your options.

3. Decide how you will handle shipping

Shipping times can make or break a sale. Consider how much it will cost to ship an item and how far you are willing to ship it. Some sellers are happy to ship products internationally, while others prefer to deal locally.

4. Provide detailed information about your product

Provide detailed information about your product, such as technical specifications, shipping, prices, delivery costs, and any returns policies or guarantees.

5. Keep the check-out page easy and intuitive

The easier it is to check out, the more likely the client will go through with the transaction.

6. Customer care service

A successful online business relies on excellent customer service. So, consider the consumer and your store, and concentrate on your responsibilities. Remember to respond to your customers promptly.

7. Take good photos

Good visuals help customers see the product in detail before they buy. To create excellent visuals for products:

  • Choose a plain background.
  • Avoid photo filters.
  • Take photos in a well-lit area.
  • Include multiple photos showing different angles of each product.
  • Avoid focusing on other products not included in the order.

If possible, add a video to help visualize the product. Most platforms for selling products online have specifications available for product photography.

FAQs about platforms used to sell products online

Any more questions? Check out our FAQ section below:

What are the best platforms to sell online for beginners?

Shopify is the best overall platform for selling products online on your own online store. Amazon is the greatest platform for selling products on an online marketplace.

What is the most popular site to sell online?

Shopify is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms for business owners looking to start selling online. It’s straightforward to use, with lots of drag-and-drop options to help you create an online store that functions well and looks great.

Can I sell on marketplaces with my website?

With platforms like Shopify, the move from a proprietary site to an online marketplace has never been easier. They also offer integration features that allow you to list your products on online marketplaces.

Summary

Before we go to the conclusion, we've created a quick summary of this article for you, so you can easily remember it:

  • Where to start your online store: Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce
  • Where to sell handmade items: Etsy, Amazon
  • Where to sell anything for free: Gumtree
  • Where to sell second-hand clothes: Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark
  • Where to sell antiques & collectibles: Ruby Lane, eBay
  • Where to sell things locally: Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, Craigslist

Conclusion

Whatever you're selling or how you want to sell, there's an online selling platform for it.

Whether you want to dropship, increase the reach of your retail business, or break into the ecommerce market with your distinctive brand, you'll find a platform on this list of the best platforms to sell online that fits you.

Thank you for sticking through the whole article, and have a great rest of your day!

Want to learn more about ecommerce?

Ready to move your dropshipping store to the next level? Check out the articles below:

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