12 Top Online Shopping Apps That Are Amazon and eBay Alternatives

Around 150.6 million mobile users access Amazon, while eBay has 62.15 million mobile app shoppers. Even while these two are easily the top online shopping apps, other platforms are also worth trying.

More prefer to buy anything online, from their grocery essentials to fashion and home furnishing. With the increasing demand, we're now seeing a plethora of various shopping apps. A July 2019 survey by Statista shows that online marketplaces account for 47% of purchases generated online. Meanwhile, retailer or brand shopping apps contribute a combined total of 44% of online purchases.

Having shopping app choices provides more options for online shoppers. These top online shopping apps provide healthy competition among various eCommerce firms.

Most eCommerce apps nowadays seek to provide a better or unique online shopping experience, which could be absent from the more established eBay or Amazon. In return, online shoppers get to choose an app that works best for their needs.

What Are Good Shopping Apps?

Here are some top online shopping apps to consider when you want an alternative to Amazon or eBay. They may be worth trying if you want more shopping app choices with unique items and a different buying experience.

1. Etsy 

From jewelry to home decor, Etsy provides a wide array of items handcrafted by sellers. They are less expensive and yet can be more durable as they are handmade by creative product creators. The platform focuses on serving independent sellers, where they can post their products away from the competing brands of established manufacturers.

Download options: iOS, Android - by entering a phone number

2. Facebook Marketplace 

The social media platform is not just a place to connect with friends and family. Nowadays, the Facebook Marketplace is also a hub for sellers disposing of their items or commercial entities listing their products.

Facebook Marketplace acts as a connection between the buyer and the seller. There are no payment gateway or shipping methods that a buyer can integrate. It will be up to the buyer and the seller to coordinate how to pay or deliver the product.

Download options: iOS compatible with iPhone 5 and higher models, Android compatible with most devices

3. Rakuten 

Based in Tokyo, Japan, this online retailer carries various items from JCPenny, Old Navy, and Best Buy, to name a few. What makes this online shopping destination unique is they provide coupons and cashback. And to make online shopping a lot easier, Rakuten also has a Chrome extension that customers can use to manage their purchases and cashback points.

Download options: iOS, Android - by entering a phone number. with Chrome extension available

4. Poshmark 

Aside from Poshmark being a gateway to shop for clothes and home items, you can also find curated product collections to take inspiration from. The platform is a community of buyers and sellers who engage in a social media manner of compiling and sharing product listings. Additionally, there is also an option to follow the users to stay updated on their activities.

Download options: iOS, Android

5. AliExpress 

AliExpress is a subsidiary of the eCommerce giant Alibaba. It is known as an online venue to look for items to dropship. However, you can go directly to AliExpress and shop from a thousand products available.

While based out of China, AliExpress has international appeal. The platform lets you filter according to the country to ship, language, and currency. With so many suppliers, it may be hard to discern if they are a legitimate vendor. AliExpress has a buyer protection method that protects buyers whenever they make a purchase.

Download options: iOS, Android

6. Chairish 

Chairish focuses on vintage and unique items from its sellers. This platform to buy home furniture and decor items has an augmented reality feature. Chairish provides an AR tool for you to see how the product you wish to buy will look like in your space. The AR tool can help you decide which piece will suit your home without the need to see it in person or estimate sizes.

Download options: iOS only, by entering a phone number

7. Wayfair 

From home appliances to outdoor furniture, you can shop various home furnishing products available at Wayfair. The platform provides a wide selection of items available on sale, including gift cards the same way you would buy on a physical store.

A unique feature of Wayfair is its 3D room planner so you can plan out your space. Additionally, they have Pinterest-style compilations of curated home decor inspirations.

Download options: iOS, Android - by entering a phone number

8. OLX 

The online marketplace for second-hand items is available in 30 countries. Each one has its version of OLX, where buyers and sellers congregate to exchange deals on anything from clothes, cars to services.

Although most of the OLX users are listing pre-owned items, some commercial companies list their products too. OLX is unique as they not only include tangible products, you can also find various services to inquire about on the platform.

Download options: iOS, Android 

9. Zalora 

Zalora is a top choice when it comes to shopping online for fashionable clothes. The platform is available in 7 Asian countries, and they have a wide array of brands available in their inventory. Whether it's casual denim wear Guess or luxury brand Gucci, Zalora has them on their product listings. Additionally, the online fashion retailer also provides vouchers for customers to redeem.

Download options: iOS, Android

10. Target 

The U.S.-based shopping mall has stores in 50 states and has extended its shopping experience online with pick-up and delivery options. As a supply chain giant, they provide users with an individual account to manage their online purchases.

Download options: iOS, Android - including separate apps for the gift registry

11. Wish 

Wish is a mobile shopping app with a selection of various items, including peculiar products. The online shopping format resembles Pinterest, where buyers see products on display to choose and buy. Instead of the typical organized grid and layout, Wish has a heavy emphasis on the image.

This platform prides itself on affordable items, with discounts going up to 90% off. Although buyers beware, some of the products listed here are knockoffs.

Download options: iOS with the option to register using an Apple ID account, Android

12. ASOS 

The online shopping website is a contender among other online fashion retailers as it carries around 800 brands and an extensive reach of shipping to 196 countries. Aside from the more established brands, ASOS also provides a separate marketplace for independent clothing sellers to list their items.

Download options: separate app for iOS on iPhone or iPad, a single app for Android devices

Which Online Shopping App Is Best?

Each of the apps mentioned here has different features and product listings that may prove worthy of trying. Check reviews first from online buyers to see which can provide an online shopping experience at par with top online shopping apps like Amazon or eBay.

Amazon and eBay may have the usual shopping features you would need. However, other top online shopping apps can also be good alternatives.

Different online consumers can have specific demands, whether international shipping, exclusive items, vouchers, virtual reality technology, or access to a physical store.

Identify which feature you would want when comparing shopping apps. It will be a lot easier to decide and pick items than going for mass-market online shopping apps crowding our choices.

These top online shopping apps prefer to cater to the individual needs of their buying consumers. Thus, making it easy for them to convert visitors into buyers. When choosing which shopping app is the best, go for the one most relevant to you as an online consumer.