The proliferation of online marketplaces has led to a dramatic increase in the amount of e-commerce being conducted worldwide.
According to Statista research, global eCommerce sales are projected to reach $8.1 trillion by 2026.
Data from Pew Research Center found in 2016 that around eight out of ten Americans had bought something online and that 15% did so weekly.
Online marketplaces like Amazon have become household names, with more than 350 million items for sale on the platform.
Keep reading to learn more about four online marketplaces like Amazon and how they are leading the way.
In short
- Rakuten (Japan), Alibaba (China), Mercado Libre (Latin America) and Shopee (Southeast Asia) are the four big Amazon-style marketplaces.
- Mercado Libre grew fastest in 2025, with revenue up 39% to $28.9 billion and 121 million unique active buyers.
- Shopee had $127.4 billion GMV in 2025 with about 400 million active buyers, but raised its Philippine commissions in June 2025.
- Rakuten's US marketplace stopped taking orders in 2020, so its main marketplace today is Rakuten Ichiba in Japan.
- When choosing where to sell, compare the total fee per order and whether you can sell from your country, not just GMV.
Part of the guide Marketplaces by category
Rakuten Is the Amazon of Japan, and It's Killing It!
Rakuten is one of the two biggest eCommerce platforms in Japan, alongside Amazon Japan.
Founded by Japanese billionaire businessman and writer Hiroshi Mikitani in 1997, Rakuten started as a small eCommerce website.
Japan is one of the world's largest economies, and Rakuten holds a 26.8% market share of the eCommerce industry in the country.
Dubbed the Amazon of Japan, Rakuten is listed in Forbes' Top 100 Digital Companies and operates in 30 countries and regions worldwide.
Since its inception, the platform has grown into an online marketplace with 2.1 billion members worldwide.
Merchants must be approved before they can sell on Rakuten since it is an invitation-only platform.
The US seller application process and fees that this post originally described no longer apply, because Rakuten's US marketplace has closed (see the update below).
Looking to expand from Amazon? Check out Rakuten!
Alibaba Dominates the World's eCommerce Market
Founded in 1999 by Chinese business magnate, philanthropist, and investor Jack Ma and seventeen other successful businessmen and women, Alibaba is a Chinese business-to-business eCommerce supplier.
China is the world's biggest eCommerce market, with over $2 trillion in sales in 2022.
Alibaba holds a 47.1% market share of eCommerce in China.
Part of this success is due to the integration of live streaming, digital payments, and eCommerce services into one platform.
For example, viewers can purchase through links shown during the live streams.
In 2020, Alibaba made headlines when its 11.11 Global Shopping Festival generated $74.1 billion in gross merchandise volume and processed 583,000 orders per second at the campaign's peak.
In a 2022 report by Statista, Taobao and Tmall, both owned by the Alibaba Group, are listed as two of the world's most valuable retail brands.
Small and large businesses can source wholesale products from suppliers on the platform.
Alibaba has a Verified Supplier program, wherein the company verifies the legitimacy of suppliers using an independent certified agency.
To sell on Alibaba's platform, suppliers need to register for an account, set up their company profile, and create their online storefront.
The company also offers Trade Assurance, a service that covers both sellers and buyers should there be shipping or quality issues.
Sellers can list for free on the platform, but they can also choose to become a Gold Supplier, which gives them additional perks to promote products and increase ROI.
Gold Supplier memberships have four packages: Basic for $1,999; Standard for $3,499; Premium for $6,999; and Standard Extended for $6,498.
All these packages are renewed annually except for Standard Extended, which is renewed every two years. These prices date from when this post was first written, so check Alibaba.com for the current packages.
Get inspired by Alibaba's online marketplace!
Mercado Libre: The People's Choice for an Online Marketplace in Latin America
Mercado Libre, which means free market in Spanish, is the number one online marketplace in Latin America.
Founded in 1999 in Argentina by billionaire businessman Marcos Galperin, Mercado Libre has since accrued 132.5 million users in South America.
In a report by Insider Intelligence, Mercado Libre ranks 9th among the top 10 retailers worldwide, with Latin America being one of the top three fastest-growing eCommerce markets in 2022.
The number of online shoppers in Latin America was expected to reach 350 million in 2024.
The company also reported an annual revenue of $7.069 billion in 2021, a 77.92% increase from 2020.
The company operates in 18 countries, including Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, and Venezuela.
Most of the platform's revenue is from Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico.
Mercado Libre has launched its cross-border Global Selling Program, allowing US-based suppliers to sell their products in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Chile.
One of the benefits listed for this program is the ability to list and sell products in US dollars, so the sellers aren't affected even if the local currency fluctuates.
This program also eliminates language barrier issues with automated translations for questions and claims management.
It doesn't cost anything to list products on Mercado Libre, but the platform charges a Selling Fee once you get an order.
The Selling Fee amount depends on where the order was placed.
For example, if it's sold in Brazil, the platform will charge 12.5% per order for Classic Listing Types and 16.5% for Premium Listing Types.
Additionally, Mercado Libre charges an Additional Per Unit Fee for every additional low-cost product purchased.
The platform also implements a minimum listing price that ranges from $8 to $12, depending on the location.
Interested in expanding to Latin America? List on Mercado Libre!
Shopee Breaks Sales Records in Southeast Asia
Created by Singapore-based billionaire Forrest Li in 2015, Shopee is a latecomer compared to most large online marketplaces.
However, the platform proved it could compete.
Shopee was awarded Singapore Startup Of The Year in 2015 and Overall Brand Champion at the 2022 Marketing-Interactive PR Awards.
In five years, the platform became the most downloaded app, pushing even the eCommerce giant Amazon to fourth place.
In 2021, Shopee broke sales records with its 11.11 Big Sale, selling over 2 billion items throughout the campaign.
In Q2 2022, Shopee reported revenue of $1.7 billion.
The online marketplace is also known for partnering with highly popular endorsers and local celebrities, which affirmed its position with Gen Zers and millennials.
Some of the platform's brand ambassadors include BlackPink, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Jackie Chan.
Not one to fall behind its competitors when it comes to its payment platform, Shopee launched ShopeePay in 2019.
This is the company's secure and seamless mobile wallet.
Shopee encourages shoppers to use this as their online wallet with extra deals, coupons, and vouchers exclusive to ShopeePay users.
When it comes to selling, there are two ways to sell on Shopee: the Marketplace or the Shopee Mall.
The marketplace is ideal for retailers who want to start selling right away with low upfront costs. The commission rates quoted in this section date from when this post was first written and have since gone up (see the update below).
There are no commission fees for the first six months as a marketplace seller, but sellers are charged a 2.24% commission fee after that period.
The Shopee Mall is for official brands and authorized distributors.
These stores are entitled to join mall-only brand-exclusive campaigns and have access to exclusive in-app features.
Commission fees for Mall items range from 2.24% to 5.60%, depending on the category of your inventory.
Further, sellers who join the Coins Cashback and Free Shipping Programs are charged a Service Fee of 3.36% and 5.6%, respectively.
For a marketplace that targets sellers who want to start quickly, be inspired by Shopee!
The Four Marketplaces in 2026: The Numbers That Matter
Much has changed since this article was first written. Here is how the four platforms compare in their latest annual results, with Amazon as the benchmark. Each figure comes from the company's own earnings release.
| Marketplace | Latest full year | Scale | Users / sellers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon (benchmark) | 2025 | Net sales $716.9 billion, up 12% | - |
| Rakuten | FY2025 | Domestic (Japan) e-commerce gross merchandise sales ¥6.35 trillion, up 3.9%; group revenue ¥2.5 trillion, up 9.5% | About 2.1 billion members worldwide (company figure) |
| Alibaba | FY2026 (to March 31, 2026) | Group revenue RMB1,023.7 billion (US$148.4 billion), up 3%; Taobao and Tmall e-commerce revenue RMB449.4 billion; international wholesale (Alibaba.com) revenue US$3.83 billion, up 11% | - |
| Mercado Libre | 2025 | Revenue $28.9 billion, up 39%; GMV $65.0 billion; 2.43 billion items sold | 121 million unique active buyers |
| Shopee | 2025 | GMV $127.4 billion, up 26.8%; 13.9 billion orders; revenue $16.6 billion | About 400 million active buyers, 20 million sellers |
Sources: Amazon Q4 2025 results (February 2026), Rakuten FY2025 results (February 12, 2026), Rakuten corporate profile, Alibaba FY2026 results (May 13, 2026), Mercado Libre FY2025 results (February 24, 2026), Sea Limited FY2025 results (March 3, 2026).
What changed since this post was written
- Rakuten no longer runs a US marketplace. The Rakuten marketplace in the US (formerly Buy.com) stopped taking orders on September 15, 2020. Rakuten.com in the US is now a cash-back rewards site. Rakuten's main marketplace today is Rakuten Ichiba in Japan, so the US seller fees quoted above no longer apply.
- Shopee has raised its fees. Shopee Philippines raised Marketplace commissions again from June 1, 2025, with popular categories up 1 to 3 points. Shopee is also far more profitable than before: its adjusted EBITDA was $880.6 million in 2025, against $155.8 million in 2024. Check the current fee table in Seller Centre before you set your prices.
- Alibaba restructured. In the quarter to June 2025 it combined Taobao and Tmall, Ele.me and Fliggy into Alibaba China E-commerce Group. Its B2B site, Alibaba.com, is pushing AI tools for buyers and merchants, including its AI sourcing agent Accio.
- Mercado Libre grew fastest. Its 39% revenue growth in 2025 was the highest of the four, and its revenue has roughly quadrupled from the $7.07 billion it reported for 2021, the figure quoted earlier in this post.
How to read these numbers before choosing where to sell
GMV is the total value of goods sold on a platform. Revenue is what the platform keeps. Shopee's GMV is about twice Mercado Libre's, but its revenue is lower, partly because Mercado Libre's revenue includes its fintech arm, Mercado Pago, while Sea reports Shopee's sister fintech business separately. For a seller, the useful questions are which region your buyers live in, what the total fee is per order (commission, transaction and shipping fees together), and whether you can sell from your country at all. Rakuten Ichiba serves shoppers in Japan, and Shopee Mall is only for official brands and authorized distributors.
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