How Much Money Do You Need to Start E-commerce? Shopify, eBay, Amazon

Last updated: November 2026. The honest answer to "how much money do I need to start e-commerce?" is: it depends on the platform and model. eBay dropshipping has almost no fixed monthly cost. Shopify needs a monthly subscription and an ad budget. With Amazon FBA, the main cost is the inventory you send to Amazon's warehouse. This article shows each platform's costs in tables based on official pricing pages, and flags the costs you decide yourself, such as ads and inventory.

Can you start an online business with no investment?

Not with literally zero, but with a very small budget, yes. On eBay up to 250 listings a month are free, and fees are only charged when you sell. In dropshipping you do not buy stock upfront. However, you pay the supplier with your own card when an order comes in, while eBay payouts arrive later, so you need a small cash buffer.

"No investment" often hides a time investment. Product research, preparing listings and customer service can take several hours a day in the first months. In terms of money, eBay has the lowest entry point and Amazon FBA the highest.

What is the minimum budget for eBay dropshipping?

eBay has no mandatory monthly fee to start. 250 listings a month are free, then 0.35 USD each. When you sell, most categories charge 13.6% of the total amount plus 0.30 or 0.40 USD per order. A Store subscription is optional, with the Starter level from 4.95 USD a month on a yearly term.

eBay cost	Official amount	Note
Insertion fee	250 free listings a month, then 0.35 USD each	Most categories
Final value fee	13.6% of the total amount (up to 7,500 USD)	Total includes shipping and tax
Per-order fee	0.30 USD for orders up to 10 USD, 0.40 USD above	Every order
Store subscription (optional)	Starter: 7.95 USD monthly / 4.95 USD a month yearly. Basic: 27.95 / 21.95 USD	Changes free listing allowance and fees
International fee	For sellers registered outside the US, see your country's fee page	We could not confirm the exact rate for Azerbaijan

Sources: eBay Seller fees, eBay: selling fees for international sellers, eBay Store subscriptions.

Worked example (illustrative): if a buyer pays 25 USD including shipping, the final value fee is 25 × 13.6% = 3.40 USD plus a 0.40 USD order fee, 3.80 USD in total. Profit is what remains of the 21.20 USD after the supplier price, Payoneer costs and return risk. On opening an eBay account and first listings: eBay course.

What does a Shopify store cost per month?

Shopify's Basic plan is 39 USD a month billed monthly or 29 USD a month billed yearly. Apps, a domain and, above all, an ad budget come on top. Because Shopify Payments is not available in Azerbaijan, Shopify charges an extra 2% per order on Basic when you use a third-party payment provider.

Shopify plan	Billed monthly	Billed yearly (per month)	Extra fee with a third-party provider
Basic	39 USD	29 USD	2%
Grow	105 USD	79 USD	1%
Advanced	399 USD	299 USD	0.6%

Source: Shopify Pricing. Prices may display in a different currency depending on your region. Shopify offers new stores a short free trial followed by a token monthly price for the first months. The offer changes, so check it when you sign up.

What are the hidden costs on Shopify?

• Apps: many apps such as reviews, upsells and email marketing charge a separate monthly fee.
• Domain: an annual fee for your own domain.
• Ads: a Shopify store is not a marketplace, so you must bring buyers yourself. Advertising is usually the largest cost and entirely your decision.
• Payments: your provider's fee plus Shopify's 2% / 1% / 0.6%. Details: /en/blogs/shopify-payment-gateways-azerbaijan-574.

Store setup steps: /en/blogs/how-to-open-a-shopify-store-from-azerbaijan-572.

What does it cost to start with Amazon FBA?

On Amazon, the Individual plan costs 0.99 USD per item sold and the Professional plan 39.99 USD a month. Every sale carries a category-based referral fee. With FBA you add fulfillment, storage and related fees. The biggest upfront cost, though, is the first batch of inventory you send to Amazon's warehouse.

Amazon cost	Official amount or rule
Individual plan	0.99 USD per item sold
Professional plan	39.99 USD a month plus selling fees
Referral fee	A percentage or minimum by category. For example, Home and Kitchen: 15%, minimum 0.30 USD
FBA fulfillment fee	Per unit, based on product price, weight and dimensions
Storage fee	Monthly, based on the space your inventory occupies (cubic feet)
Aged inventory	Monthly surcharge for items stored over 181 days
Other	Returns processing, removal or disposal, inbound placement fees

Sources: Amazon: Selling plans and fees, Amazon: Fulfillment by Amazon. Amazon also lists FBA incentives for new Professional sellers: 100 USD off shipments with the Amazon Partnered Carrier program, a 200 USD credit with Amazon Global Logistics, a 400 USD inbound placement credit and the FBA New Selection program. Check the terms on the official page.

Simple maths for choosing a plan: 40 sales × 0.99 USD ≈ 39.60 USD. So if you sell more than about 40 items a month, Professional works out cheaper. On opening an Amazon account from Azerbaijan and setting up payouts: /en/blogs/how-to-sell-on-amazon-from-azerbaijan-569. On a US company: /en/blogs/do-you-need-a-us-llc-to-sell-on-amazon-577.

Should you plan your budget in dollars or manat?

Since platform subscriptions, fees and supplier payments are in dollars, planning costs in dollars is more accurate. When converting income to manat, account for the exchange rate and withdrawal fees. The most practical approach is to do all calculations in dollars and convert the final profit to manat separately.

Also check the currency of the card you pay with. Paying in dollars with a manat card means your bank converts each payment, a small but constant cost. Check your bank's rate and add the difference to your budget.

Which costs do beginners usually forget?

New sellers' budgets are most often broken not by platform fees but by small costs they forget: currency conversion and withdrawal fees, returns, ad tests, app subscriptions and tax. Build them into your price as a percentage in advance and the first months will hold fewer surprises.

• Withdrawals: under Payoneer's official pricing, withdrawals to a bank usually cost 1.2% to 4% (Payoneer Pricing). Payment services compared: /en/blogs/payoneer-paypal-stripe-wise-azerbaijan-573.
• Returns and disputes: on returned orders the shipping cost often stays with the seller.
• Currency: prices and costs are in dollars while income is converted to manat, and the spread eats into margin.
• Tax and social insurance: registering as an individual entrepreneur in Azerbaijan creates obligations. Details: /en/blogs/ecommerce-income-tax-azerbaijan-576.
• Training: optional, but often the cheapest way to avoid costly mistakes.

How do you calculate a start-up budget step by step?

Split the budget into three parts: fixed monthly costs, variable costs per sale and the cash you need before sales come in. Take fixed costs from official pricing pages and variable costs from fee percentages. Set your ad and inventory budget yourself and keep it on a separate line.

Budget line	Type	Where it comes from
Platform subscription (Shopify plan, Amazon Professional, eBay Store)	Fixed, monthly	Official pricing page
Apps and domain	Fixed	The apps you choose
Selling fee and per-order fee	Variable, per sale	The platform's fee table
Payment and withdrawal fees	Variable	Your payment provider's pricing
Ad tests	Your decision	Your own limit
Cash buffer (supplier payments in dropshipping, first batch in FBA)	One-off or recurring	Supplier prices

A simple rule: first-month budget = fixed costs + ad test + cash buffer. Build variable costs into the product price rather than paying them from the budget. Compare actual spending with the plan every week. If an ad test does not work, review the product and offer before raising the limit.

Which platform makes sense for your budget?

If you want to start with the smallest budget, eBay dropshipping is the logical choice. If you want your own branded store and can set money aside for ads, Shopify fits. If you can buy a batch of inventory and wait a few months, look at Amazon FBA. The table below compares only official fixed costs.

Item	eBay dropshipping	Shopify dropshipping	Amazon FBA
Mandatory monthly platform fee	None (Store is optional)	Basic: 39 USD (29 USD billed yearly)	Professional: 39.99 USD (or 0.99 USD per sale)
Fee per sale	13.6% + 0.30/0.40 USD	Payment provider + Shopify's 2%	Category referral fee + FBA fees
Buy stock upfront	No	No	Yes, the first batch
Traffic	The marketplace's own buyers	Ads or your own channels	The marketplace's own buyers + PPC ads
DevCommerce training	eBay Dropshipping course: 230 AZN	Shopify Dropshipping course: 799 AZN	Amazon FBA Training & Consulting service

Before deciding, write down your own numbers: monthly fixed costs, the fee on one sale, your expected ad budget and cash buffer. Official pricing pages can change, so check the links before you calculate.

• Start small on eBay: eBay course
• Shopify store and ads: Shopify course
• The Amazon FBA model: Amazon FBA course
• All routes compared: e-commerce course

Frequently asked questions

Which platform lets you start e-commerce with the least money?

Based on official fixed costs, eBay has the lowest entry point: no mandatory monthly subscription and 250 free listings a month, with fees charged only when you sell. In dropshipping you still need a small cash buffer, because you pay the supplier with your own card.

How much does Shopify cost per month?

According to Shopify's official pricing page, Basic is 39 USD billed monthly or 29 USD a month billed yearly. Grow is 105 USD and Advanced 399 USD. Apps, a domain, ads and payment fees come on top.

When is Amazon's Professional plan worth it?

The Individual plan costs 0.99 USD per item sold and Professional 39.99 USD a month. By simple maths, if you will sell more than about 40 items a month, Professional is cheaper. Referral fees apply separately on both plans.

How much does eBay take from each sale?

In most categories eBay charges 13.6% of the total sale amount, including shipping and tax, plus 0.30 or 0.40 USD per order. Some categories have different rates. Sellers registered outside the US should check extra fees on their own country's fee page.

What do people forget most when planning a budget?

The most forgotten costs are withdrawal and currency conversion fees, returns, app subscriptions, ad tests and tax. Building them into your price as a percentage from the start prevents losses in the first months.