The 10 Best Amazon Alternatives

eBay is a household name now, making it simple for users to buy and sell items either as an auction or as part of a buy it now offer. There are millions of items available at any one time, with everything from brand new gift ideas to obscure DVDs you didn't even know existed. You can even buy food and household supplies from the site. 

eBay has some minor issues with scammers trying to dupe people out of their money, but if you stick to tried and tested buyers with high feedback scores, this is as safe to use as Amazon. It's a community full of outlet stores for established brands, as well as individual sellers trying to make a few bucks. You might be surprised at the bargains you dig up.

Rakuten was previously known as buy.com and now offers a huge wealth of items. Like eBay, it's a middle man for selling, giving customers the opportunity to connect with businesses directly. Where things differ is that Rakuten is big on loyalty schemes and cashback deals. At any given time, there are always plenty of cashback deals available, such as getting 3% back on sales with Disney or 6% back with The Body Shop. If you're a shrewd buyer, it can be worthwhile checking out regularly to earn good cashback. 

The only issue here is that Rakuten is also home to some low-quality items, so you need to be careful about what you're looking for. It's a similar issue that affects auction sites like eBay, but it's not hard to avoid. 

Overstock started out as a place for surplus goods, hence the name. It continues to be great at that, keeping prices low with a vast supply of great home-focused goods. It also has a separate artisan crafts section called Worldstock which gives at least 60% of its revenue directly back to the creators themselves. There's also a rewards program with 5% back on each order with Overstock also concerned about helping communities and charitable efforts.

Sales tend to be focused on goods to improve the look of your home rather than entertainment items, but it's a great change from the sometimes samey experience of Amazon.

Etsy is a fantastic resource for gift ideas. Everything it sells is hand-made by individuals, with a lot of the focus being on improving vintage items so they look just as great (or better) than before. If you want to get something unique for a loved one, there's nowhere better to try than Etsy. There are beautiful hand-crafted items on there as well as delightful cards to send for every occasion.

Customer service is generally great, too, as the makers want to impress. Just don't expect a bargain. All these items tend to involve plenty of hard work and their price tags reflect it.

Jet's origins lie with a former Amazon employee so it makes sense the site would be a good rival. It focused on providing branded goods at a lower price than elsewhere. It also promises to deliver items within 2 days and there are no shipping charges for orders over $35. It has a free returns policy, too, which is sure to be welcomed by many. Items include everything you could need, from home and kitchen equipment to fashion, beauty, and even groceries. It's a great rival for Amazon, assuming you don't live in Hawaii or Alaska as neither is covered by Jet.

Keen to buy components for your PC or Mac? Or simply looking for a new laptop or TV? Newegg is one of the best places to go after Amazon. It has competitive prices thanks to a price match guarantee, and promises free '3 days or faster' shipping. Each day, it has different daily offers so it's worth checking out regularly to see what bargains you can find. It can seem a little intimidating if you don't know much about technology, but the site has branched out in recent times to include more household items, as well as toys and hobby equipment.

BestBuy is a store you probably regularly visit. Going online makes the process quicker as you can find the item then have it shipped to your local store at no expense. There's free shipping and simple returns, so you won't have to worry about any additional hassle. The site often offers regular deals for limited times only. It also has the Geek Squad warranty service which can be useful for electronic purchases, giving you some extra peace of mind that online-only presences can't offer.

Zappos specializes in selling shoes, clothing, and other accessories. It does a fantastic job, too. Besides offering clothing for all age ranges and genders, it has a great reward scheme so you earn points for every purchase you make. It also prides itself on great customer service and offers returns for up to a year after purchase. There's also free shipping and returns. Enjoy clothes shopping without the hassle of heading to your local store.

Want to buy books that aren't from Amazon? Barnes & Nobles is the place to go. It has over 6 million books in stock, with many ready to ship within 24 hours. It also has over 4.5 million eBooks for download. B&N membership gives you free shipping and exclusive online discounts. It's also a great resource with more interesting descriptions of books and better recommendations than Amazon, thanks to more refined algorithms. It's great for finding an interesting gift for the book lover in your life.