Walmart WFS vs. Amazon FBA: Comparing the pros and cons of each
Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) both store your inventory, then pick, pack, and ship your orders and handle customer service and returns for them. The big differences are cost structure, audience, and competition. WFS has no monthly fee and a published fee schedule by weight, on a marketplace with far fewer sellers. FBA gives you Amazon’s much larger audience and Prime, with a more complex fee structure and more competition.
Many established sellers use both. This guide compares WFS and FBA on fees, storage, requirements, and seasonal and international selling, and explains how to run both with one stock count. For the basics of each program, see our overview of Walmart Fulfillment Services and our Amazon FBA guide. Figures reflect each company’s published information as of October 2026, and both change their fees regularly.
Walmart WFS vs Amazon FBA at a glance
| Walmart WFS | Amazon FBA | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | None. No signup or subscription fee | $39.99 a month on the Professional plan, or $0.99 per unit on the Individual plan |
| Referral fees | Mostly 6% to 15% by category | 15% in most categories, 8% to 45% overall |
| Fulfillment fees | From $3.45 per unit, based on shipping weight, with add-ons for apparel, items under $10, and oversize items | Based on size tier, weight, and price, plus a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge since April 17, 2026 |
| Storage fees | $0.75 per cubic foot a month from January to September, higher in the holiday season and for aged stock | Charged per cubic foot, higher from October to December, with aged inventory surcharges and IPI-based storage limits |
| Audience | Smaller marketplace, growing quickly | The largest US marketplace, with Prime |
| Competition | Fewer sellers per product | Intense, especially for the Buy Box |
| Getting started | Stricter application and business verification | Faster, with a lower barrier to entry |
| Best for | Established sellers who want a second channel with lower fees | Sellers who want maximum reach and Prime |
How big are Amazon and Walmart online?
Amazon remains the larger marketplace. Its net sales were $716.9 billion in 2025, and third-party seller services, which include commissions and related fulfillment and shipping fees, brought in $172.2 billion.
Walmart is growing fast online. Its ecommerce sales passed $150 billion globally in its fiscal year ended January 31, 2026, including $99.6 billion in the US. Its advantage is a huge store network that also supports delivery for its marketplace.
State of Commerce Ops Report
Insights from 200+ retailers on automation, inventory visibility, marketplace strategy and global growth.
Amazon FBA and Walmart fulfillment services pros and cons
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of each program at a glance.
Walmart Fulfillment Services advantages
- Less competition. Walmart Marketplace has far fewer sellers than Amazon, so it can be easier to stand out and to win the Buy Box.
- No monthly or signup fee. You pay referral, fulfillment, and storage fees only.
- A fee schedule by weight. Walmart publishes fulfillment fees by shipping weight, which makes it easier to estimate costs before you commit.
- Customer service and returns handled. WFS handles support and returns for the orders it fulfills.
- A Buy Box edge. Walmart favors fast, reliable delivery, and WFS offers help with both.
Walmart Fulfillment Services disadvantages
- A stricter onboarding process. You need a US business tax ID and verified business details, covered below.
- A smaller audience. Less competition can also mean fewer shoppers, so sales may build more slowly.
- Surcharges on some items. Apparel, items priced under $10, and oversize products add to the fulfillment fee.
- Rising costs for slow stock. Walmart charges more for inventory that sits, including a long-term storage fee that began on June 30, 2026.
Amazon FBA advantages
- Reach and trust. Shoppers trust Amazon, and FBA products are Prime eligible. See our guide to winning the Amazon Buy Box.
- Multi-Channel Fulfillment. You can use FBA stock to fulfill orders from other channels, including your own website. See Amazon MCF.
- More programs. FBA offers Subscribe & Save, Low-Price FBA for items under $10, and Prime promotions.
- Easier onboarding. The application is quicker and the requirements are lighter than Walmart’s.
- Established international programs. Amazon has years of experience with cross-border selling.
Amazon FBA disadvantages
- A monthly fee. The Professional plan is $39.99 a month, and only Professional sellers can win the Buy Box.
- A complex fee structure. Amazon raised fulfillment fees on January 15, 2026 and added a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on April 17, 2026. See Amazon FBA fees explained.
- Intense competition. You compete with many sellers on the same listings, and the Buy Box decides most sales.
- Peak-season costs. Storage and fulfillment fees rise over the holidays.
- Prep requirements. Amazon stopped prepping and labeling inventory at US fulfillment centers on January 1, 2026.
Differences between Amazon FBA and WFS
Subscription fees
Amazon sellers choose the Individual plan ($0.99 per unit sold, no monthly fee) or the Professional plan ($39.99 a month). Individual sellers can’t compete for the Buy Box or run sponsored ads, which makes the Professional plan essential for most ecommerce businesses. Walmart charges no monthly subscription and no WFS signup fee.
Referral fees
Both marketplaces charge referral fees by category. Walmart’s are mostly between 6% and 15% of the sale price. Amazon’s are 15% in most categories and range from 8% to 45%. Check each company’s current referral fee schedule for your categories, and note that WFS doesn’t accept every product category.
Fulfillment fees
WFS fulfillment fees depend on shipping weight, which is the greater of the unit weight and dimensional weight plus packaging. Walmart’s standard rates start at:
| Shipping weight | WFS standard fulfillment fee |
|---|---|
| 1 lb or less | $3.45 |
| 2 lb | $4.95 |
| 3 lb | $5.45 |
| 4 to 20 lb | $5.75 plus $0.40 for each pound above 4 lb |
WFS adds $0.50 for apparel and hazardous materials, $1 for items priced under $10, $3 for the first oversize tier, and $20 for the second. Heavy and oversize products can use WFS Big and Bulky fulfillment, which has its own fee schedule. Amazon sets FBA fulfillment fees by size tier, weight, and price, so use the FBA Revenue Calculator to compare a specific product.
Storage fees
- WFS, January to September: $0.75 per cubic foot a month.
- WFS, October to December: $0.75 per cubic foot for items stored 30 days or less, and an extra $1.50 per cubic foot for items stored longer than 30 days.
- WFS, aged stock: higher rates for inventory held more than 365 days, and $7.50 per cubic foot a month outside peak season for items stored more than 450 days, effective June 30, 2026.
- FBA: a per cubic foot fee that is higher from October to December, with aged inventory surcharges and storage limits tied to your IPI score.
Which is better for seasonal sellers?
Plan your holiday inventory carefully on both. On WFS, stock held for more than 30 days in October to December costs much more, so it suits quick-turning peak products. On FBA, storage and peak-season fulfillment fees rise from mid-October, and aged inventory surcharges punish leftovers. For either program, send only what you expect to sell and use a sales forecast to set quantities.
Size and weight limits
WFS handles standard items by weight and has Big and Bulky fulfillment for larger products, so older advice that Walmart can’t ship heavy items no longer holds. FBA fulfills extra-large items up to 150 pounds. Check each program’s current limits for your products.
Seller requirements
Walmart’s requirements are stricter. For US businesses, you need:
- A US business tax ID (an EIN, not an SSN)
- A W-9 (or W-8 for eligible non-US businesses) and an EIN verification letter from the IRS
- A verified US business address or place of physical operations
- A plan for how you will upload your catalog (bulk upload, API, or a solution provider)
- Your product categories and catalog size, with verified UPCs
Amazon asks for a bank account, a chargeable credit card, a government-issued ID, tax information, and a phone number. Sellers must live in a supported country, and Amazon doesn’t require a US business address.
Customer service and returns
Both programs handle customer service and returns for the orders they fulfill, and both take on responsibility for lost or damaged inventory under their own policies. Quality control is strong on both sides.
Listing optimization and reporting
Both marketplaces reward optimized listings: keyword research in your titles and descriptions, professional photos, strong reviews, and clear answers to common questions. Walmart Seller Center also includes a Listing Quality dashboard that shows how your listings perform. Both give you dashboards for on-hand inventory, sales, and revenue, and both connect to inventory and order management software.
International selling
WFS fulfills from US fulfillment centers, and non-US businesses can sell on Walmart Marketplace with the right tax documents and a US inventory plan. Amazon has more years of cross-border selling and more international programs. If expansion beyond the US is a priority, compare each program’s current options and the costs of shipping inventory into the US.
Which one is right for my business?
- Choose FBA first if you are new to ecommerce, want the largest audience, or rely on Prime.
- Choose WFS if you are established, can meet Walmart’s requirements, and want lower fees and less competition.
- Use both if you want to reach both audiences and can keep inventory accurate across them.
- Watch your slow movers. Both programs charge more for aged inventory.
Can I sell on both Amazon FBA and Walmart Fulfillment Services?
Yes. Established businesses that meet both programs’ requirements can sell on both. Diversifying across marketplaces spreads your risk, and your customers are shopping in more than one place.
The challenge is stock. With inventory split between FBA, WFS, and your own warehouse, a sale on one channel needs to update counts everywhere or you risk overselling. Linnworks connects to Walmart, Amazon, and 100+ native channel integrations, and syncs stock across them in under 10 minutes. Rules can route orders between your own warehouse, Amazon FBA, 3PLs, and drop-ship vendors. See how multichannel selling works, and why WFS sellers need an inventory management system.
Get a Linnworks demo: sell on Amazon and Walmart with one stock count
See how Linnworks keeps inventory and orders accurate across Amazon FBA, Walmart WFS, and every other channel you sell on.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on your products. WFS has no monthly fee and often lower referral fees, but surcharges for apparel, low-priced, and oversize items can narrow the gap, and slow-moving stock costs more to store. Model each product’s total fees on both programs before you decide.
WFS has no signup or monthly fee. Fulfillment fees start at $3.45 for items of 1 lb or less and rise with shipping weight. Storage is $0.75 per cubic foot a month from January to September, with higher rates in the holiday season and for aged inventory. You also pay a referral fee on each sale.
Both charge more in the holiday season. WFS charges extra for items stored longer than 30 days between October and December, and FBA raises storage and fulfillment fees from mid-October. Send only the stock you expect to sell quickly on either program.
Yes. Established sellers who meet both programs’ requirements can use both. You need a way to keep stock counts accurate across FBA, WFS, and any other warehouse so you don’t oversell.
You need a Walmart Marketplace seller account, which requires a US business tax ID (not an SSN), a W-9 or W-8, an EIN verification letter, and a verified business address. You then send inventory to Walmart’s fulfillment centers.
Non-US businesses can sell on Walmart Marketplace with the right tax documents, but WFS fulfills from US fulfillment centers, so inventory needs to be in the US.
