Amazon U.S. · fulfillment choice
FBA vs FBM, profit per unit.
Put the same product through both methods. You enter the FBA fulfillment fee from Amazon’s Revenue Calculator and your own shipping cost; the tool does the referral and storage fees.
FBA profit = price − referral − FBA fulfillment − storage − inbound − product cost. FBM profit = price + shipping charged − referral − your shipping and handling − product cost. The break-even line shows the FBM shipping cost where the two tie.
Product and costs (USD)
Result
Effective date and rate source
Referral fees and storage rates are those on Amazon’s fee schedule and monthly storage pages, read 18 October 2026 (no effective date printed). The FBA fulfillment fee is yours to enter because it varies by size tier, weight and price band; take it from Amazon’s Revenue Calculator.
Method and limits
Referral fee. Applied to the total sales price: item price for FBA (this tool assumes no buyer-paid shipping on FBA orders), item price plus any shipping you charge for FBM. The category rules, tiers and minimums are the same as the referral fee calculator.
Storage per unit = cubic feet × the monthly rate ($0.78 standard / $0.56 oversize January to September; $2.40 / $1.40 October to December) × average months in stock. The utilization and aged-inventory surcharges are not included.
Break-even FBM shipping = FBM profit with zero shipping cost − FBA profit. If your real shipping plus handling is below it, FBM wins.
Not modelled. Returns (FBA charges a returns processing fee above a category threshold; with FBM you bear return shipping), customer-service time, the Prime badge’s effect on conversion, taxes, advertising and the Professional plan fee (identical either way).
Sources
Retrieved
- Amazon Seller Central: Selling on Amazon fee schedule
- Amazon Seller Central: Monthly inventory storage fees
Fee schedules belong to Amazon and change; this tool is an independent calculator, not an Amazon service, and does not verify your account or SKU. For a SKU-specific figure use Seller Central. Runs entirely in your browser; nothing you type is sent or stored.
FAQ
Is FBA or FBM more profitable on Amazon?
It depends on unit economics. FBA adds a fulfillment fee and storage but removes your shipping cost; FBM keeps those fees out but you pay shipping and handling. Enter your numbers to see which keeps more per unit.
Does the referral fee differ between FBA and FBM?
The percentage is the same. It is calculated on the total sales price, so if you charge buyers shipping on an FBM order, the referral fee applies to that shipping too.
What FBA fees does this comparison include?
The fulfillment fee you enter, inbound shipping, monthly storage at Amazon’s published per-cubic-foot rate and any other per-unit FBA cost you add. It leaves out aged-inventory, removal, returns and low-inventory fees, which depend on how long and how fast you sell.
Where do I find the FBA fulfillment fee?
Use the Revenue Calculator in Seller Central, which compares estimates by fulfillment channel for a specific product, or the Fee Preview report. The fee depends on size tier, shipping weight and, for standard-size items, a price band.
What is the FBM shipping break-even?
It is the shipping cost per order at which FBM profit equals FBA profit. If you can ship for less than that figure, FBM is ahead on this model.