What is eBay used for?

eBay is an online marketplace where individuals and businesses sell new and used items through auctions and fixed-price listings. It is a good fit for selling used and surplus items, and adding a marketplace channel to an online store.

No. eBay is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to eBay include Medusa, Bagisto and Spree Commerce.

What are some alternatives to eBay?

eBay competes with Etsy. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source eBay alternatives.

eBay: features, pricing and alternatives

About eBay

eBay is a commercial online marketplace where individuals and businesses list items for sale and buyers purchase them either through auctions or at a fixed price. Listings span a very wide range of categories, and sellers range from occasional users clearing out possessions to professional merchants.

eBay is a hosted service run by the vendor, so there is nothing to install or self-host. Sellers rely on its marketplace for traffic, search and checkout rather than operating a separate storefront, which makes it a common channel for merchants who also run their own online store.

Key features

Auction-style and fixed-price listings
Marketplace search across many categories
Seller accounts for individuals and businesses
Buyer checkout and payments

Good fit for

→Selling used and surplus items
→Adding a marketplace channel to an online store

Tags: marketplace; auctions; ecommerce; resale; sellers; online-shopping

eBay: questions and answers

What is eBay used for?: eBay is an online marketplace where individuals and businesses sell new and used items through auctions and fixed-price listings. It is a good fit for selling used and surplus items, and adding a marketplace channel to an online store.
Is eBay open source?: No. eBay is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to eBay include Medusa, Bagisto and Spree Commerce.
What are some alternatives to eBay?: eBay competes with Etsy. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source eBay alternatives.