Amazon FBA Alternative: Simpl for Brands Leaving FBA

On a light, fast-moving Amazon order like the $30, 6 oz example worked out below, Amazon FBA fulfills for less than Simpl's starting rate, and FBA is the only way to get the Prime badge without qualifying for Seller Fulfilled Prime. Simpl Fulfillment is the better fit when a meaningful share of your orders come from Shopify, Walmart, TikTok Shop, or wholesale, when inventory sits long enough to trigger Amazon's aged-inventory surcharge, or when you want your own packaging and a named account manager. Simpl's pricing starts at $7/order with three picks, postage, and packaging included; carrier surcharges, when they apply, are billed per our terms. Storage is billed by the small bin, large bin, shelf, or pallet you use, and Amazon FBM orders flow in through Simpl's Amazon integration and ship from its one Austin warehouse at the same per-order rate as your Shopify orders. Get a quote for your own SKU weights.

When FBA wins and when Simpl wins

Decide on your order mix and your inventory turns, not on the headline rate. Four questions settle most cases.

Where do your orders come from? FBA fulfills Amazon orders. Off-Amazon orders from FBA inventory go through Multi-Channel Fulfillment on its own rate card, which runs higher per unit than the FBA fee in the example below. Price your off-Amazon orders both ways before anything else: the MCF rate for your size tier and speed against Simpl's quoted rate for the same SKU.
How fast does inventory turn? Amazon's aged-inventory surcharge starts at 181 days and keeps stepping up past day 456, and standard-size storage costs about three times more from October through December. Simpl bills storage by the bin, shelf, or pallet you occupy, with no aged-inventory surcharge and no fourth-quarter multiplier, so seasonal stock and slow movers cost the same to hold in December as in March.
Does packaging matter to your brand? FBA orders ship in Amazon packaging unless the product is certified for Ships in Product Packaging, and MCF orders ship unbranded by default. Simpl ships in right-sized standard boxes and mailers, or in the custom packaging you supply.
Do you need the Prime badge? FBA attaches it automatically. Outside FBA the route is Seller Fulfilled Prime, which Amazon gates on your own account and delivery performance. Simpl supports Seller Fulfilled Prime shipping, but whether a listing qualifies is between you and Amazon. If Prime placement is what sells the product, keep those SKUs in FBA and move the rest.

What Amazon FBA costs, line by line

Fees depend on category, size tier, weight, price band, and season, so treat these as the schedule rather than your bill. The fulfillment figures are the non-peak schedule; the peak schedule runs October 15 through January 14, and Amazon charges it on units shipped in that window even if the order came in earlier. For the full stack, see how Amazon FBA fees work.

Referral fee. Amazon charges a referral fee on every item sold, FBA or FBM, as a percentage of the sale price that varies by category. Most categories sit at 15% with a $0.30 minimum, but the range runs from 5% to 45%: Home and Kitchen is 15%, Beauty is 8% on items up to $10 and 15% above that, and Clothing steps from 5% to 17% by price. Leaving FBA does not remove this fee on Amazon orders.
Fulfillment fee. The FBA fulfillment fee is set by size tier, shipping weight, and price band. On the non-peak schedule, a small standard item of 4 to 6 oz priced $10 to $50 is $3.45 and a large standard item of 1.75 to 2 lb in the same band is $5.82; the peak schedule in force through January 14, 2027 lifts those to $3.65 and $6.15. A 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge has applied on top since April 17, 2026.
Monthly storage. Base storage for standard-size inventory is $0.78 per cubic foot from January through September and $2.40 per cubic foot from October through December. Sellers whose storage utilization ratio reaches 22 weeks pay an added utilization surcharge of $0.44 to $1.88 per cubic foot.
Aged-inventory surcharge. Units stored 181 days or longer pay an aged-inventory surcharge on top of monthly storage, assessed on the 15th of each month: $0.50 per cubic foot at 181 to 210 days, $5.45 at 271 to 300 days, and $7.90 per cubic foot or $0.35 per unit, whichever is greater, from day 456 under the schedule effective January 16, 2026.
Prep is your job. Since January 1, 2026, Amazon no longer offers prep or item labeling for US FBA shipments, and shipments created after that date that arrive without proper prep are not eligible for reimbursement if damaged or untraceable. Simpl's Amazon FBA prep service does that work in Austin for brands that keep a pool in FBA.
Other line items. Amazon also charges an inbound placement service fee for distributing inventory across fulfillment centers and a per-item charge for removal, disposal, or liquidation orders, plus a low-inventory-level fee when a standard-size product falls below 28 days of supply.
Off-Amazon orders. FBA inventory can ship Shopify and other off-Amazon orders through Multi-Channel Fulfillment on its own rate card. The worked example below runs that number.

A worked example: one $30 unit, three ways

Inputs: a $30 face serum sold in Amazon's Beauty category, packaged at 6 oz in a box under 3 by 3 by 5 inches, small standard size tier, in stock fewer than 181 days, priced on Amazon's non-peak schedule, with the peak figure noted where it differs. Change any input and the numbers move, so run your own SKU through Amazon's Revenue Calculator before deciding.

Amazon order through FBA. Referral fee $4.50 (15% of $30), fulfillment fee $3.45 plus the 3.5% surcharge for about $3.57, and roughly two cents a month in base storage for 0.03 cubic feet. Fulfillment-side cost: about $3.60 per order, before inbound placement, prep, and any advertising. Through January 14, 2027 the peak fulfillment fee for this unit is $3.65, about $3.78 with the surcharge.
Amazon order through FBM, shipped by Simpl. The same $4.50 referral fee, plus Simpl's flat rate starting at $7/order at the lightest weight tier, which includes the three picks, postage, and packaging. Fulfillment-side cost: starting at $7. FBA is cheaper on this order by roughly $3.20 to $3.40 depending on the season, and it carries the Prime badge.
Shopify order from FBA inventory through MCF. On Amazon's standard MCF rate card, a single small standard unit of 4 to 8 oz at standard three-business-day speed is $7.51, plus the 3.5% surcharge, for about $7.77, shipped in unbranded packaging. The peak MCF card that applies through January 14, 2027 puts the same unit at $7.71, about $7.98 with the surcharge. The same Shopify order through Simpl: starting at $7, in your packaging, from the same Austin warehouse that ships your Amazon FBM orders.

Read together: in this example, FBA's fulfillment fee beats Simpl's starting rate on the Amazon order. The case for Simpl is the off-Amazon order, the storage bill on anything that sits, the fourth-quarter multiplier, prep compliance, and packaging. A heavier SKU moves every line. A large standard unit of 1.75 to 2 lb is $5.82 plus surcharge in FBA on the non-peak schedule ($6.15 at peak) and $10.64 plus surcharge through MCF at standard speed on the standard card ($10.97 at peak), while Simpl's rate steps up by weight tier, so ask for the exact figure in a quote.

Multi-Channel Fulfillment, fairly described

MCF lets FBA inventory ship Shopify, Walmart, and other off-Amazon orders, and for a brand that is mostly Amazon with a trickle of direct orders it is a reasonable way to avoid a second warehouse. The costs are the rate card, which for a single standard-size unit up to 3 lb at standard speed runs $7.34 to $11.75 before the 3.5% surcharge on the standard card and $7.53 to $12.16 on the peak card; unbranded packaging by default; and the fact that the inventory still lives inside FBA's storage, aged-inventory, and prep rules. Multi-unit orders get lower per-unit rates, and Amazon's Preferred Pricing program offers eligible sellers up to 15% off MCF fees, so a brand that ships bundles or qualifies for that program should rerun the comparison with its own numbers.

Simpl Fulfillment vs Amazon FBA at a glance

Per-order pricing. Simpl: flat rate by weight starting at $7/order, with three picks, postage, and packaging included; carrier surcharges, when they apply, are billed per our terms. FBA: a fulfillment fee by size tier, weight, and price band, from $3.32 for the lightest small standard unit to $6.97 plus weight increments for large standard units over 3 lb in the $10 to $50 band on the non-peak schedule, plus the 3.5% surcharge, plus the referral fee on every Amazon sale.
Storage. Simpl: by small bin, large bin, shelf, or pallet, and none of FBA's aged-inventory, low-inventory, or fourth-quarter surcharges. FBA: per cubic foot, $0.78 from January through September and $2.40 from October through December for standard-size inventory, plus utilization and aged-inventory surcharges where they apply.
Channels. Simpl: Shopify, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Amazon FBM, Walmart, eBay, Etsy, and TikTok Shop, all shipped from one warehouse in Austin, TX. FBA: Amazon orders, with off-Amazon orders through MCF at its own rate card.
Packaging. Simpl: right-sized standard boxes and mailers, or your custom packaging. FBA: Amazon packaging unless the product is certified for Ships in Product Packaging; MCF ships unbranded by default.
Prep. Simpl: Amazon FBA prep in Austin for any pool you keep in FBA. FBA: prep and item labeling have been the seller's job since January 1, 2026.
Same-day shipping. Simpl: 98.8% of orders received by 12pm CT on a business day ship the same day, measured from September 21 to October 23, 2026. FBA: delivery promises set by Amazon, including Prime.
Support. Simpl: a dedicated account manager, a real person reachable by email, with same-day (often faster) responses. FBA: Seller Central support cases.
Accuracy. Simpl: 99.99% order accuracy, with errors corrected at Simpl's cost, return shipping and re-fulfillment included. FBA: Amazon's reimbursement policy, which since January 1, 2026 does not cover shipments that arrive without proper prep and labeling.
Onboarding. Simpl: 5 to 7 days, and nothing charged for setup, onboarding, or receiving. FBA: inbound placement fees and seller-side prep before the first unit sells.

Who Simpl is the right FBA alternative for

Shopify or Shopify Plus brands that also sell on Amazon and want FBM and direct orders shipped from one Austin warehouse instead of paying MCF rates or splitting inventory.
Brands whose catalog sits long enough to hit the 181-day aged-inventory surcharge, or who hold holiday stock through the October to December storage window.
Brands selling on Walmart, eBay, Etsy, or TikTok Shop alongside Amazon.
Brands that want their own packaging in the box and a named account manager instead of a support case.

Who Simpl is not the right FBA alternative for

Amazon-only brands with light, fast-turning SKUs. In the example above, FBA fulfills the order for about $3.60 against Simpl's $7 starting rate, and it keeps the Prime badge. Run your own SKUs through the same comparison, and if they land the same way, leave them in FBA.
Brands that need inventory on both coasts. Simpl ships from one warehouse in Austin, TX. For a multi-node network, see the ShipBob alternative and ShipMonk alternative breakdowns, or the broader FBA alternatives rundown.
Brands below the monthly minimum. Standard ecommerce fulfillment accounts have a $750 monthly minimum, billed pay-the-difference: a month under $750 in fulfillment fees is charged only the gap. That works out to roughly 90–100 orders a month for light packages on standard shipping; heavier, larger or faster shipments reach it with fewer orders. FBA-prep-only accounts have a different minimum of 1,000 units a month. If you are well under either, keeping fulfillment in-house for now is usually the honest answer.
Heavy and oversized catalogs expecting the starting rate. Simpl handles heavy and oversized products with freight coordination, but prices them on a custom quote that depends on size, weight, storage, handling, and destination, and some items may be limited by size, weight, or material. Compare that quote, not the $7 starting rate, against FBA's bulky tiers.

How brands leave FBA for Simpl

Sequence the move so no channel goes dark: listings stay on FBA until Simpl has received the stock you are moving, then switch them to Merchant Fulfilled. Decide SKU by SKU what stays in FBA for the Prime badge.

File an FBA removal order. In Seller Central, request the units you are moving. Amazon charges a per-item fee for removal, disposal, or liquidation orders, and for the aged-inventory surcharge it counts removed units against your oldest inventory first. Get the fee estimate and timing in writing before you submit it.
Ship the removed inventory to Simpl. The receiving address is 3714 Bluestein Drive, Suite 700, Austin, TX 78721. Receiving runs 1 to 3 days from arrival with no receiving fee, and onboarding as a whole takes 5 to 7 days with no setup or onboarding fee.
Switch the listings you are moving to Merchant Fulfilled. Once the stock is on Simpl's shelves, Simpl's Amazon integration pulls those FBM orders into the same queue as your Shopify orders, and orders received by 12pm CT ship the same day.
Keep a Prime seed pool if you need the badge. For SKUs that stay in FBA, Simpl's FBA prep service labels, bags, and bundles inbound units to Amazon's current requirements and ships them in from Austin.
Connect the rest. Shopify, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Walmart, eBay, Etsy, and TikTok Shop all ship from the same Austin warehouse through Simpl's ecommerce fulfillment.

Get a quote and Simpl will price your actual SKU weights and order mix, so the comparison you make is against your rate rather than the starting rate.

Sources

Updated October 2026.

FAQs

What's the best Amazon FBA alternative?

It depends on where your orders come from. For Shopify and BigCommerce brands with meaningful off-Amazon volume, a flat-rate 3PL such as Simpl Fulfillment is the most direct alternative: pricing starting at $7/order with three picks, postage, and packaging included, storage billed by bin, shelf, or pallet with no aged-inventory surcharge, and Amazon FBM orders shipped from the same Austin warehouse at the same per-order rate as your store orders. Brands that need inventory on both coasts are better served by a multi-warehouse 3PL such as ShipBob or ShipMonk. For Amazon-only brands with SKUs like the $30, 6 oz example on this page, FBA keeps the Prime badge and the lower fulfillment fee on that order, so staying in FBA is the simpler choice.

Is Simpl Fulfillment cheaper than Amazon FBA?

On the Amazon order in this page's worked example, no. Amazon's non-peak fee schedule lists $3.45 plus a 3.5% surcharge to fulfill a small standard 4-to-6 oz item priced $10 to $50, and $3.65 plus the surcharge on the peak schedule that runs through January 14, 2027, against Simpl's rate starting at $7/order. Simpl's rate competes on off-Amazon orders, where the FBA route is Multi-Channel Fulfillment at $7.51 plus surcharge for the same unit at standard speed on Amazon's standard rate card and $7.71 on the peak card, and on storage, where Simpl applies no aged-inventory surcharge, low-inventory fee, or October-to-December multiplier. The referral fee applies to Amazon sales either way.

Can Simpl Fulfillment handle Amazon FBM orders?

Yes. Once a listing is switched from FBA to Merchant Fulfilled, Simpl picks and ships the Amazon order from the same Austin warehouse as Shopify, BigCommerce, Walmart, eBay, Etsy, and TikTok Shop orders, at the same flat rate starting at $7/order. Orders received by 12pm CT ship the same day. A workable setup keeps a smaller FBA pool for the Prime badge on fast movers and routes everything else through Simpl.

How do I migrate inventory from FBA to a 3PL?

Three steps. First, file an FBA removal order in Seller Central; Amazon charges a per-item fee for removal, disposal, or liquidation orders, so get the estimate and timing in writing first. Second, ship the removed inventory to the 3PL's receiving dock; for Simpl Fulfillment that is 3714 Bluestein Drive, Suite 700, Austin, TX 78721, with receiving in 1 to 3 days from arrival and no receiving fee. Third, once the stock has been received, switch the Amazon listing to Merchant Fulfilled so the 3PL picks and ships the order. Leaving the listing on FBA until the 3PL has the stock is what keeps the channel from going dark.

Does Simpl Fulfillment charge a long-term storage fee?

No. Simpl bills storage by the warehouse space you occupy: small bin, large bin, shelf, or pallet. Nothing changes when a unit crosses a day count, and neither a low-inventory fee nor a fourth-quarter storage multiplier applies. Amazon FBA charges an aged-inventory surcharge on units stored 181 days or longer, on top of monthly storage that, under Amazon's published storage fee schedule, rises from $0.78 to $2.40 per cubic foot for standard-size inventory from October through December.

What does Simpl Fulfillment charge per order vs FBA?

Simpl's pricing starts at $7/order, flat by weight tier, with three picks, postage, and standard packaging included; carrier surcharges, when they apply, are billed per our terms, and storage is billed separately by bin, shelf, or pallet. FBA's per-order cost is a stack: the referral fee on the sale, a fulfillment fee set by size tier, weight, and price band, a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge, monthly storage, and, where they apply, aged-inventory, low-inventory, and inbound placement fees. Prep and item labeling have been the seller's job since January 1, 2026. Get a quote for the exact Simpl rate at your SKU weights.

Can I run FBA and Simpl Fulfillment at the same time?

Yes, as a split by SKU. The SKUs that need the Prime badge stay in FBA, and Shopify, BigCommerce, Walmart, TikTok Shop, eBay, Etsy, and Amazon FBM orders ship from Simpl's Austin warehouse. Simpl's Amazon FBA prep service keeps that FBA pool topped up with units labeled and bagged to Amazon's requirements. For the SKUs you are moving out, the handover is sequential rather than side by side: each listing stays on FBA until Simpl has received its stock, then switches to Merchant Fulfilled.

Does Simpl Fulfillment handle FBA prep?

Yes. Amazon stopped offering prep and item labeling for US FBA shipments on January 1, 2026, and under its current policy shipments that arrive without proper prep are not eligible for reimbursement if damaged or untraceable. Simpl applies FNSKU labels, poly-bags units with suffocation warnings where Amazon requires them, and builds bundles at its Austin warehouse, then ships compliant inbound shipments to Amazon's US fulfillment centers, with a 1 to 3 day receiving and prep turnaround.

How does Simpl Fulfillment compare to FBA on shipping speed?

FBA wins on delivery speed for Prime orders: Amazon fulfills from hundreds of fulfillment centers and attaches the Prime badge. Simpl ships from one warehouse in Austin, TX via UPS, USPS, or FedEx, and orders received by 12pm CT ship the same day. Simpl supports Seller Fulfilled Prime, though eligibility depends on your Amazon account and performance. If Prime delivery promises are what sell a SKU, keep it in FBA and run the rest of the catalog through Simpl.

Does Simpl Fulfillment have a monthly minimum?

Yes. Standard ecommerce fulfillment accounts have a $750 monthly minimum, billed pay-the-difference: if a month's fulfillment fees come in under $750 you are charged only the gap, and above it the minimum never applies. That is roughly 90–100 orders a month for light packages on standard shipping; heavier, larger or faster shipments reach it with fewer orders. FBA-prep-only accounts have a different minimum of 1,000 units a month. Simpl does not charge setup, onboarding, or receiving fees.