EStore Tools

FBA vs FBM Calculator

Compare profit per unit between Fulfillment by Amazon and shipping it yourself, using your own label, pick and pack costs.

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Your numbers

Product

Measure the unit as it ships, in its packaging. Any order works: the sides are sorted for you.

in
in
in

The packaged unit on a scale.

lb
$

The category Amazon uses for fees, which can differ from where the product shows in search.

$
FBA costs

Amazon has added it to US FBA fulfillment fees since 17 Apr 2026 and calls it temporary. Turn it off if Amazon drops it.

$

Priced at the January to September rate.

months
Your own fulfillment (FBM)

Amazon charges its referral fee on this too.

$

Your carrier or 3PL rate for this weight and zone mix.

$

Your 3PL's fee, or your own labor cost.

$
$

3PL storage per unit for the time it sits on the shelf.

$

Your result · updates as you type

More profit per unit

FBA

FBA leaves $2.08 more per unit: $8.17 with FBA against $6.09 shipping it yourself.

FBA profit per unit
$8.17
FBM profit per unit
$6.09
FBA fulfillment fee
$5.61

FBA wins on cost here, before counting any conversion lift from the Prime badge. Keep stock lean: storage and aged inventory fees grow the longer units sit.

Fulfillment cost per unit (excluding the referral fee)
FBA
$6.57
FBM
$8.65

Breakdown

FBA: referral fee
−$3.75
FBA: fulfillment (Large standard, 1.29 lb)
−$5.61
FBA: storage
−$0.16
FBA: freight and prep in
−$0.80
FBA: profit per unit
$8.17
FBM: referral fee
−$3.75
FBM: label, pick and pack, packaging, storage
−$8.65
FBM: profit per unit
$6.09

How the comparison works

Both sides pay Amazon's referral fee. FBA also pays the FBA fulfillment fee and Amazon storage; FBM pays your own shipping label, pick and pack, packaging and storage, and can charge the buyer shipping (which also raises the referral fee base). Rates last checked 30 Sep 2026.

Worked example (the calculator's starting values)

Product
10 × 6 × 3 in, 1.2 lb, $24.99, Home and Kitchen
FBA
Referral $3.75, fulfillment $5.61 (with surcharge), storage $0.16, freight in $0.80
FBM
Referral $3.75, label $5.40, pick and pack $2.50, packaging $0.45, storage $0.30

FBA profit $8.17 per unit. FBM profit $6.09 per unit. FBA wins by $2.08 on these numbers.

Turning on Shipping you charge FBM buyers changes the comparison: FBM shipping revenue offsets your label cost, but Amazon's referral fee then applies to the higher total too.

What the numbers don't show

  • The Prime badge. FBA listings carry it, which often lifts conversion and Buy Box odds. This calculator compares cost only; weigh any sales lift separately.
  • Stock risk. FBA storage and aged inventory fees grow the longer units sit unsold; FBM ties up your own warehouse space instead.
  • Speed and reliability. Your own 3PL or in-house fulfillment needs to hit Amazon's on-time shipping and valid tracking rate targets, or your seller metrics suffer.

Using this with real numbers

  • Get a real label rate from your carrier or 3PL for the weight and zone mix you actually ship, not a national average.
  • Include your own storage cost, even if it's a share of warehouse rent rather than a per-unit invoice.
  • Recheck seasonally. FBA storage triples in Q4 while FBM's cost is usually flatter, so the winner can change month to month.

Questions people ask

Is FBA or FBM more profitable?

It depends on your product's size, weight and your own fulfillment costs. Light, low-cost-to-ship items often do better FBM; bulky or storage-heavy items often do better FBA. Compare your own numbers rather than assuming.

Does FBM avoid Amazon's referral fee?

No. The referral fee applies to both. FBM only avoids the FBA fulfillment fee and Amazon storage fee, replacing them with your own shipping, pick, pack and storage costs.

Does FBA always win because of the Prime badge?

Not necessarily on cost. This calculator compares fulfillment cost only; the Prime badge's effect on conversion is a separate factor to weigh alongside the numbers.

Can I charge shipping on FBM orders?

Yes. Enter it in Shipping you charge FBM buyers. It adds to your revenue, but Amazon's referral fee also applies to the higher total.

What if my product doesn't fit any FBA size tier?

The calculator will say the weight falls outside Amazon's rate card for the tier. Check your dimensions and weight against the Amazon FBA calculator, which uses the same size-tier logic.

Related tools

Amazon FBA CalculatorEnter your product's packaged size, weight and price to get the 2026 FBA fulfillment fee, referral fee, storage cost and profit per unit.Amazon MCF Fee CalculatorGet the Multi-Channel Fulfillment fee for an order by size, weight, units and delivery speed, and compare it with your own fulfillment cost.Amazon Referral Fee CalculatorPick your Amazon category and price to get the referral fee, the per-item minimum, and the effective rate at other price points.Amazon Storage Fee CalculatorWork out your monthly FBA storage bill, with the utilization surcharge and aged inventory surcharge added on top.

Want this builtinto your store?

I'm Emmanuel, a Shopify and WooCommerce developer. If this tool pointed at something you'd rather have fixed for you (a faster store, cleaner product data, a migration, a custom feature), send me a note.

Emmanuel Asika

Emmanuel Asika

Shopify & WooCommerce developer, Dublin

I build and fix online stores: new builds, migrations, speed, SEO and the custom bits apps can't do.

hello@emmanuelasika.com
See my work

Last reviewed 30 September 2026.

Sources: Amazon: 2026 US FBA fulfillment fee changes · Amazon: Product size tiers · Amazon: Dimensional weight · Amazon: Selling fees (referral fees by category) · Amazon news: Fuel and logistics-related surcharge