Largest Online Marketplaces and Retailers Worldwide

Top 10 Platforms

Global ecommerce sales are astronomical, with major platforms dominating specific regions and market segments. Here are the world’s leading ecommerce platforms that are shaping the industry landscape.

1. Amazon

Amazon stands as the world’s leading ecommerce platform by gross merchandise value, with $790.3 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2024. The platform dominates multiple markets including the U.S., where it attracts 390 million monthly active users. Amazon’s ecosystem includes first-party sales and third-party marketplace operations, making it a comprehensive platform for both individual sellers and major brands.

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2. Taobao

China’s Taobao leads in third-party web sales with $723.8 billion in 2024. The consumer-to-consumer platform, owned by Alibaba Group, serves as China’s largest C2C marketplace with 960 million monthly active users as of November 2024. Taobao’s success stems from its wide product range, competitive pricing, and integration with China’s digital payment systems.

3. Tmall

Tmall, also owned by Alibaba Group, focuses primarily on business-to-consumer transactions and is projected to generate $682.7 billion in GMV for 2024, according to Oberlo. The platform has one billion annual active consumers and saw significant year-on-year growth of first-time buyers in the first quarter of 2025. Tmall serves as the preferred platform for established brands entering the Chinese market.

4. Pinduoduo

This mobile-first Chinese platform has experienced remarkable growth, with 720 million monthly active users as of November 2024 and $715.2 billion in GMV for 2024, according to ecommerce data company ECDB. Pinduoduo’s innovative group-buying model and focus on value pricing have made it one of China’s fastest-growing ecommerce platforms.

5. JD.com

JD.com operates primarily as a B2C marketplace and generated approximately $506 billion in GMV in 2024. With nearly 400 million monthly active users, JD.com differentiates itself through direct sales operations and logistics capabilities, particularly in electronics and appliances categories.

6. Temu

Owned by PDD Holdings (Pinduoduo’s parent company), Temu has rapidly expanded globally with 292 million monthly active users worldwide. The platform achieved $70.8 billion in gross merchandise value in 2024 and has become particularly popular in the U.S. market, where it gained 185.6 million monthly active users.

7. eBay

As one of the original online marketplaces, eBay maintains its position with 134 million active buyers worldwide and over 100 million unique monthly visitors. eBay generated $75 billion in GMV in 2024. The platform continues to serve both consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer transactions across diverse product categories.

8. Walmart

Walmart’s ecommerce platform has shown strong growth, particularly in grocery segments, driving $118.6 billion in GMV in 2022. The platform attracts 166 million monthly active users to its website and 96 million mobile app users. Walmart’s omnichannel approach combines online shopping with extensive physical store networks.

9. Shopify

While primarily serving as an ecommerce platform provider, Shopify facilitates transactions for millions of merchants. The platform recorded 4.6 million daily active users and supports over 875 million unique shoppers making purchases through Shopify stores in 2024.

10. Douyin (TikTok China)

Douyin represents the growing social commerce segment with approximately $554 billion in GMV in 2024. The platform leverages live streaming and short-form video content to drive ecommerce transactions, representing a significant shift toward social selling in the Chinese market.

Platform Comparison Table

*Tmall’s figure for monthly active users was determined by dividing its 1 billion annual users by 12 and does not account for seasonality. 

Trends in Ecommerce Platforms

The ecommerce landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by several key trends that are reshaping how consumers shop and businesses sell online.

Mobile Commerce Acceleration

Mobile commerce continues to dominate, with over 50 percent of all retail sales in China coming through mobile devices. Platforms like Pinduoduo have embraced mobile-first design, while established players like eBay report that mobile users account for 53.4% of their traffic. This shift requires platforms to optimize for mobile experiences and integrate with mobile payment systems.

AI Integration and Personalization

Artificial intelligence is transforming ecommerce platforms through personalized recommendations, automated customer service, and content generation. Shopify has incorporated AI capabilities like Shopify Magic for content automation, while Chinese platforms like Tmall are investing heavily in AI-powered efficiency tools. These technologies help platforms deliver more relevant product suggestions and streamline the shopping experience.

Social Selling Revolution

Live commerce and social selling have become massive drivers of ecommerce growth, particularly in China where platforms like Douyin, Taobao Live, and Kuaishou compete for users. This trend is expanding globally, with platforms integrating social features, influencer partnerships and live streaming capabilities. The success of social commerce demonstrates how platforms are evolving beyond traditional marketplace models to create more engaging, interactive shopping experiences.

Skye Schooley and Max Freedman contributed to this article.