The question every Dutch e-commerce seller eventually asks
You have a product. You want to sell it online in the Netherlands. And you're facing the question that every Dutch seller asks at some point: Bol.com or Amazon?
The honest answer is: it depends. But the factors it depends on are concrete and measurable. This article puts them side by side.
Market share and reach: Bol.com dominates in the Netherlands
Bol.com is the largest online retailer in the Netherlands and Belgium, with over 13 million active customers in the Benelux region. Its market share in the Netherlands is dominant — especially compared to Amazon.nl, which only launched in the Dutch market in 2020.
What this means for sellers:
If you're selling a product primarily aimed at Dutch and Belgian consumers, you reach a larger audience on Bol.com. Purchase intent on Bol.com is high — buyers visit specifically to buy, not to browse.
Amazon.nl has a smaller but growing customer base. Its advantage is that Amazon customers tend to be internationally oriented with higher average order values in certain categories.
Bottom line: For a NL/BE-focused strategy, Bol.com wins on reach — by a significant margin.
Fees: the numbers compared
Sales commission
Both platforms charge a percentage of the sale price as commission. Rates vary by category but sit in a broadly comparable range:
- Bol.com: 5% to 17% depending on category
- Amazon.nl: 7% to 15% depending on category
Bol.com charges slightly higher commissions in certain categories, but this is offset by higher reach in the Dutch market.
Fulfilment
- LVB (Bol.com): Per-item fee based on weight and dimensions. Includes storage and return processing. Provides access to next-day delivery and a Buy Box advantage.
- FBA (Amazon): Similar structure, with storage fees that increase for slow-moving inventory — a significant difference for seasonal products.
For sellers with fast-moving inventory, costs are broadly comparable. Amazon's long-term storage fees can be punishing for products that move slowly — worth factoring in if your inventory turnover is moderate.
Monthly subscription
- Bol.com: No monthly fees for sellers
- Amazon: €39/month for the professional selling account (required above 40 sales/month)
For new sellers testing the market with lower volumes, Bol.com's zero subscription cost is a meaningful advantage.
The algorithm: different rules, same underlying logic
How the Bol.com algorithm works
The Bol.com algorithm weights textual relevance heavily. Your listing's title and description largely determine which searches you appear for. Reviews and sales velocity reinforce your position once established.
Bol.com has a relatively transparent system for sellers through the Verkopersplatform, with direct feedback on listing quality. The algorithm rewards completeness — filling in all product attributes in your category directly improves your visibility in filtered searches.
How the Amazon algorithm works
Amazon's algorithm (A9/A10) is more complex and weights conversion rate more heavily than Bol.com does. Products that rank highly stay there because high ranking generates more sales, and more sales reinforce ranking — a stronger momentum effect than Bol.com.
Amazon's advertising system (Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands) is deeply integrated with the organic algorithm. Ad spend on Amazon generates more algorithmic benefit than equivalent spend on Bol.com.
Competition: where is the battle harder?
Bol.com
On Bol.com, you primarily compete with other Dutch and Belgian sellers, plus a limited number of international sellers. Competition exists and can be intense in popular categories (electronics, toys, kitchen), but is more navigable in niche markets.
The average listing quality on Bol.com is lower than on Amazon — meaning a well-optimised listing stands out more, and the gap between a good and a mediocre listing is more exploitable.
Amazon.nl
Amazon.nl attracts sellers from Amazon.de and other European marketplaces. This means more competition from experienced Amazon sellers with optimised listings and lower cost structures — particularly Chinese private-label sellers who've been operating on Amazon for years.
In many categories, the baseline listing quality on Amazon.nl is higher than on Bol.com, making it harder to stand out purely through optimisation.
Bottom line: In most categories, Bol.com competition is more navigable for new and growing sellers.
Listing optimisation: different rules, comparable importance
On both platforms, listing quality determines who finds you and who converts. The rules differ:
Bol.com:
- Maximum 150 characters for the title
- Emphasis on product attributes in the kenmerken (characteristics) field
- No separate hidden keyword field — findability comes from title, attributes and description (Bol.com auto-handles synonyms, plurals and spelling variants)
- Description format is relatively flexible
Amazon:
- Longer titles permitted (up to 200 characters in some categories)
- Bullet points are more prominent than on Bol.com
- Backend keywords in a separate field
- A+ Content available for brand-registered sellers
The optimisation principles are the same: right keywords in the right places, informative description, complete attributes.
Who should choose which platform?
Choose Bol.com if:
- Your primary market is the Netherlands and/or Belgium
- You're new to marketplace selling and want to learn the fundamentals
- Your product is strongly aligned with the Dutch consumer market
- You want to build Dutch brand recognition
- You want to start without monthly subscription costs
Choose Amazon if:
- You want to expand into Germany, France, or other European markets from one platform
- Your product is in an internationally competitive category where Amazon has stronger presence
- You have marketplace experience and understand the advertising system
- You're prepared to invest in Amazon Advertising from day one
Choose both if:
- Your product range is broad enough to manage two platforms
- Your fulfilment processes are automated
- You can analyse profitability per category per platform and allocate accordingly
The practical decision for most Dutch sellers
For most Dutch sellers starting out or growing in the Benelux market, Bol.com is the logical first choice. Larger audience in the target market, more navigable competition, no monthly fees, and a more transparent seller platform.
Amazon becomes interesting once you have Bol.com operating profitably and want to expand into Europe.
Regardless of which platform you choose, listing quality determines who finds you and who buys. Run a free health check on Lijstify for your Bol.com listing to see where you're currently losing visibility. It takes 30 seconds, requires no account, and shows exactly what your competitors are doing better.