eBay vs Flipkart: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
eBay had $11.1B of annual revenue in FY2025. Flipkart had ~$9.6B of annual revenue in FY2025 and a net loss of ~$601.9M.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
eBay
eBay is an asset-light marketplace. Unlike Amazon it owns no large warehouses or delivery fleet; it connects buyers and sellers and charges the seller a Final Value Fee, a percentage of each sale. That gives it high profit margins and strong free cash flow, which fund share buybacks and a dividend. In FY2025 it reported $11.100B in revenue and $2.031B in net income, with 135M active buyers. eBay Inc. remains a powerhouse in global e-commerce and online auctions, holding a robust market valuation typically over $25 billion.
Flipkart
Flipkart has grown revenue steadily while still losing money. Flipkart India Pvt Ltd's consolidated revenue from operations rose from ~$6.49 billion (₹55,924 crore) in FY2023 to ~$8.18 billion (₹70,542 crore) in FY2024 and ~$9.6 billion (₹82,787 crore) in FY2025 (+17.3%), but its consolidated loss widened from ~$493 million (₹4,248 crore) to ~$602 million (₹5,189 crore). The marketplace arm, Flipkart Internet, is improving faster: FY2025 revenue reached ~$2.38 billion (₹20,493 crore) and its net loss fell 37% to ~$173 million (₹1,494 crore), with EBITDA loss narrowing to ~$125 million (₹1,078 crore). Walmart paid $16 billion for 77% in 2018; later private valuations were $37.6 billion (2021 round), about $36 billion (2024 round led by Walmart with Google participating) and about $38.2 billion in a July 2026 employee buyback. Reports in September 2026 said Flipkart was targeting an IPO valuation near $50 billion, though the timeline remains uncertain.
Revenue and profit by year
eBay
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $11.1B | — | — | +7.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | $10.3B | — | — | +1.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | $10.1B | $2.8B | 27.4% | +3.2% | Source |
| FY2022 | $9.8B | -$1.3B | -13.0% | -6.0% | Source |
| FY2021 | $10.4B | $13.6B | 130.6% | +17.2% | Source |
| FY2020 | $8.9B | $5.7B | 63.7% | +19.7% | Source |
| FY2019 | $7.4B | $1.8B | 24.0% | — | Source |
Flipkart
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$9.6B | ~-$601.9M | -6.3% | +17.4% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$8.2B | ~-$492.8M | -6.0% | +26.1% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$6.5B | — | — | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
eBay
- Marketplace Transaction Fees
Primary revenue stream
Final value fees and related transaction revenue tied to seller activity and gross merchandise volume.
- Advertising and Promoted Listings
High-margin growth stream
Seller-funded ad products that increase listing visibility and monetize buyer intent.
- Payments, Shipping, Stores, and Upgrades
Marketplace services
Managed payments, shipping services, store subscriptions, listing upgrades, and seller tools.
Flipkart
- Marketplace (Flipkart Internet)
Not formally reported
Commissions, fixed fees, shipping and fulfilment charges from third-party sellers, plus advertising fees for sponsored listings: about $2.38 billion (INR 20,493 crore) in FY2025, up 14%.
- Flipkart India (B2B Goods)
Not formally reported
Consolidated revenue from operations of about $9.6 billion (INR 82,787 crore) in FY2025, mostly from selling goods business-to-business, including supplying sellers and kirana stores.
- Group Businesses
Not formally reported
Myntra (fashion and beauty), Ekart (logistics), Cleartrip (travel commissions) and Shopsy (low-price social commerce).
Business model and strategy
eBay
How it makes money
eBay operates a large C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer) and B2C (Business-to-Consumer) online marketplace model. They do not own any inventory. The core model relies entirely on 'Take Rates'. If you sell a vintage watch for $1,000 on eBay, eBay takes roughly a 10-15% commission, plus processing fees. Over the last decade, they have aggressively pivoted away from their original 'Auction' format;
Growth strategy
eBay's growth strategy centres on what it calls focus categories and on trust. It was losing sneaker and watch sales to specialist startups because buyers feared counterfeits. It responded with Authenticity Guarantee: experts at eBay facilities inspect expensive watches, sneakers and trading cards before they are shipped to the buyer.
Competitive advantage
eBay's advantage is its inventory of unique and refurbished items and the network of sellers behind it. Shoppers go to Amazon for standard new goods and to eBay for things like a specific 1968 Mustang part, a graded Pokemon card or a refurbished iPhone.
Flipkart
How it makes money
Flipkart makes money from several linked businesses. 1. Marketplace (Flipkart Internet Pvt Ltd): third-party sellers list products on Flipkart and pay commissions, fixed fees, shipping and fulfilment charges, plus advertising fees for sponsored listings. Indian FDI rules bar foreign-owned marketplaces from holding inventory for sale to consumers, so the marketplace earns service income rather than product revenue;
Growth strategy
Flipkart's growth plan rests on three bets. First, value commerce: Shopsy targets price-sensitive shoppers in Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns against Meesho. Second, quick commerce: Flipkart Minutes, launched in August 2024, is expanding its dark-store network to compete with Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Zepto and Amazon Now.
Competitive advantage
Flipkart's edge comes from its own logistics network (Ekart), close knowledge of Indian shoppers, and leadership in smartphones and fashion. It built delivery in-house when third-party couriers were unreliable, owns Myntra in fashion, and uses exclusive phone launches and bank-backed no-cost EMIs to drive high-value electronics sales. Walmart's ownership gives it deep funding and global sourcing.
Questions about eBay vs Flipkart
Which company has higher revenue — eBay Inc. or Flipkart?
eBay Inc. had $11.1B (FY2025), while Flipkart had ~$9.6B (FY2025). By latest annual revenue, eBay Inc. is the larger business, with Flipkart showing a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of eBay Inc. vs Flipkart?
eBay Inc. has a market capitalisation of $48.0B. A public market cap figure for Flipkart was not available (it may be privately held).
How does revenue per employee compare for eBay Inc. and Flipkart?
eBay Inc. has $902k / employee in revenue per employee, while Flipkart has $213k / employee. Headcounts may use different dates, so the ratio alone does not establish which business operates more efficiently.
How do eBay Inc. and Flipkart make money?
eBay Inc. and Flipkart generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. eBay Inc.: eBay operates a large C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer) and B2C (Business-to-Consumer) online marketplace model. Flipkart: Flipkart makes money from several linked businesses.
Is eBay Inc. bigger than Flipkart?
By last reported revenue, eBay Inc. ($11.1B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Flipkart (~$9.6B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the eBay vs Flipkart overview