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We’ve all heard the “quality over quantity” mantra, particularly when it comes to tech. But, sometimes, there are exceptions—like when you need an impulsive gadget or a household appliance that doesn’t need to last forever. While Temu has been the go-to for these moments, we now have a comparable option with Amazon Haul.
Amazon Haul vs. Temu
In November 2024,Amazon launched Amazon Haul, a beta section of its online retail platform that sells items for less than $20. With products ranging from kitchen tools to basic accessories, the store is easily compared to Temu, another high-volume, low-price marketplace.
So, which platform is the better option for tech? It depends on a few factors.
One key difference between the two affordable online retailers is the types of tech products you can access. With Amazon Haul’s $20 cap, the store is limited to only certain categories. However, of those collections—which includePhone cases,Office accessories, andCord control—there are a decent number of options to choose from.
Without a $20 cap, Temu comes out on top in terms of having a much wider range of products. In fact, Temu hosts an estimated 300,000 total sellers, with roughly two million product SKUs available in the US in 2024. Temu’s tech offerings range from phone stands and wireless chargers to drones and projectors.
While we know Amazon’s general marketplace hosts around 300 million products, there aren’t statistics regarding the number of SKUs on the Haul beta store at the time of writing.
Overall, while Amazon Haul is great for those little add-ons to organize or protect your tech, it isn’t going to have as much of the actual hardware that Temu does. Haul will certainly get your tech in style, though—with these $2 phone stands that look like folding chairs.
In general, product pricing is relatively comparable between the two platforms. Of course, we can only really compare items up to $20, even though Temu hosts bigger ticket items with prices that seem to scale.
Both marketplaces offer special discounts, some of which are seasonal and some are related to price thresholds. For example, Amazon Haul will take an additional 5% and 10% off of orders over $50 and $75, respectively. On the other hand, Temu is known for offering lightning deals at random—for up to 90% off.
Here’s a side-by-side cost comparison of a few products that exist on both platforms:
Amazon Haul Price
Temu Price
Mini Milk Frother Wand
Stainless steel, no attachments, battery-operated
Mini Phone Tripod
Black, 360-degree view, handheld option
Folding Chair Phone Stand
4 pieces/colors, plastic
How much you’ll ultimately pay also depends on shipping policies.
Shipping fees are easy to understand on Amazon Haul, as all items qualify for free shipping—as long as your total order is over $25. Otherwise, you’ll pay $3.99 for shipping. With Temu, you’ll get free shipping for any products that Temu handles directly; however, other vendors that sell on the marketplace have their own policies. For instance, an item from a third-party seller on Temu could have a purchase threshold of $30 to qualify for free shipping.
With regard to delivery timeframes, the two online retailers are roughly the same. With Amazon Haul, you’ll get a delivery window of 1–2 weeks from your order date. On Temu, you can expect standard delivery between 4–9 business days. That said, some of Temu’s third-party vendors will ship as fast as 2–5 business days.
Temu has a paid expedited shipping option to get items sooner. Amazon Haul does not have this option.
That’s right: even Amazon, known for lightning-speed shipping, takes up to two weeks to deliver Haul listings. This is because, like with Temu, most products in this store ship from China. You can verify this by tapping the brand name next to “sold by,” which brings up the seller’s information and address.
While we don’t have much data on the quality of Amazon Haul beta products yet, I’d venture to guess that Haul and Temu perform similarly on this metric. Both companies have faced criticism in this area, withcommon user complaints about Temulargely involving items that don’t match users' expectations based on the listing.
At least both platforms offer guarantees and returns. According toAmazon’s announcementof its low-cost beta program, Amazon Haul products are backed by Amazon’s A-z guarantee, meaning you’ll be covered if your items don’t come in the “expected condition.”
Similarly, Temu has a Purchase Protection Program, which offers refunds for items that arrive damaged or “are not as described,” perTemu’s support site.
Of course, you can always check out reviews before buying. That said, Temu products are typically flooded with overwhelmingly positive reviews. I can’t confirm that these reviews are fake, but negative reviews seem easily diluted on the platform.
Conversely, at the time of writing, I can’t find any reviews on Amazon Haul. This makes sense, given that the beta program is brand new, but I don’t even see where the reviews would live on the mobile UI. That said, there’s a link for reporting an issue with the seller, suggesting that Amazon will remove untrustworthy vendors as time goes on.
All in all, considering its inventory, Temu is undeniably a better marketplace for actual electronics. At this stage, Amazon Haul is a venue for tech accessories, plus a kitchen appliance or two. I appreciate Amazon Haul’s simple UI and shipping policy, as opposed to having to navigate multiple third-party vendors. While Haul could be a good option if you’re only looking to finish touches on your tech setup, Temu will ultimately give you a better selection for the same low prices.
