Meesho and BizzPocket are not rivals; they do different jobs. Meesho is a marketplace that brings you buyers but keeps the customer and sets the rules. BizzPocket is your own branded store, free to build, where the customer list, prices and brand are yours. Most sellers do best using Meesho for reach and a store for repeat buyers.
If you sell on Meesho today, the useful question is not "which one?" but "what should each one do for my business?" This guide answers that.
The core difference in one line
On Meesho you sell on someone else's platform. On BizzPocket you sell on your own. Everything else follows from that.
What Meesho gives you
- Buyers. A large audience of value-seeking shoppers, many in smaller towns, who already trust the app.
- Low commission. Meesho announced it was moving to zero percent commission for sellers (Meesho newsroom). Shipping, returns and other charges still apply, so read the current fee terms on supplier.meesho.com before you price.
- Logistics handled. Pickup and delivery run through the marketplace's own process.
- A simple start. List products and wait for orders, without building a store.
What Meesho keeps
- The customer. Buyers remember "I bought it on Meesho", not your shop's name, and you cannot market to them directly.
- The rules. Pricing pressure, return policies, listing guidelines and penalties are set by the marketplace and can change.
- The comparison. Your product sits next to dozens of similar ones, so price usually decides the sale.
- The account. If the account is restricted, the sales channel stops.
What your own store gives you
- Your brand on the store, the invoice and the parcel.
- Your customer list, with order history, so the second order costs nothing to win.
- Your prices. Buyers who come for your brand compare less on price.
- Your channels. Share the store link on WhatsApp and Instagram, where many repeat orders start.
And what it asks of you: you bring the traffic. A store has no built-in crowd of shoppers. That is why most sellers keep the marketplace for discovery.
Side by side
| Meesho | BizzPocket | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Marketplace | Your own online store |
| Who brings buyers | Meesho | You (WhatsApp, Instagram, repeat buyers, search) |
| Commission or fee | Zero commission announced; shipping and return charges apply (check supplier terms) | Starter: Free to build; ₹1 one-time verification to go live, 2% platform fee; ₹999 Growth (1%); ₹2,999 Scale (0%) |
| Customer data | Stays with the marketplace | Every buyer is your customer record |
| Branding | Product listing inside the app | Your themed store, your domain on Growth and Scale |
| Pricing control | Marketplace pressure | Yours |
| Payments | Marketplace collects | UPI, cards, wallets via your Razorpay or Cashfree; COD with your limits |
| Shipping | Marketplace logistics | Shiprocket or Delhivery booked from your order screen |
| GST | Small intra-state sellers can sell with a GST enrolment number (see below) | Invoices with or without a GSTIN |
Free to build. ₹1 one-time verification before you go live. It confirms a real seller runs each store and is never auto-debited. It keeps fake stores out and buyer trust high. Full plan limits are on the pricing page. Your gateway charges its own fee on online payments; COD orders carry no gateway fee.
What it costs to run both
Running a store alongside Meesho does not have to double your costs. On BizzPocket's Starter plan there is no monthly fee (just a ₹1 one-time verification to go live), and the 2% platform fee only applies when the store sells. Say your store takes ₹20,000 a month from repeat buyers, half by UPI and half by COD: the platform fee is ₹400, and Razorpay's standard 2% on the ₹10,000 paid online is another ₹200. Move to Growth once the custom domain and abandoned-cart recovery are worth ₹999 a month to you.
A note on GST
Since 1 Oct 2023, a small seller whose turnover is below the GST threshold, and who sells only within their own state, can sell through a marketplace with a GST enrolment number instead of full registration (Notification 34/2023-Central Tax). Shipping to other states requires registration. A store on your own website follows the general rules: no registration needed while you deliver only within your state and stay under the threshold, but registration is compulsory from your first inter-state sale. Our GST guide for online sellers explains both, with official sources.
The "both" playbook
Most sellers who grow beyond the marketplace follow a version of this:
- Test products on Meesho. Let marketplace demand tell you which designs sell.
- Open your store with the winners. Put your best-selling products on your own store, with better photos and full descriptions.
- Turn buyers into customers. Add your store's link and a WhatsApp number to your packaging insert, where marketplace rules allow, and invite buyers to follow you on Instagram.
- Sell new drops on your store first. Send new arrivals to your WhatsApp broadcast list and Instagram followers with the store link.
- Keep the marketplace for discovery. New buyers find you there; repeat buyers buy from you directly.
Check the marketplace's current seller policies on contacting buyers before you add inserts; rules change.
Who should focus on which
Stay marketplace-first for now if you are still testing products, have no social following yet, and compete mainly on price.
Add your own store now if you have repeat buyers asking how to order directly, sell through WhatsApp groups or Instagram, want to raise prices without losing every sale to a cheaper listing, or sell in categories where brand matters, such as sarees, jewellery and fashion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Meesho or BizzPocket better for a small seller?
They do different jobs. Meesho brings buyers through its marketplace; BizzPocket gives you your own branded store, free to build with a ₹1 one-time verification to go live, where you keep the customer. Many sellers use Meesho for discovery and BizzPocket for repeat orders.
Does Meesho charge commission?
Meesho has announced zero commission for sellers. Shipping, return and other charges can still apply, so check the current terms on Meesho's supplier site before pricing your products.
Can I sell on Meesho and my own website at the same time?
Yes. Many sellers list on Meesho for reach and run their own store for repeat buyers. Keep prices and stock in sync, and follow the marketplace's rules on contacting its buyers.
Do I need GST to sell on Meesho?
Not always. Since October 2023, sellers below the GST threshold who sell only within their own state can use a GST enrolment number. Selling to other states requires full registration. See our GST guide.
For more on choosing channels, read how to sell online in India and what BizzPocket is.
