In Daraz vs own website, Daraz brings ready buyers fast but takes commission and fees and keeps the customer relationship, while your own website keeps more margin and customer data but needs your own marketing. Many Pakistani sellers use both: Daraz for discovery, a website from Rs 157,500 for repeat buyers.
Key Takeaways
- Daraz gives instant access to shoppers already on the platform, without building traffic yourself.
- Marketplace commissions and fees reduce your margin on every order; check current rates in Daraz Seller Center.
- On a marketplace, the customer belongs mostly to the platform; on your website, you can build a repeat-buyer list.
- Your own website costs money to build and to market, so it pays off as repeat orders grow.
- Selling on both, with clear roles for each, is the most common path for growing Pakistani brands.
Daraz vs Own Website: Which Is Better for Your Business?
Daraz is a large online marketplace in Pakistan, where many sellers list products in one shared store. Your own website is a store under your own brand and domain. Each solves a different problem. Daraz solves "how do I find buyers?" Your website solves "how do I keep buyers and build a brand?"
The right answer depends on your stage. A new seller with no audience often gets first sales faster on a marketplace. A brand with loyal customers and an Instagram following usually earns more per order on its own website.
How Do Daraz and Your Own Website Compare?
| Factor | Daraz | Your own website |
|---|---|---|
| Getting buyers | Shoppers already on the platform | You bring them: social media, Google, WhatsApp |
| Cost per order | Commission and fees, per Seller Center terms | Gateway charges on online payments; no commission |
| Upfront cost | Low | From Rs 157,500 for a built store |
| Customer relationship | Mostly held by the platform | Yours, with permission to contact them |
| Brand and design | Platform's layout and rules | Your own |
| Pricing pressure | Shown next to competitors | Less direct comparison |
| Rules | Platform policies can change | Your own policies |
How Do the Margins Compare? A Worked Example
Illustrative figures only. The 15% marketplace deduction below is an assumption to show the method, not Daraz's actual rate. Daraz commissions and fees vary by category and change, so check your category in Daraz Seller Center.
| Per order (Rs) | Marketplace | Own website |
|---|---|---|
| Selling price | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Product and packing cost | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Assumed marketplace deduction (15%) | 450 | 0 |
| Assumed ad cost per order | 0 | 400 |
| Left before delivery and overheads | 1,050 | 1,100 |
In this example, the two are close for a first order. The difference appears on repeat orders: a returning website customer who comes back through WhatsApp or an email has little or no ad cost, so the website keeps nearly the full Rs 1,500. On the marketplace, every repeat order pays the deduction again.
Who Owns the Customer?
This is the biggest long-term difference. On a marketplace, the platform manages the customer relationship, and its policies limit how you contact buyers outside it. You build the platform's audience as much as your own.
On your own website, customers who order give you their contact details, and you can ask permission to send updates and offers on WhatsApp or by email. Over a year, that list becomes one of your most valuable assets. Handle it carefully: collect only what you need and explain how you use it in your privacy policy.
What About Brand and Pricing Control?
On a marketplace, your product sits next to similar products, often cheaper copies, and shoppers compare on price. Your brand story, packaging inserts and photography have less room. On your own site, you control the design, the story and how products are grouped, which supports higher prices for a genuine brand.
How Do You Sell on Both Without Chaos?
- Give each a role. Use the marketplace for discovery and best-sellers; use the website for the full range, new launches and loyal customers.
- Keep stock in one place. Decide which system is the master stock list, so you do not sell the same item twice.
- Price consistently. Big differences confuse customers; small website-only offers for returning buyers are fine.
- Add a card to marketplace parcels pointing to your Instagram and brand name, within the platform's rules.
- Measure per channel profit, not only sales.
What We Would Build for You
Our online store package, from Rs 157,500, gives you your own branded store on Shopify or WooCommerce with COD, an online payment option, WhatsApp ordering and a privacy policy template that covers customer contact consent. If you also sell on a marketplace, we plan the stock workflow with you during scoping. Optional maintenance is Rs 7,200 a month. See our online store development service.
Questions to Answer Before You Decide
- Do I already have an audience on Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp?
- What is the current commission and fee for my category on Daraz?
- How often do my customers buy again?
- Who will manage stock if I sell in two places?
Planning the whole store? Read how to start an online store in Pakistan and moving your Instagram shop to a website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How We Researched This Guide
Daraz's public Seller Center page, checked 29 October 2026, shows no commission figures, so we quote none and tell sellers to check their category. The margin table uses an assumed 15% deduction and assumed ad costs to show the method; it is illustrative. Platform facts come from Shopify and WooCommerce. Store prices are our own.
Sources
- Daraz Seller Center — Seller registration and policies
- Shopify — Pricing
- WooCommerce — Extensions marketplace
- Nielsen Norman Group — UX guidelines for ecommerce product pages
- Baymard Institute — Cart abandonment rate statistics
Disclosure: Kamboh Associates sells the web development services discussed here. Other providers' prices are quoted from their own public pages on the dates shown and may have changed. We correct errors as soon as they are reported. First published ; last reviewed .
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