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Which marketplace should you use in Southeast Asia?
The marketplace question in Southeast Asia sounds simple. It isn't. Shopee, TikTok Shop, and Lazada each have different audiences, different business models, and different economics. Choosing wrong doesn't just limit your reach — it misaligns your brand with the wrong buyer at the wrong price point.
$157.6BSEA ecommerce GMV in 2025
98.8%Market share held by the top 3 platforms
+23%Year-on-year growth across the region
Market share 2025
The current landscape
Shopee — #1 in all 6 SEA markets
TikTok Shop — fastest growing, #2 in most markets
Lazada — pivoting to premium, #3
Platform breakdown
Know each platform before you pick one
Shopee
The mass-market engine
GMV share
53%
~$83B in 2025
Avg order value
$13–15
Search-led buying
Seller fees
2–8%
+ ads + promos
Mass market reach
Volume sales
Strong logistics
Price competition
Ad spend required
TikTok Shop
The discovery commerce platform
GMV share
28%
$45.6B in 2025
Avg order value
$4.50–6
Impulse-driven
Seller fees
2–14.5%
Rising fast in 2026
Gen Z & millennial
Viral potential
Live commerce
Content-heavy
Lower avg order value
Lazada
The premium brand platform
GMV share
~19%
Profitable from 2024
Avg order value
Higher
Brand-conscious buyers
Seller fees
2–6.5%
Lowest headline rate
Brand building
LazMall protection
Strong in Singapore
Shrinking volume
Older buyer skew
Side by side
The three platforms at a glance
| Shopee | TikTok Shop | Lazada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Mass-market engine | Discovery commerce | Premium brand platform |
| GMV share (2025) | 53% (~$83B) | 28% ($45.6B) | ~19% |
| Avg order value | $13–15 | $4.50–6 | Higher |
| Seller fees | 2–8% | 2–14.5% | 2–6.5% |
| Buying behaviour | Search-led | Impulse-driven | Brand-conscious |
| Best for | Volume & reach | Visual, trend-led products | Premium & global brands |
Country by country
Market rankings across SEA
The region isn't one market. Platform rankings shift meaningfully by country — particularly in Indonesia, where TikTok's Tokopedia merger reshapes the competitive order.
| Country | #1 | #2 | #3 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | Shopee | TikTok/Tokopedia | Lazada | Largest market, 37% of SEA GMV |
| Malaysia | Shopee | TikTok Shop | Lazada | +47.6% YoY growth |
| Thailand | Shopee | TikTok Shop | Lazada | +51.8% YoY — co-fastest growing |
| Vietnam | Shopee | TikTok Shop | Lazada / Tiki | Shopee + TikTok = 97% of market |
| Philippines | Shopee | TikTok Shop | Lazada | TikTok overtook Lazada in beauty & apparel |
| Singapore | Shopee | Lazada | TikTok Shop | Lazada holds #2 — the only market where it does |
Which platform for you
How to choose
If →You want maximum reach and volume across SEA → Start on Shopee. 53% of the market, #1 in every country, the most mature search and fulfilment infrastructure in the region.
If →Your product is visual, trend-driven, or lifestyle (beauty, fashion, food) and your team can create content → Prioritise TikTok Shop. Discovery commerce converts impulse at scale, especially with Gen Z and millennial buyers.
If →You're a global or premium brand that needs brand protection and higher average order values → Lead with Lazada (especially LazMall). Still the strongest #2 platform in Singapore.
If →You're serious about scale → Run all three. Top sellers use Shopee for volume, TikTok Shop for discovery and brand awareness, and Lazada for premium positioning.
If →You're entering Indonesia specifically → treat TikTok/Tokopedia as a core channel, not an afterthought. It's now the second-largest marketplace in the region's biggest market.
No single platform wins everywhere. The best strategy matches your product, content capability, and target country — then expands from there.
Watch your margins
Fees are rising — factor this in
All three platforms raised commissions in 2025–2026. Effective all-in take rates — including commissions, transaction fees, ads, and mandatory promotions — now reach 20–25% on post-discount sales. Before committing to a platform, model your fully-loaded unit economics, not just the headline commission rate.
Shopee added a 5% technical fee in early 2026. TikTok Shop raised Vietnam commissions to 12.5%. Lazada has the lowest headline rate — but the smallest audience. No platform is cheap to sell on at scale.
Where Glyde fits in
Marketplaces and your brand strategy
Marketplaces are powerful distribution channels — but they're rented audiences. Winning brands use them to generate revenue while simultaneously building a brand presence and customer base they own. That means marketplace strategy should sit inside a broader brand and digital strategy, not replace it.
At Glyde, our E-Commerce Operations practice covers Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop across Singapore and Southeast Asia — from initial setup and listing optimisation to campaign management and performance analytics.
The Glyde Growth Framework
01
PositionBrand strategy02
DesignVisual identity03
BuildWebsite & assets04
MarketSEO · Ads · Social05
ScaleSustainable growthReady to sell across SEA?
Glyde sets up and manages Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop for brands launching and operating across Southeast Asia.
Let's talk →
