I don’t think I’m the only one who discovered online shopping only because of Amazon. For many years, Amazon has been a leading e-commerce platform, and it’s one of the most popular shopping apps worldwide. I bet you don’t know this, but Amazon started out as a simple online bookstore. However, today it’s the world’s largest mobile commerce platform and one of the most downloaded shopping apps, with over 310 million active users and billions of dollars in annual sales. And that’s exactly why so many entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes want to build a native app like Amazon.
Honestly, I can’t blame them; who doesn’t want their business to have its own Amazon-like native app that offers fast, mobile-first shopping experiences?
The only problem? Creating a native Amazon-style shopping app from scratch isn’t that easy. It typically requires hundreds of thousands of dollars, advanced coding skills, not to mention the many months of development work. This might not suit startups, small businesses, and solo entrepreneurs.
So the question is:
How to build a native Amazon clone app without coding and on a budget?
In this article, I’ll walk you through how anyone can create their own Amazon-like shopping app for less than $100 without writing a single line of code using nandbox no-code native app builder, in addition to
- What Amazon is and why so many people want to build an app like it
- What core features make Amazon so successful (and how to replicate them)
- What it actually costs to build a shopping app like Amazon in 2025 and how nandbox AI-powered native app builder lets you create your own for less than $100
What Is Amazon? What Does it Offer?
Amazon was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos, and it started out as a humble online bookstore. But soon after that, it became the world’s largest e-commerce platform and one of the most popular shopping and retail apps in 2025.
Today, Amazon is a multi-vendor online marketplace that offers millions of products across every category, whether it’s electronics, fashion, groceries, or digital services, you name it. And if you’re wondering how Amazon became the largest online retailer, let me tell you the answer lies in its features and customer focus.
Amazon has completely changed the online shopping experience, all thanks to features like
- One-click checkout
- AI-powered personalized product recommendations
- Secure payment systems
- Real-time order tracking
- Amazon Prime, which offers fast and free delivery, exclusive deals, and streaming services.
Let me tell you, Amazon doesn’t only offer a great experience for buyers but for sellers as well. This is mainly because it offers helpful tools and solutions for sellers, such as Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). This solution allows sellers to send their products to Amazon’s warehouse, and Amazon takes care of the rest, including shipping, customer service, and returns. That’s why Amazon is the go-to marketplace for any third-party sellers.
In summary, only a few platforms can match the seamless and reliable online shopping experience that Amazon provides, and you’re going to be one of them.
Why Does Everyone Want to Build a Native App Like Amazon?
So let’s talk numbers first and see how successful Amazon is; maybe then you’ll get why so many people want to build a native app like it.
Let’s start with the fact that Amazon has more than 310 million active users online and over 2 million active sellers. Not to mention that in 2024 alone, Amazon made more than $638 billion. (I personally want to create my own Amazon-style app now.)
Leaving money and statistics behind, let’s talk more about why you should create your own native app like Amazon and the benefits you’ll get with an Amazon clone app.
Why Everyone Wants to Clone Amazon
Amazon is not just a simple shopping and retail app; it’s much more than that. It sets the standards high for other e-commerce platforms because it offers a complete shopping ecosystem that is built with speed, trust, variety, and convenience all in one place. Today, more and more businesses want to replicate its success and build their own native Amazon-style shopping app.
Moreover, users now expect features like fast checkout, order tracking, and instant recommendations even from small e-commerce apps. That’s one of the reasons why everyone wants to clone Amazon.
Here’s why so many entrepreneurs and companies want an Amazon-style app:
1. Mobile Shopping Is Leading Today’s Market
A native mobile shopping app is the best option if you want to keep up and stand out in today’s market. This is mainly because mobile e-commerce apps offer a fast, reliable, and smooth shopping experience. Let me tell you that mobile commerce now makes up over 70% of all e-commerce sales worldwide.
2. High Customer Expectations
People are used to Amazon’s customer-focused features, and businesses want nothing less for their own apps.
The good news? If you want to create a replica of Amazon with all its powerful features on a budget, then nandbox AI-powered native app builder is your solution.
So here’s a list of some of the powerful features Amazon offers that you’ll also get with nandbox:
- Personalized product recommendations
- Real-time order tracking
- Secure payment gateways
- One-click checkout
- Search and filtration tools
- Product ratings and reviews
- Push notifications
- Live chat and customer support
3. Scalability and Growth
Having a native app like Amazon with multiple vendor support helps you grow easily and faster than ever.
4. Monetization Features
Want to make money from your app? An Amazon-style app makes it easy to generate revenue with monetization features like
- Ads
- Vendor fees
- Subscriptions
What Features Made Amazon Successful, and How to Replicate Them in Your Amazon Clone App?
So far we have covered why many people want to build a native app like Amazon. Now, let’s discover what features made Amazon so successful, the ones that are a must-have for anyone who wants to build a successful Amazon clone app.
Before we start, let me tell you that Amazon’s success wasn’t solely because of its product variety; anyone can replicate that, to be honest. However, the real reason why Amazon is successful is how well its features serve its customers.
These key features are what make Amazon the standard, and yes, you can replicate them affordably using nandbox no-code app builder.
| Amazon Feature | Why It Made Amazon Successful | Offered in nandbox? |
| One-click checkout | Fast and easy checkout | Yes, Built-in cart and checkout |
| Fast delivery and Order Tracking | Builds a reliable and trusted shipping experience. | Yes, Built-in map integration for real-time order tracking |
| Push notifications | Keeps users engaged with offers, updates, and alerts | Yes, you can enjoy unlimited branded push notifications |
| Multi-vendor support | Allows many sellers to offer different products on the same platform | Yes, multi-store with multiple vendors available |
| Native app performance | Provides smooth UX and faster loading than web apps | Yes, 100% native iOS and Android apps |
| Secure payment methods | Increases purchase confidence | Yes, Stripe, PayPal, cash, credit cards, and debit cards are supported. |
| Product reviews and ratings | Builds user trust and increase conversions | Yes, built-in reviews and comments section |
| Wishlists and saved items | Encourages future purchases and product interest | Yes, save for later feature is available |
As we can see, all features are available in nandbox for both iOS and Android.
The Development Cost of Building an App Like Amazon in 2025
Just to be honest, building a native app like Amazon with all these features is expensive, especially if you decide on building it the traditional way. You’ll need a budget for a technical team of developers, both native iOS and Android versions, UI/UX design, testing, QA, features, and many more.
On top of that, even with a big team, it might take several months just to launch the app, not to mention marketing, maintenance, hosting, updates, bug fixes, or scaling.
In 2025, the average cost to build a full-featured Amazon clone app ranges from $150K to $350K depending on complexity, platform, and custom features.
Here’s a breakdown of how much it costs to build a native app like Amazon in 2025:
| App Type | Development Cost | Timeline |
| Simple shopping app with basic features | Ranges from $30,000 to $40,000+. | 2-3 months |
| Medium-complexity app with slightly advanced features | Starts from $50,000 | 4-6 months |
| Complex shopping app with advanced features (Amazon clone) | Ranges from $150,000 to $350,000+ | 6-12 months+ |
Unless you’re funded, that kind of budget isn’t realistic for any small businesses, startups, or simply anyone who wants to build a well-established native app like Amazon on a budget.
The good news? You don’t need Amazon’s budget to offer Amazon’s experience, all thanks to nandbox native no-code app builder. So here’s how you can build your native Amazon-style app with nandbox.
How To Build an Amazon-Like App For Less Than $100 With nandbox
nandbox is a leading no-code native app builder that lets anyone build their dream native iOS and Android app without writing a single line of code in a matter of minutes, all for under $100.
With nandbox, you’ll save hundreds of thousands of dollars and months of time and still have a fully native iOS and Android Amazon clone app with all its features.
You know what’s even better? Your app will have powerful features that even Amazon doesn’t offer. That way, your app can stand out and maybe even compete with Amazon, who knows?
So let me tell you how nandbox makes all that possible.
1. No code needed: You can build a full-featured, fully native Amazon-like app without writing a single line of code.
2. Pre-made shopping app templates: nandbox offers an extensive library of industry-specific pre-made app templates, including a pre-made Amazon-like app template.
3. Pre-built features: nandbox offers pre-built, powerful features that you can add easily to your app without coding at all.
4. Drag-and-drop interface: You can easily add any feature by just dragging and dropping it into your app interface.
5. Powerful AI tools: nandbox offers one of the most powerful AI tools that can build the whole app with all its features within minutes; all you have to do is just describe your app idea. These AI tools include
Unique nandbox Features That Even Amazon Doesn’t Offer (And Why They Matter)
No one can deny that Amazon is indeed a powerful app. However, there are powerful features that Amazon doesn’t offer.
The great news is, with nandbox you can add all these features easily to your Amazon-like shopping app. That way, your app will not only be as successful as Amazon, but it can also set it apart and make it even more powerful.
This is your chance to go beyond cloning Amazon. With nandbox you can create something uniquely yours. So let’s discover the powerful features nandbox offers that are not part of the core Amazon experience and how they help your app stand out.
- Built-in Messenger: nandbox offers a pre-built messenger for real-time communication. This feature can boost trust, increase conversions, and offer better customer support.
- Community Modules (Groups, Channels, Newsfeeds): nandbox offers social components that can help you build brand loyalty, share content, promote reviews, and update your users about products, discounts, services, and more.
- Booking System: nandbox offers a smart booking system that allows you to sell services, tickets or appointments. That way you can offer both services and products in the same app.
How to Build an Amazon Clone App for Under $100 With nandbox: Step-by-Step Guide
In just 5 steps, you’ll have a fully native app on both the App store and Google Play Store without writing a single line of code.
Step 1. Sign up at nandbox
First, head to nandbox and sign up for your free trial.
Step 2. Choose Template
Choose the pre-made Amazon-like app template
Step 3. App Customization
In this step, you can customize the app’s theme, colors, tabs, features, and much more.
Step 4. App Preview
You can easily preview the app-building process in real time for both light and dark modes.
Step 5. Build and Publish
Once you finish building your app, you can easily download it and test it. Now your app is ready to be published on both the App Store and Google Play Store.
Wrapping Things Up
So here’s the bottom line: you don’t need a six-figure budget, a developers team, or months of back-and-forth just to launch a native shopping app like Amazon. Not anymore.
With nandbox no-code native app builder, you can build a powerful, feature-rich, Amazon-style mobile app without coding, without stress, and definitely without breaking the bank. Who can believe that for less than $100 you can build a fully native Amazon clone app that’s live on iOS and Android in no time?
Now it’s your turn to take control, build your brand, and offer your customers the kind of smooth shopping experience they’re used to (or better). Because if Amazon can do it, so can you, just faster, smarter, and with a whole lot less overhead.
Ready to get started? Sign up for your free trial and turn your idea into a live native app today!
FAQs: How to Build an Amazon-Like App Without Coding in 2025
How much does it cost to build a shopping app like Amazon?
Building an Amazon-style app traditionally can cost $50,000 to $300,000+. The development cost mainly depends on features and platforms. But with nandbox, you can build a native app for under $100.
Can I build an Amazon clone app without coding?
Yes! With nandbox no-code app builder, you can build a full-featured Amazon-like shopping app for iOS and Android without writing a single line of code.
What are the key features in an Amazon-style mobile app?
Must-have features include product catalog, cart, checkout, order tracking, reviews, push notifications, and multi-vendor support, all of which are available in nandbox’s pre-built e-commerce app templates.
Is it possible to build a shopping app with AI features like Amazon?
Absolutely. nandbox lets you integrate AI tools for personalized experiences and even offers its own AI-powered app builder that allows you to describe your idea and build your app in minutes.
Does nandbox support in-app payments like Amazon?
Yes, nandbox supports Stripe, PayPal, credit cards, debit cards, and even cash payments. That way, your users have multiple secure payment options.
Can I launch my app on both Google Play and the App Store?
Yes. nandbox builds 100% native apps for both iOS and Android.
How long does it take to build an Amazon-style app with nandbox?
With nandbox, you can launch your first fully functional native app in just a few hours. Most users are able to go from idea to app in under a week.
Is nandbox suitable for multi-vendor marketplaces like Amazon?
Yes, nandbox supports multi-store and multi-vendor setups, so you can allow multiple sellers to list and manage their own products just like Amazon Marketplace.
