TLDR
Faire charges 15-19% commission on every order. These alternatives let you sell wholesale to retailers through your own portal, keeping the margin and owning the customer relationship.
OrderDock
Direct wholesale portal at $300/month flat rate. No commissions, buyer-specific pricing, and net terms included.
Pros
- ✓ Zero commissions on any order
- ✓ $300/month flat rate
- ✓ Net terms and buyer-specific pricing built in
- ✓ You own all customer data and relationships
Cons
- × No marketplace discovery (you bring your own retailers)
- × Launched 2026
Pricing: $20/mo Launch, $49/mo Scale, $99/mo Enterprise
Verdict: Best for brands with existing dealer accounts who want to stop paying commission on repeat orders.
Handshake (Shopify)
Shopify's wholesale marketplace. Lower commission than Faire on some orders.
Pros
- ✓ Integrates with existing Shopify stores
- ✓ Marketplace discovery for new retailers
- ✓ Familiar Shopify admin
Cons
- × Still charges commission
- × Requires Shopify subscription
- × Less retailer traffic than Faire
Pricing: Shopify subscription + commission on marketplace orders
Verdict: Alternative marketplace, but still commission-based. Does not solve the margin problem.
Shopify Plus B2B Channel
Enterprise Shopify with dedicated B2B features. No marketplace commission but high subscription cost.
Pros
- ✓ No per-order commission
- ✓ Buyer-specific pricing
- ✓ Combined DTC and B2B in one admin
Cons
- × Starts at $2,300/month
- × Net terms require third-party apps
- × B2B features still maturing
Pricing: From $2,300/mo
Verdict: Commission-free but expensive. Makes sense if you already run Shopify for DTC.
Faire Direct
Faire's own branded portal option for brands that want a custom storefront on Faire.
Pros
- ✓ Custom branded storefront within Faire
- ✓ Access to Faire's retailer network
- ✓ Familiar ordering experience for existing Faire retailers
Cons
- × Still charges commission
- × You do not own the customer relationship
- × Data stays on Faire's platform
Pricing: Commission-based (same as standard Faire)
Verdict: A Faire-branded portal is still Faire. The commission and data ownership problems remain.
WooCommerce with B2B Plugins
Open-source WordPress eCommerce with wholesale plugins. Self-hosted.
Pros
- ✓ Low subscription cost
- ✓ Flexible and customizable
- ✓ No per-order commission
Cons
- × Requires technical setup and maintenance
- × B2B plugins vary in quality
- × Security and hosting are your responsibility
Pricing: Hosting from $30/mo + plugin costs
Verdict: Cheapest option if you have technical skills. The setup and maintenance burden is significant for non-technical founders.
Why Brands Look for Faire Alternatives
Faire built a wholesale marketplace that works. Retailers browse, discover brands, and place orders. The cost is 15% on orders from existing retailers and 19% on first-time orders.
For brands at early stage, this is a reasonable acquisition cost. Faire delivers new retailers you would not have found otherwise. The problem comes when those retailers start reordering. You are paying 15% commission on an order that would have happened regardless because the buyer already knows your products and wants more.
We built OrderDock because the path from discovery to retention should not cost 15% forever. Use marketplaces for discovery. Use a direct portal for repeat revenue.
How We Ranked These Alternatives
Two factors drove the ranking: does the platform eliminate per-order commissions, and does it give you ownership of the customer relationship and data. Platforms that charge commission or keep your data behind their login ranked lower.
The Alternatives
OrderDock
OrderDock is a direct wholesale portal. Your retailers log in to your site, see their negotiated pricing, and place orders without any intermediary. The flat $300/month rate includes net terms, buyer-specific pricing, and matrix ordering. There is no commission on any order, ever. The trade-off is no marketplace. You bring your own retailers. For brands with established dealer relationships, that is the point.
Handshake (Shopify)
Handshake is Shopify’s wholesale marketplace, positioned as a Faire competitor. It offers retailer discovery and integrates with existing Shopify stores. It still operates on a commission model, so the margin problem is the same as Faire. The retailer traffic is also lower than Faire, making the discovery value proposition weaker.
Shopify Plus B2B Channel
Shopify Plus includes a B2B channel that supports buyer-specific pricing and catalog segmentation without per-order commission. The subscription cost starts at $2,300/month, and net terms require third-party apps. It makes sense for brands already on Shopify who want to add B2B. For brands that only sell wholesale, the cost is hard to justify.
Faire Direct
Faire Direct lets you create a branded storefront within the Faire platform. Your brand, your look. But the commission stays the same and the data stays on Faire. It is a cosmetic improvement, not a structural change. You are still paying 15-19% and you still do not own the customer relationship.
WooCommerce with B2B Plugins
WooCommerce is free, open-source, and runs on WordPress. B2B plugins add wholesale pricing, customer groups, and net terms. The total cost can be under $100/month. The catch is that you need to manage hosting, security updates, plugin compatibility, and technical issues yourself. For non-technical founders, the maintenance burden often exceeds the cost savings.
| Platform | Commission | Net Terms | Marketplace | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OrderDock | 0% | Built in | No | $20-99/mo |
| Handshake | Yes | Via Shopify | Yes | Shopify + commission |
| Shopify Plus B2B | 0% | Via apps | No | $2,300/mo |
| Faire Direct | 15-19% | Via Faire | Yes | Commission-based |
| WooCommerce B2B | 0% | Via plugins | No | $30+/mo |
Q&A
What is the best Faire alternative if I want zero commissions?
OrderDock ($300/month flat rate) and Shopify Plus B2B ($2,300+/month) both charge zero per-order commissions. WooCommerce with B2B plugins is the cheapest zero-commission option but requires technical management. The right choice depends on your budget and technical resources.
Q&A
Can I replace Faire's retailer discovery with a direct portal?
No. A direct portal serves your existing accounts. It does not replace Faire's marketplace discovery. Many brands use both: Faire for finding new retailers, direct portal for ongoing reorders without commission.
Frequently asked