ChannelEngine and Tradebyte both offer a solid solution for ecommerce channel management and integrating with online marketplaces. But there are important differences in how they function and what they excel at. This comparison will help you understand the difference between ChannelEngine and Tradebyte, so you can choose the right solution for your brand.
Global integrator
What does ChannelEngine do?
ChannelEngine is a marketplace integrator that helps businesses to sell on online marketplaces and sales channels globally. It functions as your multi-channel ecommerce control center, where you can manage and oversee your operations.
ChannelEngine integrates with more than 700+ marketplaces and online sales channels worldwide, including platforms specialized in fashion, home & deco, and electronics. Its features and integrations facilitate automation, cross-border ecommerce, and global scaling.
Expert guidance and flexibility are essential to help you discover new opportunities and achieve your targets. You can easily integrate your back-end systems with ChannelEngine (ERP, PIM, ecommerce platform) through different pre-built integrations and API connections.
The user-friendly platform is enriched with tools that allow you to optimize, synchronize and automate your product information, listings, pricing, orders, and inventory across channels. This wide range of capabilities will enable you to take complete control and maximize multi-channel growth at no additional cost.
Summary
Global marketplace integrator
700+ global sales channels
Intuitive platform
Control over your operations
Easily integrate your back-end systems
Built to grow your ecommerce business
European integrator
What does Tradebyte do?
Tradebyte is a marketplace integrator that focuses on the DACH region and Europe. Tradebyte specializes in fashion since they are a subsidiary of the well-known European marketplace Zalando. As a logical result, they have all partner programs with Zalando in place.
Tradebyte integrates with 72+ European marketplaces through their platform called “TB.one”. Their features focus on managing product listings and orders across online channels using their PIM and OMS systems. Tradebyte has no presence outside of Europe and mainly offers fashion & lifestyle sales channels.
The platform seems to lack optionsto integrate with common back-end systems, limiting its flexibility and speed of onboarding.
Some users may require guidance with operating the platform due to its advanced user interface. Like other marketplace integrators, Tradebyte offers managed services as a premium package. At an additional cost, you receive guidance with "initial & ongoing categorization & mapping, and export error handling".
Summary
European marketplace integrator
Focus on fashion and lifestyle
Subsidiary of Zalando
72+ European sales channels
Lacks options to integrate
Guidance through managed services, including monthly webinars, integration manager, and ongoing support
Detailed comparison of features and services
Let’s zoom in to decide which software solution fits your growth plans.
ChannelEngine provides direct access to a network of 700+ marketplaces and online sales channels globally, allowing businesses to expand their reach and access a broad customer base. Think of channels like Amazon, Walmart, Zalando, bol.com, and Lazada. New channels from around the world are added monthly. ChannelEngine's global approach is reflected in its international presence. ChannelEngine combines its focus on international marketplaces with features and integrations catering to cross-border ecommerce needs.
Tradebyte provides access to a network of 72+ European marketplaces with a strong emphasis on fashion and lifestyle. Tradebyte’s channel offering is sometimes insufficient to facilitate the expansion plans of companies with a broader European focus. Currently, examples of missing channels are currently B&Q, H&M, ManoMano, Rue de Commerce, Sephora, Shop Apotheke, Showroomprivé, and Wayfair.
Product listings
Offering your products
ChannelEngine provides intuitive tools to manage and optimize your product listings across online marketplaces, such as advanced product selections, smart mapping, AI-driven virtual product bundles, and automated translations. These features are designed to automate your ecommerce operations, save valuable time and boost marketplace sales.
Tradebyte's main features evolve around managing and optimizing product listings, such as categorization, value mapping, error handling, and data enrichment. There is even a PIM included in Tradebyte's platform. However, properly using these features may require support from one of their specialists. The platform's product listing features could be more intuitive, which limits users in effectively managing their product data across channels.
Tools for pricing and promotion
Winning the buy-box
ChannelEngine offers advanced pricing rules and automated repricing capabilities, allowing sellers to automatically adjust and optimize their prices to win the Buy Box based on market trends, competition, and profitability goals. It is included in every package of the platform.
Tradebyte does not provide specific price optimization tools.
Inventory management and fulfillment
Synchronizing inventory across channels
ChannelEngine offers a robust solution for managing inventory when selling across different channels. Your stock levels are automatically synchronized across all channels, and all incoming orders are sent to the correct location for fulfillment. The multi-warehouse feature makes optimizing your order and inventory routing across physical warehouses and virtual stock locations possible. ChannelEngine offers many “fulfilled by marketplace” integrations (such as ZFS, FBB, FBA). Customers can use these marketplace fulfillment integrations to automatically switch between fulfillment methods based on stock availability.
Tradebyte does not promote any particular features of inventory management. The possible absence of automated features could increase the manual work required for managing inventory and order fulfillment across channels. Tradebyte offers a few “fulfilled by marketplace” integrations, including ZFS (Zalando Fulfillment Solutions).
Reporting and analytics
Keep an overview and gain valuable insights
ChannelEngine provides channel analytics and advanced reporting capabilities. Customers have a detailed overview of their ecommerce channels' sales performance and access to actionable reports with real-time and historical data. Track your revenue, profits, and expenses on connected marketplaces to make data-driven decisions.
Tradebyte's reporting and analytics features are limited compared to ChannelEngine. It will be harder to monitor and optimize your sales performance across online channels. Tradebyte also offers fewer for exporting reports to share with your internal departments.
Integrate your systems
Automating data exports and imports
ChannelEngine provides different options to integrate your back-end systems, such as an ERP, PIM, WMS, and ecommerce platform. These integrations ensure you can benefit from near real-time data synchronization between your systems and marketplaces. Think of product content, stock levels, incoming orders, shipments, and returns. Connect your systems using the advanced Merchant API or (one of) the ready-made merchant integrations.
Tradebyte seems to lack pre-built integrations with common ERP, PIM, WMS, or ecommerce systems. This may limit the flexibility to integrate with their platform. Besides that, Tradebyte does not seem to offer an open API connection. To integrate with Tradebyte, you may have to rely on costly custom integrations.
Guidance and support
Keep your operations running smoothly
ChannelEngine works closely with customers to ensure they can excel and scale their ecommerce business. Be in control over your multi-channel ecommerce operations through extensive platform training and a large collection of instructional resources. Our support team is available 24/7, 365 days a year, ensuring you receive the assistance you need when you need it, at no extra cost.
Tradebyte has a different approach to supporting its customers. You’ll have a limited amount of support tickets per month, depending on the package you select (with a maximum of 10 tickets). Every marketplace integration will be guided by a TB-integration manager and Tradebyte offers quarterly "TB.Training" sessions. Besides that, Tradebyte offers premium managed services to get help with optimizing your product data and operations. This premium service is only included in their most expensive package or must be purchased as an add-on.
Satisfied customers
What Petrol Industries has to say about ChannelEngine
“After we increase visibility on the platforms, we’re expecting to triple the number of bundles. Digital will become the strategic growth pillar of the company, and our partnership with ChannelEngine and marketplaces will surely intensify.”
- Daniel Gonzalez Docal Digital Director at Petrol
Why ChannelEngine is the right solution to grow your multi-channel ecommerce business.
After being acquired by Zalando, Tradebyte grew along with this European fashion giant. Many companies that want to sell on Zalando are directed to Tradebyte and start using their platform.
When these companies plan to expand their ecommerce to more online marketplaces, they could hit the platform's limitations. Tradebyte's limited focus on European marketplaces outside of fashion, advanced features, and lack of integration options hinder its potential to support future growth for ecommerce businesses.
Overall, ChannelEngine is better suited to growing your multi-channel ecommerce by offering a broader global reach, user-friendly tools for product listings, robust inventory management, and seamless integration options. The platform's emphasis on automation, cross-border capabilities, and global scalability, combined with its responsive support, offers businesses a solid foundation for expansion.
Switching from Tradebyte to ChannelEngine
Our dedicated customer success and onboarding teams are here to help you move your connections to ChannelEngine, without disrupting your business.
Tradebyte users usually switch when they have started selling on Zalando but want to expand their ecommerce business to more marketplaces.
So what are you waiting for?
Get in touch to discover how we can take your ecommerce business to the next level. We'll talk you through our platform and show you how things work from start to finish.
Import products from your systems and and easily list them on sales channel.
Automate stock management and order fulfillment.
Use smart rules to sell what you want, where you want, how you want.
