Poshmark and ThredUp are vast online marketplaces. They allow users to deal in fashion and home decor items. They are not entirely focused on retail or wholesale businesses. Rather, they help ordinary people sell their stuff online. From the surface, both brands may sound like similar companies to you, where you may create an account and sell all your products. But on the root level, their working models are very different. Today, we shall understand about how Poshmark and ThredUp function and which one might be ideal for you to start selling your products online.
Poshmark is a global e-commerce platform. Sellers can list their second-hand clothing and home decor items here. Established in 2011, Poshmark has over 80 million registered users globally. Here is what makes Poshmark unique:
Inventory handling is not required: Sellers need to click and upload pictures of their products from the comfort of their homes. They do not have to send their products anywhere unless they sell. This cuts down the need for a warehouse, also.
Sellers have full product control: All sellers can control the pricing of their products. They can write customized descriptions and adjust their listings directly from their account.
Poshmark is a Mobile-First Platform: Users can access Poshmark through its intuitive mobile application. It is available for Android and iOS users.
ThredUp is also an international marketplace where buyers come to grab limited fashion, accessories, and home decor items at discounted prices. The business was established in 2009, and by early 2025, ThredUp processed over 172 million products from 100 product categories. Here is what makes ThredUp unique:
Hands-off selling model: Selling on ThredUp is unlike any other platform on the web. Sellers can create their accounts, but they cannot directly create store listings or tweak the entire product list on their own. This is done by the ThredUp team through their backend.
Massive Brand Variety: ThredUp has a huge catalog featuring over 50,000 brands on its site. Most branded products are discounted because they are refurbished.
Strict Quality Checks: Unlike many other e-commerce platforms, ThredUp has a strict quality control checklist in place. Sellers need to ship their products to the quality control warehouses, where they are intercepted and filtered out.
Category | Popular Items |
Women’s Clothing | Dresses and jeans |
Men’s Clothing | Hoodies and jackets |
Kids’ Clothing | Pajamas |
Shoes | Sneakers and heels |
Handbags & Purses | Crossbody bags, wallets |
Jewelry & Accessories | Earrings |
Beauty Products | Skincare |
Category | Popular Items |
Women’s Clothing | Blouses and skirts |
Kids’ Clothing | Jackets and rompers |
Shoes | Flats and sneakers |
Handbags & Purses | Leather totes and wallets |
Accessories | Belts |
Maternity Wear | Maternity jeans |
Designer Items | Coach bags |
This clarifies the categories that you should be aiming for if you are willing to sell your products on any of the two platforms, because these categories will not go out of trend.
Selling second-hand items online has never been this easy. All you need to do is follow a detailed method for the same.
Step 1: Sign up for a seller's account
When you head over to the seller's portal, you need to create a new account. Then, fill out the details.
Step 2: List your products
Put in other details like your store name and description. After that, upload a profile picture.
Step 3: Pack and Ship the Product
On receiving a successful sale, you may paste a bill on the package. Then ship it to the assigned Poskmark hub. Your earnings are released within 3 days if the package passes without any areas for improvement.
Step 1: Requent a cleanout kit
When you create a seller account on ThredUp, you can request a cleanout kit. You may either choose a donation kit or a consignment kit.
Step 2: Arrange the products in the kit and send them back.
Fill the cleanout bag with your branded products. Once packed, ship them back to the assigned warehouse.
Step 3: Item Listing
After an in-depth evaluation from the ThredUp team, your products are listed automatically. Sellers do not get access to manage their listings, as the prices and descriptions are updated by the ThredUp team.
Feature | ThredUp | Poshmark |
Commission | Varies by item price: 20% to 90% taken by ThredUp | For sales under $15, $2.95 is charged. |
Shipping | Prepaid Clean Out Kit; ThredUp handles logistics | Prepaid label provided for each order (paid by the buyer) |
Listing Fee | None | None |
Processing Fee | None directly, but heavy cuts in payouts | None |
Pricing Control | ThredUp sets an initial price (adjustable on some items) | Seller sets their own price |
Payout Method | PayPal, Stripe, or shopping credit | Direct deposit or check |
Return Handling | ThredUp accepts returns (affects final payout) | No returns (except for undisclosed issues) |
When we talk about Poshmark vs ThredUp, it is important to understand that both these platforms offer direct access to millions of customers for your store! Yes, there may be some tweaks here and there, but overall, both these businesses are loved by buyers on a global level.
Image Type | Required | Recommended Size (px) |
Profile Picture | Yes | 400 × 400 |
Store Banner / Cover Image | Optional | 1250 × 300 |
Listing image | Yes (min 1) | 1000 × 1000 or higher |
Video Thumbnail | Optional | Auto-generated |
Store Preview Grid | Auto | Based on listing photos |
Sellers at Poshmark enjoy wide access to the listings and share the products that they have added. They get a dedicated dashboard to maintain their product images, descriptions, and overall details.
Image Type | Required | Recommended Size (px) |
Profile Picture | Optional | 400 × 400 |
Listing Images | Yes (auto) | System-generated |
Store Preview Grid | Auto | Based on the platform layout |
Now that we understand both of these platforms in depth, we must know which platform may be the best suited for you.
If you want to get complete control over your product listings, you can go forward with Poshmark. Sellers can not only create an account, but also add multiple products and modify them whenever they want. As a seller on ThredUp, you will be unable to manage your listings, as that access is restricted to the ThredUp team.
If you are looking to clean your closet and earn commissions on the branded items stored, you can always choose ThredUp. This gives you the convenience to relax while ThredUp manages your product listings and order delivery.
At Poshmark, you can manage product pricing to compete with other sellers. You can also engage with the community of shoppers and sell your items faster. In short, there are multiple ways at Poshmark to advertise your products and engage with your audience. Whereas on ThredUp, these features are limited.
Huge Audience Network: Get access to a huge community of fashion-focused buyers.
Fast Payouts: Receive earnings quickly once the item is delivered and accepted.
No-Hassle Returns: You’re only responsible for returns if an item is misrepresented.
Full Pricing Control: Set your own prices and adjust them anytime based on demand.
Direct Buyer Interaction: Answer questions, negotiate offers, and build trust directly.
Hands-off Selling: Ship your items once in a Clean Out Kit and let ThredUp handle the rest.
Convenient Payouts: Get paid via PayPal or ThredUp credit once your items sell or are accepted.
Donation Option: Unaccepted items can be donated. This saves time and effort.
Trusted by Busy Sellers: Great for users who prefer no involvement in the selling process.
Eco-Friendly Appeal: Marketed as a sustainable platform for conscious consumers.
For those who are just starting out with either of these platforms, keep the following in mind to ace your game:
1. Use Clear Descriptions: Make your listings searchable with specific keywords.
2. Send Items in Excellent Condition: Make sure clothing is freshly washed and free of stains.
3. Offer Product Bundles: Initiate multi-item purchases by offering bundle discounts.
4. Be Patient with Payouts: Products may take time to sell. Payouts depend on their final sale price.
5. Relist Unsold Items: Refresh listings that have become stale by relisting them with new photos or slight price changes.
X-Design has a premium online suite to help you create lavish backgrounds. These can be seamlessly blended behind your product images. You may ensure that each visitor on your eCommerce store adds your products to their bag. The AI Background Generator detects the subject in your image and applies a new background instantly. You can choose from over 600 pre-made templates and also get four variants of each background you choose.
A built-in editor within the web-based tool helps you to fine-tune your image with ease. This tool has the following features
More than 600 pre-made templates for your product image.
Prompt-based background generation within seconds.
Instant image downloads in JPEG and PNG formats.
Conclusion
Poshmark and ThredUp sell products in overlapping categories. They both attract millions of buyers every year. However, when it comes to gaining full control over their store listings, Poshmark outshines ThredUp. Sellers get a good chance to interact with interested buyers and work strategically to sell their products online. Poshmark also ensures faster product delivery and better payouts, as sellers can control pricing directly from their dashboards. X-Design AI Background Generator helps you to generate premium backgrounds for your product images. The best part? You can use it for free as a new seller! Try X-Design to create high-quality product images that work seamlessly on Poshmark and other e-commerce marketplaces.