For most Singapore brands, TikTok Shop is the better place to find new customers through live selling, because TikTok shows lives to people who don’t follow you yet. Shopee Live is better for converting shoppers who are already searching and comparing products inside Shopee, with Shopee’s vouchers and Coins to close the sale. Many brands run both: TikTok lives to reach new buyers, and Shopee Live to sell to people already on their Shopee store.
How is TikTok Shop live selling different from Shopee Live?
The biggest difference is where viewers come from. On TikTok, people scroll for entertainment, and a live with a good hook can be shown to viewers who have never heard of your brand. On Shopee, viewers are already inside a shopping app, often comparing prices, so they arrive closer to buying but in smaller numbers.
| TikTok Shop LIVE | Shopee Live | |
|---|---|---|
| Where viewers come from | The TikTok feed, followers, the host’s own audience and ads | Shoppers already browsing the Shopee app and your store |
| Viewer mindset | Discovering, entertained first | Shopping and comparing |
| Selling tools during the live | Pinned products, flash deals and vouchers inside the stream | Shop vouchers shown in the stream, and Shopee Coins giveaways |
| Creators who can sell for you | TikTok Shop affiliate creators, paid by commission | Shopee Affiliate Program members (non-sellers earn commission on live orders) |
| Fees on each order | Roughly 9% to 13%: a category commission of about 5.45% to 9.81%, plus a 3.27% transaction fee | Roughly 10% to 15% for a regular shop, 12% to 18.5% on Shopee Mall: a category commission plus a 3.27% transaction fee, before optional programme fees such as Promo Xtra |
| Best at | Reaching new buyers and launching products | Converting existing store traffic and repeat buyers |
All fee rates include GST and were checked in October 2026. Any commission you offer affiliate creators is paid on top, on both platforms.
How big is live selling in Singapore?
DBS estimated in August 2025 that live commerce in Singapore would reach up to US$1.3 billion (S$1.67 billion) in sales that year, about 40% of the local social commerce market. DBS also projected that social commerce in Singapore would roughly double to US$6.6 billion by 2030, with live commerce making up more than a third. When DBS ran a 60-hour TikTok livestream with 60 local businesses in August 2025, 87% of the merchants were selling live for the first time, and the stream drew nearly 15 million impressions on TikTok.
When should a Singapore brand choose TikTok Shop?
- You need new customers. TikTok can push a live to people outside your follower base.
- Your product is easy to show on camera. Beauty, skincare, fashion, home and food demonstrate well in a scroll-stopping way.
- You are launching something. A live with a launch-only offer creates urgency that a product page can’t.
- You want creators to sell for you. TikTok Shop’s affiliate programme lets creators sell your products on their own lives for a commission.
When should a brand choose Shopee Live?
- You already have Shopee sales. Shopee Live turns existing store visitors and followers into buyers.
- Your buyers compare prices. Showing a live-only voucher at the right moment closes shoppers who would otherwise keep comparing.
- You sell around Shopee campaign days. Lives during the big sale dates catch shoppers who are already looking for deals.
- Your products need explaining. Answering questions live helps with products that buyers would otherwise ask about in chat.
Should you run both TikTok Shop and Shopee Live?
Usually yes, once the first platform is working. Start where your buyers already are: brands with an established Shopee store often get faster results from Shopee Live, while new brands usually grow faster on TikTok. When you add the second platform:
- Keep the same host if they suit both audiences, but write a different run-of-show for each. TikTok lives need a stronger hook in the first minute; Shopee lives can go straight to offers.
- Avoid clashing prices. If a voucher on one platform undercuts the other, your regular buyers will notice.
- Track sales (GMV) per platform, per live, so you know which products, offers and time slots sell where.
What does it take to start on each platform?
On both platforms, opening a seller account and listing products is free, and fees are charged on completed orders. TikTok Shop setup, including verification, listings and pixel tracking, usually takes 7 to 14 business days. Whichever you choose, you need the same five things for your first live: a product that is easy to show, a verified shop with listings, a host, a planned run-of-show with live-only offers, and a way to bring viewers in. Our guide to what a livestream host costs in Singapore breaks down the budget.
PULSE Digital is a livestream agency in Singapore that runs TikTok Shop and Shopee Live selling end to end: we set up the shop, match you with hosts who already sell in your category, plan and support every live, and run the ads that bring viewers in.
Frequently asked questions
Is TikTok Shop or Shopee cheaper for sellers in Singapore?
TikTok Shop is usually a few percentage points cheaper. TikTok Shop Singapore keeps roughly 9% to 13% of each order: a category commission of about 5.45% to 9.81% plus a 3.27% transaction fee. Shopee keeps roughly 10% to 15% for a regular shop and 12% to 18.5% on Shopee Mall, before optional programme fees such as Promo Xtra. These rates include GST, and any affiliate commission you offer creators comes on top. Rates change several times a year, so check your own categories in each Seller Centre before you price your live-only deals.
Can I go live on Shopee without being an affiliate?
Yes. Sellers can host Shopee Live on their own store. Shopee’s affiliate livestream feature is for creators who sell other brands’ products, and commission on live orders goes only to affiliates who are not sellers.
Do I need followers to sell on TikTok Shop LIVE?
No. A new shop’s first viewers usually come from the host’s own audience and from ads that push the live to likely buyers. Treat the first three lives as tests.
Sources: DBS, 11 August 2025; TikTok Shop Singapore, Transaction Fee; TikTok Shop Singapore, Platform Commission Fee; Cube, TikTok Shop take-rate tracker and Shopee take-rate tracker (updated 1 August 2026); Shopee Singapore, Affiliates Shopee Livestream FAQ.
Not sure which platform suits your products? Talk to our livestream team, or WhatsApp Marcus on +65 8761 6177.
