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Which platform takes the title of BEST all-in-on Amazon seller software? Which FBA seller toolset delivers the most value? To answer these questions once and for all, we decided to take a no-nonsense look at the strengths and weaknesses of ZonGuru and Helium 10 in an industry first, head-to-head comparison. Before you part with your hard-earned cash be sure to educate yourself on which software delivers the goods!
Firstly, it’s important to discuss the elephant in the room: this is a ZonGuru article. You’re probably thinking, “of course they are going to select ZonGuru!” However, I assure you this isn’t a fluffy article full of self-promotion. This is a straightforward, critical, side-by-side comparison with clear objectives and data-driven recommendations. Strap yourselves in; this is going to get interesting!
Before we go too far down the rabbit hole it’s important to identify the critical tools every Amazon researcher and seller needs. To make things easier, I summarized the ideal tools into five distinct categories representing each phase of the Amazon seller journey:
In addition to the above, there are two extra factors that make a huge difference to the user experience:
Our contenders will be evaluated on the above critical success factors to answer the question once and for all: is Helium 10 or ZonGuru the best all-in-one Amazon FBA toolset?
This is where it all begins, finding and validating your product niche ideas! If this step is flawed. then the entire process can quickly unravel and leave would-be-sellers frustrated and out of pocket. It’s SUPER important. You need the right tools and accuracy to make informed data-driven decisions.
Helium 10 has three product research tools: Black Box, Xray, and Trendster. X-Ray is Helium 10’s Chrome Extension which works in tandem with the Amazon platform. This is a handy tool that provides data on Amazon search results and includes all the information you want to see, plus little extras like a profitability calculator, review insights, and listing compliance warnings.
Trendster is a seasonality checker and looks at how a product sells during different times of the year using historical data. A point of difference for this tool is it also compares the bestseller rank history of a product with Google trends. While this isn’t relevant for most researchers/sellers it could be handy for those wanting to expand beyond Amazon.
Black Box is Helium 10’s main product research tool. It is designed to generate product ideas and offers a search function via products, keywords, competitors, niche, and product targeting. Something, though, less is more. Five different search options seem unnecessarily overwhelming. I can see how this can lead to analysis paralysis, as users are quickly drowned in search methodologies.
Black Box has multiple filter options allowing users to customize their results. A cool filter is the shipping size tier, which allows users to exclude large and oversized products. Although Black Box has a lot of filter options, a few of the more important filters seem to have been left out. Things like PPC bid cost and estimated launch budget were absent.
Black Box’s biggest shortcoming, though, is that it returns individual product suggestions. Why is this a negative? Well when you’re searching for a new product idea you need to assess the product Niche. What is the competition like? Is there room for differentiation? Using Black Box feels like researching with blinkers on; you become laser-focused on the product and completely miss the niche!
This is where ZonGuru’s Niche Finder product research tool lives up to its namesake. It finds Amazon product niches, not just products. In fact, it returns 100’s at a time with just a click of a button. It has preset filters for different business models or advanced filter options so you can customize results to your heart's content. The results provide everything you need to know about a niche including visuals, launch budget, search volume, PPC bid cost, sales and so much more.
ZonGuru also has a Chrome Extension which integrates seamlessly with Amazon and provides instant, up-to-date metrics on a niche or individual product. To simplify the validation process, users also have access to the Niche Rater rainbow, a visual summary of the attractiveness of a niche. It looks at key areas such as buyer demand, revenue potential, competition, and investment requirements.
ZonGuru has three other product research and validation tools in its bag of tricks: Sales Spy, Love-Hate, and Easy Source. Sales Spy is Trendsters’ rival and provides information on a product's seasonality using historical sales data. Love-Hate data mines thousands of reviews within a niche to instantly provide key insights into what customers love and hate about a product. Last but not least, Easy Source connects users with a curated list of Alibaba suppliers based upon user requirements.
Overall, both platforms have a high level of accuracy in their results and share similar features. However, if the key requirement is helping users FIND and VALIDATE potential product niches, then ZonGuru has the advantage thanks to its full, 360-degree view of any niche.
Furthermore, Helium 10 does not support the entire product selection phase. ZonGuru has a logical progression between each tool from product idea generation, seasonality testing, customer feedback to sourcing. Read more about how the ZonGuru tools can help connect you with your perfect supplier.
Once you’ve sourced your product, you need to make sure it’s primed for maximum views and conversions. Enter keywords! They’re how your buyers find your products. Depending upon the quality and placement of your keywords, your listing may be lost in the jungle or front and center on page one.
Helium 10’s keyword research tool, Magnet, provides a list of keywords based upon a user-entered search phrase. A helpful ‘Magnet IQ Score’ is provided for each keyword which is calculated using competition vs search volume. Magnet can be a little frustrating as you’re unable to choose or see which ASINs are used to compile the list of keywords. Without seeing how relevant the underlying listings are, it can be difficult to know how much reliance to place on the results.
In addition to Magnet, Helium 10 also provides a reverse ASIN lookup tool called Cerebro. This is a much more powerful tool than Magnet that data mines user-selected ASINs. You can filter the search results and even see the frequency with which keywords appear.
Interestingly, for a data-centric platform, there is a surprising lack of data! For both Magnet and Cerebro, limited metrics were provided for each individual keyword which made validating the relevance of the keyword difficult. Obvious metrics such as the average revenue the keyword is driving were excluded (not to mention things like PPC bid cost, average price, and average ratings).
Helium 10 has two main listing optimization tools: Frankenstein and Scribbles. Frankenstein is essentially a deduping program that removes duplicate and unnecessary keywords. Scribbles is where the real work happens. It allows you to pull your ASIN from Amazon to craft listing copy using your preselected keywords. Some cool features include the ability to change the character count, add emojis (user warning: emojis are prohibited!), and capitalization settings.
Scribbles color codes keyword phrases based on search volume, however doesn’t state what the underlying search volume is. Furthermore, there is no measure assessing how well optimized a listing is or it’s performance in comparison to competitor listings. Scribbles provides no guidance whatsoever regarding keyword placement or the power of exact vs broad match keyword entries. Lastly, there is no ability to push listing copy changes to Amazon. Users must resort to the old school copy and paste method.
ZonGuru has three listing optimizer tools: Keywords on Fire, Keywords Spotlight, and Listing Optimizer. Keywords on Fire is arguably ZonGuru’s most powerful tool. It is designed to provide the best and most relevant keywords for your listing. To make sure you have all the data you need to make informed decisions, ZonGuru provides metrics for each keyword such as actual search volume, total revenue, daily launch sales, top 25 competitor rankings, estimated PPC bids, and much more! Plus, you have full control over which ASINs are used to populate your keyword results.
Keywords on Fire gives users the ability to filter results and save curated keyword lists for seamless integration within the Listing Optimizer tool. You can also export results to excel or click on the keyword to view its search results on Amazon.
Listing Optimizer gives users clear direction on the potential of a keyword with search volume and relevance metrics front and center. As new keywords are entered ZonGuru automatically updates metrics making the keyword and listing process seamless. This feature prevents users from switching back and forth between product tools. You always know which keywords are of the most value to your listing!
In addition, a reference column instantly updates to stars and ticks so you know when a keyword is used and even if it’s a broad or exact match. There is even an option to bulk upload remaining keywords to your backend search terms so that you never miss a keyword opportunity again.
We’ve saved the best feature to last: the ability to directly compare your listing against competitors. You can import up to eight different listings from Amazon for direct comparison. Each listing is given an optimization score. This score is your guide to the overall quality of your listing, and is calculated by the strength of your keywords and where they are placed. See at a glance how well your listing stacks up to the competition and watch as it instantly updates as you refine your copy. Once you’re happy with your copy a quick click of a button pushes your data across to Amazon Seller Central. No need to open new windows or copy and past copious amounts of data across platforms.
In summary, Helium 10 lacks the data sellers need to make informed keyword placement decisions and again has a blinkered approach, providing you no opportunity to assess the competition..
If ZonGuru’s Listing Optimizer tool incorporated the character count adjustment, it would be a near-flawless keyword and listing toolset combination. Click here to read more about the new supercharged Listing Optimizer tool from ZonGuru.
Do you feel like you’re passing through the Bermuda Triangle when trying to understand your business metrics? Most business owners will readily admit it’s vital to understand how your business financials are tracking. However, many find it a time-consuming challenge. With the right software and tools, this becomes an easy task and allows sellers to focus on what they do best: selling!
Helium 10 has a comprehensive financial dashboard with widgets covering key business metrics. They are laid out in a concise format with easy to use date toggles and trend graphs. The financial data can be viewed by product or by the marketplace with the ability to add COGS for accurate cost reporting. The platform also provides restock suggestions, expense reporting, and a basic 3PL inventory management tool.
It is worth noting that although there is a drop-down box allowing users to switch between marketplaces, it’s not possible to see financial data from ALL marketplaces at once. There is also no way to export the financial data into a report to provide to an accountant or potential business buyer.
As a plus, Helium 10 has a great range of additional financial products attached to the platform that are designed to free up your cash flow, secure funding, and streamline your payments. There is also an advertising module to help create campaigns and report on their success. This is a great tool for anyone who dislikes the Seller Central advertising platform.
It’s worth noting the Helium 10 financial dashboard’s trend graphs have limited features. It would be nice to access a longer time period and additional metrics such as advertising spend in comparison to sales revenue and organic vs paid sales.
Moving over to ZonGuru, the Business Dashboard includes key metrics, profit & loss, and sales trend graphs. The results may be customized by date, market, or product. Importantly the results can be shown in any currency and can cover ALL marketplaces at once.
Users have the added ability to download a concise financial report at any stage to provide to prospective investors, buyers, or accountants. Similar to Helium 10, users can enter COGs for accurate reporting and report 3PL stock levels.
As part of the dashboard reporting, a handy sales breakdown is displayed showing paid vs organic sales and ACOS metrics along with inventory ordering prompts. The daily sales graph is fully customizable, including notifications for key listing event changes. Visually see what effect a sudden price increase has on your bottom line!
This is an honest head-to-head comparison. We aren’t shying away from the simple fact that Helium 10 provides a lot of ‘shiny’ extras in this category. However, sellers should ask themselves: what data is important for effective business management? What functionality is non-negotiable? And, what widgets are pretty but don’t move the needle?
Amazon can be wild and change at the drop of a dime. Unless you’re willing to sit glued to a laptop 24/7 scanning for updates, you will benefit from monitoring and alert tools. These tools diligently work in the background and instantly alert you to changes to your listings and competitor movements. This allows you to respond lightning-fast and resolve issues before they escalate into major problems. Phew!
The suite of alert tools by Helium 10 is comprehensive and includes things like dimension changes, losing the buy box and other important listing events. Alerts can be received by email or SMS. The SMS function even has a do not disturb setting to set your alert hours, nice touch!
However, a MAJOR flaw is that you’re not able to receive alerts for competitor listings! The Helium 10 alerts are only available for your own listings.
ZonGuru has two main alert tools: Product Pulse and IP Monitor. Product Pulse provides an alert when a change occurs to one of your listings, including competitors! Similar to Helium 10,. you have complete control over which alerts are important to you. Available alert events include things like changes to the selling category, dimensions, weight, ratings, and reviews.
An extra benefit of Product Pulse is the ability to track the financial impact of alert events. When a nominated event occurs, it is noted on the Business Dashboard so you can instantly see what effect the change has made on your bottom line.
Whilst both toolsets perform the monitoring and alert role with relative ease, Helium 10 falls short with its limited competitor focus. It’s always helpful to be notified of competitor listing changes, particularly for sudden price or title updates.
We all know ratings play a HUGE factor in sales conversions. High ratings are the social proof you’re selling a great product people love which can absolutely skyrocket sales! Getting ratings on the board can be a slow and arduous process. However, the right tools can automate this job while making sure you don’t fall foul of Amazon’s terms of service.
Helium 10’s customer engagement tool, ‘Follow-Up,’ ticks all the boxes for developing a great customer experience. There are many filter options available so you have full flexibility on what emails are sent and when. For example, you can ensure review requests aren’t sent for refunded orders and even customize terminology based upon ASIN or marketplace location. There are also inbuilt templates to save time as well as placeholders for automatic text inserts and direct links.
In addition, there is an automated review request function that utilizes the Seller Central review request template. This can be customized to trigger at preset time intervals, making the entire process automated.
Likewise, ZonGuru has two heavy lifting customer engagement tools: Email Automator and Review Automator. Email Automator gives users complete control over messaging and includes similar functionality to Helium 10, plus the added benefit of being able to pre-set the time/day emails are set for delivery with buyers. This helps open rates and makes sure you have the maximum opportunity for engagement and reviews!
Review Automator utilizes the Seller Central review request template and bulk messages buyers when actioned by the user. Similar to Helium 10 it is an intuitive tool that will skip any buyers who might leave you a less-than-5-star review.
Both Helium 10 and ZonGuru have robust customer engagement tools that are sure to turbocharge your ratings count. There isn’t much separating the two heavyweights in this category, with both successfully mastering the customer communication element.
We all feel a bit lost from time to time when selling on Amazon. It can be difficult to navigate the swirling seas without the ‘lighthouse’ of other experienced sellers. Having a dedicated support team on your side to lend a hand when you need it most can be priceless. Couple that with targeted training/events, and you have a killer combination that is sure to lead to Amazon success.
Helium 10 has partnered with Freedom Ticket to provide users access to their signature eight-week training course. The Freedom Ticket course is designed to walk users through the entire Amazon sales journey. However it is only available whilst a subscription is active. The Helium 10 help desk is comprehensive and the live chat is fast and knowledgeable about the tool suite.
ZonGuru has weekly LIVE training events with expert Q&A sessions, plus an extensive resource library walking users through each phase of the Amazon journey. A fast live chat function and one-on-one support calls when needed ensure users feel supported when they need it most.
Both toolsets understand the power of knowledge and have extensive training and support. The main difference being when subscribing with Helium 10 you are subsidizing access to Freedom Ticket’ via a higher subscription cost. With ZonGuru you’ve got a team of serious sellers in your corner ready to help no matter your budget! Why not join our next live training event? Register here!
Money talks! However, when looking at the cost of each software platform it’s important to equally consider value. Which toolset delivers incredible value for each stage of your Amazon journey?
Helium 10’s entry-level solution begins at $97 per month. However, it doesn’t include access to all tools. A free account is available, but is designed as a taster and not practical for business use. All subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and Helium 10 regularly runs different promotions and discounts depending upon the time of year.
Keep in mind, if you want the full Helium 10 experience, including access to the ‘Ads’ (PPC tool) module, you will need a Diamond subscription which is $197 per month. Access expert training and entry to the private Facebook group costs extra. These features are only available to Elite subscribers willing to pay $397 per month!
ZonGuru’s subscription plans are designed to evolve as your Amazon business grows, with entry-level solutions for product researchers beginning at $39 per month and seller plans from $49 per month. Seller plans include access to ALL ZonGuru tools and a FREE 7-day trial is available on all subscription plans. For the savvy subscriber, ZonGuru also offers significant discounts (up to 40%) for annual plans as well as regular promotions and discounts.
A key difference between the two platforms is that Helium 10 doesn't distinguish between researchers and sellers. Researchers are forced to pay a higher subscription cost for tools they don’t yet need. Alternatively, ZonGuru understands product researchers need a specific toolset and tailor their offering to reflect that. ZonGuru users don’t pay for tools they don’t yet need and have full flexibility to upgrade their subscription when the time is right!
Wow! If you’ve read this far, what a journey! If you’ve skipped ahead to the verdict, no problem. Let's cut to the chase... What is the best all-in-one Amazon FBA toolset?
We need to preface the answer by saying that Helium 10 and ZonGuru are both amazing tool sets that help thousands of people achieve Amazon success. But, in a head-to-head comparison, it’s clear that ZonGuru comes out on top.
Helium 10 has a lot of ‘shiny’ extras that look fun but don’t move the needle. There is a real lack of focus on competitor movements and niche analysis. Rather, the focus is on individual products and the individual seller. Helium 10 is the better-known player in the marketplace, which has arguably made them complacent and might be why they haven’t updated key tools particularly for keyword research and listing optimization.
ZonGuru continues to evolve and release new tools where it counts. The ZonGuru product research, keyword, and listing optimization tools provide sellers with more relevant information they can use to improve their business. Coupled with the value-driven subscription plans, it is an exceptional platform for researchers and sellers of all levels.
You now have all the information you need to make an informed decision about which platform is right for you. But don’t take our word for it. Why not give our tools a try for yourself and sign up for a FREE 7-day trial today?
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