Two platforms now own almost all of Vietnam’s online shopping. Shopee and TikTok Shop together hold about 97 percent of the market. Every other platform is a niche. So the real question for any brand is not “which one”, it is “how do I split my budget between them?” I am Philip Chen, CEO of GMA. Here is how I think about the Shopee vs TikTok Shop decision in 2026, with the numbers to back it up.

The duopoly in numbers (2026)

• Shopee and TikTok Shop hold roughly 97 percent of the market combined.
• Shopee leads with about 53 percent share, GMV up 21 percent to 7.29 billion dollars.
• TikTok Shop surged to about 44 percent, GMV up 83 percent to 5.96 billion dollars.
• Local platforms like Tiki and Sendo are now niche players.

Two platforms, two jobs

Here is the key insight. Shopee and TikTok Shop are not the same tool doing the same job. They win at different moments in the buying journey, and smart brands use both.

Shopee is your search-and-convert engine

Shopee is where people go when they already want something. It is a marketplace with search, categories, reviews, ratings and mega-sales. Buyers land with intent and compare. If your listings, reviews and campaign timing are strong, Shopee converts. Think of it as your reliable revenue base.

TikTok Shop is your discovery-and-desire engine

TikTok Shop is where people buy things they were not looking for. It is content-first: short video, creators and live selling create desire, then the buy button closes it in the same feed. This is where you build demand and go viral. TikTok Shop’s growth of 83 percent shows where momentum is.

How to split your budget

There is no single right number, but here is how I guide brands. If you are new and unknown, lean into TikTok Shop to build discovery and demand, maybe 60 to 70 percent of effort there, because nobody is searching for you yet. As you build awareness, shift more weight to Shopee to capture the demand you created. A mature brand with strong search demand might run closer to 50-50, using TikTok Shop to keep the funnel full and Shopee to convert it. Watch your data monthly and move the budget to where the return is.

The mistakes I see brands make

• Picking only one. Choosing Shopee only means no discovery. TikTok Shop only means weak conversion of high-intent buyers. You need both.
• Same content on both. Shopee rewards clear listings and reviews. TikTok Shop rewards native video. Copy-pasting fails on both.
• Ignoring live selling. Brands that skip TikTok Shop live selling leave its biggest growth lever unused.
• No creator strategy. TikTok Shop without creators is a shop with no traffic.
• Set and forget. The split that worked last quarter may be wrong now. Rebalance with the data.

What this means for you

In Vietnam’s Shopee vs TikTok Shop duopoly, the winning move is not to choose, it is to split smartly: TikTok Shop for discovery and desire, Shopee for search and conversion. Match the budget to your stage and rebalance with the data. For context, see Vietnam’s Digital 2025 profile and the economy of Vietnam.

Read next on our blog: top channels to sell in Vietnam and how Vietnamese consumers search for products.

FAQ: Shopee vs TikTok Shop in Vietnam

Which is bigger, Shopee or TikTok Shop?

Shopee still leads with about 53 percent share, but TikTok Shop is catching up fast at around 44 percent with 83 percent GMV growth. Together they hold about 97 percent.

Should I use both platforms?

Yes. They do different jobs. TikTok Shop builds discovery and desire through content and live selling; Shopee converts high-intent buyers through search and reviews.

How should a new brand split its budget?

Lean into TikTok Shop first, roughly 60 to 70 percent, to build discovery, since nobody searches for an unknown brand yet. Shift toward Shopee as awareness grows.

Can I use the same content on both?

No. Shopee rewards clear listings, reviews and campaign timing. TikTok Shop rewards native short video and live selling. Each platform needs its own content.

How important is live selling on TikTok Shop?

Very. Live selling is TikTok Shop’s biggest growth lever in Vietnam. Skipping it leaves its main advantage unused and cedes ground to competitors.

Are local platforms like Tiki worth it?

Only for niche needs. Tiki and Sendo now serve specialised segments. For most brands, Shopee and TikTok Shop are where the volume and growth are.

Win both platforms in Vietnam with GMA

At GMA, we run Shopee and TikTok Shop for foreign brands in Vietnam. We build the listings and reviews that convert on Shopee, and the creator, video and live selling that drive discovery on TikTok Shop, then balance the budget with your data. If you want both platforms working together, tell us about your project.

Written by Philip Chen, CEO of GMA (Gentlemen Marketing Agency). I help foreign brands enter and grow in Vietnam and across Asia. I do not believe in one-platform bets. The brands that win here play the whole board. If you want a partner who knows the ground, talk to my team.

GMA is a French agency based in Shanghai with more than 75 specialists. We run marketing, e-commerce and distribution for foreign brands across Asia, from Vietnam and China to Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.