Comparison
AWS Data Exchange and the alternatives for selling data
AWS Data Exchange sells data products to AWS customers; here are its fees, rules and delivery options, and when to use something else.
Published
The short answer
AWS Data Exchange lets qualified AWS Marketplace sellers in eligible countries license data to AWS customers as files, S3 access, Redshift shares, APIs or Lake Formation permissions. AWS publishes a 3% listing fee on public offers. It suits recurring products for buyers on AWS; strict personal-data rules and AWS-only delivery make other routes better for some datasets.
What AWS Data Exchange does for a seller
AWS Data Exchange is the data side of AWS Marketplace. A provider creates data sets, adds revisions as the data changes, bundles them into a product and publishes a public offer, a private offer for a named customer, or a bring-your-own-subscription offer for customers who already buy from them elsewhere.
AWS handles subscriptions, entitlements, billing and payment, and pays out through AWS Marketplace.
Why sellers use it
The appeal is that it removes most of the plumbing. A buyer subscribes inside the AWS console and gets access through the services they already use, and the provider doesn't run its own billing system or delivery servers.
Fees, eligibility and delivery
- Fee on public offers
- 3%
- Fee on private offers, by contract size
- 1.5% to 3%
- Fee on all renewals
- 1.5%
- For buyers in South Korea, from April 2025
- +1%
| Topic | What AWS publishes |
|---|---|
| Public offer fee | 3% of the pre-tax total contract value |
| Private offer fee | 3% under $1M, 2% from $1M to under $10M, 1.5% at $10M or more; 1.5% on all renewals |
| Regional uplift | An extra 1% for buyers in South Korea, from April 2025 |
| Who can provide | Registered AWS Marketplace sellers, qualified by the Data Exchange team, resident or incorporated in an eligible jurisdiction (including the US, UK, EU member states, Australia and Japan) |
| Paid products | Tax forms and bank details; a US bank account, or a virtual one through Hyperwallet for non-US sellers |
| Delivery types | Files copied from S3, direct S3 data access, Amazon Redshift datashares, API Gateway APIs, Lake Formation permissions (preview) |
| Seller obligations | A customer support process and a way to keep data updated |
The personal data rules
AWS's publishing guidelines are stricter than many sellers expect. Unless a provider is accepted into the Extended Provider Program after an extra review, its products may not include information that identifies a person unless that information is publicly available, meaning lawfully available from government records, court records or company filings, or made public by the person themselves.
What may not be listed
- Sensitive categories such as health, biometric or genetic data, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity and financial information must be aggregated or anonymised so no one can be identified.
- Data that ties a device or person to a sensitive location, such as a clinic, place of worship, shelter or protest, is not allowed.
- Bulk US sensitive personal data may not be made available to countries of concern under the Justice Department rule implementing Executive Order 14117.
- Listings must note if data has been aggregated or anonymised, and providers should spell out permitted use in the Data Subscription Agreement.
AWS Data Exchange against the alternatives
| Route | Seller's fee | Buyer must use | Who can sell | Strongest point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Data Exchange | 3% public; 1.5% to 3% private | AWS | Qualified sellers in eligible countries | Low published fee and native AWS delivery |
| Snowflake Marketplace | Not published in the docs we checked | Snowflake | Full Snowflake accounts with an approved profile | Live, zero-copy sharing and free trials |
| Datarade | 15% to 30% commission; annual fee on paid plans | Nothing specific | Registered businesses with the rights | Buyer discovery across many industries |
| Direct sale | Your own costs | Whatever you agree | Anyone with the rights | Full control of terms |
| A broker | A commission agreed with the broker | Whatever the deal needs | The owner, represented by the broker | Finds buyers for one-off and unpackaged data |
Where AWS Data Exchange is better
- Its published fee is low. A 3% listing fee on public offers is a small share compared with typical marketplace commissions.
- Delivery options are broad. Files, live S3 access, Redshift, APIs and Lake Formation cover most ways an AWS team wants to receive data.
- Procurement is easier for the buyer. Purchases go through the buyer's existing AWS account and billing, which many large companies have already approved.
- Updates are built in. New revisions reach subscribers without a fresh contract each time.
What DataBroker doesn't do
DataBroker doesn't compete with any of that. If you have a recurring data product and buyers on AWS, list it there.
Where an alternative fits better
- The seller isn't in an eligible jurisdiction, or can't commit to customer support and ongoing updates.
- The data includes non-public personal information and the seller isn't in the Extended Provider Program.
- The buyers don't run on AWS, or want a one-time file transfer under a negotiated licence rather than a subscription.
- The dataset is a one-off, such as a codebase or an archive from a closed company, that first needs an owner found, rights checked and a value range set.
Where a broker helps
For those deals a broker does the work a marketplace can't: finding the company that holds the data, qualifying it, and matching it to a short list of buyers. The DataBroker academy covers each of those steps, and its app supports them with a lead finder, value estimates for codebases, tasks and raw data, contract templates and a CRM.
More about AWS Data Exchange and the alternatives for selling data
Limits of this comparison
Sources
6 sources · checked Nov 7, 2026
The DataBroker team checked the facts on this page against 6 public sources, last on .
- AWS Marketplace Seller Guide: listing feesPublic, private, renewal and regional fees · Checked
- AWS Data Exchange: getting started as a providerEligibility, jurisdictions, tax and bank requirements · Checked
- AWS Data Exchange: providing data productsDelivery types, offers, Extended Provider Program · Checked
- AWS Data Exchange: publishing guidelinesPersonal and sensitive data rules · Checked
- Snowflake docs: Use listings as a providerSnowflake provider requirements · Checked
- Datarade provider application pageDatarade plans and commission · Checked
AWS Data Exchange and the alternatives for selling data FAQ
How much does AWS Data Exchange charge sellers?
AWS publishes a 3% listing fee on public offers, based on pre-tax total contract value. Private offers are 3% under $1M, 2% up to $10M and 1.5% above that, with renewals at 1.5%.
Can I sell personal data on AWS Data Exchange?
Only in narrow cases. Without acceptance into the Extended Provider Program, products may not identify people unless the information is publicly available as AWS defines it, and sensitive categories must be aggregated or anonymised.
Do I need to be in the US to sell on AWS Data Exchange?
No, but you must be a resident or citizen of, or a business incorporated in, an eligible jurisdiction. AWS lists the US, UK, EU member states, Australia, Japan and several others.
Can I offer free data on AWS Data Exchange?
Yes. AWS still treats it as selling on AWS Marketplace, so you register and qualify as a provider; tax and bank details are only needed for paid products.
Is AWS Data Exchange a good place to sell a codebase?
It isn't built for one-off code sales. Codebases are usually licensed to a few AI labs under negotiated terms, which is closer to a direct or brokered deal than a subscription product.
Related
- Snowflake Marketplace and the alternatives for data sellers
Snowflake Marketplace shares live tables into buyers' own accounts; here is who can list there and what to use when it doesn't fit.
- Is selling data legal?
Is selling data legal? A plain look at when a sale is allowed, when registration applies, and when to call a lawyer first.
- Where to sell data
Where to sell data depends on the dataset: compare cloud marketplaces, listing sites, brokers, direct deals and asset sales on fees and fit.
- Data as a service (DaaS)
DaaS, short for data as a service, means a provider keeps data current and customers reach it on demand instead of buying a static file.
Join the DataBroker academy
The DataBroker academy and tools: find companies with data to sell, price it, license it and close the deal.