We price-checked 50 products head-to-head. Amazon wins on tech and niche items. Walmart wins on groceries, cleaning supplies, and daily essentials.
| Category | Cheaper At | Average Savings | Best Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries & Pantry | Walmart ✓ | 8–18% | Walmart+ with grocery delivery |
| Cleaning Supplies | Walmart ✓ | 6–12% | Walmart base price |
| Paper Products | Walmart ✓ | 5–9% | Great Value store brand |
| Electronics & Tech | Amazon ✓ | 5–15% | Prime + Lightning Deals |
| Books & Media | Amazon ✓ | 10–25% | Kindle + used books |
| Clothing & Apparel | Tie | 0–5% | Check both, filter by reviews |
| Toys & Games | Variable | 5–20% | Price-check both near holidays |
| Health & Beauty | Walmart ✓ | 3–8% | CVS brand beats Amazon Basics |
The assumption that Amazon is always cheaper is outdated. Walmart's online store has been quietly undercutting Amazon on a growing number of categories. We checked 50 products across 10 categories to find the real answer.
Our Methodology
We compared prices on 50 identical products (same brand, same size, same model) between Walmart.com and Amazon.com on five different dates over 30 days. We averaged the prices and controlled for Prime vs Walmart+ shipping benefits.
Where Walmart Wins (Consistently Cheaper)
Groceries & Pantry — Walmart by 8–18%
This is Walmart's stronghold. Great Value store brand vs Amazon Fresh pricing: Walmart wins on everything from olive oil to pasta to cereal. The gap is widest on branded CPG (Campbell's soup: Walmart $1.48 vs Amazon $2.09).
Cleaning Supplies — Walmart by 6–12%
Tide, Dawn, Lysol, Clorox — all cheaper at Walmart. Amazon Subscribe & Save can close this gap, but Walmart's base price is lower in this category.
Paper Products — Walmart by 5–9%
Bounty, Charmin, Kleenex: Walmart wins. Their Great Value store brand alternatives are 30–40% cheaper than Amazon Basics equivalents.
Where Amazon Wins
Electronics & Tech — Amazon by 5–15%
Amazon dominates on headphones, smart home devices, cables, and accessories. Their ecosystem (Lightning Deals, Prime Day, Warehouse Deals) creates price floors Walmart can't match.
Books, Games, Software — Amazon by 10–25%
This is Amazon's original category. Kindle deals and used book options make this no contest.
The Smart Shopper Strategy
Default to Walmart for: Groceries, cleaning supplies, paper products, health & beauty
Default to Amazon for: Tech, electronics, niche/specialty items, books
Price-check both for: Appliances, clothing, toys, sporting goods (swing wildly in both directions)
The Walmart+ membership ($12.95/mo or $98/year) with unlimited free delivery is worth it if you order groceries online 2+ times per month. Amazon Prime ($14.99/mo) pays off if you buy electronics or ship 4+ packages monthly.