JungleScout vs ZonGuru: The Ultimate Amazon Software Comparison

By popular request, here is the full comparison between ZonGuru and JungleScout for Amazon FBA sellers. I’m Australian who uses both Chrome extensions regularly in my two eCommerce businesses for product research, tracking and keeping tabs on my performance.

If you’ve been on my blog before, then great! You can scroll down a little further where the evaluation starts.

If you’re new, then welcome! I’m Joshua. I’ve helped many people in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Europe and in fact many parts of the world get started on their Amazon journey. All without the fluff and hype.

I started selling online several years ago and haven’t looked back since. Amazon is still the best way, in both my opinion and experience, to build wealth on the internet.

Today there’s a lot of returning visitors here. I provide plenty of resources and assistance to help people without email opt-in forms. I’m also an advocate of getting trained properly and provide a list of the best Amazon courses available globally.

Let’s jump into this evaluation. I promise this will be an epic post.

Upfront considerations

I know plenty of you are curious as to which Amazon software is the best. I’d recommend not rushing to scroll to the bottom, but instead reading this comparison of JungleScout and ZonGuru all the way through.

Remember I said this will be epic. You’ll get a sense of my rationality and experience selling on the platform.

Let’s establish a few things up front, just so we’re clear:

  • Both software packages are excellent and used by thousands
  • Each is beginner-friendly but also designed for the experienced seller
  • Neither is easy to build or maintain and requires capital and teams
  • Your data is highly secure with each so your product research is safe
  • I am a user of each software package. Each has its pros and cons
  • You’ll really need to choose one for accurate product research
  • I am also an affiliate of each software platform and both pay me the same
  • …and if you don’t want to use my affiliate links, then it’s totally OK

Whilst I like the occasional affiliate commission, this isn’t my motivation. Many people still choose to support me and my over-delivery here.

Exclusive discounts will be available for both JungleScout and ZonGuru. I’ve negotiated with both companies on your behalf.

Yes, an affiliate link for each will be given at the very end of this post and it’s very evident. I love transparency and I hope you’ll appreciate it too.

I’d consider myself pretty experienced with product research. I’ve also chosen to reach out to both companies for insights to help create a more conclusive evaluation.

Naturally, both claimed “Joshua…mate…we’re the best!!!” ???? Sure, I’ve taken their comments on board. Yet, my own experiences, knowledge, and alliances with dozens of Amazon sellers have been most influential in this evaluation.

With that out of the way, let’s jump into the meat and potatoes.

Similarities in software

It’s one of the most common questions I get: “Is JungleScout better than ZonGuru?” or simply put “Aren’t they just the same thing?”. You guys have asked and I’ve delivered.

The truth is, yes, both are extremely similar in what they offer.

Let’s examine firstly their close similarities:

  • Both are cloud-based SaaS solutions for new and existing Amazon sellers
  • Each is fundamental to product research especially for beginners
  • Each is backed by an experienced team of developers and support staff
  • Pricing is almost always on-par with ZonGuru and JungleScout
  • Each will require Google Chrome installed to be used properly
  • Data from each is driven from Amazon’s own API data sources
  • Both are registered and approved for use by Amazon themselves

As you can see, quite a bit in common. Hence the confusion towards those learning how to sell on Amazon and unsure of which product research software to pick.

The next paragraph is more divisional.

Differences in software

This is probably the section that most of you have instantly scrolled towards. In a world of instant gratification….we…just…can’t….wait! Am I right?

I’ll examine the differences between ZonGuru and JungleScout now. I feel it’s best to expand on this one more than the previous section. Much more in fact.

User volume

JungleScout simply has 10x more users than ZonGuru. In fact, probably more than that. They’re also responsible for 200,000+ product launches.

Now, this assumes that every single user launches one product, which simply isn’t the case. In fact, many people don’t become successful Amazon sellers, because they choose, for one reason or the other, to never make it to the start line.

A primary reason that JungleScout has so many users is that they’re 4 years ahead. They have greater marketplace penetration as they were one of the first with research software, long before Amazon became more saturated with prospective sellers. So this doesn’t imply that they’re conclusively better, they just have 7+ years experience with the leadership of Greg Mercer.

Verdict: JungleScout have way waaay more users on their platform

Team size

JungleScout wins again. They have a significantly larger development and support team. Neither operation runs as a one-man band. Sure, we see Greg Mercer of JungleScout and Jon Tilley of ZonGuru catching the spotlight, we rarely see who’s really in the background doing the hard yards.

JS has a very talented team of developers and data scientists that work full time and continue to keep up with Amazon’s changes. Their team are professionals in the fields of data analytics, engineering and machine learning, all working together to provide users with the most precise and reliable estimates.

ZonGuru is currently continuing to build their team. They’re looking to get close or even overtake the performance, accuracy and reputation of JungleScout. Similar to Microsoft being the dominating platform, whilst Apple came up from behind to take a significant amount of marketshare.

Verdict: JungleScout have a bigger team

Accuracy in data

This is the part that I cannot provide the most conclusive information on. Each will claim that they’re the most accurate. But how do we know for sure?

We don’t. No one does.

Each is very good in what they offer, with data coming primarily from Amazon’s own API, plus machine learning and their own users. Each updates data very regularly and daily in most instances. Neither is perfect and there will always be variances.

I don’t believe there’s a single person on the planet that can fully understand Amazon’s own algorithm and how it works. It’s simply too large and complex, with so many moving parts and regular changes.

I’ll simply have to conclude that both are on-par with accuracy and I’ll have to assume it’s a reasonably high accuracy at that. After all, neither would continue to be in business if they’re data wasn’t accurate for users.

Verdict: Both have very good data, but JungleScout is likely better

User support

Both provide world-class user support. Each will help students through using the software with training videos, blog updates and are featured at conferences in the United States, Australia, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.

JungleScout is the only service offering 24/7 support every single day of the year. Not that I’m an advocate of product research on Christmas Day, but it’s nice to know that there’s someone available.

ZonGuru offers almost instant user support, though doesn’t work a 24 hour rotating roster. A disadvantage here.

Support isn’t something that I’ve ever used, nor something that I think anyone has used. Whilst it’s a USP of JungleScout, it’s also something that I’m not placing a high importance on. Not many people reach out for support with each platforms.

Verdict: JungleScout wins on user support.

Marketplace support

JungleScout has availability for international marketplaces but does NOT support Australia. This is a real advantage of ZonGuru which does support Amazon Australia.

By this, I am refering to the Chrome Extension, which is the most used tools of both software packages.

Both service all other countries fairly from my research. Everyone should start in the US marketplace where both these software platforms really shine.

Verdict: ZonGuru wins on marketplace support.

Software features

Right – who’s got the best features? And who’s got the most amount of features?

The answer is ZonGuru for both. They’re essentially pairing 12 tools in 1. If you want some of the tools that ZonGuru has, but you’re using JungleScout, then you’ll have to buy additional software.

Other brands include Splitly, Fetcher and Forecastly. Who owns these software packages? JungleScout actually does. So you’ll be paying extra for features that ZonGuru already has included.

JungleScout doesn’t provide email marketing tools. You also won’t get crucial customer feedback alerts or notified when your product has been hi-jacked.

One feature uniquely found in JungleScout is the Supplier Database. This really is a first-of-its-kind and has received a lot of positive feedback among Amazon seller communities that I’m apart of.

This is a new feature and isn’t 100% accurate. But you can find suppliers, their shipment volume and frequency. Personally, I choose to find suppliers in person at the Canton Fair, through my own networks or Alibaba.

No doubt ZonGuru will add this feature in some way into their platform at some point. Yet, there’s simply more features in ZonGuru for the beginner seller.

Verdict: ZonGuru wins on features

Pricing

Previously ZonGuru was more expensive. This has now changed and ZonGuru can be cheaper than JungleScout.

Whilst I say they are pretty much on par for pricing, JungleScout when taken on the annual plan (as opposed to monthly) is $4 more expensive, equating to $48 USD per year more. Then you’ll pay for the much-needed Chrome Extension on top of this, making it $168 USD annual more expensive than ZonGuru.

Both are on-par otherwise for the monthly cost, at least at the beginner level. Especially if you just want some basic softwware.

If you’re looking just for the extension, it’s $39/month alone or $19/month if you don’t have an Amazon account yet. ZonGuru includes theirs for free.

Also, JungleScout uses a scaled pricing model. The more you earn, the more you’ll pay to use their software. It goes up quite significantly! They cap out at $399 per month (wow….) whilst ZonGuru’s top plan is $199 per month.

Verdict: ZonGuru wins on pricing.

Using JungleScout

This is designed for the beginner who’s new and needs some help. The user experience is very simplified, and as you can see, quite straight forward too.

The Chrome Extension for JungleScout is what most beginner sellers look towards. Rightly so, as it provides the best overview of data in the early stages, allowing you to sideline products or bookmark those that you feel have potential.

Using ZonGuru

Another platform that’s designed well for the beginner with a great user experience. Adam Hudson provides some excellent training modules for ZonGuru within his Reliable Education course.

ZonGuru Dashboard

Once again, the Chrome Extension is the first point-of-call for beginners. It’s something that I’ll advocate that you install instantly before learning how to use this software to track products.

Conclusive usability

Both are clearly easier to use. JungleScout does provide more training. Remembering that this software has been available for almost a decade now, so they’ve had time to refine everything.

ZonGuru is catching up, but already offers an excellent solution.

Both are focusing on a simplified user experience. The age bracket for both is those aged 30 to 50. Given that most haven’t grown up with technology at their fingertips, each platform does their best to make things easier to evaluate, especially for the vision impaired.

For beginners, simply start with the Chrome plugins before moving into full product tracking and profit calculations. Each becomes easier over time to use.

Both are on-par for their ease of use. I simply couldn’t rate one higher than the other. ZonGuru is newer, but they launched with aethisics in mind.

Final Amazon software verdict

The final piece of the chapter. Which is better – ZonGuru or JungleScout? Here’s the definite answer:

JungleScout is slightly better than ZonGuru. Yes, as much as I love Reliable Education as a well-known student in their Amazon community, there could only be one true winner in this software comparison. ZonGuru is striving and investing heavily to overtake JungleScout (which is actually more expensive) and I look forward to seeing their ongoing development.

When I say slightly, I do mean slightly. I evaluated 7 key factors above.

These were:

  • User volume: JungleScout won
  • Team size: JungleScout won
  • Data accuracy: JungleScout won (Sort of, it’s hard to know 100%)
  • User support: JungleScout won
  • Marketplace support: ZonGuru won
  • Software features: ZonGuru won
  • User pricing: ZonGuru won

JungleScout came out slightly ahead, despite being more expensive. There are more features in ZonGuru and the Chrome extension is included for free.

Now, none of these factors can conclusively claim that one software is better than the other. For example, more users does not mean it’s better software. Volume of features doesn’t mean it’s a better choice. And cheaper pricing doesn’t mean it’s the one to pick (in fact, often the opposite is true…)

User support is also rarely utilized by customers of each each platform. And whilst JungleScout doesn’t support Amazon Australia, most people (including myself) only sell on the US Marketplace.

In just a few years, ZonGuru has gone from this little part-time startup to a massive database of users and $500,000,000+ million in sales (USD) from their user pool. Impressive!

The bulk of these are Reliable Education students. Yet some outsiders do choose this software, including hundreds of existing 6, 7 and even 8 figure sellers now choosing to migrate over to ZonGuru from JungleScout. You’ll still find fanboys in each that will never change.

If you’re already with ZonGuru, there’s little value in transitioning over to JungleScout. Vice-versa, there’s little value in going the other way unless you want to follow along with Adam and Jon’s training in the RE course.

One last point: ZonGuru has a free trial whilst JungleScout gives nothing. I found that quite interesting.

Breaking down that verdict

JungleScout’s success can be attributed in part to their longevity (7+ years in operation) plus Greg’s affiliations with many other big dogs and audiences. Their service started right before the goldrush on Amazon. So they’ve caught the wave and have been able to invest in staff, trademarks, servers plus more to protect their moat. Good move!

If you’re a student in RE like myself, then ZonGuru is still a better choice. Why? In addition to being cheaper in some instances, it’s easier to work through the video modules and also do product research with other students in your Mastermind. Plus, there are exclusive features just for RE students that the public doesn’t have access to.

Even if you’re not a Reliable Education student yet, it’s still excellent software. Certainly, as I’ve defined, JungleScout is currently better though not for those in Australia. Yet ZonGuru is on a mission to be better in just about every aspect. *Watch this space*

Conclusively, both offer an excellent product. Pricing is just about on-par with both. Beginners and experience sellers will find both easy to use. ZonGuru has more features whilst JungleScout has more users and (presumably…) more accurate data.

My exclusive offer

Ready to get started? I hope so. You’ll need some sort of software. Consider it a map or GPS to get you to your destination. Everyone needs to know where they’re going and Amazon software providers that reassurance.

I always pitch. 😜 Now, you knew that already, as I was transparent with my affiliate connection from the beginning. Just quickly though…

The exclusive offers for my audience are as follows:

  • ZonGuru is offering a 7 day trial for the public, or 14 day trial for those who use my ZonGuru affiliate link. Plus, you’ll also get a 15% discount for the first 3 months.
  • JungleScout has no free trial though has a 14-day money-back guarantee. You can use my JungleScout affiliate link.

Note: I get the same amount from either. Commissions and offers do not sway my decision, especially in this comparison of JungleScout vs ZonGuru.

ZonGuru, as a late starter, has some catching up to do, but it is still an excellent choice. It used to be more expensive but is now on-par with monthly pricing. As I’ve outlined, in same cases it’s actually cheaper.

Reliable Education students will still find ZonGuru to be a better choice for the reasons I outlined above. It’s very good software to get you live and selling on Amazon. Yet, there are a few students who still choose JungleScout. I choose both.

ZonGuru and its chase on JungleScout

I think there’s many lessons to learn from ZonGuru’s success. As I mentioned, in just a few years, they’ve gone from a part-time startup to a world-class piece of software for Amazon sellers. Their recent valuation was in the low 8 figure range.

They have got the potential to get close and even overtake the success of JungleScout. Of course, they’re playing the long game. This success won’t happen over night. There’s a slight sense of luck (though primarily hard work) with JungleScout, based on their timing into the market.

So what can we learn?

  • Always strive to add more features than your competitors
  • Don’t play the price game. It’s too competitive down there
  • Build a team of superstars to help scale your online empire
  • You’ll need money to invest. Plus working capital to compound
  • ZonGuru required millions, but Amazon businesses are easier
  • Consider the subscription model with customer retainability
  • Reinvest every single dollar you make in your Amazon business
  • Invest in yourself with knowledge and the right tools for success

Plenty of learnings which are relatable to selling on Amazon. I personally learned a few things from seeing the success of each SaaS company.

As mentioned, I do look forward seeing ZonGuru’s chase up the mountain. JungleScout can see them coming up. In fact, they’re not too far behind. In such a short period of time, have scaled with thousands of users globally.

Final considerations

Software for researching on Amazon is excellent and well worth the investment. Compared to your high capital outlay for inventory, it’s still very affordable. It will be one of your least expenses in your business with the largest return on investment, helping you pick winners and eliminate those with super tight profit margins.

That said, they aren’t perfect. No software is 100% perfect. Use these as guides, but not to be relied upon fully. Your gut feeling is your #1 key to success, especially when working with suppliers.

I no longer think “What products I can sell on Amazon?” but instead “What brands I can build using Amazon?”. This is a distinct difference and only one that most people learn after a few years of selling online. It leads to the biggest breakthroughs.

Consider when researching, to look for products which have the best scope to build out to a range of products. I’m more of an advocate of this, than aiming for a full-time income with one product, despite having that actually attaining that result. You’ll spread risk much easier with a range of products.

Tools are only as good as the person who uses it. Consider the training that goes along with such software to help you build knowledge in your gold-mining efforts.

You won’t find a winner in the first 5 minutes. It takes a lot of work and effort to find the best winners. Yet, no perfect product exists on Amazon.

Truth is, most products are actually profitable. Otherwise, why would they be sold online? No seller on Amazon is a charity.

Eventually, you’ll have to pull the trigger and move forward. Amazon software such as ZonGuru and JungleScout are two tools that I highly recommend.

For now, at least, ZonGuru has more features and is cheaper, yet JungleScout takes the overall crown based on data and other attributes.

And yet, among Amazon seller communities, there’s a better tool. It’s Helium10 which is respected as the #1 value for money tool for Amazon sellers, despite the higher price.

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11 thoughts on “JungleScout vs ZonGuru: The Ultimate Amazon Software Comparison”

  1. Hi Josh ! I’ve been in the camp of those waiting for this comparison. That’s great thanks.

    I think when you wrote “They have got the potential to get close and even overtake the success of ZonGuru.” you meant Junglescout instead in the Zonguru chase part of your review.

    Cheers
    Gilles

    Reply
  2. Hi Joshua

    Another great review.

    It looks like you have been super busy over the last 3 weeks pumping out tons of great useful content. I don’t know how you do it!

    In regards to accuracy of the sales volumes i think that its important for people to understand that ONLY Amazon (and the seller) know the real sales volume of any particular product. As i understand it, all the software programs that provide sales data do so using some sort of algorithm based on extrapolation and the figures that they provide may not be 100% accurate.

    Did you check the sales volumes for both JS & ZG against your own products and how did each of them fair in regards to the accuracy of the sales data?

    Also, there is a new player in town … and they seem very responsive to their users feedback. Have you have heard of ioscout?

    > https://ioscout.io/

    They claim that their software is more accurate that JS altho I can’t remember the reason that they gave right now. On their website they say “Users point out IO Scout’s higher data accuracy compared to other solutions”

    They are cheaper than JS and seem quite feature rich for the $$

    Have you heard of them? I would be very keen for your thoughts on their product and how accurate your products appear in ioscout as cmpd to JS

    There is also a program called “eGrow” which i believe a lot of Aussies use. I also wondered if you could comment on how accurate it was.

    Great to see your website continuing to grow!

    Reply
    • Hey Skip! Great to see you back on the blog again. Always busy mate and this isn’t the only website I have either… 😜

      Yes, it’s true that no software is 100% accurate, but as I have checked against my sales volume, they’re reasonably close (about 30% out).

      I generally stay well clear of anything that’s initially launching as there is no established trust. For example, IOScout just launched. A claim they make “trusted by 30,000 merchants” is silly. Their own website is gaining zero traffic. Like no one at all. I use Ahrefs which lets me spy on other websites, just like JS and ZG. I would give IOScout a wide berth for now.

      Yep – I’ve been looking forward towards testing out eGrow over the coming months. It’s more affordable and definitely an established player.

      Reply
  3. Hi Joshua,
    Another great and informative review. Thank you!

    I’m thinking of buying the ZONGURU, starter plan through your link and you have said “ZonGuru is offering a 7 day trial for the public, or 14 day trial for those who use my ZonGuru affiliate link. Plus, you’ll also get a 15% discount for the first 3 months”.

    Do you mind confirming the amount…would it be $24.50 for the first month and then $41.65 (15% off the $49) for the next 2 months?

    Thank you
    Hayley

    Reply
    • Hi Hayley, I think you can try my link and see if the price changes on checkout?

      I’m assuming it would be 14-day trial initially, then for the next 3 months, it would be $41.65 before rising to $49 on Month #4.

      Reply
  4. Hi Joshua!

    Thanks immensely for all your articles regarding selling on Amazon. Immensely valuable!

    I’m curious if you have heard of Viral Launch? I’m a Rel.Ed. student, and part of a Mastermind group in Canada where I live. The rest of the MM are not connected with Rel.Ed. The 2 leaders of our MM (who are very successful sellers on Amazon and teach Amazon selling to Canadians for the US market) have recently switched from Jungle Scout to the Viral Launch platform. They don’t know ZG, but are super pleased w/ VL.

    I am only getting started with product research (after watching the course modules in Rel.Ed.), and find it challenging to even evaluate the ‘claims’ of both ZG and VL, without actually USING them. How does one know whether one is better than the other? or perhaps they actually offer similar tools but go about it differently? Maybe it would even be advantageous to just buy both ZG and VL and play around with them for awhile and get a feel for the experience of both???

    Curious your perspective when comparing tools like this?

    Reply
    • Hi Heather, thanks so much for the feedback. I’ve used ViralLaunch briefly a few times now and really like the look and feel. ZG has lifted their game since I first wrote this comparison with their close connection with Amazon and Alibaba, and I know quite a few people have moved away from Jungle Scout.

      Helium10 and ZG are the two I mostly use nowadays but given my experience, I don’t really use software all that much. Once you get a feel for the platform then you become less reliant on software to do product research. Just try out each for a month as they more-or-less achieve a similar outcome.

      Reply
  5. Hi Joshua

    Thanks for giving a transparent comparison between ZG and JS.

    What I would also like to know is that the affiliate links that you have shared on this page of yours, are they still valid? As in like, 15% discounts for first 3 months and 14 days free trial?

    Thanks in advance!

    Anutosh

    Reply
    • Thanks, Anutosh! The JungleScout links should still be valid but the Zonguru links aren’t. I haven’t had a single person enrol in the last 6 months as their new affiliate platform is broken while previously I’d have 1 to 2 people per week.

      Still, they might have some discount offers currently. Get in touch with Darren and they might offer something.

      Reply

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I'm Joshua from Australia. 🇦🇺

I've been blogging for 12+ years here and have built up numerous sources of online income.

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