Home/Amazon Agency Services/Full-Service vs Creative Plus PPC

[01] Full-Service vs Specialist

Full-Service Amazon Agency, or a Creative Shop Plus PPC? Cost and Control at $1M, $5M and $10M

A full-service agency runs your whole Amazon channel for one monthly fee. The alternative is to buy the listing assets as projects and pay a separate flat fee for ads. We priced both at three brand sizes using published numbers from BellaVix, Lab 916, WebFX and our own rate card, and laid out what you give up in control with each.

Last reviewed October 23, 2026Prices checked October 2026By Ian Smith

Short answer

Published full-service fees on Oct 22, 2026: BellaVix $3,500 to $15,000+ a month or 0.5% to 5% of sales; Lab 916 from $5,000 a month on a three-month start. The split model, worked with Evolve Media Agency's prices (fixed-price creative plus $995 or $1,995 a month PPC), costs $19,420 a year at $1M in sales (1.94%) and $41,400 at $5M (0.83%). At $10M, with PPC from a percentage agency like WebFX (12% of spend), about $151,435 (1.51%). Full-service wins when nobody inside runs Amazon. The split wins when someone does.

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$3,500 to $15,000+

BellaVix's published monthly full-service range

or 0.5% to 5% of sales

$5,000

Lab 916's published floor for full channel management

three months, then 30-day rolling

1.94%

of sales for the split model at $1M, worked example

Evolve creative plus flat PPC

$50,000

monthly ad spend where our flat PPC tiers stop

$1,995 a month, 20 hours

Short answer Side by side Cost at three sizes Control When each wins When not to pay Questions to ask Author FAQ

[02] The Short Answer

What Each Model Is, and Who Should Buy It

Disclosure: We are Evolve Media Agency and we wrote this comparison. We are the second model on this page: a creative shop that also sells flat-fee PPC, so we have a stake in the answer. Every other price here is the company's own published figure on Oct 22, 2026, with the page linked, or a range a company publishes about the market, labeled as such. Our prices are exact and come from our pricing page. No company named here pays us, and we say plainly where full-service is the better buy.

A full-service Amazon agency runs the channel for you. Lab 916 describes its Managed Amazon Channel as "senior operators running the Amazon channel across strategy, ads, catalog, account health, and weekly execution." You pay one monthly fee, usually a flat retainer, a percentage of sales, or both (our Amazon agency cost calculator compares the models). Our explainer on what an Amazon agency is covers the full list of jobs.

The split model buys two things separately. A creative shop makes the assets your listing runs on: photos, video, listing copy, A+ content (the image-and-text modules below the bullets) and the Brand Store. A PPC specialist runs Sponsored ads, Amazon's pay-per-click ads, for a flat fee or a percentage of ad spend. You, or someone on your team, run everything else: inventory, Seller Central cases, pricing, promotions.

The answer turns on one question. Is there a person inside your company who owns Amazon every week? If not, a full-service agency is buying you that person, and the split model leaves a gap no project can fill. If yes, a full-service retainer pays for work you already do, and the split model buys only what you lack.

[03] Side by Side

Price, Scope, Fit and Contract, From Published Pages

Full-service agency

PricePublished examples: BellaVix $3,500 to $15,000+ a month "depending on scope and scale," plus or instead of a performance fee of 0.5% to 5% of sales (BellaVix does not say which), no setup fee. Lab 916 from $5,000 a month, flat, "never a percentage of ad spend." Most full-service agencies quote only.

What is includedStrategy, Sponsored ads, catalog and listing upkeep, account health and weekly execution at Lab 916. Others add inventory planning, customer service and brand protection. Photo and video shoots may or may not sit inside the fee; ask.

Who it fitsBrands with no in-house Amazon owner, complex catalogs, or account-health and stockout problems that need weekly attention.

ContractLab 916: three-month foundation, then 30-day rolling. BellaVix publishes no term on its services page.

Creative shop plus separate PPC

PriceEvolve Media Agency, as one example: content bundles $945 / $1,495 / $2,495 (Gold adds SEO copy), Brand Store $1,495, UGC 6-pack $2,495, listing copy $495. PPC Audit and Restructure $995 once; PPC management $995 a month up to $10,000 in spend (10 hours) or $1,995 up to $50,000 (20 hours).

What is includedThe assets and the ads. Inventory, account health and day-to-day Seller Central stay with you.

Who it fitsBrands with an in-house owner who need better listings and a disciplined ad account, without paying for operations they already run.

ContractOur creative is a one-time project, paid 100% upfront. PPC is month to month. Ad spend is billed by Amazon to your card.

[04] What It Costs

The Math at $1M, $5M and $10M, Worked as Examples

Every figure below is an example built from published numbers, not a quote. Assumptions: ad spend is 10% of sales (a common planning figure), and the split model refreshes creative on your top sellers once a year. Ad spend is paid to Amazon under both models and is left out of every total. Percentages are of annual sales.

For a percentage-of-revenue reference, AmpliSell's own buyer's guide says revenue-share models typically run 3% to 8%. That is a range an agency publishes about the market, not a rate card, so we show it as a ballpark only.

$1M a year

Sales and ad spend$83,333 a month in sales; about $8,333 in ad spend.

Full-service (published)BellaVix floor $3,500 a month: $42,000 a year, 4.2% of sales. If the percentage fee applies on its own, 0.5% to 5%: $417 to $4,167 a month. Lab 916 floor $5,000 a month: $60,000 a year, 6.0%.

Full-service (ballpark)3% to 8% of revenue: $2,500 to $6,667 a month, $30,000 to $80,000 a year.

Split model (Evolve example)PPC audit $995, PPC management $995 x 12 = $11,940, two Gold content bundles $4,990, Brand Store $1,495. Total $19,420, 1.94% of sales, about $1,618 a month.

$5M a year

Sales and ad spend$416,667 a month in sales; about $41,667 in ad spend.

Full-service (published)BellaVix $3,500 to $15,000+ a month, or 0.5% to 5% of sales: $2,083 to $20,833 a month. Lab 916 from $5,000 a month: from $60,000 a year, 1.2%.

Full-service (ballpark)3% to 8% of revenue: $12,500 to $33,333 a month, $150,000 to $400,000 a year.

Split model (Evolve example)PPC audit $995, PPC Management Plus $1,995 x 12 = $23,940, five Gold bundles $12,475, Brand Store $1,495, UGC 6-pack $2,495. Total $41,400, 0.83% of sales, $3,450 a month.

$10M a year

Sales and ad spend$833,333 a month in sales; about $83,333 in ad spend, above our $50,000 PPC ceiling.

Full-service (published)BellaVix at 0.5% to 5% of sales: $4,167 to $41,667 a month; its flat range tops out at "$15,000+." Lab 916 from $5,000 a month: 0.6% at the floor; expect more at this size.

Full-service (ballpark)3% to 8% of revenue: $25,000 to $66,667 a month, $300,000 to $800,000 a year.

Split model (example)PPC from WebFX, whose published tier for $30,001 to $100,000 in spend is the greater of $4,500 or 12%: $10,000 a month, $120,000 a year. Creative from Evolve: ten Gold bundles $24,950, Brand Store $1,495, two UGC 6-packs $4,990 = $31,435. Total $151,435, 1.51% of sales.

What the math leaves out: the split model only looks cheap if someone inside already runs operations. If you have to hire that person, add the salary. Our in-house vs agency cost breakdown prices that hire. And a full-service floor is a floor: Lab 916 says its fee "moves with operating complexity," so a $10M catalog will not pay $5,000.

[05] Control

What You Give Up, and What You Keep

Who makes the weekly calls

Full-service: the agency leads and you approve. Split: you decide, and each specialist executes its piece. More control means more of your time.

Firing one part

Full-service: if the ads are good and the images are weak, you fire the whole team or live with it. Split: replace the weak vendor and keep the rest. Our PPC is month to month and our creative is a one-time project, so there is nothing to unwind.

Coordination

Full-service: one inbox, one report, one owner when something breaks. Split: you are the person who makes sure the PPC manager knows the new images went live. That is real work, often a few hours a month.

Seeing where the money goes

Full-service: one fee covers many jobs, so it is hard to tell what each one costs. Split: every line has its own price, so you can see what each piece costs and decide if it is worth it.

Accounts and assets

Under both models, keep Seller Central, the ad account and the brand in your own name, and make sure Amazon bills ad spend to your card. Ask any agency what you keep if you leave; our Brand Store package states you own the files.

[06] When Each One Wins

Pick Full-Service When, Pick the Split When

Full-service: nobody inside owns Amazon

This is the main case for it. A retainer from $3,500 to $5,000 a month is less than a senior hire and comes with specialists.

Full-service: operations are the problem

Stockouts, suppressed listings, account-health warnings, a 500-SKU catalog. Creative and ads will not fix those. Lab 916 and BellaVix both sell this work; we do not.

Full-service: you are $10M+ and spend more than $50,000 a month on ads

At that size the percentage and floor fees fall to a few points of sales or less, and you need daily attention across many campaigns.

Split: you have an Amazon owner in house

Then the full-service fee duplicates a salary you already pay. Buy assets and ad management, and let your person run the rest.

Split: the listing does not convert

Every ad dollar lands on the same page. If images, video or A+ are weak, the first money belongs to a shoot, not a retainer. Our photo and video combos run $595 to $1,495.

Split: you are $1M to $5M and watching margin

In the examples above, the split model costs 0.83% to 1.94% of sales against Lab 916's published $5,000 floor, which is 1.2% to 6.0% of sales at those sizes. That gap is real money at this size, if you can run the operations yourself.

[07] Read This Before You Book

When You Should Not Pay for Either Yet

You are under about $20,000 a month in sales

A $3,500 retainer is over 17% of sales at that size, and even a $995 PPC fee is 5%. Do the listing work yourself, run a small Sponsored Products account, and buy one project when the numbers justify it.

Your ad spend is under $1,000 a month

That is our minimum for PPC management. Below it, any fee is too large a share of the spend. Run the ads yourself with software.

You cannot name what you are buying

"Grow the account" is not a scope. Write down three outcomes and the number you will judge each by. If you cannot, neither model will work, because nobody can aim at it.

Someone promises a result

Rankings, ACoS (ad spend divided by ad sales) and growth depend on your product and category. A guaranteed number is either set low enough to mean nothing or hit by cutting spend.

[08] On the Call

Six Questions That Settle Full-Service vs Specialist

Are photo and video shoots inside the retainer, or extra?

If extra, add them to the full-service column before you compare. If inside, ask how many shoots a year.

Is the fee flat, a percentage of sales, or both?

BellaVix publishes both options. At $5M in sales, 0.5% is $2,083 a month and 5% is $20,833. Get the exact rate and what counts as sales.

What is the minimum term?

Lab 916 publishes three months, then 30-day rolling. Our PPC is month to month. Get it in writing either way.

Who on my team does the agency need?

Even full-service agencies need approvals, product data and inventory decisions from you. Ask how many hours a week they expect from your side.

How many hours a month does the PPC fee buy?

Ours: 10 hours at $995, 20 at $1,995. A flat fee with no hours stated is hard to judge.

Is ad spend billed by Amazon to my card?

It should be. Spend that passes through an agency is where a markup can hide.

[09] Who Wrote This

About the Author

Ian Smith

Founder, Evolve Media Agency

Ian has run Evolve Media Agency since 2017 and has spent more than a decade in ecommerce, building and selling his own brands and producing listing content, video and ads for Amazon, Shopify and TikTok Shop brands. He writes every page on this site himself and the prices quoted for Evolve are the prices you pay.

Read Ian's story →

[10] FAQ

Full-Service vs Specialist Questions

Do I need a full-service Amazon agency?

Only if nobody inside your company owns Amazon week to week, or your problems are operational: stockouts, account health, a large catalog. If you have an in-house owner, buying creative as projects and paying a separate flat fee for PPC usually costs less and keeps you in control.

How much does a full-service Amazon agency cost?

Published examples on Oct 22, 2026: BellaVix $3,500 to $15,000+ a month, or 0.5% to 5% of sales, with no setup fee; Lab 916 from $5,000 a month, three months then 30-day rolling. Most full-service agencies quote only. AmpliSell's buyer's guide puts the market at $1,500 to $25,000+ a month, or 3% to 8% of revenue.

What does the creative shop plus PPC model cost?

Worked with Evolve Media Agency's prices and ad spend at 10% of sales: $19,420 a year at $1M in sales (1.94%) and $41,400 at $5M (0.83%). That covers a PPC audit, 12 months of flat-fee PPC and a yearly creative refresh. At $10M, with PPC from WebFX at 12% of spend, about $151,435 (1.51%). Ad spend is extra under both models.

Is a full-service agency cheaper than hiring in house?

Often, at the low end. A full-service floor of $3,500 to $5,000 a month is $42,000 to $60,000 a year, which is below the $70,000 to $110,000 salary AmpliSell's guide gives for one experienced in-house Amazon manager, and it comes with specialists. Our in-house vs agency cost breakdown works the full comparison.

Can I combine a full-service agency with a creative shop?

Yes. Some brands keep a full-service agency for operations and ads and buy shoots from a creative shop. Ask the agency first whether creative is already in the fee, so you do not pay twice for the same images.

What is the difference between a percentage of sales and a percentage of ad spend?

A percentage of sales is charged on everything you sell, so the fee grows with organic sales too. A percentage of ad spend is charged on what Amazon bills you for ads, so the fee grows when spend grows. Lab 916 says it never charges a percentage of ad spend; WebFX's PPC tiers do, at 10% to 15% above $5,000 in spend.

When does the split model stop working?

When ad spend passes about $50,000 a month (where our flat tiers stop) and the catalog needs daily attention, or when nobody inside can coordinate the vendors. At that point a full-service agency or a larger PPC team is the better buy.

What does Evolve Media Agency sell?

Fixed-price creative and listing work (photography $295 to $745, video $395 to $895, content bundles $945 to $2,495, Brand Store $1,495, listing copy $495) and flat-fee PPC ($995 a month up to $10,000 in spend, $1,995 up to $50,000). We are three people in Colorado, founded in 2017. We do not sell inventory or account-health management.

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