Sellics vs Helium 10: Which Amazon Seller Tool Is Right for You?
Table of contents
Introduction
Choosing the right tool for your Amazon business is crucial. Two names often compared are Sellics (which has evolved and in many contexts is folded under Perpetua) and Helium 10. While both aim to help sellers grow, they approach the problem differently. This article compares their capabilities, strengths, limitations, pricing, and which types of sellers would benefit best from each.
What Are These Tools?
- Helium 10 is a full-blown, all-in-one Amazon seller software suite. It includes product research, keyword tools, listing optimization, inventory management, analytics, and more.
- Sellics / Perpetua started as a more PPC- and analytics-focused platform (Sellics), and its newer incarnation under Perpetua emphasizes advertising intelligence (bid optimization, campaign insights) along with some seller analytics.
Sellics has been rebranded / acquired and its tools integrated under Perpetua in many markets. (You’ll find references to Sellics now often referring to Perpetua’s features.)
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Here are the major axes to compare both:
| Feature Area | Helium 10 | Sellics / Perpetua (evolved Sellics) |
|---|---|---|
| Product Research & Discovery | Strong: Black Box, Xray, trend tools to discover products and niches. | Limited focus on product discovery; more emphasis on campaign metrics. |
| Keyword Research & Optimization | Very strong: tools like Cerebro, Magnet, Hijacker alerts, listing optimization (Scribbles, Frankenstein) | Basic keyword analytics tied to ad campaigns, but not as deep a suite of tools for organic keyword expansion. |
| Listing Optimization & SEO | Robust tools to optimize titles, bullet points, backend keywords. | Some optimization features exist but not core strength. |
| Advertising / PPC Management | Has modules or add-ons (like Adtomic) for managing PPC, but not the primary focus. | One of its strengths: automated bid strategies, ad data integration, advanced campaign performance insights. |
| Analytics & Profit Tracking | Detailed dashboards, profit & loss, remainders, inventory insights. | Strong analytics especially regarding ad/spend vs ROI, but may lack depth in inventory forecasting or full P&L tracking. |
| Automation & AI | Provides automations and alerts in many modules (keyword alerts, hijacker alerts, etc.) | More AI-focused particularly in advertising management – the tool may automate bid adjustments and campaign tweaks. |
| Ease of Use / Learning Curve | Has many modules – can be overwhelming initially, but rich documentation and a large user community help. | More streamlined in the ad/analytics domain – for ad-driven sellers, may feel more intuitive. |
| Support & Community | Large user base, tutorials, active community, good support. | Offers onboarding, dedicated support especially in ad plans, and focused support for campaign optimization. |
| Integration & Expansion | Broad integration across Amazon marketplaces and usage in multiple operational domains. | Strong integration in ad contexts; may not cover every operational domain as deeply. |
Pricing & Value
Pricing is always a key deciding factor. While exact numbers evolve, these general trends are observed:
- Helium 10 offers tiered subscription plans (Starter, Platinum, Diamond, etc.), making it accessible to small, mid, and larger sellers.
- Sellics (under Perpetua) is generally positioned more premium in pricing, especially for those wanting full ad automation and advanced analytics.
- For smaller sellers with tighter budgets, Helium 10’s lower-tier plans tend to offer more value per dollar across multiple domains (not just ads).
If your main focus is advertising at scale, the premium for Sellics/Perpetua may be justified. If you’re doing broader operations (product research, listing optimization, inventory control) as well, Helium 10 gives more breadth.
Who Should Consider Each Tool?
Here’s a rough guide based on seller profiles:
| Seller Type | Tool Better Suited | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New / Small Sellers / Trying multiple products | Helium 10 | Because it offers a wider range of tools (research, listing, keyword) under lower-cost tiers. |
| Ad-heavy / High budget sellers focusing on PPC performance | Sellics / Perpetua | Because its ad automation and analytics features are stronger, helping maximize ad ROI. |
| Balanced sellers doing product discovery, SEO, and advertising | Helium 10 (or hybrid use) | You benefit from the all-in-one capabilities and don’t need multiple separate tools. |
| Larger brands / scaling advertisers | Sellics / Perpetua | If ad spend is significant and managing complex campaigns is critical, its advanced campaign tools can justify the cost. |
Pros & Cons
Helium 10 – Strengths:
- Broad suite covering many aspects of Amazon selling.
- Great value for small to mid sellers.
- Strong community, education, and support.
- Useful for long-term growth across multiple domains (product research, listing, analytics, etc.)
Helium 10 – Weaknesses:
- For highly optimized campaign management, it may not match ad-first tools.
- The learning curve is steeper since it has many modules.
- Some advanced features may require add-on costs or higher tiers.
Sellics / Perpetua – Strengths:
- Excellent for PPC/ad automation, bid strategies, and campaign analysis.
- Intuitive interface for those focused on advertising.
- Strong analytics in terms of ad spend, ROI, and campaign-level metrics.
Sellics / Perpetua – Weaknesses:
- Less emphasis on product research and listing optimization.
- Higher cost barrier for sellers who don’t need full ad-level automation.
- May not provide as many operational features (inventory forecasting, P&L tracking) as Helium 10.
Conclusion & Recommendation
If I were advising a typical Amazon seller:
- For sellers getting started or those doing many roles themselves (product selection, listing, SEO, operations), Helium 10 is the more balanced tool. It covers more domains and lets you grow in many dimensions without needing multiple separate subscriptions.
- For sellers whose core pain point is managing and optimizing large PPC spends, Sellics / Perpetua may provide more leverage in ad performance and automation.
You don’t have to pick one forever. Some sellers even use both in tandem – using Helium 10 for research, listing, and overall operations, and using Perpetua (formerly Sellics) to automate and optimize campaigns.
The right tool depends on where your bottlenecks are now (campaigns? product discovery? listing optimization?) and your budget. Test, compare, and pick what helps you scale fastest.