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Camelcamelcamel: the Amazon price tracker you should know about

What is Camelcamelcamel, and how can it help you save money when shopping online? Here’s what you need to know about this Amazon price tracker.

Posted by
Jennifer Laird
Jennifer is a writer specialising in debt, personal banking, and small business finance.
Last Updated
Amaon app on the phone with the text “camelcamelcamel: Amazon Price Tracker” and The Motley Fool jester cap logo

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In This Article

Ever heard of Camelcamelcamel? If you enjoy shopping on Amazon, it’s a pricing tool you should know about. Here’s how it works and why it’s worth trying it for yourself.

What is Camelcamelcamel?

Camelcamelcamel is a price-tracking tool. You can use it to view a product’s price history on Amazon.

For example, say you want to buy a certain kettle. It’s listed for £40 on Amazon, but you’re not sure if this is a good deal or not. Through the price tracker, you can check the item’s average list price over the last few months. So, if the average list price is £45, this might be a good time to buy the kettle. On the other hand, if it’s normally listed at £35, it might be better to hold off and save your money instead.

You can also track pricing trends, too. Say the kettle often drops in price around Black Friday – that could be a good time to shop. Or, maybe it tends to creep up in price just before the holidays. You might want to wait until the price typically drops again or shop before it goes up in price.

The best part? If you open an account, you can set up price drop alerts. If a product you’re interested in goes on sale, you’ll receive an alert so you can make an informed purchasing decision.

Is it free to use Camelcamelcamel?

Yes, it’s free to use the tool. You can either:

  • Sign up for a free account
  • Download the browser extension (the ‘Camelizer’)
  • Browse Amazon products directly on the site

So, there are a few options if you want to give the price tracker a go.

What are the pros of this Amazon price tracker?

Aside from the fact that it’s free, here’s why you should check out Camelcamelcamel:

  • It’s really simple to use, so you can get going in just a minute or two. This makes it ideal if you’re in a hurry or you’ve got your eye on a product and want a quick price history.
  • Are you always on the move? You can access the tracker from any device, whether it’s a laptop or mobile.
  • The price history graphs are easy enough to understand. From the highest cost to the average price, you can quickly view the data to make more informed purchase decisions.
  • Camelcamelcamel constantly monitors Amazon for price changes, so it’s fairly reliable.

What downsides should I know about?

While Camelcamelcamel has its upsides, there are a few drawbacks:

  • You could receive false notifications simply because there are so many products listed on Amazon. So, the tool isn’t 100% accurate.
  • Sometimes, you’ll get alerts about discounts that only apply to certain colours or versions of a product. This might be a little disappointing if you think the whole line is on sale when, in reality, it’s only a small selection.
  • If you’re not a fan of reading charts or graphs, you might not enjoy the user interface.
  • The Camelizer browser extension won’t work on Apple Safari, so your options are more limited if you use an Apple device.

Should I use Camelcamelcamel?

If you shop on Amazon regularly, it’s worth giving the service a shot. While it’s not perfect, it does help you plan the best time to buy a product based on its price history.

However, be sure to check the price on Amazon before making a purchase. There’s always the chance that the price has changed or the discount only applies to a certain item in a product range.

And remember, just because a product is ‘cheap’ on Amazon doesn’t mean you can’t get it cheaper elsewhere. If you have your eye on something, shop around the high street and search different websites to find the best deal.

Are you a frequent Amazon shopper with a Prime membership? Why not check out the Amazon Platinum credit card to see if you could earn some cashback or rewards on future purchases?

Is there an alternative to Camelcamelcamel?

Camelcamelcamel is not the only Amazon price tracker around. There are alternative tools, both free and paid, that offer similar features. Some even venture beyond Amazon to other online marketplaces.

The list of leading alternatives to Camelcamelcamel includes:

  • Keepa
  • Savelist
  • Fetchee (Doesn’t have a browser extension but is available across all Amazon marketplaces)
  • Price Snoop
  • TheTracktor
  • Prisync (Paid product starting from $99 per month – typically aimed at sellers rather than buyers).

Meet The Experts

Written by
Jennifer Laird

This article contains general educational content only and does not take into account your personal financial situation. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be considered, and you may need to seek independent financial advice.  

To the best of our knowledge, all information in this article is accurate as of time of posting. In our educational articles, a "top share" is always defined by the largest market cap at the time of last update. On this page, neither the author nor The Motley Fool have chosen a "top share" by personal opinion.

As always, remember that when investing, the value of your investment may rise or fall, and your capital is at risk. 

John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Amazon. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.