B2B vs B2C
B2B and B2C describe who pays. The whole business changes around that one fact — pricing, sales cycle, marketing channels, support model.
The key difference: B2B sells to organisations through a buying committee; B2C sells to individuals through emotion and habit.
| Dimension | B2B | B2C |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer | A team — economic buyer, champion, end user | A single person |
| Sales cycle | Weeks to months | Minutes to days |
| ACV / order size | High — thousands to millions | Low — usually under $200 |
| Primary channel | Sales-led, content, ABM, partnerships | Paid social, SEO, influencers, retail |
| Decision driver | ROI, risk, integration fit | Identity, convenience, price |
When to use B2B
Lean B2B when value per customer justifies a sales team and a longer cycle.
When to use B2C
Lean B2C when volume and brand can drive a self-serve, transactional flow.
FAQs
Can a single product be both B2B and B2C?
Yes — Slack, Notion and Figma all started B2C and added B2B later. The motion and pricing usually need to be split as the company matures.
Is B2B always higher margin?
Often, because price points are higher, but cost of sales (sales team, implementation, support) is also much higher. Gross margin and CAC tell the truer story.
Which has a faster path to revenue?
B2C — a self-serve checkout can earn money in minutes. B2B trades speed for deal size.