Etsy vs eBay fees
Enter one sale and see both platforms' fee breakdowns next to each other. Etsy pays you more at every price point tested.
Etsy pays you $1.59 more on this sale.
Default category and options for each platform. For category-specific rates, open the individual Etsy or eBay calculator.
Fees at six price points
Free shipping, default category, United States seller. The highlighted cell is the higher payout.
| Sale price | Etsy fees | Etsy payout | eBay fees | eBay payout | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $1.40 (14%) | $8.60 | $1.66 (16.6%) | $8.34 | $0.26 |
| $20.00 | $2.35 (11.75%) | $17.65 | $3.12 (15.6%) | $16.88 | $0.77 |
| $35.00 | $3.78 (10.8%) | $31.22 | $5.16 (14.74%) | $29.84 | $1.38 |
| $50.00 | $5.20 (10.4%) | $44.80 | $7.20 (14.4%) | $42.80 | $2.00 |
| $100.00 | $9.95 (9.95%) | $90.05 | $14.00 (14%) | $86.00 | $4.05 |
| $250.00 | $24.20 (9.68%) | $225.80 | $34.40 (13.76%) | $215.60 | $10.20 |
Where the fee structures differ
Etsy
Etsy charges three fees on every sale, and a fourth if the buyer arrived through one of Etsy's own ads. The listing fee is fixed. The transaction fee and payment processing fee are percentages of the whole order, including whatever you charge for shipping, so "free shipping" baked into the price costs you exactly the same in fees as charging for it separately.
eBay
eBay rolled almost everything into one "final value fee" when it took over payments from PayPal. For most categories it is 13.6% of the total amount the buyer paid, including shipping and sales tax, plus a fixed $0.30 or $0.40 per order. There is no separate payment processing line.
What that means for you
- Fixed fees punish cheap items. Etsy and eBay has a fixed per-sale component, which weighs most on items under $15.
- Fees on shipping. Platforms that charge their percentage on shipping as well as the item (Etsy, eBay, Mercari, TikTok Shop, Depop processing) make "charge for shipping" and "free shipping, higher price" cost the same. Platforms that charge on the item only (Poshmark, Whatnot commission, StockX, Vinted) reward charging real shipping.
- Buyer-side fees. If either platform charges the buyer a fee at checkout, your listing looks more expensive to shoppers than your price suggests. Price a little lower to land at the same buyer total.
Frequently asked questions
Is Etsy or eBay cheaper to sell on?
Etsy pays you more at every price point tested. At $50 with free shipping, Etsy takes $5.20 (10.4%) and eBay takes $7.20 (14.4%).
What fees does Etsy charge?
Listing fee, 6.5% transaction fee, payment processing, and optional Offsite Ads.
What fees does eBay charge?
Final value fee by category plus a per-order fixed fee, charged on the full order including tax.