Etsy and eBay both take a cut of every sale, but they build it differently. Etsy charges several small fees that stack up. eBay charges one big percentage plus a small fixed amount. That makes the two hard to compare by reading fee pages side by side, so this guide puts both on the same order and shows every line.
Etsy fees vs eBay: which one takes more from a sale?
For a US seller, a standard Etsy sale pays a $0.20 listing fee, 6.5% of the item price plus shipping, and 3% + $0.25 for payment processing. A standard eBay sale in most categories pays 13.6% of the total sale plus $0.40 per order, with the first 250 listings each month free. On a $30 item with $6 shipping, Etsy takes $3.87 and eBay takes $5.30, unless an ad brought the buyer in.
The Etsy figures come from Etsy's Fees & Payments Policy and the US processing rate in the Etsy Payments Policy. The eBay figures come from eBay's selling fees page for sellers without an eBay Store. Both were checked on September 24, 2026.
What does each platform charge, fee by fee?
| Fee | Etsy (US seller) | eBay (US, no Store, most categories) |
|---|---|---|
| Listing | $0.20 per listing, charged whether or not it sells. Listings expire after four months, and multi-quantity listings renew at $0.20 each time one sells | Up to 250 listings a month free; after that, $0.35 per listing, non-refundable if the item doesn't sell |
| Sale commission | 6.5% transaction fee on the item price plus shipping and gift wrap (not sales tax) | 13.6% final value fee on the total sale up to $7,500, then 2.35% on the portion above |
| Fixed per-order fee | None beyond processing | $0.30 on orders of $10 or less, $0.40 on orders over $10 |
| Payment processing | 3% + $0.25 on the total sale, including tax and shipping | Included in the final value fee |
| Sales tax in the fee base | Only for processing | Yes, the final value fee includes sales tax |
| Ads Etsy runs for you | Offsite Ads: 15% of an attributed order (12% once your shop reaches $10,000 in sales over the prior 365 days), capped at $100 per order. Shops under $10,000 can opt out | None |
| Ads you choose | Etsy Ads, with a daily budget you set | Promoted Listings, at an ad rate you set |
| One-time or monthly costs | A set-up fee may apply when you open a shop; Etsy Plus is optional at $10 a month | Optional Store subscriptions (not covered here) |
eBay describes its structure as "one final value fee" with no separate third-party processing fees, per its own seller guide. That's why eBay's percentage looks so much bigger than Etsy's 6.5%. It covers the part Etsy charges separately as processing.
Two eBay extras are worth knowing about. If you don't use eBay International Shipping and the buyer's delivery address or registered address is outside the US, an international fee of 1.65% of the total sale applies. And if your account is rated Below Standard, eBay adds 6% to your final value fees for the following month.
What does eBay charge in other categories?
The 13.6% rate covers most categories, but not all of them. From eBay's fee table:
| eBay category | Final value fee |
|---|---|
| Most categories | 13.6% up to $7,500, then 2.35% |
| Books & Magazines, Movies & TV, Music (except vinyl records) | 15.3% up to $7,500, then 2.35% |
| Jewelry & Watches (except Watches, Parts & Accessories) | 15% if the sale is $5,000 or less; 9% above |
| Women's Bags & Handbags | 15% if the sale is $2,000 or less; 9% above |
| Coins & Paper Money (except bullion) | 13.25% up to $7,500, then 2.35% |
| Guitars & Basses | 6.7% up to $7,500, then 2.35% |
| Athletic shoes selling for $150 or more | 8%, with no per-order fee |
Etsy has no category rates. Its 6.5% transaction fee is the same whatever you sell.
What do you keep on a $30 item with $6 shipping?
For this example, assume a US seller, a $30 item, $6 charged for shipping, no sales tax, and a single-quantity listing. On eBay, assume a "most categories" item, a seller within the 250 free listings, no eBay Store and no Promoted Listings. On Etsy, assume the sale didn't come through an Offsite Ad. The order total is $36 on both.
| Line | Etsy | eBay |
|---|---|---|
| Listing / insertion fee | $0.20 | $0.00 |
| Transaction fee: 6.5% × $36 | $2.34 | — |
| Payment processing: 3% × $36 + $0.25 | $1.33 | Included |
| Final value fee: 13.6% × $36 | — | $4.90 |
| Per-order fee | — | $0.40 |
| Total fees | $3.87 | $5.30 |
| Share of the $36 order | 10.8% | 14.7% |
| You keep | $32.13 | $30.70 |
On a normal sale, Etsy leaves you $1.43 more. Neither total includes what the item cost you to make or the shipping label you paid for. Those come out of what you keep on both platforms.
Sales tax nudges both totals up, because Etsy charges processing on it and eBay charges its final value fee on it. If the buyer paid 8% tax ($2.88), Etsy's fees would rise to about $3.96 and eBay's to about $5.69. The 8% is only an illustration. Your buyers' rates depend on where they live.
How do ads change the comparison?
Ads can reverse the result.
On Etsy, if the same $36 order came through an Offsite Ad, Etsy adds 15% ($5.40). That brings total fees to $9.27 and leaves you $26.73. For a shop that has passed $10,000 in sales, the 12% rate adds $4.32 instead, for $8.19 in fees. Shops under $10,000 in sales over the prior 365 days can opt out of Offsite Ads. Once a shop reaches that line, Etsy's policy says the 12% fee applies for the lifetime of the shop.
On eBay, Promoted Listings are something you turn on. In a general campaign, you pick an ad rate between 2% and 100% of the total sale, and eBay only charges it if the item sells within 30 days of a click on your ad. For this example, a 5% ad rate would add $1.80, for $7.10 in fees and $28.90 kept.
The difference is control. You choose whether to promote on eBay and how much to pay. On Etsy, a small shop can opt out of Offsite Ads, but a larger one can't. On the $36 order, the Offsite Ads fee is $5.40 while Etsy's normal advantage is $1.43. So if more than about 26% of your Etsy orders come through Offsite Ads at 15% ($1.43 ÷ $5.40), your average Etsy fee per order on this sale ends up higher than eBay's standard fee.
How do the fees scale with price?
Without ads, the formulas simplify. Etsy is about $0.45 + 9.5% of the order, and eBay (most categories, orders over $10) is $0.40 + 13.6%. Assuming free shipping, no tax and no ads:
| Order total | Etsy fees | eBay fees |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $1.40 | $1.66 |
| $36 | $3.87 | $5.30 |
| $100 | $9.95 | $14.00 |
| $500 | $47.95 | $68.40 |
The gap grows with price because eBay's percentage is higher. Fixed fees matter less on both platforms as orders get bigger. How much Etsy takes per sale breaks down the Etsy side in more detail.
Is Etsy or eBay better for what you sell?
Fees are only half the question. Each marketplace is built around different goods, and that affects who finds your listings.
Etsy is built for handmade, vintage and craft supplies. Its Creativity Standards require every item to be made, designed, handpicked or sourced by the seller. Vintage means items at least 20 years old, and resold commercial items newer than that aren't allowed. So if you make things, Etsy's buyers are already looking for what you sell.
eBay is built for almost anything, new or used. Its item condition options run from New through Used, Pre-owned, Refurbished and "For parts or not working." That makes eBay the natural home for secondhand goods, collectibles, electronics, parts and anything mass-produced. Etsy's rules exclude most of those unless they're vintage.
A rough rule:
- You make it or it's 20+ years old: Etsy fits, and its fees are usually lower if Offsite Ads aren't a large share of your orders.
- It's used, resold or mass-produced: eBay, because Etsy's rules generally don't allow it.
- It's vintage or a collectible: both can work. Compare the fees for your price point and category, and check where similar items actually sell.
Whichever you pick, price with the fees included. Our guide to pricing products on Etsy shows how to work backward from the profit you want. If both marketplaces are starting to feel expensive, Etsy vs Shopify vs WooCommerce compares them with running your own store.
