Calculators / Where to sell / eBay vs Etsy
eBay vs Etsy fees: what you keep on each sale
On a $25 sale you keep $21.20 on eBay and $22.17 on Etsy, $0.97 more on Etsy. You keep more on eBay at every price from $1.00 to $3.41, on Etsy from $3.94 to $11,799.92, and on eBay from $11,800.08 to $25,000.00. Etsy pulls ahead at $3.94 because Etsy's lower percentage outweighs its higher fixed fee ($0.45 a sale, against $0.30 on eBay), and eBay pulls ahead at $11,800.08 because eBay's rate drops to 2.35% on the part of the total above $7,500. In the gaps between those ranges, the two are within 1 cent of each other. Fees from eBay's and Etsy's own fee pages, checked ; item price only, before shipping, tax and your costs. Etsy's figures include its $0.20 listing fee.
Rates verified on
Can you sell it on Etsy? Etsy allows reselling only for items you handpick or source: vintage items over 20 years old, craft and party supplies, and gift baskets you put together. Other resold goods aren't allowed. (Etsy's reselling rule)
What you keep at $5 to $100
Item price only: no shipping charged, no sales tax, no item or postage costs. eBay: most categories. Etsy: includes the $0.20 listing fee.
| Sale price | eBay fees | You keep on eBay | Etsy fees | You keep on Etsy | You keep more on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5.00 | $0.98 (19.6%) | $4.02 | $0.93 (18.6%) | $4.07 | Etsy +$0.05 |
| $10.00 | $1.66 (16.6%) | $8.34 | $1.40 (14%) | $8.60 | Etsy +$0.26 |
| $15.00 | $2.44 (16.3%) | $12.56 | $1.88 (12.5%) | $13.12 | Etsy +$0.56 |
| $25.00 | $3.80 (15.2%) | $21.20 | $2.83 (11.3%) | $22.17 | Etsy +$0.97 |
| $50.00 | $7.20 (14.4%) | $42.80 | $5.20 (10.4%) | $44.80 | Etsy +$2.00 |
| $100.00 | $14.00 (14%) | $86.00 | $9.95 (9.9%) | $90.05 | Etsy +$4.05 |
With $5 buyer-paid shipping and 8% sales tax
Here the fee bases split apart. The buyer pays $5 for shipping and you spend the same $5 on the label, so what's left is the item price minus fees. 8% is an example tax rate, not an average; rates vary by place.
| Item price | eBay fees | You keep on eBay | Etsy fees | You keep on Etsy | You keep more on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5.00 | $1.87 | $3.13 | $1.42 | $3.58 | Etsy +$0.45 |
| $10.00 | $2.60 | $7.40 | $1.92 | $8.08 | Etsy +$0.68 |
| $15.00 | $3.34 | $11.66 | $2.40 | $12.60 | Etsy +$0.94 |
| $25.00 | $4.81 | $20.19 | $3.37 | $21.63 | Etsy +$1.44 |
| $50.00 | $8.48 | $41.52 | $5.81 | $44.19 | Etsy +$2.67 |
| $100.00 | $15.82 | $84.18 | $10.68 | $89.32 | Etsy +$5.14 |
Where the winner flips
We ran both fee schedules at every price from $1 to $25,000, one cent at a time.
- Item price only: You keep more on eBay at every price from $1.00 to $3.41, on Etsy from $3.94 to $11,799.92, and on eBay from $11,800.08 to $25,000.00. Etsy pulls ahead at $3.94 because Etsy's lower percentage outweighs its higher fixed fee ($0.45 a sale, against $0.30 on eBay), and eBay pulls ahead at $11,800.08 because eBay's rate drops to 2.35% on the part of the total above $7,500. Between $3.42 and $3.93, the two are within 1 cent of each other. Between $11,799.93 and $11,800.07, the two tie to the cent.
- With $5 shipping and 8% tax: You keep more on Etsy at every price from $1.00 to $11,709.69, and on eBay from $11,709.97 to $25,000.00, because eBay's rate drops to 2.35% on the part of the total above $7,500. Between $11,709.70 and $11,709.96, the two are within 1 cent of each other.
If the Etsy sale came from an Offsite Ad (15%, up to $100)
Etsy charges its Offsite Ads fee only on sales it says came from an ad: 15% of the order total if your shop has never made $10,000 in any 365-day period, 12% once it has (and the ads become mandatory), and never more than $100 an order (Etsy: Offsite Ads). Here is the worst case for a smaller shop: every sale from an ad, at 15%.
| Sale price | eBay fees | You keep on eBay | Etsy fees | You keep on Etsy | You keep more on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $1.66 | $8.34 | $2.90 | $7.10 | eBay +$1.24 |
| $25.00 | $3.80 | $21.20 | $6.58 | $18.42 | eBay +$2.78 |
| $50.00 | $7.20 | $42.80 | $12.70 | $37.30 | eBay +$5.50 |
| $100.00 | $14.00 | $86.00 | $24.95 | $75.05 | eBay +$10.95 |
| $500.00 | $68.40 | $431.60 | $122.95 | $377.05 | eBay +$54.55 |
| $1,000.00 | $136.40 | $863.60 | $195.45 | $804.55 | eBay +$59.05 |
Vintage books, movies or music (not vinyl): eBay charges 15.3%
eBay's rate for Books & Magazines, Movies & TV, Music (not vinyl records) is 15.3% of the total instead of 13.6% (eBay's fee page); vinyl records aren't in that group and pay 13.6%. Etsy admits these only as vintage items over 20 years old (Etsy's reselling rule), and Etsy's fees are the same in every category.
| Sale price | eBay fees | You keep on eBay | Etsy fees | You keep on Etsy | You keep more on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $1.83 | $8.17 | $1.40 | $8.60 | Etsy +$0.43 |
| $25.00 | $4.23 | $20.77 | $2.83 | $22.17 | Etsy +$1.40 |
| $50.00 | $8.05 | $41.95 | $5.20 | $44.80 | Etsy +$2.85 |
| $100.00 | $15.70 | $84.30 | $9.95 | $90.05 | Etsy +$5.75 |
What each platform charges on shipping and tax
| Fee rule | eBay | Etsy |
|---|---|---|
| Headline fee | 13.6% of the total (15.3% for books, movies and music) + $0.30 or $0.40 per order | $0.20 listing + 6.5% transaction + 3% + $0.25 processing |
| What the fee is figured on | Final value fee is a percentage of the total amount of the sale: item price, handling, shipping charged to the buyer, and sales tax. | The 6.5% transaction fee covers the item price plus shipping and gift wrap you charge. Payment processing covers the item, shipping and sales tax. |
| Fee on shipping? | Yes: $0.68 more in fees on $5 of shipping ($25 sale), from the final value fee | Yes: $0.47 more in fees on $5 of shipping ($25 sale), from the transaction fee and payment processing |
| Fee on sales tax? | Yes: $0.27 more in fees on 8% tax ($25 sale), from the final value fee | Yes: $0.06 more in fees on 8% tax ($25 sale), from payment processing; the transaction fee isn't charged on tax |
| Shipping label | You set the shipping charge (or offer free shipping) and buy the label, through eBay Labels or elsewhere. | You set what the buyer pays for shipping and buy the label on Etsy (its carriers include USPS, UPS and FedEx) or elsewhere. Labels bought on Etsy come out of your Etsy balance. |
| Other fees and rules |
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2026 fee and shipping changes on eBay and Etsy
From our change tracker, newest first. Each entry has the source, the dates and the effect on a $10, $25 and $50 sale.
eBay
- eBay raises its seller currency conversion charge to 3.25% Fees · effective
- eBay Labels skip most of the USPS holiday increase Postage · effective
- eBay Labels: Ground Advantage 0-2 lb up $0.10, Flat Rate up $0.30 Postage · effective
- eBay Labels: Ground Advantage 3-5 lb up $1 to Zone 5, $2 to Zones 6-8 Postage · effective
- eBay Labels: Ground Advantage 3-5 lb up $0.10 Postage · effective
- eBay raises its penalty fees for sellers who stay Below Standard or keep a high 'not as described' rate Fees · effective
Etsy
No 2026 fee or shipping changes found on Etsy's official pages as of Oct 14, 2026.
Common questions
Is eBay or Etsy cheaper to sell on?
On a $25 sale you keep $21.20 on eBay and $22.17 on Etsy, $0.97 more on Etsy. Item price only, fees checked Oct 14, 2026. You keep more on eBay at every price from $1.00 to $3.41, on Etsy from $3.94 to $11,799.92, and on eBay from $11,800.08 to $25,000.00. Etsy pulls ahead at $3.94 because Etsy's lower percentage outweighs its higher fixed fee ($0.45 a sale, against $0.30 on eBay), and eBay pulls ahead at $11,800.08 because eBay's rate drops to 2.35% on the part of the total above $7,500. Between $3.42 and $3.93, the two are within 1 cent of each other. Between $11,799.93 and $11,800.07, the two tie to the cent.
Do eBay and Etsy take a fee on shipping?
On a $25 sale with $5 of buyer-paid shipping: eBay: yes, $0.68 more on $5 of shipping, from the final value fee. Etsy: yes, $0.47 more on $5 of shipping, from the transaction fee and payment processing.
Do eBay and Etsy figure their fees on sales tax?
On a $25 sale with an example 8% sales tax: eBay: yes, $0.27 more on 8% tax, from the final value fee. Etsy: yes, $0.06 more on 8% tax, from payment processing; the transaction fee isn't charged on tax. The tax itself isn't yours to keep on either platform. General information, not tax advice.
Can you resell secondhand items on Etsy?
Only some. Etsy allows reselling only for items you handpick or source: vintage items over 20 years old, craft and party supplies, and gift baskets you put together. Other resold goods aren't allowed.
How we compared
- Fees come from each platform's own US fee page as checked on Oct 14, 2026, run through the same code as our calculators. Each fee line is rounded to the cent, the way the platforms show it.
- Selling at the same price on both platforms is a simplification. Buyers, prices, how fast items sell, and shipping differ from one platform to the other.
- No optional ads, boosts or promotions unless a section says so. eBay sellers rated Below Standard pay more (see the table above). Etsy's figures include one $0.20 listing fee per sale, but not renewals or the one-time shop set-up fee.
- Sales tax appears only to show whether a fee is figured on it. General information, not tax advice: check with a tax pro about your own situation.
Sources
Rates verified on from each official page below.
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