Is Etsy cheaper than eBay?

Per completed sale, yes. On a $50 sale the Etsy effective rate is about 10.4% against about 14.4% on eBay, leaving roughly $2.00 more. The gap narrows on cheap items because the $0.20 listing fee and $0.25 payment charge do not scale down.

Why is the eBay fee higher?

eBay reaches a much broader buyer base and its category rates reflect that reach. For branded, collectable or technical goods the audience frequently justifies the extra percentage points.

Can I sell used items on Etsy?

Yes, through the vintage and craft-supplies categories. Etsy is not limited to newly made goods, though it is stricter about what qualifies as vintage than a general resale platform.

Which platform is better for a low-priced item?

Usually eBay, and not because of the rate — the $0.45 of Etsy fixed charges make cheap items proportionally more expensive there. But a $5 handmade sticker may simply have no audience on eBay.

Do these rates apply outside the US?

No. Etsy charges different payment processing rates in other countries, and eBay UK works from a separate rate card with VAT added on top of fees.

Etsy vs eBay Fees: Which One Leaves You More?

Etsy takes a smaller cut; eBay reaches more buyers. Here is what each one costs on the same sale.

Short answer

On a $50 sale with free shipping, eBay US charges about $7.20 (14.4%) and Etsy about $5.20 (10.4%), so Etsy leaves roughly $2.00 more per sale. The gap narrows on cheap items, because Etsy also charges a $0.20 listing fee and a $0.25 payment charge that do not shrink with the price.

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The same sale, six marketplaces

Platform	Total fees	Effective fee rate	Net profit
Etsy	$5.20	10.4%	$23.30
eBay (US)	$7.20	14.4%	$21.30

What each platform actually charges

eBay US charges a final value fee of 13.6% in most categories, applied to the item price plus the shipping the buyer pays, plus $0.40 per order. On a single sale above $7,500 the rate on the excess drops to 2.35%.

Etsy charges three things on the same sale: a 6.5% transaction fee, payment processing of 3% + $0.25 for US sellers, and a $0.20 listing fee owed whether or not the item sells. Regulated goods such as cosmetics carry 9% instead of 6.5%.

Where the gap comes from

The headline rates look like a seven-point gap, but the effective rates are closer: 14.4% against 10.4%. Etsy takes a smaller percentage on a smaller base, and its two fixed charges of $0.45 bite harder the cheaper the item is.

On a $12 item Etsy costs 13.3% and eBay 16.9%. The gap narrows on cheap stock, but it does not close.

The audience question decides more than the fee

eBay is a general marketplace with the broader buyer base of the two, and a strong market for electronics, collectables, vehicle parts and branded goods. Etsy is where buyers go specifically for handmade, vintage and craft supplies.

A cheaper fee on a platform with no buyer for your item is worth nothing. If the item is handmade or vintage, Etsy has demand eBay cannot match; if it is a used camera lens or a car part, the reverse is true.

The listing fee changes the maths for slow stock

The $0.20 applies each time an item is listed, and again each time the listing auto-renews. On a single fast sale it barely moves the number. Across a large catalogue of slow-moving stock it becomes a standing cost that eBay does not charge at all when you list without upgrades.

Etsy rate table

Listing feeper item listed, and again on every auto-renewal	$0.20
Transaction feecharged on the item price plus shipping and gift wrap	6.5% of the order total
Regulated categorieshealth, beauty, cosmetics and related categories	+2.5%
Payment processing — USUK sellers pay 4% + £0.20, most of the EU 4% + €0.30	3% + $0.25
Offsite Adscapped at $100.00 per attributed order; becomes mandatory above $10,000 in 365 days	15% optional, 12% once mandatory
Currency conversionwhen the buyer pays in a currency your shop does not hold	2.5%
VAT on seller feesadded to fees in the UK and EU; reclaimable if you are VAT-registered	varies by seller country

Source: the marketplace's own fee page
Rates last verified: 2026-09-20

eBay (US) rate table

Most categories	13.6% up to $7,500.00, then 2.35%
Books, movies & music	15.3% up to $7,500.00, then 2.35%
Trading cards	13.25% up to $7,500.00, then 2.35%
Jewelry & watches	15% up to $1,000.00, 6.5% to $7,500.00, then 3%
Women's bags & handbags	15% up to $2,000.00, then 9%
Athletic shoes $150+ (authenticated)per-order fee waived	8%
Guitars & basses	6.7% up to $7,500.00, then 2.35%
Motors parts & accessories	13.6% up to $7,500.00, then 2.35%
Per-order fee	$0.30 on orders up to $10.00, $0.40 above
Promoted Listings (standard)charged only on sales attributed to the ad	your chosen ad rate, 2%–20% of the sale
International sale	about 1.65% of the total transaction
Currency conversiontypically 2–3% worse than mid-market, never shown as a fee	embedded in the exchange rate

Source: the marketplace's own fee page
Rates last verified: 2026-09-20

Formula

effective rate = total platform fees ÷ total the buyer pays

What each term means

Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee, plus 3% + $0.25 payment processing and a $0.20 listing fee, in a standard category
eBay US: 13.6% of item price plus buyer-paid shipping, plus $0.40 per order, in a standard category

Assumptions

US marketplaces, USD, identical sale inputs on both rows.
eBay is modelled as a store-free account in a standard category; Etsy at its standard 6.5% transaction rate.
Neither row includes advertising: Promoted Listings on eBay and Offsite Ads on Etsy are both opt-in and priced separately.
The Etsy listing fee is charged per listing rather than per sale, and is counted here because the table prices one completed sale.
Audience size and sell-through rate sit outside a fee table, and usually decide more than the fee does.

Worked examples

A $50 sale with free shipping and a $6.50 label

Buyer pays: $50.00
Total fees: $5.20
Effective rate: 10.4%
Net profit: $23.30

Fee breakdown

Listing fee$0.20−$0.20
Marketplace commission · Most categories6.50% × $50.00−$3.25
Payment processing3% × $50.00 + $0.25−$1.75

Total fees$5.20

eBay takes $7.20 and Etsy $5.20 — a difference of $2.00 on the same sale, or $80 across forty sales a month.

A $35 vintage jacket with a $5 label

Buyer pays: $35.00
Total fees: $3.78
Effective rate: 10.8%
Net profit: $16.22

Fee breakdown

Listing fee$0.20−$0.20
Marketplace commission · Most categories6.50% × $35.00−$2.28
Payment processing3% × $35.00 + $0.25−$1.30

Total fees$3.78

The gap narrows to $1.38. Etsy still wins on fees, but eBay often produces the faster sale on a branded item.

A $50 regulated item on Etsy, at the 9% transaction rate

Buyer pays: $50.00
Total fees: $6.45
Effective rate: 12.9%
Net profit: $22.05

Fee breakdown

Listing fee$0.20−$0.20
Marketplace commission · Health, beauty & cosmetics (regulated)9% × $50.00−$4.50
Payment processing3% × $50.00 + $0.25−$1.75

Total fees$6.45

The regulated rate lifts Etsy to $6.45 and 12.9% — close enough to eBay that the audience question decides the rest.

Every figure above is computed from the rate schedule on this page for Etsy, using the same engine as the calculator — not typed in by hand.

Common mistakes

Comparing the headline rates

Etsy looks far cheaper at 6.5% against the 13.6% eBay quotes, but payment processing and the listing fee take Etsy to 10.4% on a $50 sale. Only the effective rate is comparable.

Forgetting that the fee bases differ

eBay charges its percentage on the item price plus the shipping the buyer pays; Etsy does not charge on shipping. On an item with a separately paid label the two are not taking a cut of the same amount.

Assuming Etsy is only for handmade goods

Etsy runs a large vintage category and a craft-supplies category. Plenty of secondhand stock belongs on it, and the fee arithmetic is identical either way.

Ignoring the listing fee at scale

It is trivial per item and material in aggregate. A seller running thousands of listings pays it thousands of times a year, whether or not the items sell.

Blaming the fee for a slow sale

The larger risk on either platform is an item nobody buys. Fees only apply to sales that happen, which is why reach comes first and the rate card second.

Questions

Is Etsy cheaper than eBay?: Per completed sale, yes. On a $50 sale the Etsy effective rate is about 10.4% against about 14.4% on eBay, leaving roughly $2.00 more. The gap narrows on cheap items because the $0.20 listing fee and $0.25 payment charge do not scale down.
Why is the eBay fee higher?: eBay reaches a much broader buyer base and its category rates reflect that reach. For branded, collectable or technical goods the audience frequently justifies the extra percentage points.
Does Etsy charge a listing fee even if nothing sells?: Yes. $0.20 is charged when an item is listed and again each time the listing auto-renews, whether or not it sells.
Can I sell used items on Etsy?: Yes, through the vintage and craft-supplies categories. Etsy is not limited to newly made goods, though it is stricter about what qualifies as vintage than a general resale platform.
Which platform is better for a low-priced item?: Usually eBay, and not because of the rate — the $0.45 of Etsy fixed charges make cheap items proportionally more expensive there. But a $5 handmade sticker may simply have no audience on eBay.
Do these rates apply outside the US?: No. Etsy charges different payment processing rates in other countries, and eBay UK works from a separate rate card with VAT added on top of fees.

Related calculators

These calculators apply published marketplace fee schedules. They are general information tools, not tax, legal, accounting or financial advice — check your own payout statement and speak to a qualified professional where it matters.

Etsy — 6.5% + 3% + $0.25 + $0.20 listing. eBay (US) — 13.6% + $0.40. Rates last verified: 2026-09-20.