All three marketplaces take a cut of every sale, but the math behind that cut is structured completely differently on each platform. A fee comparison based on headline percentages alone misses per-listing fees, per-order flat fees, and conditional fees that only apply to some sellers.
Table of Contents
- Why This Comparison Matters
- Etsy Fee Overview
- eBay Fee Overview
- Amazon Handmade Fee Overview
- Head-to-Head: Fees at a Glance
- Worked Example: The Same $40 Sale on All Three Platforms
- Who Should Prioritize Which Platform
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Key Takeaways
- The Bottom Line
Why This Comparison Matters
A seller weighing whether to expand beyond Etsy usually starts with the same question: which platform actually keeps more of my money? The honest answer requires comparing full fee structures, not just a single headline percentage, since each platform stacks its fees differently and applies conditional charges under different circumstances.
This guide breaks down each platform’s fee structure individually, then runs the identical $40 sale through all three to show the real dollar difference, followed by guidance on which platform’s fee structure tends to favor which kind of seller.
Legal disclaimer: fee rates and structures change over time and vary by category, country, and account status. Always confirm current rates directly on each platform’s official fee documentation before making pricing decisions: Etsy’s Fees & Payments Policy, eBay’s Selling Fees page, and Amazon Handmade’s Referral Fees documentation.
Etsy Fee Overview
Etsy stacks three core fees on every standard sale: a $0.20 listing fee (per listing, renewing every four months or when relisted), a 6.5% transaction fee on the total sale price including shipping, and a payment processing fee, commonly 3% + $0.25 per transaction in the US (Etsy Fees & Payments Policy). Combined, these typically total roughly 10-13% of a standard sale.
Key strengths: low or no barrier to entry, a well-known handmade-focused buyer base, highly customizable shop branding.
Key weaknesses: fees stack across multiple line items rather than a single flat percentage, and optional Offsite Ads fees (12-15% on attributed sales) can apply on top of core fees for some orders. See our full breakdown of Etsy’s fee stack for the complete mechanics.
eBay Fee Overview
eBay’s core fee for most sellers is a final value fee of roughly 13.25% of the total sale price (up to $7,500) for standard categories, plus a $0.30 per-order fee built into that same final value fee calculation, not a separate charge (Selling Fees – eBay Help). Most non-Store sellers get an allotment of zero-insertion-fee listings each month (commonly 250), after which a per-listing insertion fee of around $0.35 applies. eBay Store subscriptions lower final value fees in many categories and expand the free-listing allotment, at the cost of a separate monthly subscription fee.
Key strengths: broad, non-niche buyer base extending well beyond handmade or craft shoppers, no separate payment processing fee layered on top of the final value fee in the way Etsy structures it, since eBay’s managed payments already factor into the published rate.
Key weaknesses: eBay’s buyer base isn’t handmade-specific, so discovery for craft and artisan goods can be weaker than on a marketplace built around that category, and final value fee rates can vary meaningfully by product category.
Amazon Handmade Fee Overview
Amazon Handmade charges a referral fee of 15% of the total sale price (item price, shipping, and gift wrap combined), or $0.30, whichever is greater, with no separate per-listing fee (Amazon Handmade Referral Fees – Amazon Seller Central). Sellers who sell exclusively through the Handmade program are exempt from Amazon’s standard monthly Professional selling plan subscription fee.
Key strengths: simplest fee structure of the three (one percentage, no per-listing fee for approved artisans), Amazon’s enormous existing buyer traffic and Prime-associated shopping habits.
Key weaknesses: requires an artisan application and approval before listing anything, the highest single referral percentage of the three platforms, and less brand-storytelling prominence in the buying flow compared to Etsy’s shop-page model.
Head-to-Head: Fees at a Glance
| Fee Type | Etsy | eBay | Amazon Handmade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core per-sale fee | 6.5% transaction fee | ~13.25% final value fee | 15% referral fee |
| Per-listing fee | $0.20 (every 4 months) | $0.35 after free allotment | None |
| Per-order flat fee | None separate | $0.30 (built into final value fee) | None separate |
| Payment processing fee | ~3% + $0.25 (separate) | Included in final value fee | Included in referral fee |
| Monthly subscription | Optional (Etsy Plus) | Optional (eBay Store) | Waived for exclusive Handmade sellers |
| Approval required to sell | No | No | Yes, artisan application |
| Conditional ad-attribution fee | Yes, 12-15% Offsite Ads on some orders | No equivalent core fee | No equivalent core fee |
Rates reflect each platform’s published fee documentation as of 2026 and can change; always verify current figures directly with each platform before pricing decisions.
Worked Example: The Same $40 Sale on All Three Platforms
Here’s a $30 item with $10 shipping (a $40 total sale) run through each platform’s standard US fee structure, assuming no Offsite Ads attribution on Etsy and a standard (non-Store) eBay account.
Etsy:
- Listing fee share: $0.20
- Transaction fee (6.5% of $40): $2.60
- Payment processing (3% + $0.25): $1.45
- Total fees: $4.25 (10.6%), seller keeps $35.75
eBay:
- Final value fee (13.25% of $40): $5.30
- Per-order fee (built into the final value fee): $0.30
- Total fees: $5.60 (14.0%), seller keeps $34.40
Amazon Handmade:
- Referral fee (15% of $40): $6.00
- Total fees: $6.00 (15.0%), seller keeps $34.00
On this specific $40 sale, Etsy’s combined fee structure comes out lowest, followed by eBay, with Amazon Handmade’s single higher percentage landing highest in total fees. The gap narrows or shifts depending on order size, since eBay’s and Etsy’s flat fee components matter proportionally more on smaller sales and less on larger ones.
Who Should Prioritize Which Platform
Etsy tends to favor sellers who want a handmade-specific, high-intent buyer base and strong shop-level brand control, and whose average order size makes the flat-fee components (listing fee, $0.25 processing flat fee) a small share of the total. It’s often the natural first platform for a new handmade seller given its lower barrier to entry and category focus.
eBay tends to favor sellers who want broader, non-niche buyer reach, including buyers who may not be specifically searching for handmade goods, and who benefit from eBay’s auction and fixed-price hybrid format for certain product types. Sellers with larger order values see the $0.30 per-order component of the final value fee matter proportionally less.
Amazon Handmade tends to favor sellers who want access to Amazon’s Prime-associated traffic and shopping habits, are comfortable with the highest single fee percentage of the three, and are willing to go through the artisan approval process for that traffic access. It can work especially well as a second or third channel once a seller already has strong product-market fit established elsewhere. For the operational side of running Etsy and Amazon Handmade together, see our guide to selling on both at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which marketplace has the lowest fees overall?
On a standard mid-size order with no conditional fees applied, Etsy’s combined fee structure often comes out lowest, followed by eBay, with Amazon Handmade’s single higher referral percentage typically landing highest. The gap shifts depending on order size and whether conditional fees like Etsy’s Offsite Ads apply.
Does Amazon Handmade charge a listing fee like Etsy does?
No. Amazon Handmade has no separate per-listing fee; its cost structure is a single 15% referral fee (or $0.30, whichever is greater) per sale.
Does eBay charge a payment processing fee on top of its final value fee?
No, not as a separate line item the way Etsy structures it. eBay’s published final value fee already accounts for payment processing through its managed payments system.
Do I need approval to sell on all three platforms?
No. Etsy and eBay both have open, immediate signup for most sellers. Amazon Handmade specifically requires an artisan application and approval process before listing anything.
Which platform is cheapest for a low-priced item?
Flat fees (Etsy’s $0.20 listing fee and $0.25 processing flat fee, eBay’s $0.30 per-order fee component) matter proportionally more on lower-priced items, so the actual cheapest platform for a specific low price point depends on running the exact numbers for that item rather than assuming the general comparison holds at every price level.
Can fees change without much notice?
Yes. All three platforms have adjusted fee structures over time, sometimes with limited advance notice. Always verify current rates directly on each platform’s official fee documentation before finalizing pricing decisions.
Does Etsy’s Offsite Ads fee apply on every sale?
No, only on sales Etsy specifically attributes to an Offsite Ads click within a 30-day window, at 12% or 15% depending on the shop’s trailing 12-month revenue. Our dedicated Offsite Ads guide covers this mechanic in full.
Is it worth selling on more than one platform to compare real results?
Many sellers do exactly this once they have steady product-market fit, since real conversion and order value can differ from the theoretical fee comparison alone. Fee structure is one input into that decision, not the only one.
Do Store or Plus subscriptions change these numbers?
Yes, in different ways per platform. An eBay Store subscription can lower final value fees in many categories; Etsy Plus is a separate optional feature subscription unrelated to core per-sale fees; Amazon Handmade waives its standard monthly Professional fee for sellers exclusively using the Handmade program regardless of a separate subscription decision.
Which platform is best for a brand-new handmade seller?
There’s no universal answer, but Etsy’s lower barrier to entry, category focus, and generally lower combined fees on standard sales make it a common starting point for new handmade sellers, with eBay or Amazon Handmade often considered as an expansion once initial product-market fit is established.
Key Takeaways
- Etsy stacks a $0.20 listing fee, 6.5% transaction fee, and ~3%+$0.25 processing fee, typically totaling 10-13% of a standard sale.
- eBay charges roughly a 13.25% final value fee with a $0.30 per-order fee built into that calculation, with a monthly free-listing allotment for most sellers.
- Amazon Handmade charges a single 15% referral fee with no separate listing fee, but requires artisan approval to sell at all.
- On a standard $40 sale, Etsy’s combined fees typically come out lowest, followed by eBay, with Amazon Handmade highest.
- Flat fees matter proportionally more on lower-priced orders; percentage fees matter more on higher-priced ones.
- Fee structures change over time; always verify current rates directly with each platform.
The Bottom Line
No single platform’s fee structure is universally cheaper; the real comparison depends on order size, category, and whether conditional fees like Etsy’s Offsite Ads apply. Etsy’s combined fees tend to come out lowest on standard mid-size handmade sales, eBay sits close behind with broader non-niche reach, and Amazon Handmade’s single higher percentage buys access to its larger built-in traffic base.
If you’re focused on getting your Etsy pricing and fee math right before expanding to a second marketplace, get a free Store Score audit. It checks your shop’s pricing signals alongside SEO, presentation, and reviews.
Related Articles
- Etsy Fees Explained: What You Actually Keep From Every Sale: the full Etsy-specific fee breakdown this comparison builds on.
- Selling on Etsy and Amazon Handmade at the Same Time: What Changes: the operational side of running both platforms together.
- How Etsy’s Offsite Ads Fee Changes Your Real Profit Margin: the conditional fee that can shift Etsy’s real total above this comparison’s baseline.
About This Research
Store Score is a free shop-audit tool for Etsy sellers, built by StableCommerce, a platform for sellers who want to grow beyond a single marketplace. Store Score itself scores a shop across four categories (SEO, pricing, presentation, and reviews/social proof) using only publicly visible shop data read through the Etsy Open API.
This comparison’s fee figures are cross-referenced directly against Etsy’s, eBay’s, and Amazon Handmade’s own official fee and referral documentation as published in 2026.
Content reviewed and updated: 2026-08-10
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