Short answer: Etsy is usually cheaper per sale — until it isn't. The full answer depends on your price point and one Etsy fee that blindsides new sellers. Let's do the actual math instead of guessing.
| Fee | eBay | Etsy |
|---|---|---|
| Final value / transaction fee | 13.6% (most categories) | 6.5% |
| Payment processing | included above | 3% + $0.25 |
| Per-order / listing fee | $0.30–$0.40 per order | $0.20 per listing |
| Offsite ads | — | 12–15% if a sale comes from ads |
Etsy's headline rate looks dramatically lower. But Etsy's fees stack — transaction fee plus payment processing plus listing fee — while eBay's 13.6% is mostly all-inclusive. That's the part people miss.
| eBay | Etsy | |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage fees | $50 × 13.6% = $6.80 | $50 × 9.5% = $4.75 |
| Fixed fees | + $0.40 | + $0.45 |
| Total fee | $7.20 | $5.20 |
| You keep | $42.80 | $44.80 |
Verdict on a $50 sale: Etsy wins by $2.00. On handmade and vintage goods in the $20–$100 range, Etsy is consistently the cheaper platform — as long as offsite ads stay out of the picture.
The offsite ads trap: if Etsy shows your product on Google and it sells, Etsy takes 15% extra (12% once you pass $10K/year in sales) — and you can't opt out until you hit that $10K. One ad-driven sale can wipe out the fee advantage of ten normal ones. Check your Payment account page regularly to see which sales came from ads.
Honestly? Fees are only half the decision:
One more thing people forget: your time is a fee too. Etsy's listing and SEO game rewards constant optimization; eBay rewards volume. Pick the one whose grind you actually enjoy.
Don't take the $50 example on faith — plug in your real prices and see both platforms side by side.
eBay calculator → Etsy calculator →No, and this trips up beginners constantly. Your real Etsy cost per sale is 6.5% transaction + 3% payment processing + $0.25 + the $0.20 listing fee — roughly 9.5% + $0.45 before ads. Still usually beats eBay, but it's not "6.5%."
Not until your shop passes $10,000 in sales in a 12-month period. Before that, enrollment is mandatory. After that you can opt out (and the fee drops to 12% if you stay in). Yes, sellers complain about this constantly. No, Etsy hasn't changed it.
Yes — eBay's final value fee applies to the total including shipping and tax. So "free shipping" isn't free; build it into your price. Our eBay calculator handles this automatically.
Fee rates verified October 2026 against eBay and Etsy seller documentation. Platforms change fee structures periodically — if a number here looks stale, check the official fee pages or run the calculators above, which we keep current.