Etsy vs eBay fees: $0.20 + 6.5% + 3% + $0.25 vs 13.6% + $0.40 per order
Etsy splits its fees into four lines and eBay bundles most of its into one, so comparing “6.5% vs 13.6%” misleads. This page puts the lines side by side, works the same basket on both platforms to a net figure, and shows where Offsite Ads flips the answer.
Etsy fee data checked <time datetime="2026-10-31">2026-10-31</time> against the Etsy legal fees page, Etsy Payments policy and Offsite Ads help; eBay fee data last updated <time datetime="2026-10-26">2026-10-26</time> from the eBay selling fees page. United States, USD.
Feebrief is not affiliated with Etsy or eBay and is not an official calculator. Rates change and eBay rates vary by category; confirm on the linked fee pages before pricing.
Short answer: Etsy keeps more unless Offsite Ads applies
On the same $40 item with $6 buyer-paid shipping and no sales tax, a US seller keeps $41.18 on Etsy after the $0.20 listing, 6.5% transaction and 3% + $0.25 processing fees, and $39.34 on eBay after the 13.6% final value fee and $0.40 per-order fee. Etsy keeps $1.84 more.
If the Etsy order came from an Offsite Ad, Etsy also takes 15% or 12% of $46.00, Etsy nets $34.28 or $35.66, and eBay keeps $5.06 or $3.68 more instead. Assumptions: US, tax $0, eBay’s most-categories rate. Etsy’s always-on fees are lower; Offsite Ads is what can flip the result.
Etsy vs eBay seller fees side by side (US, as of Oct 2026)
| Fee line | Etsy | eBay seller fees and take-home estimator | Charged on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listing / insertion | $0.20 per listing published or renewed (four months or until sold) | Not in this estimate (insertion allowances not covered here) | Etsy: per listing, independent of price |
| Sale percentage | 6.5% transaction fee | 13.6% final value fee (most categories) | Etsy: item + shipping + gift wrap, US sales tax excluded. eBay: item + shipping |
| Payment processing | 3% + $0.25 per order | Included in the final value fee (no separate line) | Etsy: gross order including shipping and tax when applicable |
| Fixed per-order | $0.25 (inside the processing line) | $0.30 if order total is $10 or less; $0.40 above $10 | eBay: order total |
| Optional advertising | Offsite Ads: 15% (opt-out) under $10k trailing 365-day sales; 12% and mandatory at $10k+; max $100 per order | Promoted Listings: seller-chosen rate, not in this estimate | Etsy: attributed order amount |
eBay figures come from Feebrief’s fee data (last updated 2026-10-26); Etsy figures were compiled from Etsy’s public pages on 2026-10-31.
What each percentage is charged on
Three percentages, three bases. Comparing Etsy’s 6.5% alone against eBay’s 13.6% is wrong by construction, because 6.5% is only one of Etsy’s lines.
- Etsy’s 6.5% applies to item + shipping + gift wrap and excludes US sales tax.
- Etsy’s 3% + $0.25 applies to the gross order including shipping and tax when applicable.
- eBay’s 13.6% applies to item + shipping and already includes payment processing. How eBay treats sales tax is not modeled here; check the eBay fees page.
Same sale on both: $40 item + $6 shipping
Basket 1: $40 item, $6 buyer-paid shipping, order total $46.00, no gift wrap, no sales tax, one Etsy listing attributed to this sale. Each fee line is rounded half-up to the cent; live rounding may differ by a cent.
| Line | Etsy | eBay |
|---|---|---|
| Listing / insertion | $0.20 (paid at publish; shown as sunk) | $0.00 (assumed within free insertions) |
| Sale percentage | 6.5% × $46.00 = $2.99 | 13.6% × $46.00 = $6.256, rounded to $6.26 |
| Processing / per-order | 3% × $46.00 + $0.25 = $1.38 + $0.25 = $1.63 | $0.40 (order total above $10) |
| Order-side fees | $4.62 | $6.66 |
| Payout from the order | $41.38 | $39.34 |
| Net after the $0.20 listing | $41.18 | $39.34 |
Same sale with Offsite Ads attributed
| Etsy scenario | Offsite Ads fee | Etsy net after listing | Gap vs eBay $39.34 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not attributed | $0.00 | $41.18 | Etsy keeps $1.84 more |
| Attributed, shop under $10k (15%) | 15% × $46.00 = $6.90 | $34.28 | eBay keeps $5.06 more |
| Attributed, shop at or above $10k (12%) | 12% × $46.00 = $5.52 | $35.66 | eBay keeps $3.68 more |
The share of a shop’s orders that are attributed is shop-specific and not published, so we show all three rows and let you pick the one that matches your shop. The 12% row is derived from the published rate.
Second basket: $50 item + $5 shipping
| Scenario | Etsy net after listing | eBay net | Who keeps more |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Offsite Ads | $49.32 (fees $3.58 + $1.90 = $5.48) | $47.12 (13.6% × $55.00 = $7.48, + $0.40) | Etsy by $2.20 |
| Offsite Ads 15% | $41.07 (fees $13.73) | $47.12 | eBay by $6.05 |
| Offsite Ads 12% | $42.72 (fees $12.08) | $47.12 | eBay by $4.40 |
This is the same basket used on Etsy seller fees (US), so the two pages agree.
Why Etsy’s always-on fees stay below eBay’s, and when they do not
With shipping included, Etsy’s two percentages sum to 9.5% plus $0.25 per order, plus the $0.20 listing, against eBay’s 13.6% plus $0.40. For an order total T above $10:
Etsy fees = 0.095T + $0.45, eBay fees = 0.136T + $0.40, so eBay costs 0.041T − $0.05 more.
- Without Offsite Ads, that gap is positive at every order total above $10, so Etsy’s always-on fees are lower. Check on basket 1: 0.041 × $46.00 + $0.15 = $2.04 before the listing fee, $1.84 after it.
- With Offsite Ads at 15% Etsy’s fees become 0.245T + $0.45, and at 12% 0.215T + $0.45. Both are above eBay’s 0.136T + $0.40 at every order total, so eBay is cheaper until Etsy’s cap binds.
- Etsy’s $100 Offsite Ads cap binds above a $666.67 order amount at 15% and $833.33 at 12%. Beyond that, eBay’s structure on very high-value orders depends on category and was not checked here, so we do not claim a crossover.
Estimate the eBay side live; the Etsy side is static
Feebrief’s interactive fee comparer currently covers eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, Depop, Vinted and Whatnot only. The eBay column on this page can be checked live on our eBay seller fees and take-home estimator. Etsy is not in that data set, so the Etsy column is static arithmetic from Etsy’s published fee pages, not a live Feebrief calculator. See resale marketplace fees compared and how Feebrief estimates seller fees. Examples assume a US seller, buyer-paid shipping in both fee bases, no gift wrap, no sales tax, eBay’s most-categories final value fee without a Store subscription or promoted listings, Etsy Payments with a US bank account, no Etsy Ads, and one $0.20 listing fee attributed to the sale. Feebrief is not affiliated with Etsy or eBay; see the Feebrief disclosure.
What is not in these examples
- eBay: category rates other than most categories, Store subscription, Promoted Listings, international fee and insertion-fee allowances; no figures stated here.
- Etsy: Etsy Ads (onsite) budget, Etsy Plus, Pattern and currency conversion; no figures stated here.
- Shipping label cost and payout timing on both sides.
- Sales tax: examples use $0, and state rates are not asserted.
Official fee pages and as-of dates
Open each marketplace’s own page before you price. Etsy figures were compiled 2026-10-31; eBay figures come from Feebrief’s fee data, last updated 2026-10-26.
- Etsy legal fees: Etsy fees and policy (compiled 2026-10-31; confirm on the live page)
- Etsy Payments policy: Etsy Payments (compiled 2026-10-31)
- Etsy Help: Offsite Ads: How Etsy’s Offsite Ads work (compiled 2026-10-31)
- eBay selling fees: eBay selling fees (rates as of 2026-10-26; US ebay.com help is often bot-blocked, so re-verify in Seller Hub)
Etsy vs eBay fees FAQ
Is eBay ever cheaper than Etsy?
Yes, whenever the Etsy order is attributed to an Offsite Ad. Without Offsite Ads, Etsy’s always-on fees are lower than eBay’s at every order total above $10, because 6.5% + 3% + $0.25 plus the $0.20 listing stays below 13.6% + $0.40. With Offsite Ads at 15% or 12%, eBay is cheaper at every order total until Etsy’s $100 per-order cap binds on very large orders. On the $40 + $6 basket the nets are $41.18 vs $39.34 without ads and $34.28 vs $39.34 with 15% ads.
Do Etsy and eBay both charge fees on shipping?
Yes, both include buyer-paid shipping in the percentage base, so neither works like Poshmark’s item-only rate. On the $40 + $6 basket, the $6 of shipping costs about $0.57 on Etsy (two percentages) and about $0.82 on eBay (one percentage). See Poshmark seller fees (20% on item only) for the live counter-example.
Why does Etsy have a separate payment processing fee and eBay does not?
eBay’s final value fee already includes payment processing, so the 13.6% is all-in for most categories. Etsy charges the 6.5% transaction fee and the 3% + $0.25 Etsy Payments processing fee as two lines, on two different bases: the 6.5% excludes US sales tax and the 3% + $0.25 includes it. Comparing Etsy’s 6.5% alone against eBay’s 13.6% is the most common mistake in this comparison.
Related comparisons
- Etsy seller fees explained (what each fee is charged on)
- Etsy vs Poshmark fees
- Etsy fee calculator: the math by hand
- How to reduce Etsy fees
- Resale marketplace fees compared
- Other eBay comparisons: eBay vs Mercari fees, eBay vs Depop fees, eBay vs Vinted fees, eBay vs Whatnot fees, eBay vs Poshmark fees (13.6% + $0.40 vs 20% on item only)
Disclaimer
Fee rates change and can vary by seller location, payment method, promotions and account type. Feebrief is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Etsy, eBay or Meta, and this page is not an official calculator. Always check the marketplace’s official fee pages and your own payout statement for the amount that will actually be deducted. Examples exclude your own shipping label cost, sales tax rates, advertising budgets, subscriptions and one-off penalties unless stated.