The calculator is preset to a $35 handmade or vintage piece with $6 buyer shipping and $8 in materials or sourcing cost. Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee, a 6.5% transaction fee on the item price plus shipping (for US sellers, not on sales tax), and payment processing of 3% + $0.25 on the full total, tax included (Etsy: Fees & Payments Policy, Etsy Help: Payment processing fees). eBay takes 13.6% of the whole order in most categories, sales tax included, plus $0.40 per order ($0.30 on orders of $10 or less) (eBay Help: Selling fees (eBay.com)).
The short answer
- Standard fees, buyer pays shipping: Etsy leaves you more at every price from $5 to $10,000 in eBay’s most-categories rate, which covers vintage clothing, home decor, art, crafts and antiques. On a $35 sale with $6 buyer shipping, fees are $4.44 on Etsy and $6.39 on eBay, so you keep $22.56 vs $20.61.
- Free shipping on both ($6 label you pay): Etsy still leaves you more at every price from $5 to $10,000. The label costs you the same on both, and Etsy’s fees stay lower.
- The big exception is Etsy Offsite Ads. If a sale came from one of Etsy’s offsite ads, Etsy adds 15% of the item price plus shipping (12% once your shop has made $10,000 in the past 365 days), capped at $100 per order (Etsy: Fees & Payments Policy). With the 15% fee, eBay leaves you more from $5.00 up to $2,038.01; at $35 you would keep $16.41 on Etsy vs $20.61 on eBay. From $2,038.02 the $100 cap puts Etsy back ahead. The 12% rate gives the same break-even, because the cap is reached well before then.
- Every figure assumes 7.5% sales tax, one item per order and the $0.20 Etsy listing fee charged once. Change any number in the calculator above to see your own result.
Break-even by eBay category
Handmade jewelry, vintage bags and vintage watches sit in eBay categories with higher rates, so the gap is wider at everyday prices and only closes at very high prices.
| eBay category | Etsy: you keep | eBay: you keep | Which pays more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most categories | $126.38 | $118.79 | Etsy at every price from $5 to $10,000 |
| Jewelry & Watches (except Watches, Parts & Accessories) | $126.38 | $116.44 | eBay from $4,645.17 |
| Women's Bags & Handbags | $126.38 | $116.44 | eBay from $1,854.47 |
| Watches, Parts & Accessories | $126.38 | $116.44 | eBay from $3,096.85 |
| Books & Magazines, Movies & TV, Music (not vinyl) | $126.38 | $115.94 | Etsy at every price from $5 to $10,000 |
Side by side at common prices
| Sale price | Etsy fees | Etsy: you keep | eBay fees | eBay: you keep | Pays more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $2.01 | -$0.01 | $2.74 | -$0.74 | Etsy |
| $20.00 | $2.98 | $9.02 | $4.20 | $7.80 | Etsy |
| $35.00 | $4.44 | $22.56 | $6.39 | $20.61 | Etsy |
| $60.00 | $6.87 | $45.13 | $10.05 | $41.95 | Etsy |
| $100.00 | $10.76 | $81.24 | $15.90 | $76.10 | Etsy |
| $250.00 | $25.35 | $216.65 | $37.83 | $204.17 | Etsy |
| $500.00 | $49.66 | $442.34 | $74.38 | $417.62 | Etsy |
| $1,000.00 | $98.28 | $893.72 | $147.48 | $844.52 | Etsy |
| Sale price | Etsy fees | Etsy: you keep | eBay fees | eBay: you keep | Pays more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $1.42 | -$5.42 | $1.86 | -$5.86 | Etsy |
| $20.00 | $2.40 | $3.60 | $3.32 | $2.68 | Etsy |
| $35.00 | $3.86 | $17.14 | $5.52 | $15.48 | Etsy |
| $60.00 | $6.29 | $39.71 | $9.17 | $36.83 | Etsy |
| $100.00 | $10.18 | $75.82 | $15.02 | $70.98 | Etsy |
| $250.00 | $24.76 | $211.24 | $36.95 | $199.05 | Etsy |
| $500.00 | $49.08 | $436.92 | $73.50 | $412.50 | Etsy |
| $1,000.00 | $97.70 | $888.30 | $146.60 | $839.40 | Etsy |
Why Etsy usually wins on fees
Etsy’s transaction fee and payment processing add up to roughly 9.5% of the item and shipping plus $0.45 in flat fees, against eBay’s 13.6% plus $0.40. eBay also charges its rate on the sales tax your buyer pays, while Etsy’s 6.5% skips it for US sellers. So with standard fees on both, there is no everyday price where eBay catches up. Offsite Ads change that, because 12% or 15% on top of Etsy’s fees is more than the gap.
Other rules to know
- Etsy listing fees: $0.20 per listing, charged whether or not it sells; listings expire after four months and auto-renew at $0.20, and each extra quantity sold from a multi-quantity listing costs another $0.20 (Etsy: Fees & Payments Policy). Untick the listing fee under Advanced if you’ve already counted it.
- Etsy shop set-up fee: new shops may pay a one-time, non-refundable set-up fee that varies by location and is shown during shop setup (Etsy Help: What are the Fees and Taxes for Selling on Etsy?). It isn’t part of the per-sale math here.
- eBay insertion fees: the first 250 listings each month are free, then $0.35 per listing (eBay Help: Selling fees (eBay.com)). Tick the insertion fee under Advanced if you’re past 250.
- Vintage books and records on eBay: Books & Magazines, Movies & TV and Music take 15.3%, but vinyl records are excluded from that rate and use the 13.6% most-categories rate (eBay Help: Selling fees (eBay.com)).
- Not included: Etsy Ads, Offsite Ads (except in the note above), currency conversion, eBay promoted listings and optional listing upgrades.
Fees are only half the story: list where buyers shop for your item. If you’re unsure, the where to sell helper ranks all six marketplaces by money and fit. For the full rules, see the Etsy fee calculator and the eBay fee calculator. Also weighing others? Try eBay vs Poshmark or eBay vs Mercari.
Etsy’s and eBay’s official fee pages were re-read on Oct 28, 2026; no change.