Amazon, Etsy, and eBay Seller Fees, Compared

Online marketplaces can expand your reach without increasing overhead costs. But different fee structures make it harder to compare Amazon, Etsy, and eBay seller fees.

This marketplace seller fee comparison breaks down fixed and variable expenses so you can see how rates differ. Learn how to calculate the total cost to sell on Etsy, eBay, and Amazon, and find out which platform offers the best profit margin.

Why seller fees matter more than you think

Marketplace seller fees take money from the top of your listing price, shrinking your profit margin. A single order can trigger multiple fees, and customer acquisition costs may increase your effective rate. Knowing how seller fees affect your bottom line can help you choose the best online platform and pricing strategy. 

Amazon seller fees: What you'll pay to sell on Amazon

Amazon charges 99 cents per listing (free with a Professional Selling subscription) plus 3% to 20% of the total sales price with a 30-cent minimum. Total costs vary by selling plan, fulfillment method, product category, and item price.

Consider these costs before selling on Amazon:

• A monthly subscription fee: Free (Individual Selling plan) or $39.99 per month (Professional Selling plan). Amazon recommends the free plan if you sell less than 40 items per month or sales fluctuate seasonally, 
• A listing fee: Free for sellers with a paid Professional subscription. Nonsubscribers pay 99 cents per product sold.
• Referral fees: A percentage of the total sales price (including delivery and gift-wrapping charges) per item sold. Most goods fall into the 8% to 15% referral rate range and have a 30-cent minimum referral fee.
• Closing fees: $1.80 per media or video game item sold. This fee applies to books, DVDs, music, software, computer and video games, video game consoles, and game accessories.
• Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) fees: This per-unit fee is based on the product type, shipping weight, and size. It may include storage fees. Holiday peak fulfillment rates apply from October 15, 2026, to January 14, 2027. You also pay a fuel and logistics surcharge (3.5% of the fulfillment fee).

Amazon provides free seller tools, including a revenue calculator to compare FBA versus FBM (fulfillment by merchant) costs. Look over your options to see what it costs to set up and run an Amazon store.

Etsy seller fees: What you'll pay to sell on Etsy

Etsy charges 20 cents per listing, 6.5% per item sold, and 3% plus 25 cents for payment processing. You may pay a one-time setup fee to open your shop, and additional fees apply to currency conversions.

Etsy seller fees include:

• A listing fee: 20 cents per listing whether you sell the item or not (listings expire after four months). 
• A transaction fee: 6.5% per item sold. This fee applies to the listing price, including additional fees buyers may pay (shipping, gift wrapping, or personalization).
• Payment processing fees: 3% plus 25 cents of the total sales price, which includes shipping fees and sales tax.
• A monthly subscription: No fee unless you sign up for Etsy Plus, which is $10 per month.
• Offsite ads fee: 12% of the order amount for shops with $10,000 or more in sales over 365 consecutive days (mandatory enrollment in offsite ads) or 15% of the order amount for shops with less than $10,000 in sales (eligible to opt out). 

eBay seller fees: What you'll pay to sell on eBay

eBay charges 35 cents to create a listing, a final value fee per item sold that ranges from 3% to 15.3%, and a 30- or 40-cent fixed per-order fee. It offers eBay store subscriptions, which may reduce insertion and final value costs.

eBay seller fees include:

• An insertion fee: Free for the first 250 listings per month, then 35 cents per listing and per category, regardless of whether the item sells. 
• Final value fee percentage: A percentage of the total sale amount per item (including the listing price, sales tax, and handling or shipping costs charged to the buyer). Most categories have tiered rates, so you pay a base rate up to a certain dollar amount and a lower rate above that figure.
• Final value per order fee: 30 cents per order at $10 or less or 40 cents over $10. An order consists of all items purchased during checkout using the same shipping method. 
• Store subscription fees: When you open an eBay store, you can choose from five plans (Starter, Basic, Premium, Anchor, and Enterprise. Monthly prices start at $7.95.
• Optional listing upgrades: Fees vary by feature, your item’s price, listing format, and duration. For example, you can set a minimum price for $5 or 7.5% of the reserve price.

Sellers who don’t meet performance expectations may pay additional final value fees ranging from 5% to 7%. If you encourage customers to buy the listed item off eBay, you may have to pay the final value fee for unsold items.

Side-by-side fee comparison: Amazon vs. Etsy vs. eBay

Etsy offers the lowest seller fees followed by eBay and Amazon. None require a subscription to sell, but eBay’s Starter plan ($7.95) and Etsy Plus ($10) cost less than Amazon Professional ($39.95).

Here’s how much you pay to sell a $50 bracelet on Amazon versus Etsy versus eBay:

• Amazon FBM: $10.99 total seller fees (99-cent listing fee and $10 referral fee).
• Etsy: $5.20 total seller fees (20-cent listing fee, $3.25 transaction fee, and $1.75 processing fee).
• eBay: $7.90 to $8.25 total seller fees (0- or 35-cent listing fee and $7.90 final value fee).

Online marketplaces calculate and collect applicable sales tax, which may increase eBay and Etsy selling fees up to $1. Amazon prices remain the same. If you charge buyers for shipping, Amazon, Etsy, and eBay seller fees also increase.

None of these platforms return the listing fee if you refund a customer. After processing a refund on eBay, you get back 95% to 100% of your costs ($7.50 to $7.90 credit). Amazon keeps a $2 administrative fee ($8 credit), while Etsy retains the $1.75 processing fee ($3.25 credit).

Which platform offers the best profit margin by product type?

Amazon typically has the highest order volume for standard goods. Etsy shoppers pay a premium for handcrafted items, while eBay offers the best net profit on bulky products. However, the most profitable platform depends on your monthly ad spend, order volume, and more.

Look at financial metrics, including the cost of goods sold (COGS) and marketplace fees, to find your highest-margin channel. Then, calculate the full cost to sell the product on each platform and your net profit per channel.

Here are top-selling platforms for the following types of products:

• Handmade or personalized items: Etsy.
• Vintage and one-of-a-kind goods: Etsy or eBay.
• Used electronics and refurbished items: eBay.
• Apparel: Etsy for handmade or custom, eBay for resale, and Amazon for new items.
• Low-priced digital products: Etsy.
• Books and media: Amazon or eBay.

How to calculate your true cost to sell on each platform

Audit fee structures to accurately categorize expenses for each online marketplace, then add COGS and fixed expenses to calculate your true cost per sale. Consider this metric alongside your channel contribution and net profit margins.

Use these formulas to compare costs and profits between selling platforms:

• Channel contribution margin: Listing price minus COGS minus channel-specific variable costs (transaction, advertising, and payment processing fees) equals the contribution margin (revenue remaining to cover fixed overhead and net profit).
• True cost per sale: COGS plus variable channel costs and allocated fixed overhead (total monthly fixed expenses divided by the total number of orders in a month) equals full cost per sale (the total expense).
• Channel net profit: Listing price minus the actual cost per sale equals net profit (what you keep after selling the product).

Beyond fees: What else to consider when choosing a selling platform

Consider the following factors when choosing an online marketplace:

• Buyer demographics and intent: Platforms attract different types of buyers, from business owners on Amazon to bargain hunters on eBay. This can affect how much items sell for and how fast they sell.
• Online store or seller tools: Some channels offer advanced capabilities for bulk listing products or building an online shop. Compare ease of use and functionality across dashboards, analytics, optimization, and inventory features.
• Return management and seller protection: Higher return rates or shipping-related refunds cut into your profits and time. Review marketplace return policies, refund tools, transit insurance, and costs.
• Fulfillment and shipping options: Some marketplaces provide more dropshipping, international, or post-sale support. See what it costs to buy shipping labels, outsource fulfillment, and manage global sales on Amazon versus Etsy versus eBay.

Can you sell on more than one platform at once?

You can sell products on Amazon, Etsy, and eBay at the same time. A multichannel sales strategy can help you reach new types of customers and reduce reliance on one marketplace. Small businesses may launch products on a specific platform or cross-post items.

For example, a resale shop may use Facebook Marketplace for heavy furniture and eBay for pre-owned clothing. At the same time, a reseller could cross-list unique or rare finds on eBay and Etsy. They may also sell on clothing-only sites or vintage furniture marketplaces. 

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