True Cost of Selling: Etsy vs. eBay (Real 2026 Budget Breakdown)

Etsy charges 6.5% per transaction. eBay takes around 13%. Simple, right? Not even close.

Listing fees, payment processing, advertising costs, subscription tiers, and offsite ads create a fee structure that looks nothing like the headline numbers. Two sellers with identical products can pay wildly different rates depending on how they sell and which features they use.

Choosing the wrong platform quietly drains your margins month after month.

In this guide, you will get a real 2026 budget breakdown for Etsy vs. eBay, including the hidden costs most sellers overlook and how to calculate your true cost of selling.

The real cost of selling on Etsy vs. eBay

Headline fee rates rarely tell the whole story.

A $50 sale on Etsy nets $41.25 after all visible fees, but that calculation misses currency conversion, advertising charges, and refund impacts that can reduce your profit by another 5-10%. When platforms advertise “6.5% transaction fees” or “13.6% final value fees,” they show only the starting point.

True costs include payment processing, listing fees, shipping charges, promotional spending, and platform-specific fees that accumulate over time. For example, on a $50 sale with $5 shipping:

• Etsy: $0.20 listing fee + $3.58 transaction fee (6.5% of $55) + $1.90 payment processing (3% + $0.25 of $55) = $5.68 in platform fees. If offsite ads drove the sale and your shop exceeds $10,000 in annual sales, add $6.60 (12% of $55), totaling $12.28 in fees. For shops under $10,000, the offsite ads fee is 15%, or $8.25, totaling $13.93 in fees
• eBay: $7.48 final value fee (13.6% of $55) + $0.40 per order fee = $7.88 in platform fees

Tracking all these fees manually can be overwhelming. Ecommerce automation simplifies the process and ensures nothing escapes your analysis.

Let us break down every fee, so nothing catches you off guard.

The fee landscape: Etsy vs eBay cost breakdown

Both platforms charge fees at multiple touchpoints. Understanding when and how each fee applies prevents costly surprises and helps you price products accurately.

Complete Etsy fee structure

A breakdown of all Etsy fees:

Table 1: Etsy fees

Complete eBay fee structure

A breakdown of all eBay fees:

Table 2: eBay fees

But costs shift dramatically based on your business model. Let us see how.

Seller scenarios: Comparing real costs for different business models

Your business model and sales volume can swing true costs by thousands. See how it plays out in real life.

Scenario 1: High-volume reseller (500+ orders/month, $30 ASP)

A reseller with 6,000 orders annually (500/month), $30 average sale price, and $10 shipping per order:

eBay (No Store Subscription, Above Standard Seller Status):

• Gross transaction value: $240,000 (item + shipping)
• Final value fees (13.6%): $32,640
• Per-order fees ($0.40 × 6,000): $2,400
• Insertion fees (1,500 active listings with monthly renewal + 500 restocks = 2,000 listing events/month; 250 free, 1,750 × $0.30): $6,300

Total eBay fees: $41,340

Effective fee rate: 17.2%

With eBay Store Subscription (Basic, $59.95/month):

• Store subscription: $719/year
• Final value fees (12.9%): $30,960
• Per-order fees ($0.40 × 6,000): $2,400
• Insertion fees (1,000 free listings/month with Basic; 1,000 paid × $0.25): $3,000

Total eBay fees: $37,079

Effective fee rate: 15.5%

Annual savings with Basic Store: $4,261

Etsy is not applicable for the most used goods or mass-produced items. eBay is the only viable option for this business model.

Suggested read: Marketplace Fees: Amazon, eBay, Etsy & Walmart Seller Costs Compared

Scenario 2: Handmade creator (50 orders/month, $150 ASP)

A handmade creator with 600 orders annually (50/month), $150 average sale price, and $8 shipping per order:

Etsy (Over $10K annual sales, offsite ads mandatory at 12%):

• Gross transaction value: $94,800
• Listing fees ($0.20 × 600 listings): $120
• Transaction fees (6.5% × $94,800): $6,162
• Payment processing (3% × $94,800 + $0.25 × 600): $2,994

Base marketplace fees: $9,276

Effective fee rate: 9.8%

If 20% of sales come through offsite ads:

• Offsite ads fee (12% × $18,960): $2,275

Total marketplace fees: $11,551

Effective fee rate: 12.2%

eBay (Most categories, no store):

• Final value fees (13.6% × $94,800): $12,893
• Per-order fees ($0.40 × 600): $240
• Listing fees (350 active listings × 12 renewals = 4,200 events; 3,000 free, 1,200 × $0.35): $420

Total eBay fees: $13,553

Effective fee rate: 14.3%

Annual savings with Etsy: $2,002 to $4,277 (depending on offsite ad attribution)

Etsy is significantly cheaper for handmade sellers at this volume. Even with mandatory offsite ads at 12% (which applies to all sellers over $10,000 in annual sales), Etsy saves $2,002 to $4,277 annually compared to eBay, depending on how many sales are attributed to offsite ads.

Sellers under the $10,000 threshold can opt out of offsite ads entirely, maximizing their savings.

Suggested read: Shopify vs. Etsy Fees Explained: Find Your Break-Even

Beyond Etsy vs. eBay fees: Platform perks and hidden value

Platform-specific benefits can make a bigger impact on your bottom line than fee differences alone.

Etsy and eBay each offer unique advantages:

Table 3: Etsy vs. eBay platform advantages

Even with these perks, costly mistakes can erode your margins. Here is what to avoid.

Suggested read: Etsy Bookkeeping Guide: Best Practices, Tools & Tax Tips

Avoiding common cost pitfalls on Etsy vs. eBay

Most sellers lose money not from fees, but from avoidable errors. This is a guide to protect your profit.

Top mistakes to avoid:

• Over-relying on paid promotions without tracking ROI
• Misunderstanding payment and refund policies, leading to unexpected deductions
• Ignoring payout timing, which can disrupt ecommerce cash flow
• Not tracking fees by channel can create blind spots that lead to bad decisions

Once you know what to avoid, you can start optimizing for maximum profit. Here is how.

Suggested read: Best Etsy Accounting Software for Sellers in 2026

Optimizing your selling strategy for maximum ROI on Etsy vs. eBay

Platform-specific tactics can boost your profit by 20–30% if you know where to focus.

Table 4: Etsy vs. eBay selling strategies

Leverage platform features for margin improvement and monitor SKU-level margins in real time. Webgility provides real-time, SKU-level insights that enable smarter decisions.

To make these strategies work, you need the right tools.

How Webgility supports marketplace payout reconciliation and profitability tracking

Automation removes guesswork and manual headaches, so you always know your true profit.

Webgility syncs every order, fee, and payout from Etsy and eBay directly to your accounting system. This enables you to:

• Track true profitability by channel and SKU
• Save up to 90% of time on reconciliation and month-end close
• Handle more orders with the same team; no new hires needed

Decision framework: Which platform fits your budget and goals?

A simple checklist ensures you choose the platform that fits your business, not just your budget.

Key questions to ask:

• Does your product fit the platform’s audience and rules?
• What is your average order value and sales volume?
• Which fee structure aligns with your margins?
• Do you need auction formats or fixed-price listings?
• How important are integrated marketing and shipping tools?
• Do you require advanced analytics or multi-channel support?
• Will automation and integration save you time and reduce errors?

A hybrid approach may make sense if your products and operations fit both platforms. Whichever platform you choose, accurate tracking and automation ensure you know your true costs and maximize profit.

Webgility automates this entire process by syncing every order, fee, and payout directly to QuickBooks in real time. You get SKU-level profitability insights that show exactly which products and channels drive your margins, not just your revenue.

Rareform, a sustainable bag company selling across multiple channels, struggled with inefficient bookkeeping processes that wasted time and money. Tracking unique inventory across platforms added complexity to their operations.

After implementing Webgility, they cut bookkeeping hours by 50%, saved thousands in accounting fees annually, and gained the visibility needed to manage inventory and boost profitability across every sales channel.

Ready to see your true marketplace costs and stop losing hours to manual reconciliation? Schedule a demo with Webgility today.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What are some hidden fees sellers often overlook on Etsy and eBay?

Sellers often miss offsite ad fees on Etsy, currency conversion charges, eBay’s order fees, and penalties for below-standard performance. Reviewing your monthly statements and using automation can help catch these hidden costs.

How can I track all my fees and true profit across both platforms?

Automated tools like Webgility sync every order, fee, and payout to your accounting system, providing full visibility into your true profit by channel and SKU.

Does selling internationally increase my costs on Etsy or eBay?

Yes, both platforms charge extra fees for international sales. Etsy adds a currency conversion fee, while eBay applies an international fee. Shipping and customs can also add to your total costs.

Can I automate reconciliation for multi-channel selling?

Yes, solutions like Webgility automate reconciliation, saving time and reducing errors when selling on multiple platforms like Etsy and eBay.