Etsy vs eBay: fees, and the ad fee that flips the answer
Etsy's headline rate is less than half of eBay's, so most sellers assume it is cheaper. On an organic sale it usually is. On a sale that arrived through Offsite Ads it is not — and the difference is large enough to reverse the ranking completely.
What each platform actually charges
Etsy takes a 6.5% transaction fee, a payment processing fee of 3% + $0.25 (US), and a $0.20 listing fee that renews every four months or after each sale. There is no per-order fee and no regulatory fee. On a $32 item that totals $3.49, or 10.9% of the sale.
eBay takes 13.6% for most categories, a $0.40 per-order fee above $10, and 0.35% for the regulatory operating fee. Payment processing is inside that percentage. On the same $32 item that totals $4.86, or 15.2%.
| Platform | Fees | Fee rate | Net per sale | vs best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etsy | $3.49 | 10.9% | $14.01 | — |
| eBay | $4.86 | 15.2% | $12.64 | -$1.37 |
Worked at a $32.00 sale, $9.00 unit cost and $5.50 of shipping you pay, general merchandise. Change any of those and the order can flip — that is what the calculator above is for.
Offsite Ads is the fee that changes the ranking
When a sale comes from an Etsy advert on Google, Facebook or Instagram, Etsy charges 15% of the order on top of everything else — 12% if you are above $10,000 in annual sales, and the programme becomes mandatory at that level. Add 15% to a $32 sale and Etsy's total fee goes from $3.49 to $8.29, or 25.9%.
That single line moves Etsy from the cheaper option to the more expensive one. Whether it is worth it depends on a question the fee table cannot answer: would that customer have found you anyway? Etsy treats Offsite Ads as incremental traffic and prices it that way. Sellers who already rank well for their keywords often find the attribution generous.
Where eBay wins
eBay has no listing fee, no renewal fee, and no advertising programme that can quietly take 15%. Its fees are higher on paper but far more predictable, and for a seller whose products are not handmade or vintage — the categories Etsy protects — eBay's audience is also larger.
The practical split most multi-channel sellers land on: Etsy for the items that photograph well and carry a story, eBay for the commodity end of the same catalogue. If you list the same item on both, price it about 8% higher on Etsy — that is roughly the fee gap once Offsite Ads touches a quarter of your orders.
Etsy vs eBay — FAQ
Is Etsy cheaper than eBay?
On an organic sale, yes: Etsy's 6.5% transaction fee plus 3% + $0.25 processing and a $0.20 listing fee comes to about 10.9% of a $32 sale, against eBay's 15.2% including its per-order and regulatory fees. Once a sale arrives through Etsy Offsite Ads, a further 15% applies and Etsy becomes the more expensive of the two at 25.9%.
How much is Etsy Offsite Ads in 2026?
15% of the order total for sellers under $10,000 in annual sales, and 12% above that threshold. The programme becomes mandatory once you pass $10,000 in a twelve-month period, and the fee is capped at $100 per order. It applies only to orders Etsy attributes to an off-site advert.
Does Etsy charge a listing fee on every sale?
Yes. Each listing costs $0.20 and renews automatically after a sale, so a listing that sells ten times costs $2.00 in listing fees, not $0.20. Listings also expire after four months if they do not sell. In quantity this is small — 0.6% of a $32 sale — but it is charged whether or not the item sells.
Does eBay charge less for handmade items?
eBay does not have a handmade category in the way Etsy does, so handmade goods compete against mass-produced imports. The fee is 13.6% either way. The advantage of Etsy is not the fee but the audience: buyers go there specifically looking for handmade, which typically produces a higher conversion rate and a higher acceptable price.
Can I sell the same item on Etsy and eBay?
Yes, and many sellers do. Keep separate inventory buffers so you do not oversell, and price the Etsy listing roughly 8% higher to absorb the fee gap plus the probability that a quarter of your Etsy orders carry Offsite Ads. Remember that Etsy requires handmade, vintage or craft-supply items — reselling mass-produced goods there violates its policies regardless of fees.
Sources & last checked. Rates reflect Etsy's 2026 US seller schedule (6.5% transaction fee, 3% + $0.25 payment processing, $0.20 listing fee, Offsite Ads at 15%/12% capped at $100 per order) and eBay's 2026 US business-seller fees (13.6% to $7,500 then 2.35%, $0.30/$0.40 per-order fee, 0.35% regulatory operating fee). Last reviewed October 2026.
Etsy Fee Calculator →
Transaction, processing, listing and Offsite Ads on one screen.
eBay Fee Calculator →
Final value fee by category and the per-order fee that punishes cheap items.