Quick answer
Etsy is the cheaper and easier start for most makers: on a $30 item it takes $3.30 in fees, against $4.50 on Amazon Handmade, and there is no subscription fee on Etsy Standard. Amazon Handmade needs an application before you can sell and suits makers who want Amazon's shoppers; its plan fee of $39.99 a month is waived after the first month once approved for Handmade. If you are new or also sell vintage or craft supplies, start on Etsy, and add Amazon Handmade once your products sell and ship well.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, so it is not in the list or the fee example. See where Nation fits.
How we compared
Both marketplaces were checked against the same five questions. Both bring their own shoppers, so the fees and the rules on who and what can sell decide more than reach does.
- Fees on each sale Percentage and fixed fees on one order, read from each platform's own fee page for a US seller.
- Fixed monthly cost What you pay in a month with no sales, on the plan a small maker would start on.
- Rules to join Whether you can open a shop the same day or must apply and wait for approval first.
- What you can sell Which kinds of products each marketplace accepts: handmade only, or also vintage, craft supplies and designs made by a partner.
- Shipping and fulfillment Whether you ship every order yourself or can hand storage and delivery to the marketplace.
Etsy vs Amazon Handmade at a glance
Each platform is shown at the plan a small maker would start on. The source and check date for every number are listed under each platform and at the end of the page.
What each marketplace keeps from a $30 sale
Fees are easier to compare on one order than as percentages. The example is one $30 handmade mug, paid by card, with free shipping and no sales tax. Amazon Handmade takes a referral fee of 15% or $0.30, whichever is greater, and Amazon says you only pay referral fees when you make a sale. Etsy charges a listing fee of $0.20 per listing, a 6.5% transaction fee and 3% + $0.25 for payment processing.
- Etsy $3.30 no monthly plan Listing $0.20, Transaction 6.5% $1.95, Processing 3% + $0.25 $1.15
- Amazon Handmade baseline $4.50 plan $39.99 a month, then waived once approved Referral 15% $4.50
Assumes a $30 item, free shipping, no tax, a standard US card paid online, no ads and no currency conversion. If you charge for shipping, Etsy's fee grows, because it charges its transaction fee on the sale price (including the shipping price you set). Amazon's general selling-fees page says referral fees are a percentage of an item's total price, which includes its list price, as well as shipping costs and any gift-wrapping charges. Amazon Handmade is shown without its plan fee, which is waived after the first month once approved for Handmade. Etsy's Offsite Ads fee (15% of an order that came from an Etsy ad) is left out, and so is the set-up fee: Etsy says you may be charged a one-time shop set-up fee.
Amazon Handmade and Etsy in detail
Both platforms get the same five lines: price, fees per sale, what it is strong at, who it is best for and its main limit.
The baseline. A section of Amazon for handmade products, open to approved makers and collaborative groups (cooperatives, nonprofits, or charities). It needs an application before you can sell, and in return your work sits in front of Amazon's shoppers.
- Price
- Professional plan $39.99 a month, waived after the first month once approved for Handmade.
- Fees per sale
- A referral fee of 15% or $0.30, whichever is greater on each unit shipped. Amazon's general selling-fees page says referral fees are a percentage of an item's total price, which includes its list price, as well as shipping costs and any gift-wrapping charges. Amazon says you only pay referral fees when you make a sale.
- Strong at
- Reach and delivery: buyers already shopping on Amazon, and programs like Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), where Amazon will pick, pack, and ship orders, as well as handle customer service and returns.
- Best for
- Makers who can pass the application and whose products ship well. Products must be hand-altered, hand-designed, handcrafted, repurposed, or upcycled.
- Limit
- On a $30 order it keeps more than Etsy ($4.50 against $3.30). Only approved makers and collaborative groups (cooperatives, nonprofits, or charities) can sell, and items from unlisted categories may not be sold in the Handmade store.
A marketplace for items made, designed, handpicked, or sourced by creative sellers. Etsy has no subscription fee on Etsy Standard and shows your listings to its own shoppers.
- Price
- There is no subscription fee on Etsy Standard. Etsy Plus is an optional plan at $10 a month. When you open a shop, you may be charged a one-time shop set-up fee.
- Fees per sale
- A 6.5% transaction fee and a 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee on each order. The listing fee is $0.20 per listing, and a listing expires after 4 months.
- Strong at
- Range: handmade work, vintage items that are 20+ years old, craft supplies, and original designs created by a seller and produced with the assistance of a production partner.
- Best for
- Makers starting out with no audience of their own, and shops that mix handmade with vintage or supplies.
- Limit
- Offsite Ads take 15% of orders that come from Etsy's ads, up to $100 per order; shops under $10,000 in sales over the past 365 days can opt out. Once a shop passes that threshold, the rate is 12%, mandatory for the lifetime of the shop.
Which one fits you
You are new, have no audience and want to start selling this week.
Etsy
Etsy says in just a few minutes your shop can be open for business, there is no subscription fee on Etsy Standard, and it keeps less of a $30 sale: $3.30 against $4.50 on Amazon Handmade.
You sell vintage items or craft supplies as well as your own work.
Etsy
Etsy accepts vintage items that are 20+ years old and craft supplies. Amazon Handmade takes only products that are hand-altered, hand-designed, handcrafted, repurposed, or upcycled.
Your margins are thin and every dollar per order counts.
Etsy
Etsy's fees on a $30 sale come to $3.30, while Amazon Handmade's referral fee of 15% or $0.30, whichever is greater comes to $4.50.
Your products ship well, you can pass an application and you want Amazon's shoppers.
Amazon Handmade
Your work reaches people already shopping on Amazon, and the plan fee of $39.99 a month is waived after the first month once approved for Handmade.
You want someone else to store and ship your orders.
Amazon Handmade
Handmade sellers can use programs like Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), where Amazon will pick, pack, and ship orders, as well as handle customer service and returns; Amazon says costs vary per item and include fulfillment and storage. Items you personalize through Amazon Custom are the exception: Custom products must be fulfilled by the seller.
You already sell on Etsy and want a second source of orders.
Both
Keep Etsy for its shoppers and apply to Amazon Handmade; Amazon says you can transfer your product details from Etsy to Handmade. The cost is two sets of stock counts to keep in sync.
Where Nation fits
Nation
Category: an AI store builder
Nation says one description of what you make builds the store, then agents handle orders, customers and delivery and run ads, content and social posts, with you approving the work. Because pricing is not announced yet, it is not compared on fees here.
Limits today
- Status: pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai.
- Pricing and fees: not announced yet.
- Shopper marketplace: no shopper marketplace has been announced.
- Track record: no independent reviews or public stores yet.
Nation publishes this page. Nation is not ranked here and will not be added to the comparison or the fee example until signup is public and pricing is published.
Describe what you makeDisclosure and method
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. Nation is not ranked here and will not be added to the comparison until signup is public and pricing is published.
The page compares two marketplaces where a US maker can sell handmade physical products. Neither platform paid to be included, and none of the links are affiliate links.
Every fee was read on the platform's own pricing or fee page on 2 Oct 2026, then re-read in a separate check. Each platform's section names its source, and the full list is below.
Questions about Amazon Handmade vs Etsy
Is Amazon Handmade or Etsy better for a new maker?
Etsy is usually the better start for a new maker. Etsy says in just a few minutes your shop can be open for business, there is no subscription fee on Etsy Standard, and it keeps $3.30 of a $30 sale against $4.50 on Amazon Handmade. Amazon Handmade needs an application before you can sell and charges the plan fee of $39.99 a month for the first month.
Etsy vs Amazon: which is cheaper for handmade sellers?
Etsy is cheaper than Amazon Handmade on a typical handmade sale without Offsite Ads. On a $30 item, Etsy's listing, transaction and processing fees come to $3.30, while Amazon Handmade's referral fee of 15% or $0.30, whichever is greater comes to $4.50. Amazon Handmade also charges $39.99 a month for the first month, then waived once approved.
Do you need to apply to sell on Amazon Handmade?
Amazon Handmade needs an application before you can sell, and only approved makers and collaborative groups (cooperatives, nonprofits, or charities) can sell there. Products must be hand-altered, hand-designed, handcrafted, repurposed, or upcycled. Once you are approved, the plan fee of $39.99 a month is waived after the first month once approved for Handmade, and Amazon says you only pay referral fees when you make a sale.
Can you sell vintage or craft supplies on Amazon Handmade or Etsy?
Etsy accepts vintage items that are 20+ years old and craft supplies, meaning tools or materials whose primary purpose is to create a new item by hand. Amazon Handmade only takes products that are hand-altered, hand-designed, handcrafted, repurposed, or upcycled, and items from unlisted categories may not be sold in the Handmade store. A shop that mixes handmade work with vintage or supplies fits Etsy better.
Does Amazon Handmade charge a monthly fee?
Amazon Handmade sellers start on the Professional selling plan at $39.99 a month. The fee is waived after the first month once approved for Handmade, so after that you pay only the referral fee of 15% or $0.30, whichever is greater on each sale. Etsy has no subscription fee on Etsy Standard.
Can I sell on Amazon Handmade and Etsy at the same time?
You can sell on Amazon Handmade and Etsy at the same time to reach two sets of shoppers. Amazon says you can transfer your product details from Etsy to Handmade, which saves retyping listings. The cost is two stock counts to keep in sync, and each sale pays that platform's own fees.
Is Nation an alternative to Amazon Handmade or Etsy?
Nation is not an alternative to Amazon Handmade or Etsy that you can compare today. It is an AI store builder, pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, and its pricing is not announced yet. Because no shopper marketplace has been announced, it would sit with own-store builders rather than marketplaces. Nation will be added to comparisons once signup is public and pricing is published.