Quick answer
The best place to sell online is a marketplace if you have no buyers yet, and an own store once buyers come to you. Match the marketplace to what you sell: Etsy for handmade and vintage, eBay for used items, Depop for clothes, and Amazon Handmade for handmade work that passes an application. Marketplaces keep $1.44 to $4.50 of a $30 sale, while Shopify and Square Online keep $1.17 to $1.29 but leave finding buyers to you.
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
The best place to sell online is a marketplace if you need shoppers to find you, and an own store if your buyers already come from you. Every platform here is checked against the same five criteria, and every fee was read on the platform's own page on 2 Oct 2026. The list is not ranked: the criteria point different sellers to different platforms.
- Who brings the buyers Marketplaces show your listings to their own shoppers. With an own store, you bring the buyers: social posts, ads, email and word of mouth.
- What you can sell there Some marketplaces are built around certain goods, such as handmade work, vintage or clothes, and some limit reselling. Own-store builders are not tied to one category. Each marketplace's rule is in its section below.
- 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, at the plan a new seller would start on.
- Rules and limits Applications, fees on orders that came from ads, free-listing allowances and fees the buyer pays, which all change the real cost.
Online selling platforms at a glance
Each platform is shown at the plan a new seller would start on. The order is not a ranking. The source and check date for every number are listed under each platform and at the end of the page.
What each selling platform keeps from a $30 sale
Fees are easier to compare on one order than as percentages. Example: one $30 item, paid by card, with free shipping and no sales tax. On Etsy, the baseline, that sale pays a listing fee of $0.20 per listing, a 6.5% transaction fee and 3% + $0.25 for payment processing.
- Shopify $1.17 plus $39 a month Card 2.9% + 30¢ $1.17
- Square Online $1.29 free plan Card 3.3% + 30¢ $1.29
- Depop $1.44 no monthly plan Processing 3.3% + $0.45 $1.44
- Etsy baseline $3.30 no monthly plan Listing $0.20, Transaction 6.5% $1.95, Processing 3% + $0.25 $1.15
- eBay $4.48 no monthly plan Final value 13.6% $4.08, Per order $0.40
- Amazon Handmade $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. Etsy's Offsite Ads fee (15% of an order that came from an Etsy ad, for smaller shops) and Depop's Boosting fee (12% of a boosted sale) are left out because they apply only to those orders. eBay uses its most-categories rate and assumes the listing is within its 250 free listings a month. Depop's amount is the seller's side only: the buyer also pays a marketplace fee of up to 5% of the item purchase price, plus a fixed amount of up to $/£1.
A monthly plan costs money even in a month with no sales. The table shows how many $30 sales a month Shopify Basic needs before its plan plus its fees cost less than Etsy's fees on the same sales. Square Online's free plan, Depop and eBay without a Store have no monthly fee, so they need no break-even. Amazon Handmade keeps more than Etsy on each sale here, so it has no break-even either; its plan fee is waived after the first month once approved for Handmade.
The count assumes every sale would have happened anyway. Etsy brings shoppers and an own store does not, so the real question is whether you can bring that many buyers yourself.
Each selling platform in detail
Every platform gets the same five lines in the same order: price, fees per sale, what it is strong at, who it is best for and its main limit. Etsy comes first because it is the baseline for the fee example, not because it ranks first.
The baseline. Etsy has no subscription fee on Etsy Standard and shows your listings to its own shoppers, which is what every other option here is measured against.
- Price
- There is no subscription fee on Etsy Standard. Etsy Plus is optional and costs $10 a month.
- Fees per sale
- A 6.5% transaction fee on the item price plus shipping, and 3% + $0.25 for payment processing on each order. The listing fee is $0.20 per listing, and a listing expires after 4 months.
- Strong at
- Etsy lists items made, designed, handpicked, or sourced by creative sellers: handmade work, vintage items that are 20+ years old, and craft and party supplies.
- Best for
- Makers and vintage sellers starting out with no audience of their own.
- 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. Shops that reach that threshold pay 12%, mandatory for the lifetime of the shop. On Etsy, dropshipping and reselling are not allowed, except in specific cases such as craft supplies.
A marketplace with its own buyers for items that are new, used, or something in between. Without an eBay Store you get 250 free listings a month.
- Price
- eBay charges a monthly subscription only for an optional eBay Store. A Starter Store is $7.95 a month on monthly renewal.
- Fees per sale
- A final value fee of 13.6% in most categories and $0.40 per order over $10 ($0.30 at $10 or less). There is no separate processing fee.
- Strong at
- Used items and one-off finds. The auction-style format lets buyers decide what an item is worth.
- Best for
- People clearing out or reselling items who want marketplace buyers without a plan fee.
- Limit
- The fee is charged on the order total, including shipping and sales tax, so shipping you charge also pays the fee. Jewelry pays a final value fee of 15%.
Amazon's section for products that are hand-altered, hand-designed, handcrafted, repurposed, or upcycled. 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
- On each unit shipped, a referral fee of 15% or $0.30, whichever is greater. Amazon's own summary: free storefront; referral fees only when you sell.
- Strong at
- Reach: buyers already shopping on Amazon.
- Best for
- Makers whose products ship well and who can pass an application.
- Limit
- On a $30 order it keeps the most per sale here, $4.50, and you cannot sell until the application is approved.
A resale platform built around clothes. US sellers pay zero selling fees, while the buyer pays a marketplace fee.
- Price
- No monthly fee and no plan to buy.
- Fees per sale
- Payment processing of 3.3% + $0.45, charged on the item sale price plus shipping costs and any applicable taxes.
- Strong at
- Clothes you want to resell. Depop's seller page is about selling your clothes.
- Best for
- People reselling clothes or running a small vintage fashion shop.
- Limit
- Boosted listings pay a Boosting fee of 12% when a boosted view leads to a sale. The buyer pays a marketplace fee (up to 5% of the item purchase price, plus a fixed amount of up to $/£1) on top of your price.
An own-store builder: you get your own online store and bring the buyers yourself.
- Price
- Basic plan $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly.
- Fees per sale
- On Basic, card processing is 2.9% + 30¢ and there is no transaction fee with Shopify Payments. Another payment provider adds 2%.
- Strong at
- Room to grow: the Basic plan includes themes and templates, unlimited products, and selling on social and marketplaces.
- Best for
- Sellers with an audience who sell enough each month to cover the plan.
- Limit
- The plan fee is due in months with no sales, and you bring the buyers yourself.
Square's online store builder, which integrates with Square Point of Sale for in-person sales.
- Price
- There is no monthly fee on Square Free. Square Plus is $49 a month per location.
- Fees per sale
- Online card processing of 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free, or 2.9% + 30¢ on Square Plus. In person it is 2.6% + 15¢ on Square Free.
- Strong at
- Selling online and in person, at markets, fairs or a shop counter: in-store and online sales stay synced automatically.
- Best for
- Sellers who already sell in person and want a free online store next to it.
- Limit
- The free plan's online card rate of 3.3% + 30¢ is higher than Shopify's 2.9% + 30¢, and you bring the buyers yourself.
Which one fits you
You make handmade work or sell vintage and have no audience yet.
Etsy
Etsy is for items made, designed, handpicked, or sourced by creative sellers, including vintage items that are 20+ years old, and there is no subscription fee on Etsy Standard. On a $30 sale it keeps $3.30.
You are reselling used, collectible or one-off items.
eBay
eBay's monthly subscription is only for an optional Store, and you get 250 free listings a month. On Etsy, by contrast, dropshipping and reselling are not allowed, except in specific cases such as craft supplies.
You resell clothes or run a small vintage fashion shop.
Depop
US sellers pay zero selling fees, so a $30 sale costs $1.44 in processing; the buyer pays the marketplace fee.
You sell handmade work that ships well and can pass an application.
Amazon Handmade
Amazon's shoppers and a plan fee of $39.99 a month that is waived after the first month once approved for Handmade.
You sell at markets, fairs or a shop and want a free online store too.
Square Online
Square Online has no monthly fee on Square Free, and its card rates are 3.3% + 30¢ online and 2.6% + 15¢ on Square Free in person.
You have a following on Instagram or TikTok and sell 19 or more $30 orders a month.
Shopify
Your buyers already come from you, and at that volume the plan plus the lower fees cost less than Etsy's fees (see the break-even table).
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 list 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 list covers six places a US seller can sell physical products online: four marketplaces and two own-store builders. No 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 the best place to sell online
What is the best place to sell online?
The best place to sell online is a marketplace if you have no buyers yet: Etsy for handmade and vintage, eBay for used items, Depop for clothes. Etsy, eBay, Amazon Handmade and Depop bring their own shoppers and keep $1.44 to $4.50 of a $30 sale. Shopify and Square Online keep $1.17 to $1.29 of the same sale, but the buyers have to come from you.
What is the best platform to sell online for free?
The best platform to sell online for free depends on what you sell. Square Online has no monthly fee on Square Free, Depop charges US sellers zero selling fees, Etsy has no subscription fee on Etsy Standard and eBay charges a monthly subscription only for an optional Store. Each still takes a fee on every sale: from $1.29 on Square Online to $4.48 on eBay for a $30 item.
What is the best website to sell products to my own audience?
The best website to sell products to your own audience is usually an own store, because it keeps less of each sale. On a $30 card sale, Shopify Basic keeps $1.17 plus a plan of $39 a month, and Square Online's free plan keeps $1.29. Shopify costs less than Etsy from about 19 sales of $30 a month.
Which online selling platforms bring their own buyers?
Of the online selling platforms here, Etsy, eBay, Amazon Handmade and Depop are marketplaces that bring their own buyers. Shopify and Square Online are own-store builders: you get a store, and the buyers come from your own posts, ads or customers. You can also use both: a marketplace for reach and an own store for repeat buyers.
Which selling platform has the lowest fees?
Among these selling platforms, Shopify has the lowest fee on a $30 card sale at $1.17, but it charges $39 a month. Square Online keeps $1.29 on its free plan, and Depop keeps $1.44 from US sellers while the buyer pays a marketplace fee. Etsy keeps $3.30, eBay $4.48 and Amazon Handmade $4.50.
Is Nation a place to sell online?
Nation is not a place to sell online that can be compared 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 the own-store builders rather than the marketplaces. Nation will be added to this comparison once signup is public and pricing is published.