Quick answer
On a $30 sale, eBay keeps $4.48 and Amazon's Individual plan keeps $5.49, so eBay costs less per sale for a small seller. Amazon's Professional plan swaps the per-item fee for $39.99/month, and Amazon suggests the Individual plan if you sell fewer than 40 items a month. Pick eBay for used, one-off and collectible items with no monthly fee, and Amazon if you want it to store and ship your orders.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, so it is not in the comparison or the fee example. See where Nation fits.
How we compared
eBay and Amazon were checked against the same four questions, using each company's own seller pages for a US seller.
- Fees on each sale Percentage and fixed fees on one order, at the rate for most categories.
- Monthly cost What you pay in a month with no sales, on the plan a small seller would start on.
- Account requirements What each company asks for before you can sell, and what each plan unlocks.
- Listing control and fulfillment Whether you write your own listing and set the format, and who ships the order.
eBay vs Amazon at a glance
Each marketplace is shown on the plan a small seller would start on: eBay with no Store and Amazon on the Individual plan. The source and check date for every number are listed at the end of the page.
Amazon fees vs eBay fees on a $30 sale
The example is one $30 item in a standard category, with free shipping and no sales tax. eBay charges a final value fee of 13.6% plus $0.40 per order. Amazon's Individual plan charges a referral fee of 15% $0.30 minimum in categories such as home and kitchen, plus $0.99 per unit sold.
- eBay baseline $4.48 no monthly plan Final value 13.6% $4.08, Per order $0.40
- Amazon $5.49 Individual plan, no monthly fee Referral 15% $4.50, Individual plan per item $0.99
Assumes a $30 item, free shipping, no tax, no ads, no promoted listings and a listing within eBay's 250 free listings a month. eBay uses its most-categories rate; jewelry pays 15%. Amazon uses a 15% $0.30 category; jewelry pays 20% for the portion of the total sales price up to $250.00.
eBay and Amazon in detail
Each marketplace gets the same five lines: price, fees per sale, what it is strong at, who it is best for and its main limit.
The baseline. eBay has no monthly fee without a Store, gives 250 free listings a month and lets you sell by auction or at a fixed price.
- Price
- No monthly fee without an eBay Store. A Starter Store is $7.95 a month.
- 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. After the free allowance, listings cost $0.35 per listing.
- Strong at
- Listing control: you write each listing, and choose auctions of 1, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days or Buy It Now, which lets buyers make a purchase right away. It suits used, one-off and collectible items.
- Best for
- Small sellers who list a mix of new and used items and want no monthly fee.
- Limit
- The fee is charged on the order total, including shipping and sales tax, this page assumes you ship each order yourself, and every account has monthly selling limits that eBay reviews every month and adjusts based on sales volume and buyer feedback.
A marketplace with two selling plans and an optional fulfillment service. Registration needs a government-issued ID, phone number, email address, an internationally chargeable credit card, a bank account and routing number, and a business license or registration, plus proof of residential address dated from the last 180 days, and tax information.
- Price
- Individual plan: $0.99 per unit sold. Professional plan: $39.99/month. You can switch or cancel your selling plan at any time.
- Fees per sale
- A referral fee of the percentage of the total price or a minimum amount, whichever is greater, 15% $0.30 minimum in many categories. The total price includes its list price, as well as shipping costs and any gift-wrapping charges.
- Strong at
- Fulfillment: with FBA, Amazon stores, picks, packs, ships, and delivers the products to customers. You can also deliver orders yourself with Fulfilled by Merchant.
- Best for
- Sellers of new products in steady volume, and brands that qualify for over $50,000 in automatic referral-fee waivers for your first year.
- Limit
- On a $30 sale it costs more than eBay ($5.49 against $4.48). The Individual plan lets you list one product at a time and set static prices; the Professional plan adds bulk operations to list, price, and manage inventory.
Which one fits you
You sell used, vintage or one-off items.
eBay
You write each listing yourself, there is no monthly fee and the sale costs $4.48 against $5.49 on Amazon.
You sell new, branded products that buyers search for on Amazon.
Amazon
New-to-Amazon brands can get over $50,000 in automatic referral-fee waivers for your first year.
You want someone else to store and ship your orders.
Amazon
With Fulfillment by Amazon, Amazon stores, picks, packs, ships, and delivers the products to customers. On eBay, this page assumes you ship each order yourself.
You sell a few items a month and want no fixed cost.
eBay, or Amazon Individual
Neither has a monthly fee at this level. Amazon suggests Individual if you sell fewer than 40 items a month.
You want both sets of buyers.
Both
Listing on both means two sets of listings and 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 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 eBay and Amazon for a small US seller of physical products. Neither company paid to be included, and none of the links are affiliate links.
Every fee was read on eBay's and Amazon's own seller pages on 2 Oct 2026, then re-read in a separate check. The full list of sources is below.
Questions about eBay vs Amazon
Is eBay or Amazon better for a small seller?
eBay is usually better for a small seller who wants low fees and no monthly cost. On a $30 sale eBay keeps $4.48 and Amazon's Individual plan keeps $5.49. Amazon fits sellers of new, branded products that buyers already search for there, especially at steady volume.
Are Amazon fees higher than eBay fees?
Amazon fees are higher than eBay fees on a typical small sale. Amazon charges a referral fee of 15% $0.30 minimum in many categories plus $0.99 per unit sold on the Individual plan. eBay charges 13.6% plus $0.40 per order in most categories, with no separate processing fee.
Does Amazon charge a monthly fee?
Amazon charges a monthly fee only on its Professional plan, which is $39.99/month. The Individual plan has no monthly fee and charges $0.99 per unit sold instead. Amazon says the Individual plan may be best for sellers who sell fewer than 40 items a month, and you can switch or cancel your selling plan at any time.
Does eBay charge a monthly fee?
eBay does not charge a monthly fee unless you open an eBay Store. Without a Store you get 250 free listings a month, then pay $0.35 per listing. A Starter Store costs $7.95 a month and adds more free listings, which matters only if you list many items each month.
What do you need to open an Amazon seller account?
An Amazon seller account needs a government-issued ID, phone number, email address, an internationally chargeable credit card, a bank account and routing number, and a business license or registration, plus proof of residential address dated from the last 180 days, and tax information. On eBay, every account has monthly selling limits that eBay reviews every month and adjusts based on sales volume and buyer feedback.
Who ships the orders on eBay vs Amazon?
On eBay, this page assumes the seller ships each order, and eBay's fee is charged on the order total, including shipping and sales tax. On Amazon you can deliver orders yourself with Fulfilled by Merchant, or use Fulfillment by Amazon, where Amazon stores, picks, packs, ships, and delivers the products to customers. FBA has its own fees, which are not part of the fee example on this page.