Quick answer
Etsy fits makers and vintage sellers, because every item on it must be made, designed, handpicked, or sourced by creative sellers, while eBay fits resellers and anyone selling goods that are new, used, or something in between. On an example $30 card sale with free shipping, Etsy keeps $3.30 in fees and eBay keeps $4.48, and neither needs a paid plan: there is no subscription fee on Etsy Standard, and an eBay Store is an optional monthly subscription. Choose by what you sell first, then compare the fees at your own price.
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 four questions. The first one usually decides the choice before the fees do.
- What you sell Each marketplace has its own shoppers and its own rules on what can be listed. A good fit with the buyers matters more than a small fee gap.
- 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 seller would start on.
- Rules and extra fees Listing fees, ad fees you cannot switch off and what the fee is charged on, which change the real cost.
Etsy vs eBay at a glance
Etsy is shown on Etsy Standard and eBay without a Store, so neither has a plan fee. The source and check date for every number are listed under each platform and at the end of the page.
What Etsy and eBay keep 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 that sale pays a listing fee of $0.20 per listing, a 6.5% transaction fee and 3% + $0.25 for payment processing. On eBay it pays a final value fee of 13.6% and $0.40 per order, and there is no separate processing fee.
- 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
Assumes a $30 item in a standard category, free shipping, no tax, a 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) is left out because it applies only to those orders. The eBay figure assumes the listing is within its 250 free listings a month; jewelry pays 15%. eBay charges its fee on the order total, including shipping and sales tax, so shipping you charge the buyer raises the eBay fee.
Etsy and eBay in detail
Each platform 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. Etsy has no subscription fee on Etsy Standard, and every item on it must be made, designed, handpicked, or sourced by creative sellers. Vintage items must be 20+ years old.
- 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 price you display for each listing plus the amount you charge for shipping and gift wrapping, and 3% + $0.25 processing on the total amount of the sale, including tax and shipping. The listing fee is $0.20 per listing, and a listing expires after 4 months.
- Strong at
- Items made, designed, handpicked, or sourced by creative sellers, such as handmade work, original designs and vintage pieces.
- Best for
- Makers and vintage sellers starting out with no audience of their own.
- Limit
- Etsy's rules for handpicked items leave out resold commercially available items that are newer than 20 years old. 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, and above that the rate is 12%, mandatory for the lifetime of the shop.
A general marketplace for items that are new, used, or something in between. You sell at a fixed price, where Buy It Now lets your buyers make a purchase right away, or by auction, where you choose a starting price, and interested buyers place bids.
- Price
- Without a Store, eBay's two main selling fees are an insertion fee when you create a listing, and a final value fee when your item sells. A Store is a monthly subscription; the 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
- Items that are new, used, or something in between, sold at a fixed price or in auctions that run for 1, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days.
- Best for
- Resellers and people clearing out items who want marketplace buyers without a plan fee.
- Limit
- Most jewelry pays 15%, and the fee is charged on the order total, including shipping and sales tax.
Which one fits you
You make what you sell: candles, jewelry, prints, crochet.
Etsy
Etsy is built for items made, designed, handpicked, or sourced by creative sellers, and on the example $30 sale it keeps $3.30 against eBay's $4.48.
You sell vintage clothing or homeware.
Etsy, or both
Etsy takes vintage items that are 20+ years old and charges less on the example sale. eBay takes items that are new, used, or something in between, so newer secondhand pieces can go there.
You resell new or used goods you did not make.
eBay
Etsy's rules for handpicked items leave out resold commercially available items that are newer than 20 years old. eBay takes items that are new, used, or something in between and gives 250 free listings a month without a Store.
You sell one-off or collectible pieces and want buyers to set the price.
eBay
In an eBay auction you choose a starting price, and interested buyers place bids. The auction can run for 1, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days.
You sell jewelry you make.
Etsy
eBay's rate for most jewelry is 15%, above its 13.6% rate for most categories. Etsy charges the same 6.5% transaction fee and 3% + $0.25 processing on jewelry as on any other item.
You charge buyers for shipping.
Compare on the full order
eBay charges its fee on the order total, including shipping and sales tax. Etsy's transaction fee is charged on the price you display for each listing plus the amount you charge for shipping and gift wrapping, so compare both on the full order total.
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 with Etsy or eBay 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 is not part of the fee example, because signup is not public and pricing is not published.
Describe what you makeDisclosure and method
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. Nation is not ranked here and is not part of the fee comparison until signup is public and pricing is published.
The page compares Etsy and eBay for a US seller of 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 Etsy vs eBay
Is Etsy or eBay better for selling?
Etsy or eBay is better depending on what you sell. Etsy suits makers and vintage sellers, because every item on it must be made, designed, handpicked, or sourced by creative sellers. eBay suits resellers, because it takes items that are new, used, or something in between. On an example $30 card sale with free shipping, Etsy keeps $3.30 and eBay keeps $4.48.
Is Etsy cheaper than eBay?
Etsy is cheaper than eBay on an example $30 card sale with free shipping: Etsy's listing, transaction and processing fees come to $3.30, while eBay's final value fee and per-order fee come to $4.48. eBay has no listing fee within its 250 free listings a month, while Etsy's listing fee is $0.20 per listing.
Does eBay charge a payment processing fee like Etsy?
eBay does not charge a payment processing fee the way Etsy does. eBay has no separate processing fee for US sellers, and its main fee on a sale is a final value fee of 13.6% in most categories. Etsy charges 3% + $0.25 for processing on top of its 6.5% transaction fee.
Do Etsy and eBay charge a monthly fee?
Etsy and eBay charge a monthly fee only on an optional paid plan. Etsy has no subscription fee on Etsy Standard, and Etsy Plus costs $10 a month. An eBay Store is a monthly subscription; the Starter Store costs $7.95 a month on monthly renewal and keeps the 13.6% final value fee in most categories, so it does not lower the fee on a sale.
Can you sell used items on Etsy?
Used items you did not make can be sold on Etsy as vintage when they are 20+ years old and the seller personally curated or collected them. Etsy's rules for handpicked items leave out resold commercially available items that are newer than 20 years old. Newer used items fit eBay better, because eBay takes items that are new, used, or something in between.
Do Etsy and eBay charge fees on shipping?
Etsy and eBay both charge fees on the shipping you charge the buyer. Etsy charges its transaction fee on the price you display for each listing plus the amount you charge for shipping and gift wrapping, and its processing fee on the total amount of the sale, including tax and shipping. eBay charges its fee on the order total, including shipping and sales tax.
Can I sell the same items on Etsy and eBay?
You can sell the same items on Etsy and eBay if they meet each marketplace's rules. Listing on both puts an item in front of two sets of shoppers. The cost is two sets of listings and stock counts to keep in sync, so an item that sells on one site must come off the other.
Is Nation an alternative to Etsy or eBay?
Nation is not an alternative to Etsy or eBay 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.