Etsy vs eBay: which keeps more?
The two oldest marketplaces, compared on fees alone: Etsy's stacked small fees against eBay's bigger headline percentage. At low prices their ordering flips — watch the bands.
Who wins at each price?
| Price | Etsy keeps | eBay keeps | Winner |
|---|
Canonical profile: product cost 35% of price, inbound $1.20, packaging $0.30, self-shipping $4.80 where relevant, ads 10% of price, returns 5%, 300 units/month, TikTok affiliate 10%. Change the real inputs on each platform's own calculator page.
Small fees, many of them vs one big one
Etsy slices its take into listing, transaction, processing and regulatory pieces that sum near 11% in the US. eBay takes one 13.6% cut plus $0.40 — and charges it on the tax-inclusive total. Below ~$15, eBay's per-order fee and Etsy's $0.20 listing fee dominate; above $50, the percentage gap rules and Etsy pulls ahead on fees.
Fees follow the buyer
Etsy's audience pays premiums for handmade and vintage; eBay's hunts deals and accepts used. The same item often prices 10–20% differently between them — more than the entire fee gap. Use the table for cost truth, then price for the room you're in.