Seller & Business comparison
Seller Marketplace Fees vs BoringToolsKit
A direct comparison of Amazon, eBay, and Etsy seller fees, plus the fee calculators BoringToolsKit uses to model your own numbers.
To compare which marketplace has the lowest seller fees, model the same product on the same assumptions. As a rule, Etsy is cheapest for low-priced handmade or digital items (a $0.20 listing fee plus a 6.5% transaction fee and payment processing), eBay applies a 13.25% final value fee plus $0.30 per order on item price plus shipping charged, and Amazon combines a referral percentage (often 15%) with fulfillment and storage fees. Use BoringToolsKit's free Amazon, eBay, and Etsy fee calculators — no signup, no upload, formulas shown — to enter your own price, shipping, and costs before choosing a channel.
The short answer
There is no single cheapest marketplace for every seller, because each platform's fees are structured differently. As a rule: Etsy tends to be cheapest for low-priced handmade or digital items (a $0.20 listing fee plus a 6.5% transaction fee and payment processing), eBay combines a 13.25% final value fee plus a $0.30 per-order fee on the total including shipping, and Amazon combines a referral percentage (often 15%) with fulfillment, storage, and other fixed fees. Use BoringToolsKit's free Amazon, eBay, and Etsy fee calculators to model your own price and costs on the same assumptions before you choose.
The percentages only matter alongside the base they apply to, the shipping treatment, and your product cost.
Side by side
| Attribute | Amazon | eBay | Etsy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee model | Referral % + fulfillment + storage | Final value % + $0.30/order | Listing + transaction % + payment |
| Listing fee | Included in plan | Free for first 250/mo | $0.20 per listing |
| Transaction / final value fee | ~15% referral (category-dependent) | 13.25% on item + shipping | 6.5% transaction fee |
| Payment processing | Included | Included | 3% + $0.25 |
| Shipping charged treatment | Referral on sale price | Fee on item price + shipping charged | Fee on item price + shipping charged |
| Best fit | Scaled / fulfilled volume | General resale & collectibles | Handmade, craft, digital |
Why Seller marketplace fees might still win
- Each marketplace publishes authoritative fee schedules that change over time — always verify the current policy for your account
- Real outcomes depend on your product cost, category, shipping, returns, and ad spend, which no single percentage captures
Why BoringToolsKit wins
- Model all three with the same inputs in one place — no accounts, runs in your browser
- Editable fee rates so you can set your real category, market, and plan
- The formula is shown on every calculator, so you can check the math
The honest take
Sellers often ask which marketplace is cheapest as if the answer were one number, but the platforms do not take fees the same way. Amazon folds a referral percentage together with fulfillment, storage, and other fixed charges, so it usually makes sense only at enough volume. eBay applies a final value percentage to the item price plus shipping charged, with a small per-order fee. Etsy charges a listing fee per item plus a transaction percentage and payment processing, which is gentle for low-priced and digital items. The honest answer: compare the same product price, shipping treatment, product cost, and fulfillment assumptions across all three with a fee calculator, and verify the current policy for your category and market before publishing a price.
Terminology, plainly
What is a final value fee?
A final value fee is a percentage a marketplace keeps from each completed sale. On eBay it applies to the item price plus shipping charged, on Etsy it is a transaction fee on the item price plus shipping charged, and on Amazon a referral percentage applies to the sale price.
Does shipping charged count toward the fee?
It depends on the platform. eBay and Etsy apply their percentages to the item price plus shipping charged. Amazon's referral percentage in BoringToolsKit's model applies to the entered sale price. Write down the shipping treatment before comparing a displayed percentage.
Common questions
Which marketplace has the lowest seller fees?
It depends on your price, category, volume, and fulfillment. Etsy tends to be cheapest for low-priced or digital items; eBay is competitive for general resale with its 13.25% final value fee plus $0.30 per order; Amazon's referral plus fulfillment fees usually need volume. Model your own numbers with BoringToolsKit's Amazon, eBay, and Etsy fee calculators.
Is Etsy or eBay cheaper for sellers?
For a low-priced handmade or digital item, Etsy is often cheaper because its transaction and payment fees are smaller than eBay's 13.25% final value fee plus per-order fee. But eBay's fees are capped per item at $40, which can matter for higher-priced sales. Compare with the same inputs in the calculators.
Does BoringToolsKit charge for its fee calculators?
No. The Amazon, eBay, and Etsy fee calculators are free, require no signup, run entirely in your browser, and show the formula on each page.