Etsy vs Shopify vs eBay: Where Should You Sell in 2026?
By Saurabh Pandey · Updated · 5 min read
On this page
- The short answer
- Fees on the same $30 sale
- Etsy: a ready-made audience for unique products
- eBay: the marketplace for exact searches and second-hand
- Shopify: your own store and your own brand
- Side-by-side comparison
- The strategy most successful sellers use
- How to decide in five questions
- The bottom line
- Frequently asked questions
“Should I sell on Etsy, eBay or my own Shopify store?” is one of the first questions every new online seller asks. The honest answer is that each platform is built for a different kind of seller – and the cheapest platform on paper is not always the most profitable one in practice.
This guide compares the three on the things that actually decide your profit: fees, buyers, control and the work involved. At the end you will know which one fits your products, and how many successful sellers combine them.
The short answer
- Etsy – best for handmade, vintage, craft supplies and personalised or digital products. Built-in buyers who are looking for unique items.
- eBay – best for second-hand, collectibles, electronics, parts and anything people search for by exact name or model number.
- Shopify – best when you want to build a brand you own, sell a larger product range, and are ready to bring your own traffic.
Fees on the same $30 sale
Here is what each platform costs on a $30 item with no shipping charge, using US rates checked in October 2026:
| Platform | Main fees | Total on $30 | % of sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Etsy | $0.20 listing + 6.5% transaction + 3% + $0.25 processing | $3.30 | 11.0% |
| eBay | ~13.6% final value fee + $0.40 per order | $4.48 | 14.9% |
| Shopify (Basic, 50 orders a month) | 2.9% + $0.30 card fee + $39 plan ÷ 50 orders | $1.95 | 6.5% |
On fees alone, Shopify wins easily, and the gap grows as your volume grows. But the table leaves out the biggest cost of running your own store: getting visitors. On Etsy and eBay, buyers are already there. On Shopify, every visitor has to come from your own marketing – SEO, social media, email or paid ads.
If you spend $1 on ads for every $10 of sales, your Shopify cost jumps from 6.5% to over 16%, more than Etsy or eBay. So the real comparison is marketplace fees versus your cost of bringing buyers to your own store.
Check your own numbers with our free calculators:
Etsy Fee Calculator
Open full calculatorFee breakdown
Enter your item price to see Etsy's fees.
Etsy: a ready-made audience for unique products
Who buys there: shoppers looking for handmade gifts, personalised items, home décor, jewellery, art, vintage finds, craft supplies and digital downloads like printables and templates.
Strengths
- Millions of buyers already searching for exactly the kind of product you make.
- Very low cost to start – no monthly fee, just a small listing fee.
- Buyers expect to pay more for handmade and personalised work.
Weaknesses
- You are competing with thousands of similar shops in the same search results.
- Etsy controls the rules, fees and search algorithm, and they change.
- Offsite Ads fees of 12–15% can apply on some sales.
- Limited branding – your shop looks like every other Etsy shop.
Best for: makers, artists, vintage sellers and digital product creators starting out. Read Etsy fees explained for the full fee breakdown.
eBay: the marketplace for exact searches and second-hand
Who buys there: people searching for a specific item – a model number, a part, a collectible, a used phone, a pair of trainers in their size – and bargain hunters.
Strengths
- Huge global audience and very strong for second-hand and refurbished goods.
- Auctions can get great prices for rare or collectible items.
- Listing is free for most casual sellers.
- In the UK, private sellers pay no final value fee on sales to UK buyers, and in Australia sellers with under A$25,000 of sales a year and no Pro plan sell for free.
Weaknesses
- Higher percentage fees than Etsy for most business sellers.
- Price competition is intense, especially for new mass-produced products.
- Buyers can be demanding, and returns and disputes take time.
Best for: resellers, collectors, refurbishers and anyone clearing stock. See eBay fees explained.
Shopify: your own store and your own brand
Who buys there: whoever you bring – your social media followers, email subscribers, search visitors and ad audiences.
Strengths
- The lowest fees per order, especially as you grow.
- Full control over design, branding, pricing and the customer experience.
- You own your customer list and can email buyers again and again.
- No competitors’ products displayed next to yours.
Weaknesses
- A monthly cost from day one, plus apps and a theme.
- No built-in traffic. Most new Shopify stores struggle because nobody visits.
- More setup work: design, payments, shipping, policies and marketing.
Best for: brands with a clear niche, sellers with an audience (a YouTube channel, Instagram following or email list), and marketplace sellers ready to grow beyond one platform. Compare plans in Shopify plans compared.
Side-by-side comparison
| Etsy | eBay | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | None (optional Plus) | None (optional Store) | From ~$39 (Basic) |
| Typical fees per sale | ~10–11% | ~13–15% | ~3–4% + plan |
| Built-in buyers | Yes | Yes | No |
| Branding & design | Limited | Very limited | Full control |
| Customer data | Limited | Limited | You own it |
| Best products | Handmade, vintage, digital | Used, collectibles, parts | Your own brand |
| Effort to get first sale | Low–medium | Low | High |
The strategy most successful sellers use
You do not have to choose just one. A common path looks like this:
- Start on a marketplace (Etsy or eBay) to test products and get your first sales with no upfront cost.
- Learn what sells and build reviews and a small customer base.
- Launch a Shopify store for your best products, and send marketplace customers there with a card in the package.
- Grow your own traffic with content, social media and email, while the marketplace keeps bringing new buyers.
Running two channels means one platform’s rule change or fee rise cannot wipe out your business overnight.
How to decide in five questions
- Is your product handmade, vintage or personalised? Start on Etsy.
- Is it used, collectible or searched for by model number? Start on eBay.
- Do you already have an audience or a marketing budget? Shopify can work from day one.
- What margin do you have? If it is thin, marketplace fees may not leave enough – run the numbers first with our profit margin calculator.
- Do you want to build a brand you can one day sell? Plan for your own store eventually.
The bottom line
There is no single best platform – there is only the best platform for your product and stage. Marketplaces give you buyers but take a bigger share; Shopify keeps more for you but asks you to find your own customers. Start where your buyers already are, then build your own store as you grow. Use our free Etsy, eBay and Shopify fee calculators to compare your real numbers.
Fees in this guide are US rates checked against each platform's official fee pages in October 2026. They vary by country and category and change over time.
Frequently asked questions
Which platform has the lowest fees?
Shopify has the lowest fees per sale, but you pay a monthly plan and must bring your own traffic. Of the two marketplaces, Etsy is usually cheaper per sale than eBay for business sellers.
Can I sell the same products on all three?
Yes, many sellers do. Keep track of stock carefully so you do not sell the same item twice – inventory apps can sync stock between platforms.
Is Etsy or eBay better for beginners?
Both are beginner-friendly. Choose based on your product: Etsy for handmade and creative products, eBay for used and branded items.