Published November 22, 2025 · Updated June 1, 2026 · 6 min read
Choosing between Etsy and Amazon — or deciding how to price on each — starts with understanding the fee structures. The two platforms look similar on the surface but charge very differently under the hood. This guide gives you exact numbers and a real comparison so you know where more of your revenue stays in your pocket.
Etsy charges four types of fees:
Every time you list an item on Etsy (or renew a sold listing), you pay $0.20. This fee is flat regardless of price. For high-volume sellers, listing fees add up — 500 active listings = $100/month just to keep your shop stocked.
Etsy charges 6.5% on the total order amount, which includes the item price plus any shipping you charge the buyer. If you charge $5 for shipping on a $30 item, Etsy's 6.5% applies to $35.
When buyers pay through Etsy Payments (the default), Etsy collects 3% of the order total plus $0.25 per transaction. This fee also applies to the full order amount including shipping.
Etsy promotes listings on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. If a sale comes through an offsite ad:
Most sellers are below $10K and can disable Offsite Ads — but if your product ranks well on Google Shopping, consider leaving it on since the 15% is only charged on successful sales from those ads.
Etsy Profit Calculator — calculate your net profit after all Etsy fees, including optional Offsite Ads.
Amazon's fee structure is more complex and heavier than Etsy's for most products.
Amazon charges a referral fee on every sale. Common rates:
If you use Amazon FBA (highly recommended for Prime eligibility), you pay a per-unit fulfillment fee covering picking, packing, and shipping:
$0.87/cu ft per month (Jan–Sep), $2.40/cu ft per month (Oct–Dec). A small product stored year-round adds roughly $1–2 per unit annually.
The Professional plan (required for most FBA sellers) costs $39.99/month. This breaks even at 40 units/month versus the Individual plan's $0.99 per item.
Let's compare the total fees on the same product at three price points. We'll use a Home & Kitchen item (15% Amazon referral fee), small standard FBA packaging, and no Etsy Offsite Ads.
| Fee Type | $25 Sale — Etsy | $25 Sale — Amazon FBA |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee / referral | $1.63 (6.5%) | $3.75 (15%) |
| Payment processing | $1.00 (3% + $0.25) | included in FBA |
| Listing fee | $0.20 | — |
| Fulfillment fee | you ship yourself | $3.15 (8 oz) |
| Monthly plan (÷ units) | — | $1.00 (÷ 40 units) |
| Total Platform Fees | $2.83 | $7.90 |
| As % of sale price | 11.3% | 31.6% |
| Fee Type | $50 Sale — Etsy | $50 Sale — Amazon FBA |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee / referral | $3.25 (6.5%) | $7.50 (15%) |
| Payment processing | $1.75 (3% + $0.25) | included in FBA |
| Listing fee | $0.20 | — |
| Fulfillment fee | you ship yourself | $4.32 (16 oz) |
| Monthly plan (÷ units) | — | $1.00 |
| Total Platform Fees | $5.20 | $12.82 |
| As % of sale price | 10.4% | 25.6% |
The pattern is clear: Etsy costs roughly 10–11% of your sale price. Amazon FBA costs 25–32%. But Amazon's higher fees buy you something concrete: Prime badge, massive traffic, and no need to manage your own fulfillment.
The fee comparison above might make Amazon look like a bad deal. It's not — context matters:
| Factor | Choose Etsy | Choose Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Handmade, vintage, custom | Manufactured, branded |
| Price point | Lower-priced items (<$30) | Any price point |
| Brand building | Strong — shop story matters | Weak — Amazon brand dominates |
| Fulfillment preference | Self-ship or print-on-demand | Want hands-off fulfillment |
| Competition | Lower (niched) | Higher (commoditized) |
| Repeat customers | Easier to build loyalty | Amazon owns the customer |
Fee percentages only tell part of the story. Your net profit also depends on your product cost, shipping to the warehouse, and ad spend. Use these tools to run the real numbers:
Etsy Profit Calculator
Net profit after listing, transaction, payment processing, and Offsite Ads fees.
Open Calculator →Amazon FBA Profit Calculator
Net profit after referral fee, FBA fulfillment fee, product cost, and ad spend.
Open Calculator →For most products, Amazon charges significantly more. Etsy's total fee rate is roughly 10–11% of sale price. Amazon FBA total fees typically run 25–32% when you include the referral fee, fulfillment fee, and monthly plan cost. However, Amazon's fees include fulfillment — add your own shipping costs to Etsy to compare fairly.
Etsy takes: $0.20 listing fee + 6.5% transaction fee + 3% + $0.25 payment processing. Total effective rate is roughly 9.5–11% depending on sale price, without Offsite Ads. With Offsite Ads on a successful referral, add 12–15%.
Amazon referral fees range from 8–17% by category, plus FBA fulfillment fees of $3.06–$9.61+ per unit. For a typical $40 item in a 15% category with standard FBA packaging, total Amazon fees are roughly $9–11 (22–28% of the sale price).
Yes, many sellers do. Products with a handmade or unique angle often do better on Etsy; manufactured goods with broad demand work better on Amazon. Running both lets you diversify traffic and revenue sources.