Etsy vs Shopify Fees
Etsy and Shopify charge for different things. Etsy takes a percentage of every sale made on its marketplace — listing, transaction, payment processing and offsite ads — while Shopify asks for a flat monthly plan plus payment processing, whether or not anything sells that month. At low volume Etsy's per-sale model is almost always cheaper, because you pay nothing when you sell nothing; at high volume the fixed plan plus lower per-sale fees usually wins. Run your realistic monthly volume through this calculator to find your own break-even point instead of guessing which model fits your shop.
You keep per sale
$21.44Margin 73.9%- Sale amount$29.00
- Listing fee−$0.20
- Transaction fee 6.5%−$1.89
- Payment processing−$1.12
- Offsite ads 15%−$4.35
- Total fees−$7.56
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FAQ
Which is cheaper, Etsy or Shopify?
At low volume, Etsy, because there is no monthly fee and costs scale with sales. At high volume, Shopify's flat plan plus lower per-sale fees usually wins — the crossover depends on your price point and volume.
Does Shopify charge a transaction fee?
With Shopify Payments there is usually no platform transaction fee, but payment processing is about 2.9% + $0.30 on top of the monthly plan. Third-party gateways add an extra transaction fee.
How do I choose?
Etsy brings marketplace traffic; on Shopify you drive your own. The right answer depends on your volume and how much marketing you are willing to run, not on the fee sheet alone.