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Platform Fee Comparison
One product, five platforms, five different fee stacks. Enter your numbers once and see profit side by side — Amazon FBA, eBay, Etsy, Shopify, and TikTok Shop — ranked by what actually lands in your bank.
How the math works
Same product, five different cost stacks
The same $30 product can net you $5 or $15 depending on where you sell it. The difference is not just the headline fee rate — it is the entire cost stack: referral fees, payment processing, fulfillment, traffic acquisition, and category-specific surcharges. No single platform is always cheapest; the winner depends on your price point, category, and whether you can drive your own traffic.
Amazon FBA: the traffic tax
Amazon charges 15% referral on most categories plus a $5–6 FBA fulfillment fee per unit. That is 15–20% of revenue gone before product cost. But Amazon brings the traffic — Prime members convert at 2–4x the rate of independent stores, and you pay zero ad spend for organic search placement. For products in the $20–50 range where FBA fulfillment ($5.50) is less than your own shipping ($8+), Amazon's total cost can actually be lower than eBay despite the higher percentage.
eBay: the middle ground
eBay's 13.6% final value fee plus $0.40 per order looks lower than Amazon's 15% — and it is, by about 1.4 points. But eBay requires you to handle shipping, add promoted listings (2–5%), and live with lower conversion rates. For electronics, books, and collectibles, eBay's category-specific rates can be dramatically lower: 6.7% for guitars, 8% for sneakers over $150. A Store subscription ($21.95/month) cuts electronics from 13.6% to 9.35%, which pays for itself at ~$600/month in electronics sales.
Etsy: the niche premium
Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee, 6.5% transaction fee, and 3% + $0.25 payment processing — totaling ~9.5% + $0.45 per order. That is lower than Amazon and eBay, but Etsy only works for handmade, vintage, or craft supply items. Offsite Ads (12–15%) can push the total to 24–27% if you are enrolled. The platform drives significant organic traffic for niche searches, so ad cost is typically zero for established shops.
Shopify: the hidden traffic tax
Shopify has the lowest platform fees: 2.9% + $0.30 for payment processing (using Shopify Payments on the Basic plan). But Shopify provides zero marketplace traffic — every visitor must be acquired through ads ($5–20/order), SEO (months to build), email lists, or social media. When you factor in customer acquisition cost, Shopify's "low fee" advantage disappears for new stores. The break-even is typically $5/order in ad spend: below that, Shopify wins; above that, marketplaces with built-in traffic become more profitable.
TikTok Shop: the discovery tax
TikTok Shop's 6% referral fee (including payment processing) is the lowest headline rate of any marketplace. But the real cost includes affiliate commissions (5–15% on affiliate-driven sales), ad spend ($4–10/order), and FBT fulfillment ($4). The total cost stack runs 25–45% of revenue — higher than Amazon for most products. TikTok Shop works best for visual, impulse-buy products under $50 where creator content drives virality — the traffic is free if your content goes viral, but the affiliate and ad costs are the price of engineering virality.
Reading the comparison
The comparison tool ranks all five platforms by profit per unit, with a visual bar showing relative profitability. The winner depends on three variables: your price point (higher prices dilute flat fees), your shipping cost (high shipping favors FBA/FBT), and your ad tolerance (zero ads favors marketplaces with organic traffic). Adjust the inputs to model different scenarios — the bar chart updates in real time. Then use the individual Amazon FBA, eBay, or TikTok Shop calculators for category-specific fee rates.
Questions
Platform comparison FAQ
Which e-commerce platform has the lowest fees?
It depends on your product and how you drive traffic. By platform fee alone, Shopify is cheapest at ~2.9% + $0.30 per order (using Shopify Payments) — but you must drive your own traffic, which costs $5–20 per order in ads. TikTok Shop has the lowest marketplace referral fee at 6% (including payment processing), but requires affiliate commissions (5–15%) and ad spend. Amazon FBA costs 15% referral + $5.50 fulfillment. eBay charges 13.6% + $0.40 per order. Etsy runs ~9.5% + $0.45. Use the comparison tool to see which platform nets you the most profit for your specific price point.
Is Amazon FBA or eBay more profitable?
For most products under $50, Amazon FBA is more profitable despite higher fees, because Amazon drives organic traffic (no ad spend required) and Prime conversion rates are 2–4x higher. On a $30 product: Amazon nets ~$15.20 after 15% referral + $5.50 FBA + $9 cost; eBay nets ~$13.94 after 13.6% FVF + $0.40 + 3% promoted + $9 cost + $4 shipping. But for used items, collectibles, and electronics over $150, eBay often wins due to lower category rates (6.7% for guitars, 8% for sneakers). The comparison tool shows the exact breakdown for your numbers.
Why does Shopify look so profitable in the comparison?
Shopify has the lowest transaction fees (2.9% + $0.30 with Shopify Payments), but that comparison includes an estimated $10/order ad cost because Shopify has zero built-in marketplace traffic — you must drive every visitor yourself via ads, SEO, email, or social. If your customer acquisition cost is $5, Shopify looks great. If it is $20, it becomes the most expensive platform. Adjust the ad cost in the tool to match your actual CAC. The default $10 reflects a blended paid + organic average for established Shopify stores.
Does the comparison include shipping costs?
Yes. The tool asks for your shipping/fulfillment cost per order. For Amazon FBA and TikTok Shop FBT, fulfillment is handled by the platform (FBA fee or FBT fee) — your separate shipping cost does not apply to those platforms. For eBay, Etsy, and Shopify, your shipping cost is added on top of platform fees. This gives you a true all-in comparison: every platform is evaluated on total cost of selling, not just headline fees.
Can I compare more than the default fees?
The comparison tool uses each platform's default rates (most common category, standard plan). For detailed category-specific calculations — like Amazon grocery at 8%, eBay sneakers at 8%, or Etsy with mandatory Offsite Ads — use the individual platform calculators linked below each comparison row. The comparison tool is designed for a quick side-by-side snapshot; the individual calculators handle edge cases and category-specific rates.
Which platform should I sell on?
Profit is only one factor. Consider traffic source: Amazon and eBay bring buyers; Shopify and TikTok require you to create demand. Consider category fit: Etsy favors handmade/vintage; TikTok favors visual, impulse-buy products; Amazon favors commodity/search-driven items. Consider fulfillment: FBA and FBT handle shipping for you; eBay/Etsy/Shopify require your own logistics. Use the comparison tool to narrow down, then test with small inventory before committing. Most successful sellers are multichannel — the same product on 2–3 platforms.
Keep calculating
Other free tools
Amazon FBA Profit Calculator
Price in referral fees, FBA fulfillment, storage, and inbound shipping to see true profit, margin, ROI, and your break-even price per unit.
Open tool →Shopify Profit Margin Calculator
Includes Shopify plan transaction fees and payment processing, so your margin reflects what actually lands in the bank on every order.
Open tool →Etsy Fee & Profit Calculator
Adds up the $0.20 listing fee, 6.5% transaction fee, payment processing, and Offsite Ads to reveal real profit on every Etsy sale.
Open tool →