Fee tables answer only half of the question “where should I sell this?” — but it is the half you can calculate exactly. This guide runs one product through the 2026 fee schedules of the four main channels, then lists the factors that decide the other half. Fee rates are those verified on 2026-09-20 (data sources); the calculators apply them to your own numbers.
The product
A small consumer item: $30 selling price, $9 product cost, packaged at 12 oz and 10 × 6 × 2 in. When you ship it yourself, postage and packaging cost $4.50. On Amazon FBA, inbound freight adds $0.80 per unit and storage for one month about $0.05. No sales tax is included (it is passed through on all four channels), and no advertising yet.
Fees and profit per order
| Channel | Fees applied | Fees | Fee % | Net profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon FBA | 15% referral $4.50 + FBA small standard 10–12 oz $3.91 (incl. 3.5% surcharge) + storage $0.05 | $8.46 | 28.2% | $11.74 (cost $9 + inbound $0.80) |
| Amazon FBM | 15% referral | $4.50 | 15.0% | $12.00 (cost $9 + postage $4.50) |
| Etsy (US, no Offsite Ads) | $0.20 + 6.5% + 3% + $0.25 | $3.30 | 11.0% | $13.20 |
| Etsy (Offsite Ads order, 15%) | above + $4.50 | $7.80 | 26.0% | $8.70 |
| eBay (no store) | 13.6% + $0.40 | $4.48 | 14.9% | $12.02 |
| Shopify Basic (100 orders/mo) | 2.9% + 30¢ + $25 ÷ 100 | $1.42 | 4.7% | $15.08 |
Selling plan fees ($39.99 a month on Amazon Professional) and insertion fees are excluded; at a few hundred units a month they add $0.10–0.40 per unit.
Three things stand out:
- The spread is small. Etsy, eBay and Amazon FBM all leave $12–13 on a $30 item — within a dollar of each other. Fees alone rarely decide the channel for a mid-priced product.
- FBA costs about $4 more than shipping yourself on this item, but it buys Prime delivery, no packing labour and Amazon’s customer service. Whether that is worth $4 depends on how many extra units Prime sells.
- Shopify’s fee advantage is real but conditional. $15.08 is the best line — with zero spent on bringing the buyer. One $8 ad click per order and it becomes the worst.
What the fee table leaves out
Traffic and conversion. Amazon has the buyers; a new listing with a few reviews can sell from day one with PPC. Etsy’s audience is smaller but expects handmade or distinctive goods and converts well on them. eBay buyers are price-driven and often searching for a specific model or used item. Shopify has no audience — the store is a website, and the marketing cost per order is the largest single variable in the comparison.
Advertising. Amazon PPC commonly runs 10–30% of sales for new products (see the break-even ACoS guide); Etsy Ads and eBay Promoted Listings are optional and usually cheaper; Shopify relies on Meta or Google ads, where a $10–30 cost per order is normal for consumer goods.
Returns. Amazon’s returns policy is set by Amazon and FBA refunds the buyer before you see the item; Etsy leaves the return policy to each shop, and eBay sits in between with its Money Back Guarantee. eBay credits the final value fee on a full refund and Etsy credits the transaction fee, while Amazon keeps a refund administration fee; none of them refund your outbound postage.
Fixed and hidden costs. Amazon: Professional plan, storage surcharges, inbound placement. Etsy: $0.20 per listing every four months whether it sells or not. eBay: insertion fees past 250 listings (a store subscription lowers the percentage in many categories — see eBay final value fees by category). Shopify: apps and a theme, plus your time.
Working capital. Amazon pays out on a 14-day cycle with a reserve; Etsy and Shopify pay daily to weekly; eBay pays within about two business days of the order. For a seller funding stock from cash flow this matters more than a point of fees (see the payout schedule guide).
A practical way to choose
- Manufactured product, price $15–60, can sell daily → Amazon FBA first; the fulfillment fee is comparable to self-shipping and Prime lifts volume. Add Shopify later as a brand home when you have repeat customers.
- Handmade, personalised or craft-supply product → Etsy first; price so an Offsite Ads order still breaks even.
- Used, collectible, refurbished or one-off items → eBay; low listing cost, buyers search by model.
- Existing audience (social following, email list, wholesale customers) → Shopify; the fee advantage is only realised if traffic is cheap.
- Under $12 selling price → avoid FBA’s fixed fee where possible; Etsy or FBM if the item is light, or bundle units.
Run the same product through all four calculators — the Amazon FBA, Etsy, eBay and Shopify tools carry the price and cost across so you only enter them once.