How this comparison works
Digital products usually have no shipping cost, so platform fee, listing fee, app cost and traffic source decide the economics.
Use the Shopify extra field as a per-order allocation for your monthly Shopify plan, digital delivery app or subscription tool.
Platform Fees = Sale Price × Fee % + Fixed Fee + Extra Cost
Net Payout = Sale Price − Platform Fees
Profit = Net Payout − Product Cost − Shipping − Ad Spend
Winner = Platform with higher profit under your assumptions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Etsy cheaper than Shopify for digital downloads?
Etsy can be cheaper at very low volume because there is no monthly storefront cost. Shopify often wins as volume grows and the monthly plan is spread across more orders.
What should product cost mean for digital products?
Use it for template creation, mockup cost, software, licensing or a per-order support allocation.
Does this include Etsy Offsite Ads?
Use ad spend or increase Etsy percentage assumptions when Offsite Ads applies.