Choosing between Etsy and Shopify is one of the most consequential decisions for any online seller. Both platforms serve creators and entrepreneurs — but their fee structures are fundamentally different, and the "right" choice depends on your product type, sales volume, and business model. This guide breaks down every fee on both platforms so you can make an informed decision.
What Are Etsy's Seller Fees in 2026?
Etsy charges a combination of listing fees, transaction fees, and payment processing fees. Here's the complete breakdown:
| Fee Type | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction Fee | 6.5% | Charged on the total sale price (item + shipping + gift wrap) |
| Listing Fee | $0.20 per listing | Per listing, renewed every 4 months or custom duration |
| Payment Processing | 3% + $0.25 | Etsy Payments (most countries); 3.2% + $0.25 for Etsy Payments UK |
| Currency Conversion | 2.5% | If buyer and seller currencies differ (added on top of exchange rate) |
| Offsite Ads | 12–15% | Optional; 15% for sellers under $10K/year, 12% above $10K |
| Etsy Plus (optional) | $10/month | Adds 15 credits, custom URL, advanced tools, restock alerts |
Effective Etsy fee on a $50 sale:
Transaction (6.5%): $3.25 + Listing (amortized): ~$0.05 + Payment Processing (3% + $0.25): $1.50 + $0.25 = $5.05 (10.1% effective rate)
What Are Shopify's Seller Fees in 2026?
Shopify charges a flat monthly subscription plus per-transaction payment processing fees (unless you use Shopify Payments, which is strongly recommended):
| Plan | Monthly Fee | Online Card Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Shopify | $39/month | 2.9% + $0.30 | New sellers starting out |
| Shopify | $105/month | 2.6% + $0.30 | Growing businesses |
| Advanced Shopify | $399/month | 2.4% + $0.30 | High-volume sellers |
| Shopify Plus | Custom pricing | Negotiated | Enterprise brands |
Note: If you use a third-party payment processor (not Shopify Payments), Shopify adds 0.5%–2% on top of whatever rate the processor charges. Using Shopify Payments eliminates this surcharge.
Effective Shopify fee on a $50 sale (Basic plan):
Payment Processing (2.9% + $0.30): $1.45 + $0.30 = $1.75 (3.5% effective rate) + $1.30 amortized monthly fee = $3.05 per sale.
Etsy vs Shopify: Side-by-Side Fee Comparison on a $50 Sale
Here's how the fees stack up for a single $50 transaction on each platform:
| Fee Component | Etsy | Shopify (Basic) |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction / Platform Fee | 6.5% = $3.25 | $0 (with Shopify Payments) |
| Listing Fee | ~$0.05 (amortized) | $0 |
| Payment Processing | 3% + $0.25 = $1.75 | 2.9% + $0.30 = $1.75 |
| Total Per-Sale Fee | $5.05 (10.1%) | $1.75 (3.5%) |
| + Monthly Subscription | $0 | ~$1.30 ($39/mo amortized over 30 sales) |
| Net Cost Per $50 Sale | $5.05 | $3.05 |
Shopify is $2.00 cheaper per $50 sale — but only once you cross the sales volume threshold where Shopify's monthly fee is offset by its lower per-transaction rate. For a seller doing 20 sales per month at $50, that's $40 in monthly savings.
When Is Etsy Cheaper Than Shopify?
Etsy wins on cost for sellers in these scenarios:
- Low volume (under 50 sales/month): At 30 sales/month, Shopify's $39 monthly fee amortizes to $1.30 per transaction. Combined with its per-transaction fee, Etsy becomes cheaper at under 20–30 monthly sales.
- Handmade and craft products: Etsy's marketplace already attracts buyers looking for handmade, vintage, and craft items. On Shopify, you'd need to build that traffic yourself through ads or SEO.
- Test new products: Listing fees ($0.20/item) are negligible for testing. You don't commit to a monthly subscription just to list a new product.
- Sellers in supported countries via Etsy Payments: Etsy's payment processing (3% + $0.25) is slightly higher than Shopify (2.9% + $0.30) — but only by $0.05 per transaction. The real difference is Etsy's 6.5% transaction fee.
When Is Shopify Cheaper Than Etsy?
Shopify becomes the more cost-effective choice as your business scales:
- 51+ sales/month: At 50 sales/month at $50 AOV, Shopify saves ~$100/month vs Etsy. At 100 sales/month, that's $200/month in savings.
- Branded storefront: On Shopify, your store is fully branded — no competing products on the same page. On Etsy, buyers see competitor listings.
- Own payment processor: Shopify Payments charges 2.9% + $0.30 vs Etsy's 3% + $0.25. That 0.1% difference adds up at scale.
- Custom checkout experiences: Shopify supports upsells, bundles, subscriptions, and custom checkout flows. Etsy restricts what you can do on-platform.
- Wholesale and B2B: Shopify's B2B features (Shopify Collective) let you sell wholesale without additional fees. On Etsy, wholesale requires separate negotiation.
Shopify vs Etsy: Feature Comparison
Fees are only part of the equation. Here's how the platforms compare on features that matter to sellers:
| Feature | Etsy | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in traffic | Yes — 96 million active buyers | No — you bring your own traffic |
| Monthly fee | $0 (basic) / $10 (Plus) | $39–$399/month |
| Custom branding | Limited — shop banner, logo, policies | Fully customizable storefront |
| Transaction fee | 6.5% | 0% (with Shopify Payments) |
| Payment processing | 3% + $0.25 | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| Product listings | Unlimited, $0.20 each | Unlimited, free |
| Third-party integrations | Limited compared to Shopify | 8,000+ apps in the Shopify App Store |
| Checkout customization | Minimal — Etsy's checkout | Full control over checkout flow |
| Mobile app | Yes — strong seller app | Yes — Shopify POS + admin app |
| Best for | Handmade, vintage, craft sellers | D2C brands, dropshippers, scaling businesses |
The Break-Even Point: When Does Shopify Make Financial Sense?
Here's the math. Let A = your average order value in dollars, and N = number of monthly sales:
Etsy monthly cost: N × (A × 0.065 + $0.25) + N × $0.20 (listing) + N × (A × 0.03)
Shopify monthly cost (Basic): $39 + N × (A × 0.029 + $0.30)
Setting them equal and solving for N (assuming $50 AOV):
Break-even: ~47 sales/month at $50 AOV
- Below 47 sales/month at $50 AOV → Etsy is cheaper
- Above 47 sales/month at $50 AOV → Shopify is cheaper
Adjusting for different AOVs: at $30 AOV, break-even is ~60 sales/month. At $100 AOV, break-even drops to ~25 sales/month. Higher AOV products favor Shopify faster because the per-transaction savings compound.
Use our Etsy Fee Calculator and Shopify Fee Calculator to run the numbers for your specific AOV and monthly volume.
Can You Use Both Etsy and Shopify Together?
Absolutely — and many successful sellers do exactly that. Use Etsy as a customer acquisition channel (where you get cheap traffic for 6.5% + processing) and Shopify as your branded storefront (where you own the customer relationship for a flat monthly fee). Tools like Shopify's Etsy channel integration let you sync inventory and orders between both platforms.
This strategy maximizes traffic from Etsy's 96 million active buyers while keeping your margins healthy on your own branded Shopify store. You can even use Shopify to run email capture and marketing for customers acquired through Etsy.