Amazon vs eBay vs Etsy vs Shopify: Which Leaves the Most Profit? (2026)
"Amazon takes too much" and "Etsy is cheaper" are things every seller hears. But how much difference does it make on one sale? We ran the same product through six marketplaces.
The test product
- Selling price: $29.99, free shipping
- Product cost: $10.00
- Shipping & packaging: $5.00
- No VAT (US sale), no ads, no fulfillment service
Profit per sale
| Marketplace | Fee used | Fees | Net profit | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify (own store) | 2.9% + $0.30 | $1.17 | $13.82 | 46.1% |
| TikTok Shop | 8% | $2.40 | $12.59 | 42.0% |
| Etsy | 9.5% + $0.45 | $3.30 | $11.69 | 39.0% |
| eBay | 13.6% + $0.40 | $4.48 | $10.51 | 35.0% |
| Amazon | 15% | $4.50 | $10.49 | 35.0% |
| Walmart | 15% | $4.50 | $10.49 | 35.0% |
On this product, the gap between the cheapest channel (your own Shopify store) and the most expensive (Amazon or Walmart) is $3.33 per sale. At 300 sales a month, that is almost $1,000.
Minimum price for a 25% margin
| Marketplace | Price needed |
|---|---|
| Shopify | $21.23 |
| TikTok Shop | $22.39 |
| Etsy | $23.59 |
| Amazon / Walmart | $25.00 |
| eBay | $25.09 |
Why sellers still choose Amazon and eBay
Fees are only half the story. Your own Shopify store has the lowest fees but no built-in traffic - you pay for every visitor through ads or content. Amazon and eBay charge more, but bring buyers who are already searching. The right comparison is:
profit per sale × number of sales − what you spend to get those sales
Shopify also has a monthly plan fee that is not included above, and Amazon FBA adds a fulfillment fee per unit if you use it.
About the fees used
- Amazon: 15% referral fee for most categories (unchanged for 2025-2026). Electronics is lower (8%), jewelry higher (20%). See our Amazon seller fees guide.
- eBay: about 13.6% final value fee for most categories plus $0.40 per order (over $10). See our eBay fees guide.
- Etsy: 6.5% transaction + 3% & $0.25 processing + $0.20 listing. See our Etsy fees guide.
- Shopify: Shopify Payments on the Basic plan (US), 2.9% + $0.30.
- Walmart: most categories pay 8-15%; we used 15% to be conservative.
- TikTok Shop: TikTok's table showed 6% for most categories, and an increase to 8% was reported for August 2026; we used 8%. See our TikTok Shop fees guide.
Based on public information for US sellers as of October 2026. Your category and plan may differ - plug in your own fees in the calculator below.