Etsy vs Shopify Fees: What You Actually Pay Per Sale
By Savora Finance · Reviewed 2026-11-08
A side-by-side breakdown of Etsy and Shopify fees with a worked $35 order, plus the costs a fee table does not show.
What Etsy charges
In the US, Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee, a 6.5% transaction fee on the item price plus shipping, and payment processing of 3% plus $0.25. Etsy Ads and Offsite Ads cost extra if you use them.
What Shopify charges
Shopify Basic costs $39 a month, or $29 a month billed annually. Card payments through Shopify Payments cost 2.9% plus $0.30. If you use an outside payment gateway instead, Shopify adds a 2% fee on Basic.
A $35 order, worked out
Say an order totals $35 with shipping. On Etsy, the fees come to about $3.78 ($0.20 + $3.33 + $0.25). On Shopify, the card fee comes to about $1.32, plus your monthly plan. Shopify fees are lower per order, so the plan fee is spread across your sales.
What the table leaves out
Etsy brings shoppers to you. On Shopify you bring your own traffic through search, social media or email. Shopify stores also have their own costs for a domain, a theme if you buy one, and any paid apps.
Use your own numbers
The calculator on our home page applies these rates to your order volume and price, and shows the break-even point.
Where the break-even point sits
Using the worked $35 order above, Etsy's fees are about $3.78 per order. Shopify's card fee is about $1.32 per order, so each order saves roughly $2.46, and the monthly plan has to be paid back out of those savings. On Basic with monthly billing ($39), that takes about 16 orders a month. With annual billing ($29), it takes about 12. Below those volumes Etsy's fees alone are lower; above them Shopify's are.
| Orders / month | Etsy fees | Shopify Basic (monthly billing) | Shopify Basic (annual billing) | Lower fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $37.80 | $52.15 | $42.15 | Etsy |
| 25 | $94.50 | $71.88 | $61.88 | Shopify |
| 50 | $189.00 | $104.75 | $94.75 | Shopify |
| 100 | $378.00 | $170.50 | $160.50 | Shopify |
| 250 | $945.00 | $367.75 | $357.75 | Shopify |
Figures are calculated from the rates quoted above. Your results change with your average order value, shipping charges, and whether you use ads.
Why fees are only half of the comparison
A fee comparison assumes the same number of orders in both places. In practice, an Etsy shop and a new Shopify store do not get the same traffic. Etsy shows your listings to people already searching its marketplace. A new store gets nobody until you send visitors yourself, through search engines, social media, email, or paid ads. If a store costs you $1.50 in fees but you pay $8 in ads to win each customer, the store only looks cheaper on paper.
Costs that appear on one side only
- Etsy: optional Etsy Ads, and Offsite Ads fees on orders that come through Etsy's own advertising. Etsy also sets the rules for how your shop looks and how customers are contacted.
- Shopify: a domain name, a paid theme if you want one, paid apps, and the time to set it all up. In return you control your brand, your checkout and your customer list.
- Both: shipping labels, packaging, returns, taxes and your own time.
Which is better for you?
Etsy is usually the faster way to get the first sales, particularly for handmade, vintage and craft items where shoppers already browse the marketplace. Shopify tends to make sense when you already have a way to reach customers, such as repeat buyers, an email list or a social following, and you want to keep more of each sale and own the relationship. Our guide on when to move from Etsy to Shopify covers the practical signs.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to leave Etsy to use Shopify?
No. Many sellers run both, and use Etsy to find customers while building their own store.
Are these fees the same everywhere?
No. The figures here are US rates. Fees differ by country, and both companies change them, so confirm on their pricing pages before deciding.
Is there a cheaper payment option on Shopify?
Shopify Payments has the lowest card rate on each plan. Using an outside gateway adds a fee on top of what the gateway charges. See what a Shopify store costs.
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Open the calculatorGeneral information only, not financial advice.