Comparison · general
Etsy vs Mercari
Which marketplace has lower fees for resellers — and when does each one win?
Etsy's curated handmade/vintage marketplace versus Mercari's broad casual marketplace. The fee structures look different but land surprisingly close on small sales.
Net payout at common sale prices
| Sale price | Etsy fees | Etsy net | Mercari fees | Mercari net | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25.00 | −$2.83 · 11.3% | $22.17 | −$3.73 · 14.9% | $21.27 | +$0.90 |
| $50.00 | −$5.20 · 10.4% | $44.80 | −$6.95 · 13.9% | $43.05 | +$1.75 |
| $100.00 | −$9.95 · 9.9% | $90.05 | −$13.40 · 13.4% | $86.60 | +$3.45 |
| $250.00 | −$24.20 · 9.7% | $225.80 | −$32.75 · 13.1% | $217.25 | +$8.55 |
| $500.00 | −$47.95 · 9.6% | $452.05 | −$65.00 · 13.0% | $435.00 | +$17.05 |
| $1,000.00 | −$95.45 · 9.5% | $904.55 | −$129.50 · 13.0% | $870.50 | +$34.05 |
Net payout = sale price + shipping charged − platform fees. Both platforms calculated with default options and no shipping charged to buyer.
Fee structure
Etsy
Open calculator →Marketplace for handmade, vintage, and craft supplies
- The $0.20 listing fee is charged each time an item is listed or renewed (every 4 months). This calculator counts it once per sale.
- Transaction fee (6.5%) applies to the item price plus shipping the buyer pays. Sales tax is excluded from this fee.
- Payment processing (3% + $0.25 for US sellers) is applied to the total amount the buyer pays. International rates differ.
- Offsite Ads fee is only charged when a buyer clicks an Etsy ad off-platform (Google, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) and completes a purchase within 30 days.
Mercari
Open calculator →Casual marketplace for general goods
- The selling fee (10%) applies to the item price only — shipping and sales tax are excluded from this charge.
- Payment processing (2.9% + $0.50) applies to the full amount the buyer pays, item plus shipping.
- Mercari Shipping Label deducts the discounted label cost directly from your payout. Enter that cost in 'Your shipping cost' to see accurate profit.
- Mercari Shipping Protection covers eligible packages up to $200 at no extra cost to the seller — it does not change the calculator math.
Audience & fit
If your items are clearly handmade, vintage, or craft-related, Etsy's buyer intent justifies higher prices that more than offset its layered fee structure. For general secondhand goods with no craft or vintage angle, Mercari's broader audience and simpler 10% + processing model is the better fit. Etsy's Offsite Ads can swing its effective rate up sharply on attributed sales — factor that in if you're enrolled.
Frequently asked
How do Etsy Offsite Ads fees work?
When Etsy promotes your listings on external sites (Google, Facebook, Instagram, Bing) and a buyer clicks one of those ads and makes a purchase within 30 days, you owe an Offsite Ads fee on that sale. The rate is 15% for sellers under $10,000 in trailing-365-day sales, and 12% for sellers over $10,000. The fee is capped at $100 per order regardless of sale size.
Can I opt out of Etsy Offsite Ads?
Only partially. If your shop has under $10,000 in trailing-365-day sales, you can fully opt out in your settings. Once you cross $10,000, opt-out is no longer available, but you do get a reduced rate (12% instead of 15%) and the $100 cap. Most growing sellers cannot avoid this once they hit the threshold.
How much does Mercari take from each sale?
Mercari charges a 10% selling fee on the item price only (not shipping), plus a payment processing fee of 2.9% + $0.50 on the buyer's total payment (item plus shipping). For a $30 item with $5 shipping, you'd pay $3.00 selling fee plus $1.52 processing — about $4.52 total, or roughly 13% of the gross.
Does Mercari charge fees on shipping?
Partially. The 10% selling fee applies only to the item price, but the 2.9% + $0.50 payment processing fee applies to the buyer's full payment, which includes shipping. So shipping is partially fee-free on Mercari, unlike eBay where all fees apply to item + shipping.
More comparisons
See all comparisons →Want to run the numbers on your specific sale?