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.
The bottom line
On paper the fees look far apart, but they land close on small sales — and diverge on what qualifies. Mercari is a flat ~13% all-in with no eligibility rules. Etsy layers a $0.20 listing fee, 6.5% transaction, 3% + $0.25 processing, and optional Offsite Ads (12-15% on attributed sales), but restricts listings to handmade, craft supplies, or items 20+ years old.
The deciding factor is whether your inventory fits Etsy's categories. For genuine handmade or true vintage, Etsy's buyers arrive with intent and pay a premium that outweighs its layered fees — and Mercari's casual audience simply won't price those items as highly. For general secondhand goods that don't qualify as craft or vintage, Etsy isn't even an option, and Mercari's flat rate and broad reach win by default.
So route by eligibility: craft and true-vintage to Etsy for the price premium, everything general and faster-moving to Mercari. If you're enrolled in Offsite Ads, factor the added rate into your Etsy pricing on attributed sales.
Switching from Etsy to Mercari (or back)
Sellers move from Etsy to Mercari for general secondhand goods that don't fit Etsy's handmade or 20-years-old vintage rules, or from Mercari to Etsy when items are genuinely craft or vintage and can command Etsy's higher prices. Listings don't transfer between the two — relist manually or via a cross-listing tool. Etsy's layered fees suit higher-priced curated items; Mercari's flat ~13% suits broad, faster-moving inventory.
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?