Etsy Fees vs. Shopify: Which Platform Keeps You More Profit?
High-volume handmade sellers often wonder if Shopify's full control is worth leaving Etsy. Here's the exact math on fees, profit, and the point where Shopify makes financial sense in 2026.
Etsy's fee structure: 6.5% transaction + listing costs
Etsy charges 6.5% transaction fee + 3% payment processing + listing fees (typically $0.16 per listing per 4 months). On $50 sales: $3.25 + $1.50 + listing = ~$5 in fees (10% of order). On $200 sales: $13 + $6 + listing = ~$19 (9.5% of order).
Shopify: $29–$299/month + 2.7% payment + $0.30 per order
On $1,000/month in sales (avg $50 orders): 20 orders × ($1.50 + $0.30) + $29 = $65 in fees (6.5% of sales). At $5,000/month: 100 orders × ($1.50 + $0.30) + $29 = $199 (4% of sales). Shopify wins above ~$3,000/month in sales.
Hidden costs: traffic and hosting
Shopify fees are transparent, but you have to drive traffic yourself (Shopify doesn't surface you organically like Etsy does). Factor in time spent on marketing and paid ads — those are real costs that don't show in the fee breakdown.
The break-even formula
At $1K/month: Etsy ≈ $100 in fees, Shopify ≈ $50 in fees (Shopify wins by $50, but you lose Etsy's organic traffic). At $5K/month: Etsy ≈ $475 in fees, Shopify ≈ $170 in fees (Shopify wins by $305, plus you're not dependent on Etsy's algorithm).
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