Etsy vs Amazon Handmade Fees Compared: Which Wins?

Etsy vs Amazon Handmade: Where Makers Actually Sell

Etsy is the original handmade marketplace, built entirely around independent sellers and craft buyers. Amazon Handmade is Amazon's artisan storefront: your products appear on Amazon itself, in front of the largest online shopping audience in the world, with no monthly Professional selling fee for approved Handmade artisans.

The fee structures could not be more different. Etsy stacks several small fees that add up, while Amazon takes one large referral cut. This guide compares every fee on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

For the full breakdown of Etsy's fee stack, read our Etsy fees explained guide, and model your margins with our Etsy profit calculator.

Fee Structures Compared

Fee Type	Etsy (typical)	Amazon Handmade (typical)
Monthly subscription	None required; optional Plus/Pattern plans	Professional fee waived for Handmade artisans
Listing fee	Small flat fee per listing, renewed periodically	None
Transaction / referral fee	Around 6.5% of the total sale price	15% referral fee on the sale price
Payment processing	Around 3% + fixed fee per order	Included in the referral structure
Advertising fees	Offsite Ads fee on sales from Etsy ads for larger sellers	Optional Amazon advertising, pay per click

Fee percentages change occasionally, so verify current rates. The structural contrast is the point: Etsy charges less per sale but adds listing and processing fees, while Amazon charges a bigger single cut with fewer line items.

What a $100 Sale Costs on Each

On Etsy, a $100 sale typically incurs the transaction fee of about $6.50, payment processing of roughly $3.25, and a listing fee of around $0.20, for a total near $10. That is roughly 10% of the sale going to fees before shipping and materials.

On Amazon Handmade, the same $100 sale incurs the 15% referral fee, or $15, with no listing fee and no separate processing charge. That is roughly 15% all-in on fees, about $5 more than Etsy on this sale size.

The gap matters less than it looks, because Amazon's audience is vastly larger. A product that sells twice as often on Amazon at a 15% fee earns more than the same product selling half as often on Etsy at 10%. Fees are only half the equation; sales velocity is the other half.

Beyond Fees: Audience, Brand, and Control

• Buyer intent: Etsy shoppers specifically seek handmade and unique goods. Amazon shoppers want everything fast and cheap, which can pressure handmade pricing.
• Brand building: Etsy lets your shop have a real identity with followers and a distinct storefront. On Amazon, you are a listing among millions.
• Customer data: Etsy gives you buyer emails for marketing. Amazon guards customer data tightly, making repeat marketing harder.
• Competition: Etsy competes with other makers. Amazon Handmade competes with mass-produced alternatives one click away.
• Fulfillment: Amazon offers FBA for Handmade sellers, outsourcing storage and shipping. Etsy sellers handle fulfillment themselves or via third parties.

A Practical Launch Sequence for New Sellers

Do not try to master both marketplaces on day one. A launch sequence that works for most handmade sellers starts with Etsy: lower fees, an audience specifically hunting for handmade goods, and shop tools that teach you what sells. Spend your first few months learning which products get favorited, which price points convert, and what your true production costs are once fees are included.

Once a handful of products prove themselves with consistent sales and healthy margins, expand the winners to Amazon Handmade. The 15% referral fee stings less on proven products with dialed-in pricing, and Amazon's traffic can multiply the volume of designs you already know work. Keep your branding and pricing consistent across both, adjusting only for the fee difference so neither channel undercuts the other.

Operationally, treat the two channels as one business: sync inventory so a surge on Amazon never oversells stock committed on Etsy, standardize packaging so fulfillment stays simple, and track profitability per channel separately. Many sellers discover that Etsy delivers better margins per sale while Amazon delivers better total profit through volume, and that combination is exactly why selling on both wins. Start lean, measure everything, and let the data tell you where to double down. The sellers who win on two marketplaces are the ones who treat each channel as an experiment with clear numbers, not a gamble.

Which Wins for Handmade Sellers?

On fees alone, Etsy wins: roughly 10% all-in beats 15% on most sales. But Amazon Handmade wins on reach, and many sellers find the higher fee pays for itself in volume. The most successful handmade businesses often sell on both, using Etsy for brand and community and Amazon for volume.

Whichever you choose, know your true per-sale cost before pricing products. Our Etsy profit calculator models Etsy's full fee stack, and if you sell elsewhere too, the eBay profit calculator covers that marketplace's fees.