For selling on Amazon vs eBay, the fees are closer than most people expect. Sell a $50 item in a standard category with free shipping and Amazon's 15% referral fee comes to $7.50, so you keep $42.50. eBay takes $7.20 and leaves you $42.80. The gap opens up in particular categories, and with the selling plan you pick on Amazon.
The calculator above uses Amazon's Professional plan and the Everything Else category, against eBay's most-categories rate. Add your item cost and postage to see profit on both.
Selling on Amazon vs eBay: the fees side by side
- Amazon: a referral fee on the total sales price, which is the item plus any shipping or gift wrap the buyer pays, but not sales tax. Most categories pay 15%, electronics and computers pay 8%, and clothing pays 5%, 10% or 17% depending on the price. Each item pays at least $0.30 in most categories. Media and video games add a $1.80 closing fee.
- Amazon's selling plan: the Individual plan costs $0.99 for every item sold. The Professional plan costs $39.99 a month instead, with no per-item charge, so it pays off once you sell more than about 40 items a month.
- eBay: 13.6% of the total sale in most categories, plus $0.40 per order ($0.30 on orders of $10 or less). The total includes shipping and the sales tax the buyer pays. No monthly plan is needed.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is optional and not included here. If you send stock to Amazon's warehouses, its fulfillment and storage fees come on top; Amazon lists them on its FBA fees page. Shipping orders yourself keeps the comparison like for like.
Here's what each one pays you at common prices, with free shipping and no tax:
| Sale price | Amazon fee | Amazon pays you | eBay fee | eBay pays you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $1.50 | $8.50 | $1.66 | $8.34 |
| $25.00 | $3.75 | $21.25 | $3.80 | $21.20 |
| $50.00 | $7.50 | $42.50 | $7.20 | $42.80 |
| $100.00 | $15.00 | $85.00 | $14.00 | $86.00 |
| $300.00 | $45.00 | $255.00 | $41.20 | $258.80 |
Standard settings, free shipping to the buyer, no sales tax.
Where the category changes the answer
On eBay, almost everything pays the same 13.6%. On Amazon, the category matters a lot, so the cheaper site can flip depending on what you sell.
- Electronics and computers: Amazon's 8% is far lower. A $300 laptop costs $24.00 on Amazon and $41.20 on eBay.
- Cheap clothing: Amazon charges 5% on clothing with a total sales price of $15 or less, so a $15 T-shirt costs $0.75 there and $2.44 on eBay.
- Clothing above $20: the rate jumps to 17% of the whole price, so a $25 shirt costs $4.25 on Amazon and $3.80 on eBay. The threshold covers shipping too, which can push a $19 item into the 17% band.
- Books, DVDs and video games: the $1.80 closing fee hurts cheap media. A $10 book costs $3.30 on Amazon and $1.83 on eBay.
So if you're deciding whether to sell on Amazon or eBay, pick your category in the calculator before you compare. The default only covers Amazon's 15% group.
Sales tax and shipping
This is the quiet difference between the two fee models. Amazon leaves sales tax out of the referral fee. eBay charges its 13.6% on the tax as well. On a $100 sale with 8% tax, Amazon's fee is still $15.00, while eBay's rises to $15.09.
Both charge on buyer-paid shipping. A $50 item with $8 shipping costs $8.70 on Amazon and $8.29 on eBay, and on both you then pay for the label out of what you receive.
Amazon seller vs eBay seller: who each one suits
Amazon suits new, branded and repeatable stock. Buyers land on a product page and choose between sellers, so price and stock level matter more than photos or descriptions. Many categories and brands need Amazon's approval before you can list, and used items are only allowed in some categories.
eBay suits used items, collectibles and one-offs. Every listing is your own, with your photos and condition notes. It works for vintage, parts, cards, clothing and anything without a barcode, and auctions are an option when you don't know an item's value.
Plenty of resellers run both: replenishable new stock on Amazon, and everything used or unusual on eBay. Amazon selling vs eBay isn't always an either-or choice.
Sell on eBay or Amazon: a quick way to decide
- Check whether your category and brand are open to you on Amazon, and whether used items are allowed there.
- Put your price through the calculator with the right Amazon category and plan.
- Add shipping and tax as your buyers would pay them, since eBay's fee grows with both.
- Pick the higher profit, then weigh how fast each item is likely to sell.
For eBay's category rates, promoted listing fees and Top Rated discount, use the eBay fee calculator. If you make handmade goods, Etsy vs Amazon Handmade covers Amazon's handmade store.
Common questions
Is it better to sell on Amazon or eBay?
It depends on the item. Amazon is usually cheaper for electronics, computers and low-priced clothing, and it suits new branded stock. eBay is usually cheaper for books, media and clothing over $20, and it's the better home for used items and collectibles.
Are Amazon vs eBay fees higher on Amazon?
In Amazon's standard 15% categories, slightly. On a $100 sale Amazon takes $15.00 and eBay takes $14.00, before any tax. In Amazon's 8% categories, Amazon is much cheaper.
Should I be selling on Amazon or eBay as a beginner?
eBay is simpler to start: no monthly plan, no category approvals, and you can list used items from home today. Amazon's Individual plan also has no monthly fee, but the $0.99 per item and the approval rules take more research.
Does selling on eBay vs Amazon change what the buyer pays?
Neither adds a buyer fee in the US. Buyers pay the price, shipping and sales tax on both.
Sources
Fees last checked against these official pages: Amazon (US) on 2026-10-15; eBay (US) on 2026-10-14. We re-check every source daily and update the calculators when a platform changes its fees.
- Amazon Seller Central: Selling on Amazon fee schedule
- Amazon Seller Central: Referral fees
- Amazon Seller Central: Closing fees
- Amazon Seller Central: Per-item selling fees
- eBay Help: Selling fees
- eBay: Top Rated Seller program
- eBay Developers: Promoted Listings