Amazon Seller (FBA) vs Etsy: Honest Comparison
Two options, side by side, with the real costs and the honest downsides. No hype, just what I'd want my own family to know before they choose.
| Amazon Seller (FBA) | Etsy | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.5 | 4✓ |
| Monthly cost | $0 | $0 |
| Category | Online selling platform | Online selling platform |
| Pros | Millions of shoppers searching Amazon every day; Individual plan has no monthly fee; FBA lets Amazon store, pack and ship your orders; Prime shipping can help your items sell | No monthly fee to open a shop; Huge built-in audience of shoppers; Great for crafts, art, vintage and digital downloads; Simple to set up and start listing |
| Cons | Individual plan charges $0.99 per item sold, plus selling fees; Professional plan costs $39.99 a month plus selling fees; FBA adds fulfillment and storage fees; Buying inventory upfront is a real money risk | $0.20 listing fee per item, renewed every 4 months; 6.5% transaction fee on each sale, plus payment processing; Offsite Ads can take an extra 12% to 15% on some sales; Crowded marketplace with lots of competition |
| Verdict | Amazon puts your products in front of more shoppers than almost anywhere else. Fees and inventory costs add up fast, so do the math on every product before you buy stock. | Etsy is one of the easiest ways to start selling creative products from home, with buyers already searching the site every day. Fees add up, so price your items with listing, transaction and processing fees in mind. |
Choose Amazon Seller if you have products to sell and want Amazon's huge audience, after doing the fee math. Choose Etsy if you make handmade, vintage or digital creative products.
Amazon Seller (FBA)
Sell your products on Amazon.com, with the option to have Amazon store, pack and ship your orders through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).
Etsy
An online marketplace, founded in 2005, where people sell handmade goods, vintage items, craft supplies and digital downloads.
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