Etsy vs Mercari: 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.
| Etsy | Mercari | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4✓ | 3.5 |
| Monthly cost | $0 | $0 |
| Category | Online selling platform | Online selling platform |
| Pros | 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 | Free to list; Flat 10% selling fee is simple to plan around; Sell almost any kind of item; Easy app for listing from your phone |
| Cons | $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 | The 10% fee also applies to buyer-paid shipping; Smaller audience than eBay or Amazon; Lots of buyers make low offers; Shipping prices change, so check them before you list |
| Verdict | 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. | Mercari is simple and beginner-friendly, and its fee is lower than many marketplaces. It's a good second place to list the same items you sell elsewhere. |
Choose Etsy if you make handmade, vintage or digital creative products. Choose Mercari if you want a flat 10% fee and an easy phone app for selling almost anything.
Etsy
An online marketplace, founded in 2005, where people sell handmade goods, vintage items, craft supplies and digital downloads.
Mercari
An online marketplace where people sell almost anything, from clothes and electronics to toys and collectibles, with a flat 10% selling fee.
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