Most eBay-vs-Etsy comparisons use US fees, which misses the two things that matter most to UK sellers: VAT on fees and the UK-specific rates. Here's the same sale, priced on both platforms with 2026 UK numbers.
£25 item, £3.35 postage (buyer pays £28.35), seller not VAT-registered, no advertising on either platform, eBay category at 12.9%:
| Fee | eBay UK | Etsy UK |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage fee(s) | £3.66 (12.9% FVF) | £3.31 (6.5% + 4% + 0.48%) |
| Flat fees | £0.40 per order | £0.15 listing + £0.20 processing |
| VAT on fees (20%) | £0.81 | £0.69 |
| Total | £4.87 (17.2%) | £4.16 (14.7%) |
On this typical sale Etsy is about 70p cheaper — its stacked small percentages (6.5% transaction + 4% processing + 0.48% regulatory) still total less than a top-band eBay category rate.
Category: an eBay category at 6.9%–9.5% undercuts Etsy immediately — the comparison above uses eBay's top band. Advertising: an Etsy offsite-ad sale adds 12–15% and blows the comparison apart in eBay's favour; an eBay promoted listing at 5%+ does the reverse. Volume relists: Etsy's £0.15 listing fee recurs per unit sold; eBay business accounts include listing allocations. VAT registration helps identically on both — every figure above shrinks by a sixth.
Neither platform is "cheaper" — they're cheaper for different shops. High-band-category sellers with steady ad spend often do better on Etsy; low-band-category volume sellers usually do better on eBay; handmade sellers rarely get the choice at all, since eBay buyers and Etsy buyers want different things. What's not optional is knowing your own numbers on both before deciding where a product lives.
All figures verified August 2026 against each platform's published UK rates. Fees change; check before deciding. Not affiliated with eBay Inc. or Etsy, Inc. Not financial advice.