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No single online marketplace is the best place to sell every product. The right choice depends on who buys your type of product, how you plan to ship it, what each platform charges on a real sale, and how much work it takes to keep listings accurate. Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Walmart Marketplace are the four platforms most small sellers compare, and each one fits a different kind of business. This guide sets out how to narrow the list, then compares the fees, eligibility rules, listing requirements and fulfillment demands of each platform.
The fee and eligibility figures below are US figures. Check your own country, category, product type and any optional services before you decide, because fee tables, promotions and seller rules change often.
How to narrow the list before you compare fees
Start with the product and your operating model, then test each marketplace against the same five questions:
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- Audience fit: Do shoppers on this platform already search for products like yours? Look at what sells in your category on each site rather than relying on a general reputation.
- Total cost per sale: Add up listing or subscription charges, the referral or transaction fee, per-order charges, fulfillment costs, advertising and taxes. A low headline rate can still produce a higher total cost than a higher rate with fewer add-ons.
- Eligibility: Confirm your seller country or address, whether your category is restricted, and whether you need approval before listing.
- Listing requirements: Check whether the platform requires a unique product identifier such as a GTIN, UPC, MPN or EAN for your items.
- Fulfillment and workload: Decide whether you will ship orders yourself, use the marketplace’s fulfillment service, or manage stock across several channels.
A seller of branded consumer goods with barcodes and steady demand has different needs from a maker of handmade or vintage items, and both differ from a seller with one-of-a-kind products. Use the platform comparisons below to see which marketplace’s rules and fee structure fit your situation.
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Fee structures side by side (US)
The table compares the charges each platform names in its published seller information. Where a platform does not state a value in the source material, the cell says so. Check each platform’s current pricing page before you list.
| Marketplace | Account or listing charges | Sale-based fees | Other charges and conditions named in the source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon (US) | Individual plan: $0.99 per item sold. Professional plan: $39.99 per month. | Referral fees vary by product category. | Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Amazon Ads are optional and carry their own costs, which are not covered by the referral fee. |
| eBay (US) | Up to 250 zero-insertion-fee listings per month, subject to exclusions. Insertion fees can apply after that allowance. | Final value fee varies by category and is charged when an item sells. | Per-order fee of $0.30 for orders of $10 or less and $0.40 for orders over $10. eBay says the fee base can include item price, shipping collected and sales tax. |
| Etsy | Not stated in Etsy’s fee policy. | Transaction fee of 6.5% of the displayed listing price, plus shipping and gift wrapping. | Other fees can apply. Tax treatment varies by country. |
| Walmart Marketplace (US, 2026 new-seller page) | Not stated in the new-seller savings page. | Referral fees range from 6% to 15%, depending on category and total sales price. | Promotional savings depend on eligibility and are time-limited. The registration guide describes a payment hold for new sellers after they begin selling. |
Platform-by-platform comparison
Amazon
Amazon is the broadest option for sellers who want access to a large shopper base, and its US selling plans are the easiest to model. The Individual plan charges $0.99 per item sold, which suits low-volume sellers. The Professional plan charges $39.99 per month and removes the per-item charge, which generally favors sellers with higher unit volumes. Calculate the actual cost per item, because referral fees differ by category and the plan choice changes your break-even point.
- Eligibility: Confirm that your category and product are open to you before buying inventory. Some categories require approval.
- Listing requirements: Amazon generally requires product identifiers such as a GTIN, UPC, MPN or EAN, or an approved exemption. See the multichannel section below for how this applies when you list through other tools.
- Fulfillment: You can ship orders yourself or use FBA, which adds storage and fulfillment charges on top of the referral fee.
- Advertising: Amazon Ads is optional, but many sellers use it to improve visibility. Budget it as a separate cost.
- Control: Amazon sets the product detail page format and most of the shopper experience, so brand presentation is limited compared with your own website.
Amazon’s FAQ reports that independent sellers in its US store averaged more than $375,000 in annual sales in 2025. This is a platform-published average across a wide group of sellers, not a median result or a projection for your business.
eBay
eBay suits sellers with a broad range of products, including used, refurbished and collectible items, and sellers who want to list on a flexible, auction-style or fixed-price basis. Its fee structure has three parts, and each one can apply to a sale:
- Insertion fees: Up to 250 listings per month carry no insertion fee, subject to exclusions. Beyond that allowance, insertion fees apply.
- Final value fee: Charged when an item sells, at a rate that varies by category.
- Per-order fee: $0.30 on orders of $10 or less and $0.40 on orders over $10, according to eBay’s fee information.
Eligibility: You need a verified address in an eligible country or region to sell. Confirm this with eBay before you plan a product line around the platform.
Etsy
Etsy is organized around handmade, vintage and craft goods, so it fits makers, designers and curated resellers better than general commodity sellers. Its transaction fee is 6.5% of the displayed listing price plus shipping and gift wrapping. That rate is not your total cost. Etsy’s fee policy notes that other charges can apply, and tax treatment varies by country, so work out the full cost on a sample listing before you commit.
- Fee base: Shipping and gift wrapping are included in the 6.5% calculation, which raises the cost of items with expensive shipping.
- Multichannel connection: New Etsy connections cannot currently be made through Shopify’s Marketplace Connect app. Existing connections can continue. See the multichannel section below.
Walmart Marketplace
Walmart Marketplace is worth evaluating for sellers who already sell to Walmart’s shoppers or want a second large US channel. Its 2026 new-seller savings page describes referral fees of 6% to 15%, depending on category and total sales price. Because the range depends on both category and price, estimate your fee on each product rather than applying a single rate.
- Promotions: New-seller savings are time-limited and depend on eligibility. Confirm your qualification before you plan pricing around them.
- Payment hold: Walmart’s registration guide describes a payment hold for new sellers after they begin selling. Plan your cash flow to cover that period.
- Listing requirements: Walmart requires a GTIN, UPC, MPN or EAN, or an exemption, when you list through Shopify’s Marketplace Connect.
Product identifiers and listing requirements
Several marketplaces require structured product data before a listing goes live. Shopify’s Marketplace Connect requirements state that Amazon, Walmart, eBay and Target Plus require a GTIN, UPC, MPN or EAN, or an exemption for products that do not have one. Identifier requirements are therefore a practical gate, not a formality: a product that lacks a barcode may be limited to the platforms that accept an exemption, or may not be listable at all.
Check identifier rules before you source inventory, especially if you plan to sell the same product on several platforms. A single set of accurate product data makes it easier to list across channels, while missing or inconsistent identifiers can block a listing on one platform and delay others.
Fulfillment and managing several channels
Your fulfillment method changes both your cost structure and your daily workload. Shipping orders yourself keeps storage costs low but puts the burden of packing, tracking and returns on you. Amazon’s FBA model removes much of that work but adds storage and fulfillment charges on top of referral fees. The fulfillment cost of each channel should be part of your per-item calculation, not an afterthought.
If you sell on more than one platform, stock accuracy becomes the main operational risk. Amazon has announced multichannel tools in Seller Central that connect orders, listings and analytics across Amazon, eBay, Shopify, TikTok and Walmart. Amazon describes the rollout as gradual in the US, so availability can differ by seller. Confirm whether the tools are available to your account before you rely on them.
Storefront control and customer relationships
Marketplaces control much of the shopper experience, including product page layout, checkout, and how customer contact information is shared with you. This guide does not compare customer-data access or brand control across the four platforms, so review each platform’s seller policies on those points before you build a customer list or brand strategy around any one of them.
Scope and what to verify before you list
The fee figures in this guide are US figures from each platform’s published seller information. Fees, promotions, seller eligibility, product requirements and tool availability change. Before you commit to a platform, confirm the current rate for your category and price point, the eligibility rules for your country and product, any identifier requirement, and whether optional services such as fulfillment or advertising apply to your plan.
Do not assume that a lower headline fee means a lower total cost. Compare each platform’s charges on the same sample product, including shipping, fulfillment and advertising, before you decide where to sell.
The Bottom Line
Choose a marketplace by matching your product and fulfillment model to the platform’s audience, fee base and listing rules, not by ranking brands. Amazon suits sellers who can work with its plan and identifier rules and who want broad reach. eBay suits a wide range of products and flexible listing formats. Etsy suits handmade, vintage and craft goods, with the 6.5% transaction fee calculated on a base that includes shipping. Walmart Marketplace suits sellers who want a second large US channel and can plan around new-seller payment holds and category-based fees. Calculate your full cost per sale on each shortlisted platform before you list.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
