Etsy's fees are small enough individually that they're easy to ignore, and they stack up enough together that they're worth understanding. If you sell crochet on Etsy, here's exactly what comes out of each sale, and what you actually take home.
Figures are an early-2026 snapshot
Etsy updates its fees periodically and rates vary by country. Use the numbers here to understand the structure, then check Etsy's current fee schedule for exact, up-to-date rates in your region.
The fees Etsy charges on a sale
Listing fee
Etsy charges roughly $0.20 to publish each listing. A listing lasts about four months or until the item sells, and it auto-renews (another $0.20) when it sells or expires. If you sell several of one item, each sale renews the listing, so you pay the listing fee again.
Transaction fee
This is the big one: about 6.5% of the total order, and crucially that's calculated on the item price plus shipping (and gift wrap). So raising your shipping price doesn't dodge the fee, Etsy takes its percentage of that too.
Payment processing fee
On top of the transaction fee, Etsy Payments charges a card processing fee, in the US roughly 3% plus $0.25 per order. This is standard card processing that any platform incurs, but on Etsy it comes in addition to the transaction fee above.
Advertising fees (sometimes)
Two separate things share the word ads:
- Offsite Ads: when Etsy advertises your item elsewhere and that ad leads to a sale, Etsy takes an extra 12% to 15% of that order. Shops over a certain revenue threshold can't opt out of this.
- Etsy Ads (onsite): an optional, opt-in budget you set to promote listings inside Etsy search. You only pay if you turn it on.
Other possible fees
Depending on where you are, you may also see a regulatory operating fee, currency-conversion fees if you list in a different currency than your bank, and an optional Etsy Plus subscription (around $10/month) for extra tools.
A worked example: a $40 crochet item
Say you sell a crochet piece for $40 with $5 shipping, a $45 order total. Here's roughly what Etsy takes, before you've paid for a single skein of yarn:
| Fee | How it's figured | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Listing fee | $0.20 per listing/renewal | $0.20 |
| Transaction fee | 6.5% of $45 | $2.93 |
| Payment processing | ~3% of $45 + $0.25 | $1.60 |
| Subtotal (no ads) | ~$4.73 | |
| Offsite Ads (if it applies) | 12% of $45 | $5.40 |
| Total if Offsite Ads triggers | ~$10.13 |
So on a $45 order you keep roughly $40.27 in the typical case, or about $34.87 if that sale came through Offsite Ads, and that's all before materials, your time, and packaging. None of these fees are hidden; they're just spread across several line items, which is what makes them easy to underestimate.
How a flat-plan storefront compares
The structural difference with your own storefront is simple: there's no marketplace commission. On Crochetify you pay a flat monthly plan and Crochetify takes 0% of your sales. You still pay standard card payment processing (everyone does), but there's no listing fee, no transaction fee, and no ad surcharge on a sale.
| Etsy (typical) | Etsy (with Offsite Ads) | Crochetify | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listing fee | $0.20 | $0.20 | $0 |
| Transaction fee | $2.93 | $2.93 | $0 |
| Payment processing | $1.60 | $1.60 | ~$1.60 |
| Ad surcharge | $0 | $5.40 | $0 |
| You keep | ~$40.27 | ~$34.87 | ~$43.40 |
On a single order the gap is a few dollars. Across a year of sales, it's the difference between fees that scale with every order and a plan that stays flat no matter how much you sell. The trade-off, of course, is traffic: Etsy brings shoppers; your own storefront asks you to bring them. We weigh that fully in Crochetify vs Etsy.
The break-even way to think about it
Add up the marketplace fees you'd pay in a typical month. Once that total is more than a flat monthly plan, your own storefront keeps more in your pocket, and everything above break-even is yours.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Etsy take per sale?
Roughly 6.5% of the order total (including shipping) as a transaction fee, plus about 3% + $0.25 in payment processing, plus a ~$0.20 listing fee, in the US as of early 2026. That's about $4.70 in fees on a $45 order. If the sale came through Etsy's Offsite Ads, add another 12 to 15% of the order. Always confirm current rates on Etsy, as they change.
Does Etsy charge fees on shipping?
Yes. Etsy's transaction fee is calculated on the full order total including the shipping you charge, not just the item price. So setting a higher shipping price doesn't avoid the fee, Etsy takes its percentage of the shipping amount too.
Can I avoid Etsy's transaction fees?
Not on Etsy itself, the transaction fee applies to every sale. The way to avoid a per-sale marketplace cut is to sell through your own storefront. A platform like Crochetify charges a flat monthly plan and takes 0% per sale; you only pay standard payment processing. The trade-off is that you drive your own traffic instead of relying on marketplace search.
What are Etsy's Offsite Ads fees?
When Etsy advertises your listing on external sites and that ad leads to a sale, Etsy charges an extra 12% to 15% of that order on top of the usual fees. Shops below a revenue threshold can opt out; shops above it cannot. It only applies to sales that come specifically through those Etsy-placed ads.
Is it cheaper to sell crochet on my own site than Etsy?
It depends on volume. A flat monthly plan with 0% commission tends to win once your sales are steady, because marketplace fees grow with every order while a flat plan doesn't. For occasional sales, Etsy's per-sale fees may total less than a monthly subscription. Add up a typical month of marketplace fees and compare it to the plan price to see your break-even point.