Is it worth selling on Etsy? It depends on what you sell, what it costs you to make or source, and how long each item takes. Here is a simple way to check, using real fees and a worked example.
The short answer
- Etsy is for things you made, designed, handpicked or sourced. Reselling mass-produced items is not allowed, so ordinary eBay stock is not a fit.
- Fees on a £28.50 sale come to about £3.34, around 12%, before postage, materials and your time.
- It is worth it if your profit per item, after fees and your time, is worth your while at the number of sales you can realistically make.
What you can sell on Etsy
- Made by you: handmade items, including things you make with tools such as a 3D printer or a cutting machine.
- Designed by you: original designs, such as digital downloads.
- Handpicked: vintage items that are at least 20 years old.
- Sourced: craft supplies and party supplies that help buyers be creative.
Etsy says reselling mass-produced items is not allowed. If you buy new stock to sell on eBay, Etsy is probably the wrong place for it.
What Etsy costs
- Listing fee: $0.20 (about £0.15) each time you list an item.
- Transaction fee: 6.5% of the sale price plus any postage you charge.
- Payment processing: 4% plus £0.20 per order.
- Regulatory operating fee: reports say 0.48%. Check your own statement.
- Offsite Ads: an extra fee only when a sale comes from an Etsy-run ad.
Worked example: a handmade item at £25
The buyer pays £25 plus £3.50 postage, so £28.50. Your costs are £6.00 materials, £0.80 packaging and £3.75 postage (a small parcel sent Royal Mail Tracked 48, see our postage guide).
- Transaction fee, 6.5% of £28.50: £1.85
- Payment processing, 4% of £28.50 plus £0.20: £1.34
- Listing fee: £0.15
- Etsy fees: about £3.34
- Profit: £28.50 − £3.34 − £6.00 − £0.80 − £3.75 = £14.61, about 51% of what the buyer paid
If the regulatory fee applies, take off about £0.14 more. If it takes you an hour to make, £14.61 is what that hour earns. Five sales a week would be about £73 and fifty about £730. Those are examples, not predictions.
Questions to ask before you start
- Do I make, design or source what I sell, in a way Etsy allows?
- What is my profit per item after fees, materials, packaging and postage?
- How long does each item really take, including photos and packing?
- How many sales can I realistically make, and is that enough?
- Can I charge a price that works, or will buyers compare me with cheaper items?
Check your own numbers
Put your own prices into the free Etsy fee calculator, and keep a record of every sale with the Etsy Seller Profit Tracker. For the full list of fees, see Etsy fees UK explained, and to compare platforms see the fee comparison. If you sell regularly, read whether you need to tell HMRC about your sales.
Official sources
Etsy changes its rules and fees from time to time. Fee rates checked on 5 November 2026; selling rules checked on 9 November 2026. All figures are examples. General information, not financial advice.
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