Shopify costs
Shopify vs Etsy vs Amazon fees, what to compare.
The three platforms charge different kinds of fees. This guide lines up the fee types and sends you to the right calculator for each, so you can run the same product through all three.
Shopify charges a subscription plus card fees; Amazon charges a selling plan plus referral and fulfillment fees; Etsy's fees are listed on its Fee Basics page. Use the matching calculator for each, with the same price and cost, then compare profit per sale.
Worked example
Take a CA$60 product costing CA$22 to land. On Shopify, run it through the plan cost calculator with your expected orders to get a total monthly fee, then divide by orders for fees per sale. On Amazon, enter the same price and cost in the FBA calculator for referral and fulfillment fees. On Etsy, use the Etsy fee calculator. Subtract each platform's fees per sale and any ad cost from CA$60 - CA$22 to compare what you keep.
How it works
This page does not publish fee percentages for Etsy or Amazon, because rates differ by category, country and date; use the linked official pages and the site's calculators, which show their own sources. Shopify's figures come from the calculators linked above.
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Fee types side by side
| Platform | Fee types to include | Calculator on this site | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Monthly plan (Basic, Grow, Advanced, Plus); Shopify Payments card rate (a percentage plus a fixed fee that falls on higher plans); a third-party transaction fee if you use an outside gateway. | Shopify plan cost, Shopify profit | shopify.com/pricing |
| Etsy | As listed on Etsy's Fee Basics page. Our Etsy calculator covers listing, transaction and payment processing fees. | Etsy fee, Etsy Offsite Ads fee | Etsy Fee Basics |
| Amazon | Selling plan fees (Individual and Professional), referral fees, Fulfillment by Amazon costs and optional costs, per Amazon's seller pricing page. | Amazon FBA profit and fee | sell.amazon.com/pricing |
How to compare fairly
- Use one product with one price and one landed cost on every platform, then compare profit per sale rather than fee percentages.
- Count fixed monthly costs separately: Shopify's plan and Amazon's selling plan are monthly, so they matter more at low volume. The Shopify plan cost calculator spreads the plan over your orders.
- Marketplaces bring their own buyers; Shopify does not, so add the advertising or traffic cost you would need on Shopify.
- Shipping, returns and currency conversion differ by platform and are not covered by any fee percentage.
- The marketplace break-even calculator and the payment processor comparison help with the rest.
Sources
- Shopify pricing (retrieved 2026-10): plan subscription, Shopify Payments card rates and third-party transaction fees exist as fee types.
- Amazon: How much does it cost to sell on Amazon (retrieved 2026-10): lists selling plan fees, referral fees, Fulfillment by Amazon costs and optional costs.
- Etsy Fee Basics: the official Etsy fee list. This page could not be fetched automatically when this guide was written, so no Etsy fee names or rates are stated here beyond what the Etsy fee calculator on this site covers.
Rates are as printed on Shopify's regional pricing pages when retrieved in October 2026 and can change at any time; confirm on Shopify before deciding. This is an estimate from the numbers you enter, not advice, and is not affiliated with Shopify.
FAQ
Is Shopify cheaper than Etsy?
It depends on volume and price. Shopify has a monthly plan and card fees; Etsy's fees are on its Fee Basics page. Run the same product through both calculators and compare profit per sale.
Is Shopify cheaper than Amazon?
Amazon charges referral and fulfillment fees per item plus a selling plan; Shopify charges a plan plus card fees. Amazon brings buyers, Shopify does not, so include marketing cost.
Which platform has the lowest fees?
No single platform wins for every product. Low-price items suffer from fixed per-order fees; high-priced items from percentage fees. Compare profit per sale.
Can I sell on all three?
Yes, many sellers do. Price each channel with its own fees so the same product does not lose money on one of them.
Where are the exact Shopify rates?
In the Shopify plan cost and Shopify Payments fees by country calculators on this site, each with its source and retrieval date.