If you sell online, the cheapest website is not necessarily the one with the lowest headline commission. A 10% fee on a marketplace that brings buyers may leave you with more money than a free listing that never sells. The right comparison is your net proceeds after selling fees, payment processing, shipping, advertising, subscriptions, returns, and withdrawal charges.
eBay gives most sellers up to 250 zero-insertion-fee listings per month; insertion fees may apply after that. Its final value fee varies by category and is calculated on a broad sale total that can include the item price, buyer-paid shipping, sales tax, and other applicable charges. eBay also charges a per-order fee of $0.30 for orders of $10 or less and $0.40 for orders over $10. The alternatives below can be cheaper in specific categories or selling situations—especially local pickup, clothing, handmade goods, collectibles, and sales to an audience you already have.
At a glance: the cheapest eBay alternatives for sellers
| Website | Main seller-side cost | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook Marketplace | Usually no marketplace fee for local sales; 5% with a $0.40 minimum for qualifying shipped transactions | Bulky goods and local pickup |
| Craigslist | Ordinary local item listings are generally free | Local person-to-person sales |
| OfferUp | Most ordinary item listings are free; local transactions are handled directly | Local used goods |
| Vinted | No seller fee for completed sales | Clothing and supported secondhand categories |
| Depop | U.S. payment processing of 3.3% plus $0.45; no standard selling fee | Fashion and streetwear |
| Mercari | 10% of item price plus buyer-paid shipping | General secondhand merchandise |
| Etsy | $0.20 listing fee plus a 6.5% transaction fee, before processing and other charges | Handmade, vintage, and craft supplies |
| Whatnot | Usually 8% commission plus 2.9% and $0.30 processing | Live selling and collectibles |
| Bonanza | At least 11% plus a $0.25 transaction fee for non-members | General merchandise |
| Ruby Lane | Published example of 5.6%, plus possible monthly account costs | Antiques and collectibles |
| Shopify | Subscription, payment processing, apps, and marketing costs | Sellers with their own audience |
Rates and policies change, so check the platform’s fee page before listing a high-value item. The figures below are the relevant current U.S. terms for comparing seller costs.
1. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is often the cheapest option for furniture, appliances, exercise equipment, and other items that are expensive or inconvenient to ship. With a local pickup sale, you can arrange payment directly with the buyer and avoid an eBay marketplace selling fee.
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On desktop, create a listing through Feed → Marketplace → Create new listing → Item for sale. Add photos and item information, select Next, and publish.
The trade-off is reduced transaction protection. Facebook says shipping and checkout are not available to every user. For qualifying shipped transactions, Meta’s current merchant policy charges individual sellers 5% per transaction, with a $0.40 minimum. That fee is calculated on the transaction amount, including shipping and applicable taxes. Local sales can be cheaper, but you take responsibility for payment, safety, and disputes.
2. Craigslist
Craigslist remains a practical low-cost choice when the buyer can inspect and collect the item. Ordinary for-sale-by-owner item listings are generally free, and there is no standard eBay-style final value fee on a local cash transaction.
Craigslist does not provide the transaction service that eBay does. You handle messages, payment, pickup, refunds, and disagreements yourself. Certain categories—including some vehicle and commercial postings—may have fees, so the claim that every Craigslist listing is free is too broad.
For a safer transaction, meet in a public location where possible, avoid unusual overpayment arrangements, and do not release an item until payment is verified.
3. OfferUp
OfferUp is another useful local marketplace for used furniture, electronics, tools, and household items. Most ordinary item listings can be posted without charge, although fees may apply to certain categories or after a seller uses available free posts.
For a local sale, the buyer and seller can arrange payment directly. OfferUp states that it is not a party to those transactions and cannot provide refunds or returns for them. That makes local OfferUp cheaper than a fee-based shipped marketplace, but it also means less platform-backed protection.
OfferUp accounts are currently limited to people living in the United States or its territories. Compare the local-sale economics separately from shipped sales; shipping fees and platform terms can change the result.
4. Vinted
Vinted is one of the clearest low-fee choices for clothing and other supported secondhand categories. Vinted says sellers pay no fee to upload items or sell them. After a successfully completed sale, the seller receives the full selling price in the Vinted Wallet.
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That does not mean every transaction is cost-free. Optional promotion, seller-funded discounts, and any costs you choose to absorb can reduce your proceeds. Vinted’s buyer fees and shipping rules also affect the total price a shopper sees.
Vinted is not a general eBay replacement. Its advantage is strongest when your inventory fits its audience—such as apparel, shoes, and accessories—and weaker when you are selling unrelated household or specialty goods.
5. Depop
For sellers in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, Depop currently has no standard selling fee. U.S. sellers still pay Depop Payments processing of 3.3% plus $0.45, calculated on the item price, shipping, and applicable taxes.
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On a $100 U.S. sale with no shipping or tax in the calculation, that processing charge would be $3.75. That is substantially below many category-based marketplace commissions, but the fixed $0.45 matters more on inexpensive items.
Promotion can change the calculation. For new U.S. and U.K. listings from March 23, 2026, a sale attributed to Boosted Listings can incur a 12% Boosted Listings fee. Before boosting, decide whether the expected increase in conversion is worth sacrificing 12% of the attributed sale.
6. Mercari
Mercari is a broad secondhand marketplace, but it is not currently a fee-free option. For listings created or updated under the current structure, sellers pay a flat 10% selling fee on the combined item price and buyer-paid shipping.
Mercari removed the separate payment-processing fee for new or updated listings under this structure. Buyers pay a separate 3.6% Buyer Protection fee on the item price plus buyer-paid shipping, which can affect how competitive your listing looks even though it is not deducted from your seller proceeds.
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7. Etsy
Etsy can undercut eBay when you sell handmade products, vintage items, craft supplies, or customized goods. It charges a $0.20 listing fee when a listing is created or renewed, plus a 6.5% transaction fee on the displayed listing price and amounts charged for shipping and gift wrapping.
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For a $100 item, the listing and transaction charges alone would be $6.70 before payment processing, advertising, taxes, or other applicable costs. U.S. sellers do not pay Etsy’s transaction fee on sales tax, but payment-processing fees still apply.
Listings normally expire after four months. Automatic renewal can create another $0.20 fee, and multiple-quantity listings can create additional listing charges as units sell. Etsy is cheaper when your product belongs in its specialist marketplace—not when you are trying to sell ordinary used goods.
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8. Whatnot
Whatnot is built around live selling, so it is most attractive when you can demonstrate products, create urgency, and sell several items during a show. It does not charge fees to create, store, or manage listings.
In the United States, standard seller costs are currently 8% commission on the final sale price plus 2.9% and $0.30 for payment processing on the total order value. Processing can include the item price, buyer-paid shipping, and buyer-paid taxes.
On a $100 order before shipping and tax, the standard charges would be $11.20: $8 commission, $2.90 processing, and the $0.30 fixed charge. Small orders are hit harder by that fixed amount. Some categories have reduced rates; eligible coins and money sales, for example, currently have a 4% commission up to $1,500 under the stated promotion, with 0% commission on the portion above $1,500.
9. Bonanza
Bonanza’s current standard pricing is not the 3.5% rate sometimes quoted in older comparisons. Effective May 1, 2025, it charges an 11% final-value fee plus a $0.25 transaction fee for non-members, with a $0.50 minimum final-value fee.
The Final Offer Value includes the item amount and the portion of shipping above $10. New sellers activating a booth also pay a non-refundable $14.99 setup fee.
More than 50 active listings can trigger a $0.03-per-item monthly listing fee for listings above that threshold, capped at $20 per month. Optional advertising, selected through Selling → Advertise items, can raise the effective fee to a rate between 11% and 30%. Bonanza may reduce listing friction, but its standard transaction cost is not automatically lower than eBay’s.
10. Ruby Lane
Ruby Lane is a specialist marketplace for antiques, collectibles, jewelry, art, and vintage merchandise. Its lower seller percentage can make sense for a valuable collectible that fits its audience.
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11. Shopify
Shopify removes the marketplace final-value fee model, but it does not make selling free. It is a hosted online store, not a marketplace with built-in eBay-style traffic.
Your cost can include a Shopify subscription, payment processing, apps, advertising, shipping, chargebacks, returns, and the cost of acquiring each customer. If you do not use Shopify Payments, Shopify may charge third-party transaction fees in addition to the payment provider’s fees.
To review recurring plan charges in the admin, go to Settings → Plan. Billing details are under Settings → Billing.
Shopify becomes cheaper than eBay when you already have customers through social media, email, search traffic, repeat purchases, or a physical business. If you must buy every visitor through advertising, the marketing cost can exceed the marketplace fee you were trying to avoid. Shopify Tax also has separate pricing rules; for U.S. stores, it is generally free until the applicable $100,000 sales threshold, after which a percentage fee may apply to eligible orders subject to per-order and annual caps.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare your real profit
Use the same sale assumptions on every platform. A simple comparison is:
Net proceeds = item price + buyer-paid shipping − platform fees − payment fees − seller-paid shipping − packaging − advertising − refunds and other selling costs.
For example, before shipping, taxes, and optional promotion, a $100 sale could produce these rough deductions:
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| Platform | Illustrative deduction on $100 | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Depop | $3.75 | 3.3% + $0.45 U.S. processing; shipping and tax can increase the base |
| Mercari | $10 | 10% applies to item price plus buyer-paid shipping |
| Etsy | $6.70 before processing | $0.20 listing fee plus 6.5% transaction fee |
| Whatnot | $11.20 | 8% + 2.9% + $0.30; order total can include shipping and tax |
| Bonanza | $11.25 before advertising | 11% plus $0.25 for a non-member; minimums and shipping rules apply |
That table is not a promise that Depop will always leave you with the most money. A platform with a smaller audience may require paid promotion or a lower selling price. Conversely, a local pickup platform can beat every shipped marketplace because you avoid both shipping and marketplace fees.
What about Poshmark?
Poshmark is frequently included in lists of cheap eBay alternatives, but its current U.S. seller fee does not usually support that claim. Poshmark charges $2.95 for sales under $15 and 20% for sales of $15 or more. The 20% rate can be higher than a standard eBay sale, even before comparing shipping, audience, and service differences.
How eBay’s penalties affect the comparison
Beginning July 1, 2026, eBay’s additional final-value fee rises to 7% for sellers rated Below Standard for four or more consecutive months. Its Very High item-not-as-described penalty rises to 6% after four or more consecutive months.
Accurate descriptions, good photos, reliable handling times, and prompt issue resolution therefore have a direct financial value. Moving to a cheaper platform will not fix losses caused by returns, damaged shipments, or inaccurate listings.
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Which website is cheapest for selling locally?
Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and OfferUp can all be cheaper than eBay for local pickup because ordinary local transactions generally avoid marketplace selling fees. You arrange payment and pickup yourself, so you also receive less platform-backed protection.
Is Vinted really free for sellers?
Vinted says it charges no fee to upload items or sell them, and the seller receives the full selling price in the Vinted Wallet after a completed sale. Optional promotion, seller-funded discounts, shipping choices, and other costs can still reduce your actual profit.
Is Mercari still free to sell on?
No. Under Mercari’s current structure, listings created or updated since January 6, 2025 generally carry a 10% selling fee on the item price plus buyer-paid shipping. Older listings can have different terms until updated.
What is the best eBay alternative for a small business?
It depends on the product and your source of customers. Etsy suits handmade, vintage, and craft products; Depop suits fashion; Ruby Lane suits antiques; Whatnot suits live selling; and Shopify can work for a seller with an existing audience. Compare total net proceeds, not just the commission percentage.
The Bottom Line
For the lowest seller-side cost, start with the platform that matches the sale: local Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or OfferUp for bulky goods; Vinted for supported clothing; Depop for fashion; Etsy for handmade and vintage products; and Ruby Lane for high-value collectibles. Mercari, Whatnot, and Bonanza can still be useful, but their current fees are not negligible.
Shopify is the most different option. It can eliminate marketplace final-value fees, but only makes financial sense when your own audience can generate enough sales to cover the subscription, payment costs, marketing, and store operations. Before switching from eBay, calculate the net amount you would keep on the same item under each platform’s current rules.
Quick Recap
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.
