Everyone asks "which platform should I sell on?" but nobody talks about the actual costs and realistic earnings. Let me break it down.
💰 Startup Costs
- Amazon FBA: $2,000–$5,000 minimum (product sourcing, UPC codes, shipping to warehouse, PPC ads). You're not getting anywhere with less.
- Etsy: $50–$200 (listing fees at $0.20/item, some basic tools). If you're doing
Selling Printables on Etsy, your startup cost is basically $0. - Shopify: $39/month + $500–$2,000 for ads/theme/apps. The platform is cheap but customer acquisition isn't.
📊 Fee Comparison
- Amazon: 15% referral fee + FBA fees ($3–$5/unit avg) + storage fees. On a $25 product, you're losing $8–$10 to Amazon.
- Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee + 3% payment processing + $0.25/listing. Roughly 10% total.
- Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (with Shopify Payments). Lowest fees but no built-in traffic.
🚀 Where Real People Are Making Money
- Amazon FBA works best if you have $3K+ to invest and want to scale fast. Average successful seller does $1K–$5K/month profit after 6 months.
- Etsy is the best for creatives, digital products, and low-risk entry. Top printable sellers make $2K–$10K/month with near-zero costs.
- Shopify is ideal if you already have an audience or are good at paid ads. Without traffic, it's an expensive ghost town.
My Take
If you're starting with under $500, go Etsy. If you have $3K+ and want a real product business, Amazon FBA. Shopify only makes sense if you're already driving traffic from content or ads.
The biggest mistake I see? People picking the "coolest" platform instead of the one that matches their budget and skills.
Which platform are you selling on (or thinking about)? What's been your experience with fees vs. actual profit?