warebythe best platforms to sell on in 2026, by what you make
there’s no single best place to sell. there’s a best place for what you make and who buys it. here’s how eight platforms compare, with what each one takes from the same $35 sale.
in this post
1quick picks2how to choose3the platforms4fees on a $35 sale5marketplace or your own store6selling food7questions8sourcesthe best platform depends on two things: who’s buying, and who brings them to you. to sell handmade things to buyers anywhere, etsy has the most of them (86.5 million active buyers). to run your own store for customers you already have, shopify or square online’s free plan cost the least per sale. to sell food, or anything else, to people near you, wareby lists your shop for shoppers within 25 miles, and hotplate works well for drops to a following you’ve built. most makers end up on two: one where new people find them, and one they own.
which platform should you sell on?
start with the row that sounds like you:
| if you… | start with | why |
|---|---|---|
| sell handmade things that ship, to buyers anywhere | etsy | the biggest handmade marketplace, with 86.5 million active buyers |
| sell to people in your own town, and want new ones to find you | wareby | only verified local shops, shown to shoppers within 25 miles |
| already have customers and want your own store | shopify | full control and low per-sale fees, for $39 a month |
| sell at markets with a card reader and want online orders too | square online | a free plan, with online and in-person sales in one place |
| sell food in drops to a following you already have | hotplate | preorder windows, and a text to followers each time you post |
| want amazon’s shoppers for your handmade work | amazon handmade | a reviewed application and a huge audience, for 15% a sale |
| sell vintage, used or collectible things | ebay | buyers searching for specific items, for 13.6% a sale plus 40¢ |
| are clearing out your own things, one at a time | facebook marketplace | free for local pickup |
how do you choose where to sell?
four questions sort it out fast:
- who’s buying? people near you, or people anywhere? local buyers can pick up and come back every week. buyers far away mean shipping, and a platform with reach.
- does it travel? cakes, flowers and big pottery don’t ship well, and many states limit shipping homemade food. if it can’t travel, sell where people can pick it up.
- who brings the customers? a marketplace brings shoppers and takes a bigger cut. your own store costs less per sale, but every visitor is one you sent.
- what does it cost at your size? a percentage is cheap while sales are small. a monthly fee gets cheaper as you grow. the table below runs the same $35 sale through each one.
the best platforms to sell on, compared
ordered from closest to home to farthest reach, not best to worst. every fee is from the company’s own pages, and we make wareby, so weigh our take on it with that in mind.
wareby
best for: local makers who want people nearby to find them and order ahead
- what it costs
- free to open. 10% + 3% + 30¢ a sale on the free plan
- who finds you
- shoppers within 25 miles, plus your own link
how wareby compareswhat’s good- only verified, independent local shops: a real person checks each one
- pickup windows and your own delivery area built in
- one cart across shops, so neighbors can order from several makers at once
- no listing fees, no ad fees, no service fee for shoppers
watch out for- a sale fee on every order, higher than running your own store
- it’s new, so there are fewer shoppers today than on the giant platforms
facebook marketplace
best for: one-off local sales, like clearing out your own things
- what it costs
- free for local pickup. 10% (80¢ minimum) when shipped
- who finds you
- anyone nearby browsing marketplace
wareby vs facebook marketplacewhat’s good- free to list for local pickup
- a huge audience in almost every town
watch out for- anyone can list, and sellers type in their own location
- purchase protection doesn’t cover local pickup
- listings, not a shop: no home for your business
hotplate
best for: chefs and bakers who sell in drops to a following they already have
- what it costs
- $0 a month. you pay 2.9% + 30¢, customers pay 5% + 55¢
- who finds you
- your own followers, through your link
wareby vs hotplatewhat’s good- built around preorder windows and pickup times
- followers get a text every time you post a menu
- instant or next-day payouts
watch out for- not a marketplace: it won’t bring you new customers
- customers pay a service fee on every order by default
square online
best for: market vendors and cafes who already use a square card reader
- what it costs
- free plan: 3.3% + 30¢ a sale. plus: $49 a month
- who finds you
- people you send to your site
wareby vs square onlinewhat’s good- a real free plan, with pickup and local delivery
- online and in-person sales in one account
watch out for- the free plan shows square’s branding and can’t use your own domain
- retail preorders need plus, at $49 a month
shopify
best for: sellers with their own audience who want full control
- what it costs
- $39 a month ($29 billed yearly) + 2.9% + 30¢ a sale
- who finds you
- people you send to your site
wareby vs shopifywhat’s good- your own brand, design and web address
- low per-sale fees as you grow
- local pickup, local delivery and in-person selling included
watch out for- you bring every visitor
- a monthly fee from the start, plus paid themes and apps if you want them
etsy
best for: handmade, vintage and craft supplies that ship well
- what it costs
- 20¢ a listing + 6.5% + 3% + 25¢ a sale
- who finds you
- 86.5 million active buyers, worldwide
wareby vs etsywhat’s good- the biggest audience for handmade
- buyers already searching for what you make
watch out for- a 15% fee when an etsy offsite ad brings the sale (12%, and required, over $10,000 a year)
- 5.6 million other active sellers
- no links or qr codes that lead off etsy
amazon handmade
best for: approved artisans who want amazon’s shoppers
- what it costs
- 15% a sale, card processing included, after a $39.99 first month
- who finds you
- amazon shoppers in 8 countries
wareby vs amazon handmadewhat’s good- a real application keeps it handmade
- amazon can store and ship your orders, if you want
watch out for- no food at all
- messages to buyers only about the order, never marketing
ebay
best for: vintage, used and collectible things
- what it costs
- 13.6% of the sale + 40¢ an order (30¢ on orders of $10 or less)
- who finds you
- buyers searching for specific items
what’s good- 250 free listings a month
- buyers who search for exactly what you have
watch out for- the 13.6% counts shipping and sales tax too
- 35¢ a listing after your first 250 each month
what does each platform take from a $35 sale?
the same $35 order (before sales tax), run through each platform’s published fees, card processing included:
| platform | fees | you keep | monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| facebook marketplace, local pickup | $0 | $35.00 | $0 |
| square online, free plan | $1.46 | $33.54 | $0 |
| shopify basic | $1.32 | $33.68 | $39 |
| hotplate | $1.32 | $33.68 | $0 |
| wareby, founding shops | $3.45 | $31.55 | $0 |
| etsy | $3.78 | $31.22 | $0 |
| wareby, free plan | $4.85 | $30.15 | $0 |
| ebay | $5.16 | $29.84 | $0 |
| amazon handmade | $5.25 | $29.75 | $39.99 first month |
| etsy, when an offsite ad brought the sale | $9.03 | $25.97 | $0 |
a few things the table can’t show. hotplate’s customers pay $2.30 on top of the $35 by default. facebook marketplace’s $0 is for cash or app payments at pickup, which purchase protection doesn’t cover. ebay’s 13.6% also counts shipping and sales tax. and shopify’s $39 a month comes out whether you sell or not: against wareby’s free plan, it pays for itself once you sell about $390 a month. one in wareby’s favor: its fees are on the items only, so the delivery or shipping you charge is all yours.
should you sell on a marketplace or your own store?
a marketplace is a busy street: shoppers are already walking by, and the rent is a cut of each sale. your own store is a shop on a quiet road: the rent is lower, but nobody comes unless you send them.
that’s why most makers end up with both: a marketplace where new people find them, and a store or link of their own for regulars. on wareby those can be the same place. shoppers within 25 miles find your shop, your shop link is yours to share, and on the loved plan, orders through your own link have no sale fee. more on what your own store really costs.
what’s the best platform to sell food?
most big marketplaces aren’t built for it: amazon handmade doesn’t allow food at all, and many states limit shipping homemade food, so food sells best close to home. hotplate and square online take orders for pickup from people who already know you. wareby adds shoppers within 25 miles who are looking for bakers and cooks near them. how to sell food online from home.
questions people ask
what is the best platform to sell on?
it depends on who’s buying. etsy is best for handmade things that ship to buyers anywhere. shopify and square online are best when you bring your own customers. wareby is best for selling to people near you, with shoppers within 25 miles finding your shop.
what’s the cheapest platform to sell on?
per sale, facebook marketplace (free for local pickup) and store builders like square online’s free plan (3.3% + 30¢) or shopify (2.9% + 30¢, plus $39 a month). they don’t bring you customers, though. marketplaces that do, like etsy and wareby, take more of each sale.
what’s the best platform for beginners?
one with no monthly fee that brings shoppers to you, so you learn what sells before paying for a store. wareby is free to open, with no listing fees. etsy charges 20¢ a listing, and many new shops pay a one-time set-up fee.
can i sell on more than one platform?
yes, and most makers do. keep your prices and stock in sync, and check each platform’s rules: etsy, for example, doesn’t allow links or qr codes that send buyers off etsy. wareby doesn’t ask you to sell only on wareby.
what’s the best platform to sell handmade items?
etsy has the most handmade buyers, shipped anywhere. amazon handmade reaches amazon shoppers. wareby is for buyers who live near you. here are the etsy alternatives, compared.
what’s the best platform to sell food from home?
one built for pickup and local delivery, since many states limit shipping homemade food. hotplate and square online take orders from customers you already have, and wareby adds shoppers within 25 miles. amazon handmade doesn’t allow food.
sources
- etsy: fees & payments policy
- etsy, inc.: 2025 annual report (form 10-k)
- etsy: off-platform transactions policy
- amazon seller central: amazon handmade referral fees
- amazon seller central: amazon handmade
- ebay: selling fees
- facebook help center: selling fees on marketplace
- facebook help center: purchase protection
- hotplate help center: understanding hotplate’s pricing
- hotplate blog: what hotplate does
- square: online store plans
- shopify: pricing
- wareby: seller plans
we checked every fee and fact about other companies on october 12, 2026, on their own pages. fees change, so check theirs before you decide. spot something out of date? email hello@shopwareby.com and we’ll fix it.
etsy, shopify, square online, hotplate, amazon handmade, ebay, big cartel, wix, squarespace and facebook marketplace are trademarks of their owners. wareby isn’t affiliated with any of them, and we make wareby, so weigh our opinions with that in mind.
we started tandoco, a small bakery in minneapolis, and sold under a blue tent at farmers markets before we built wareby. our story
