warebywareby vs amazon handmade.
amazon handmade is amazon’s marketplace for approved artisans, shipped nationwide. wareby is only verified local makers within 25 miles of you. here’s how the two compare, sale by sale.
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1at a glance2fees3who can sell4your customers5the ftc case6where the money goes7when amazon handmade wins8questions9sourcesamazon handmade sells approved artisans’ work to shoppers across the country and takes 15% of each sale, shipping included. wareby is only for verified local businesses within 25 miles of the shopper. on a $35 order, amazon handmade takes $5.25 and wareby’s free plan $4.85 (founding shops pay $3.45). amazon handmade doesn’t allow food, so home bakers can’t sell there at all. on wareby they can, with a cottage food registration or a licensed kitchen.
wareby vs amazon handmade at a glance
| what we compared | wareby | amazon handmade |
|---|---|---|
| who sells | only independent local businesses, checked by a real person before they open | artisans approved by amazon, wherever amazon handmade operates |
| who you buy from | a maker within 25 miles of you | a maker who could be anywhere |
| baked goods and food | yes, with a cottage food registration or a licensed kitchen | not allowed |
| to start | free | $39.99 for the first month, then waived while you’re approved |
| sale fee | 10% on the free plan, 8% or 6% on paid plans, plus 3% + 30¢ card processing | 15% of the order, shipping included (card processing included) |
| fees on a $35 order | $4.85 on the free plan, $3.45 for founding shops | $5.25 |
| your customers | your shop link and qr code. on loved, follow-ups and no sale fee on orders through your own link | order messages only: no marketing, and no sending buyers to other sites |
| getting the order | pickup, delivery by the maker, or shipping | shipped, by the maker or by amazon |
| reach | shoppers within 25 miles | “hundreds of millions of shoppers,” in 8 countries |
| who’s behind it | a small company in minneapolis | amazon.com, inc., a public company (nasdaq: amzn) |
marks the better side for local makers and shoppers. fees checked october 12, 2026.
what does it cost to sell on amazon handmade vs wareby?
here’s the same $35 order (before sales tax) on each, from their own fee pages.
| on a $35 order | amazon handmade | wareby free | wareby founding |
|---|---|---|---|
| sale fee | $5.25 | $3.50 | $2.10 |
| card processing | included | $1.35 | $1.35 |
| total fees | $5.25 | $4.85 | $3.45 |
| you keep | $29.75 | $30.15 | $31.55 |
amazon handmade also charges its $39.99 professional plan for your first month, then waives it for as long as you’re approved. founding shops on wareby pay no monthly fee for their first year.
amazon’s 15% also applies to shipping and gift wrap. if you refund an order, amazon keeps part of its fee: the smaller of $5 or 20% of it.
wareby’s paid plans are $29 or $79 a month for more tools, with no contract. see seller plans.
who can sell on amazon handmade?
amazon handmade has a real application. makers describe how they make their products and show their business, and amazon only accepts things made by hand: by a solo maker, a small team or a co-op, with no assembly lines, outsourced production, drop-shipping or reselling. we think that’s the right idea.
two differences matter for a local shop. amazon handmade sellers can be anywhere, and food isn’t allowed at all, so a home baker can’t sell there. on wareby, every shop is within 25 miles of its shoppers, a real person checks the owner’s id, address and any food permit before it opens, and bakers and cooks can sell with a cottage food registration or a licensed kitchen.
who owns the customer?
on amazon, sellers may contact buyers only through amazon’s messages, only about the order, and never to market to them. buyer details are for shipping that order and have to be deleted afterward, and sellers can’t send buyers to other websites.
on wareby, your shop link and qr code are part of your shop, and on the loved plan, orders that come through them have no sale fee. loved also sends follow-ups to past customers by text or email. like amazon, wareby asks shops to use customers’ details only to fill and support their orders.
what is the ftc’s lawsuit against amazon about?
in september 2023, the federal trade commission and a group of states sued amazon, saying it illegally maintains monopoly power. on seller fees, the ftc’s announcement said: “Combined, all of these fees force many sellers to pay close to 50% of their total revenues to Amazon.” amazon disputes the case, which hasn’t gone to trial yet.
that case is about amazon’s main marketplace, where sellers also pay for storage, shipping and advertising. amazon handmade’s 15% is simpler, but it’s the same company.
where does your money go?
on wareby, the maker is within 25 miles of you. wareby keeps its sale fee (6 to 10%), the card processor takes 3% + 30¢, and the rest goes to your neighbor.
civic economics, an economic research firm, surveyed 318 businesses in 20 places between 2012 and 2022. independent retailers put 52.9% of their revenue back into the local economy (local wages, local suppliers, local services and profits spent nearby), compared with 13.6% for chain retailers.
in a 2022 study paid for by the american booksellers association, civic economics estimated that independent bookstores recirculate 29.3% of their revenue locally, compared with 5.8% for amazon.
when is amazon handmade the better pick?
amazon handmade is the better fit if:
- you want shoppers across the country, or in other countries. one approval covers amazon handmade in 8 countries
- you’d rather amazon store and ship your orders for you, through fulfillment by amazon
- your work ships well and your buyers already shop on amazon
if you sell food, or most of your buyers live near you, wareby is built for you.
questions people ask
how much does amazon handmade take?
a 15% referral fee on each sale, shipping and gift wrap included, with card processing built in. the $39.99 monthly professional plan is waived after your first month, for as long as you’re approved.
can i sell baked goods on amazon handmade?
no. amazon handmade doesn’t allow food. on wareby, minnesota home bakers can sell with a cottage food registration, with pickup at their home or delivery by them.
is wareby cheaper than amazon handmade?
on a $35 order, amazon handmade takes $5.25. wareby takes $4.85 on the free plan (10% plus card processing) and $3.45 for founding shops in their first year.
does amazon handmade check its sellers?
yes. makers apply, describe how they make their work and show their business. amazon doesn’t check that they’re near you. wareby does.
can i sell on amazon handmade and wareby at the same time?
yes. wareby doesn’t ask you to sell only on wareby.
what is the ftc’s case against amazon?
in 2023, the ftc and a group of states sued amazon, saying it illegally maintains monopoly power and that its fees force many sellers to pay close to half their revenue to amazon. amazon disputes the case.
sources
- amazon seller central: amazon handmade referral fees
- amazon seller central: amazon handmade
- amazon: sell on amazon handmade
- amazon seller central: selling fee schedule
- amazon seller central: seller code of conduct
- federal trade commission: ftc sues amazon for illegally maintaining monopoly power (2023)
- civic economics: indie impact study series
- civic economics: unfulfilled (2022)
- wareby: seller plans
we checked every fee and fact about amazon handmade on october 12, 2026, on its own pages where it has them. fees change, so check theirs before you decide. spot something out of date? email hello@shopwareby.com and we’ll fix it.
amazon and amazon handmade are trademarks of amazon.com, inc. or its affiliates. wareby isn’t affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by amazon.com, inc.. the opinions here are ours.
we started tandoco, a small bakery in minneapolis, and sold under a blue tent at farmers markets before we built wareby. our story
