TikTok Shop vs Etsy vs Amazon: compare seller economics, not just headline fees
Headline marketplace fees are only one part of contribution margin. TikTok is unusually sensitive to creator commission, Amazon to fulfillment and ads, and Etsy to transaction, listing and optional advertising costs. Use the table as a planning framework, then plug your own real costs into each channel.
| TikTok Shop | Etsy | Amazon FBA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform commission | 6% standard US · 9% standard UK/EU | Transaction + listing fees | Category referral fee |
| Creator / acquisition layer | Creator affiliate commission and/or ads | Search + optional ads | Search + PPC |
| Fulfillment | FBT or seller fulfillment depending on market/account | Usually seller-arranged | FBA or merchant fulfilled |
| Processing | No universal extra UK/EU processing charge assumed by this site | Varies by country/payment setup | Included in marketplace settlement structure |
| Best comparison metric | Net profit / order after creator + fulfillment | Net profit / order after listing + payment + shipping | Net profit / order after referral + FBA + PPC |
Marketplace fee schedules and account programs change. Verify each platform's current seller dashboard before making permanent pricing decisions.
The useful question: which channel leaves the best contribution margin?
A lower marketplace commission does not automatically mean a more profitable channel. If a TikTok sale needs a high creator commission and paid acquisition, those costs can outweigh the platform-rate advantage. Likewise, a higher Amazon referral fee may be offset by stronger purchase intent on some products. Compare your real net profit per order, not marketing-page percentages.
Start with the TikTok Shop profit calculator, then compare the resulting contribution margin against your actual Etsy or Amazon order economics.