Complete Platform Fee Guide 2026: Amazon vs TikTok Shop vs Fiverr vs Upwork vs Etsy vs Shopify

Amazon FBA Fees 2026

Amazon charges two types of fees: referral fees (a percentage of the sale price) and FBA fulfillment fees (a flat fee per unit shipped, based on size and weight). The referral fee is 15% for most consumer products, though it varies by category (8% for electronics, 17% for clothing).

Amazon India charges a significantly lower 9% referral fee compared to 15% in the US. However, the Indian market is smaller and competition in domestic categories is intense. For sellers targeting the US market from India, the full 15% applies. EU adds 20% VAT on top of referral fees for B2C sales.

TikTok Shop Fees 2026

TikTok Shop charges a flat 6% referral commission on every completed sale — the lowest of any major marketplace. There are no monthly seller fees or listing fees. However, if you use TikTok's Affiliate Program (where creators earn commission for promoting your products), you set the affiliate rate — typically 10–20%. This makes your effective total cost 16–26% when using affiliates.

• Indonesia and Philippines: Just 2% commission — the lowest TikTok Shop rates globally.
• United States: 6% commission, growing rapidly in 2026.
• UK: 6% commission, with strong beauty and fashion categories.
• No listing fees, no monthly subscription — pure commission model.

Fiverr Fees 2026

Fiverr charges a flat 20% service fee on every completed order, regardless of order size or seller level. This has not changed since Fiverr's early days and applies to all sellers including Top Rated. On $10,000/month gross, Fiverr keeps $2,000. The only way to reduce Fiverr's take is to move repeat clients to direct billing after completing 2+ orders together.

Upwork Fees 2026

Upwork simplified to a flat 10% service fee in 2025 — a major improvement from the old tiered model (20%/10%/5%). This makes Upwork significantly more competitive for high-value contracts. On $10,000/month, Upwork now takes $1,000 vs Fiverr's $2,000 — a $12,000/year difference at that revenue level.

Etsy Fees 2026

Etsy has three separate fees: $0.20 listing fee per item (renewed every 4 months), 6.5% transaction fee on the total sale price, and 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee. Combined effective rate: 9.7–10.2% on most digital sales. This is higher than it appears because the listing fee is charged on creation, not just on sale.

Shopify (Dropshipping) Fees 2026

Shopify Basic costs $32/month and charges a 2% transaction fee on all sales unless you use Shopify Payments (which eliminates the 2% but charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction instead). At $10,000/month revenue using Shopify Payments, payment processing costs $290 + $3/month fee = $293. Using Shopify Payments is almost always the better choice for active stores.

Which Platform Has the Lowest Fees Overall?

• Lowest for services: Upwork at 10% — especially strong for contracts above $500.
• Lowest for physical products: TikTok Shop at 6% (without affiliates) or Shopify with Shopify Payments at ~3%.
• Lowest for digital products: Shopify/Gumroad at 0–5% vs Etsy's 9.7%.
• Best for beginners: Fiverr (despite 20% fee) due to inbound buyer discovery — you pay for the distribution.

“Platform fees are not just a cost — they are the price of distribution. The question is whether the platform's audience is worth the fee. Often it is at the start, rarely forever.”