The Honest Comparison

See exactly what each platform costs, what they take, and what you actually keep. No marketing spin — just facts.

🛒 Etsy 📱 Facebook Marketplace 🪺 Makers Nest

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Everything you need to know, side by side

Feature Etsy FB Marketplace Makers Nest
💰 Fees & Costs
Listing fees $0.20 per item Free ✓ Free
Transaction fee 6.5% 5% (shipped only)
Founding/Early: 5% shipped only
Basic: 9% / Pro: 7%
Porch pickup: $0 all tiers!
Payment processing 3% + $0.25 2.9% + $0.30 2.9% + $0.50
Forced offsite ads 12-15% (can't opt out over $10K) No ✓ Never
Porch pickup fee ✗ Not available Free ✓ $0 all tiers!
Monthly subscription $0 (Plus: $10/mo) Free
Founding: $0 forever + 1yr Pro free
Early: $0 forever + 6mo Pro free
Basic: $10 / Pro: $15
🛡️ Trust & Safety
Seller verification ✗ None ⚠ Basic ID only ✓ 60-sec video verification
Dropshipper control Rampant N/A (no handmade focus) ✓ Blocked by verification
Scam protection ⚠ Basic 62% scam rate ✓ Verified makers + secure pickup
Porch / local pickup ✗ N/A ⚠ Informal only ✓ Built-in with QR confirmation
💨 Payments & Payouts
Payment hold period 45-90 days 15-20 days ✓ 7 days max
Custom order protection ⚠ Favors buyers ✗ None ✓ Milestone-based protection
Buyer no-show policy ✗ N/A ✗ You lose ✓ Maker keeps payment
🔍 Discovery & Ranking
Search algorithm Black box / pay-to-win Engagement-based ✓ Transparent ranking
Local discovery ✗ Limited Yes (primary focus) ✓ 50km hyperlocal
Handmade focus ⚠ Diluted by dropshippers ✗ Everything mixed ✓ 100% verified handmade
🤝 Support & Experience
Customer support Bots / ticket system Virtually none ✓ Real humans
Seller education ⚠ Generic articles ✗ None ✓ Maker resources
Canadian-focused ✗ US-centric ⚠ Global ✓ Built in Canada, for Canadians

The Numbers Don't Lie

Real statistics about each platform

🛒

Etsy

22%
Average fee on a $50 sale
Dropped from 9M to 5.6M active sellers. GMV fell from $13.5B to $10.9B.
📱

Facebook Marketplace

62%
Reported scam rate
No seller verification. No buyer protection. No secure pickup system.
🪺

Makers Nest

~8%
Early Maker total fees
100% verified makers. 7-day payouts. Porch pickup with QR confirmation. Human support.

💰 See What You Actually Keep

Enter your sale details to compare fees across platforms

Etsy (with offsite ads)

Listing fee-$0.20
Transaction (6.5%)-$3.90
Payment (3% + $0.25)-$2.05
Offsite ads (12%)-$7.20
Total fees:
-$13.35
You keep: $46.65

FB Marketplace (shipped)

Listing feeFree
Transaction (5%)-$3.00
Payment (2.9% + $0.30)-$2.04
Scam risk⚠️ High
Total fees:
-$5.04
You keep: $54.96

Makers Nest

Listing feeFree
Transaction (5%)-$3.00
Payment (2.9% + $0.50)-$2.24
Offsite adsNever
Total fees:
-$5.24
You keep: $54.76

Switch to Makers Nest and save $8.11 per sale — that's $973/year on just 10 sales/month vs Etsy

Why Makers Are Leaving

The problems that drove us to build something better

💸

Death by Fees Etsy

Listing fees. Transaction fees. Payment processing fees. And if you sell over $10K, you can't opt out of offsite ads that take another 12-15%.

Up to 22%
taken from each sale
✓ MN: 5-8% total fees
🤖

Dropshipper Invasion Etsy

Search "handmade" and find mass-produced imports from overseas warehouses. Real makers get buried under fake shops with infinite inventory.

5.6M → 9M
sellers fled (40% drop)
✓ MN: Video verification blocks fakes
🎭

Scam Central Facebook Marketplace

No verification. No protection. Buyers ghost, sellers flake, and meeting strangers in parking lots isn't exactly safe.

62%
reported scam rate
✓ MN: Verified makers + porch pickup
⏳

Payment Hostage Etsy

Your money. Their schedule. Wait 45-90 days for YOUR earnings while Etsy collects interest on millions of dollars.

45-90 days
to access your money
✓ MN: 7 days max payout

Why Makers Are Switching

Built different. Built for you.

💰

Keep More Money

Save $8-15 per sale compared to Etsy. That's hundreds (or thousands) more in your pocket every year.

🛡️

Real Protection

Verified makers only. SafeSpot meetups. Custom order milestones. Protection that actually protects.

🇨🇦

Canadian-First

Built in BC. Designed for Canadian makers. Local discovery that actually works for your community.

I calculated what Etsy took from me last year — over $2,400 in fees. With Makers Nest, I would have kept almost $1,800 more. That's a new Cricut and then some.

✂️

Rebecca M.

Paper Crafter, Edmonton

Ready to Sell the Right Way?

Lock in $0/month forever + 6 months FREE Pro features as an Early Maker. $0 porch pickup, only 5% on shipped orders.

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