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Marginory

Etsy Break-Even Calculator (2026)

Find the minimum listing price and units needed to cover all costs on Etsy — including the 6.5% transaction fee and Etsy Payments processing.

By Content reviewed

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Break-Even Analysis

Break-even price (per unit)$9.34
Contribution margin per unit$14.18

Etsy break-even formula (2026)

Break-even price: (Product cost + Shipping + Packaging + $0.25) / (1 − 6.5% − 3%)
Contribution margin: Sale price − Product cost − Etsy transaction fee − Payment fee
Break-even units: Monthly fixed costs / Contribution margin per unit

Assumptions

  • Etsy transaction fee: 6.5% of sale price
  • Etsy Payments (US): 3% + $0.25 per transaction
  • Listing fee ($0.20) not included in formula — add to product cost if needed
  • Offsite Ads not included — add 12% or 15% to platform fee rate if applicable

Source: etsy.com/legal/fees/ · Last verified: 2026-10-11

Etsy break-even price by total cost

Minimum viable listing price at different cost levels (US fees, free shipping to buyer, 0% profit):

Total cost (product + shipping + packaging)Break-even priceEtsy fees at that price
$5.00$5.80$0.80
$8.00$9.12$1.12
$12.00$13.54$1.54
$15.00$16.85$1.85
$20.00$22.38$2.38
$30.00$33.43$3.43

Break-even = (Cost + $0.25) / (1 − 6.5% − 3%). Anything below this price loses money before you even count your time. Rates verified October 2026.

Review the market, fee bases and exclusions shown with this tool. Published rates and illustrative cost inputs have different certainty. Compare your breakdown with an actual order statement. Sources and methodology.

Related Tools

Does Etsy charge fees on shipping?Is Etsy Offsite Ads worth it?Etsy Profit CalculatorEtsy Fee CalculatorEtsy Pricing Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Etsy break-even price?
The break-even price is the minimum you must charge to cover all costs with $0 profit. Formula: (Product cost + Shipping + $0.25) / (1 − 9.5%). Example: ($10 product + $5 shipping + $0.25) / 0.905 = $16.85. Charge less than this and you lose money.
How many sales do I need to cover my Etsy startup costs?
Break-even units = Fixed costs / Contribution margin per order. Contribution margin = Sale price − variable costs (Etsy fees + product cost + shipping). If you have $500 in equipment costs and earn $8 contribution margin per order, you need 63 sales to break even.
What costs should I include in my Etsy break-even calculation?
Variable costs per order: materials, packaging, shipping label, the $0.20 listing fee, and Etsy's fees (6.5% transaction + 3% + $0.25 payment processing). Fixed costs to recover: equipment, tools, software subscriptions, photography props, and initial inventory. Many sellers forget packaging and the listing fee — they add up at volume.
Does the $0.20 Etsy listing fee change my break-even price?
Slightly. Adding $0.20 to your costs raises the break-even price by $0.20 / 0.905 ≈ $0.22. For a $15 product it's negligible, but for low-priced items like stickers or digital downloads under $5, the listing fee is a meaningful percentage — always include it.
How do Etsy Offsite Ads change break-even?
If a sale comes through Offsite Ads, Etsy adds a 12% or 15% fee on that order. Your break-even price for those orders becomes (Costs + $0.25) / (1 − 9.5% − 12%) — roughly 15% higher. If more than ~20% of your orders come from Offsite Ads, price with the ad fee built in rather than treating it as an exception.