Comparison · niche
eBay vs Reverb
Which marketplace has lower fees for resellers — and when does each one win?
For music gear specifically: eBay's massive general audience versus Reverb's specialized instrument-and-gear marketplace (and its lower 5% selling fee).
Net payout at common sale prices
| Sale price | eBay fees | eBay net | Reverb fees | Reverb net | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25.00 | −$3.80 · 15.2% | $21.20 | −$2.54 · 10.2% | $22.46 | +$1.26 |
| $50.00 | −$7.20 · 14.4% | $42.80 | −$4.59 · 9.2% | $45.41 | +$2.61 |
| $100.00 | −$14.00 · 14.0% | $86.00 | −$8.68 · 8.7% | $91.32 | +$5.32 |
| $250.00 | −$34.40 · 13.8% | $215.60 | −$20.97 · 8.4% | $229.03 | +$13.43 |
| $500.00 | −$68.40 · 13.7% | $431.60 | −$41.44 · 8.3% | $458.56 | +$26.96 |
| $1,000.00 | −$136.40 · 13.6% | $863.60 | −$82.39 · 8.2% | $917.61 | +$54.01 |
Net payout = sale price + shipping charged − platform fees. Both platforms calculated with default options and no shipping charged to buyer.
Fee structure
eBay
Open calculator →Auctions and fixed-price marketplace for general goods
- The Final Value Fee (FVF) is calculated on the total amount the buyer pays — item price + shipping + handling + sales tax.
- Per-order fee is tiered: $0.30 on orders of $10.00 or less and $0.40 on orders over $10.00. It is charged once per buyer purchase regardless of how many items are in the order, and is waived entirely on Athletic Shoes sold at $150 or more.
- When the buyer's registered address is outside the US, eBay adds an international fee of 1.65% to the entire order total.
- Promoted Listings Standard charges your chosen ad rate only when the sale is attributed to a click on the ad within the last 30 days.
Reverb
Open calculator →Marketplace for musical instruments and music gear
- Reverb charges a 5% selling fee on the total sale amount, including the shipping the buyer pays.
- Payment processing through Reverb Payments is 3.19% + $0.49 per transaction — noticeably higher than the 2.9% + $0.30 most fee guides quote. Reverb Preferred Sellers pay 2.99% + $0.49.
- The 5% selling fee has a floor and a ceiling: minimum $0.50, and it caps at $500 once the sale passes $10,000.
- Cross-border orders can add a further 1%. Transactions inside the EEA count as domestic and are exempt.
Audience & fit
Reverb's 5% selling fee is far below eBay's 13.6% general rate, and its buyers are musicians who know what they're looking at — listings convert at fair market value with less price education. eBay wins on raw reach and for gear that crosses over into general-buyer territory (vintage audio, collectible pieces). For working instruments and pedals, Reverb's lower fees and targeted audience usually net more.
The bottom line
For music gear specifically, Reverb's fee advantage is large: a 5% selling fee versus eBay's 13.6% general rate. On a $600 pedal that's roughly $50 more kept per sale on Reverb — before you even count the audience difference.
And the audience favors Reverb too, for working gear. Its buyers are musicians who know exactly what a given instrument, amp, or pedal is worth, so listings convert at fair market value with far less price education than eBay's general crowd needs. eBay's edge is raw reach and crossover demand — vintage audio and collectible or rare pieces that pull in general buyers and collectors beyond the musician niche can realize more there.
For working instruments, pedals, and standard gear, Reverb's lower fees and targeted buyers usually net more. Reserve eBay for the crossover and collectible pieces where its far larger, non-musician audience bids the price up enough to beat Reverb's fee savings.
Frequently asked
How are eBay seller fees calculated?
eBay charges a Final Value Fee (FVF) as a percentage of the total amount the buyer pays — item price plus shipping plus handling plus sales tax. The FVF rate varies by category (13.6% for most categories, 13.25% for trading cards, 8% for Athletic Shoes over $150, 15.3% for books/movies/music, 15% for jewelry, lower rates for heavy equipment). eBay also adds a per-order fee of $0.30 on orders up to $10.00 and $0.40 above that, and a 1.65% international fee if the buyer is outside the US.
Does eBay charge fees on shipping?
Yes. The Final Value Fee is applied to the item price plus the shipping the buyer pays, so charging more for shipping does not save you fees — it just shifts which line item the fees come from. Free shipping (where shipping is built into the item price) results in the same total fees.
What are Reverb's seller fees?
A 5% selling fee on the item price plus the shipping the buyer pays, and 3.19% + $0.49 payment processing through Reverb Payments — not the 2.9% + $0.30 most fee guides quote. On a $300 item with $25 shipping that's $16.25 plus $10.86, about $27 total or roughly 8.3% effective. The selling fee has a $0.50 floor and caps at $500 once a sale passes $10,000. Reverb Preferred Sellers pay 2.99% + $0.49 processing instead.
Who owns Reverb?
Not Etsy any more. Etsy bought Reverb in 2019 but sold it in April 2025 to a group comprising Servco — majority shareholder of Fender — and Creator Partners, which also owns SoundCloud and BMI. Reverb is privately held and independently operated again, with its own fee structure, policies and buyer base.
More comparisons
See all comparisons →Want to run the numbers on your specific sale?