Depop takes a flat 10% commission on every sale. No exceptions. eBay's standard rate is 13.6% plus $0.40 per order—but vintage clothing sellers pay 15.0%. That's a 5.0% gap before you even factor in payment processing.
The Core Fee Structures
Both platforms have moved to all-in fee models. You can't avoid payment processing by using external services anymore.
Depop's Simple Model
Depop charges 10% of the total transaction, including shipping. Payment processing is bundled. No per-order fees. No category exceptions.
When you sell a vintage jacket for $80 with $8 shipping, Depop takes $8.80. You receive $79.20.
eBay's Layered Model
eBay uses category-specific rates. Most items fall under 13.6%. Clothing—the backbone of vintage reselling—sits at 15.0%. Sports sneakers get a better deal at 8.0%.
Every order adds a fixed $0.40 charge. This hits low-price items harder.
Total Fee = (Sale Price × Category Rate) + $0.40
The same $80 jacket with $8 shipping costs you $13.60 in fees (15% of $80, plus $0.40). You receive $74.40.
Use our eBay profit calculator to run your specific numbers across different price points.
Category-by-Category Breakdown
The vintage clothing marketplace is where these platforms compete most directly. Here's how fees stack up across common reseller categories.
| Item Type | Sale Price | Depop Fee | eBay Fee | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vintage T-shirt | $25 | $2.50 | $4.15 | Depop |
| Designer Jeans | $75 | $7.50 | $11.65 | Depop |
| Vintage Sneakers | $120 | $12.00 | $10.00 | eBay |
| Leather Jacket | $200 | $20.00 | $30.40 | Depop |
| Electronics (Standard) | $150 | $15.00 | $20.80 | Depop |
Pattern: Depop wins on clothing. eBay wins on categories with reduced rates like sneakers.
Hidden Costs and Edge Cases
eBay Store Subscriptions
eBay offers fee discounts through paid store tiers. These reduce your final value fee but add monthly overhead.
- Starter: $4.95/mo, saves 2% on FVF · 100 free listings
- Basic: $21.95/mo, saves 4% on FVF · 500 free listings
- Premium: $59.95/mo, saves 5% on FVF · 2,000 free listings
- Anchor: $499.95/mo, saves 7% on FVF · unlimited listings
A Basic store costs $21.95/mo and cuts 15.0% down to 11.0%. You need to sell roughly $550/month in clothing to break even on the subscription alone.
Store subscriptions only pay off when you're moving consistent volume. Below 30 sales per month, the math rarely works.
International Sales
eBay adds a 1.65% surcharge on international transactions. Depop has no explicit international fee, but currency conversion spreads can eat 2–3%.
Promoted Listings
eBay Promoted Listings Standard charges 2–15% ad rates on top of final value fees. Depop Boost costs vary but typically run 5–8% for featured placement.
Neither platform includes promotion costs in their base fee structure. Budget separately.
Returns and Chargebacks
eBay refunds final value fees on returns initiated through their system. Depop refunds the 10% commission but not payment processing fees (around 2.9% lost).
Chargeback fees run $20 on eBay. Depop passes through Stripe's chargeback fees, typically $15.
The Low-Price Item Penalty
eBay's $0.40 per-order fee creates a steep effective rate on cheap items. This is where Depop vs eBay seller economics diverge most.
Depop: $1.00 fee (10%)
eBay: $1.90 fee (19.0% effective rate)
The fixed fee pushes eBay's effective rate to 19.0%. Depop stays at 10%.
Below $15, Depop almost always costs less. Above $50, eBay's category advantages start to matter.
Audience and Conversion Impact
Fees are only half the equation. Traffic quality and conversion rates shift the real profitability picture.
Depop's Younger Demographic
Depop skews 18–26 years old. Browse behavior is Instagram-like. Users expect curated vintage, Y2K, streetwear. Price sensitivity is high but brand loyalty runs deep.
Conversion rates for well-photographed, on-trend items can hit 8–12%. Generic or poorly styled listings get buried.
eBay's Broader Reach
eBay pulls older buyers with higher spending power. Search is keyword-driven. Auction format still exists but Buy It Now dominates resale.
Average order values run 30–40% higher than Depop for comparable vintage items. Conversion rates sit lower (3–6%) but traffic volume compensates.
Speed to Payment
Depop pays out instantly to your bank account once the buyer confirms delivery (or after 10 days automatically). No holds for new sellers after initial verification.
eBay holds funds for new sellers until tracking shows delivery plus one day. Established sellers get payouts daily. Managed Payments deposits hit accounts within 2 business days.
Cash flow advantage: Depop by 1–2 days on average.
Listing Effort and Overhead
Depop requires high-quality photos—minimum four, ideally modeled. Descriptions are short but styling context matters. Hashtags drive discovery.
eBay rewards detailed specs. Measurements, material composition, condition notes. Title keyword optimization is critical. Photography standards are lower but consistency helps.
Time per listing: Depop averages 8–10 minutes for styled shoots. eBay runs 5–7 minutes for spec-focused listings.
Multi-Platform Strategy
Most successful vintage clothing resellers cross-post. List on both platforms, delist when one sells. This maximizes reach but doubles listing time.
Crossposting tools (like Vendoo or List Perfectly) cost $20–50/month but cut redundant work by 60%.
Strategic split: Use Depop for trendy, styled pieces under $75. Use eBay for niche collectibles, higher-end vintage, and items over $100.
The Final Math
For a reseller moving 50 vintage clothing items per month at an average $40 sale price:
Depop Fees: $200 (10% flat)
eBay Fees (no store): $320.00 (15.0% + $0.40 × 50)
eBay Fees (Basic store): $261.95 (11.0% + fees + subscription)
Winner: Depop saves $120.00/month vs eBay without store.
Once you add eBay's broader audience and higher average order value, the gap narrows. eBay sellers often report 20–30% higher realized prices on equivalent items.
Run your own numbers through the eBay profit calculator with your actual sale prices and volume. Fee percentages matter less than final dollars in your account.
Choose Depop when you're building a brand around curated vintage style and engaging a younger audience. Choose eBay when you're scaling volume, selling diverse inventory, or targeting collectors willing to pay premium prices. Or do both and let the data decide which platform earns your focus.