eBay vs Facebook Marketplace: where should you sell?

Deciding whether to list your items on eBay or Facebook Marketplace depends entirely on what you are selling and how you want to handle delivery. eBay offers a massive national audience and structured shipping tools, while Facebook Marketplace shines for local cash sales and bulky items. This guide breaks down the key differences to help you choose the right platform.

Side by side

	eBay	Facebook Marketplace
Seller fees (approx.)	About 13–15% final value fee on most categories plus a small per-order fee; lower for some electronics	Free for local pickup; shipped orders pay a percentage selling fee
Best for	Electronics, collectibles, parts and anything with national demand	Furniture, appliances, phones and anything bulky sold locally for cash
Local pickup	Yes	Yes
Shipping	Yes	Yes
Where	US, CA and worldwide	US, CA and many others

Fees change often. Check the official pages: eBay fees · Facebook Marketplace fees

Understanding Selling Fees

Fees play a major role in your final profit margins when selling online. On eBay, sellers typically face a final value fee of about 13 to 15 percent on most categories, plus a small per-order fee, though rates can be lower for certain electronics. In contrast, Facebook Marketplace is completely free for local pickup transactions where you exchange cash in person. However, if you choose to ship items through Facebook, you will pay a percentage selling fee on those shipped orders.

eBay charges 13-15 percent on most categories
Facebook Marketplace is free for local pickup
Shipped Facebook orders include a selling fee
Review category-specific fee structures before listing

Best Items for eBay

eBay excels when you are selling items that require a national or global audience to find the right buyer. It is the premier marketplace for electronics, collectibles, auto parts, and niche goods that might have very few local buyers. Because the platform connects you with millions of active users across the United States, Canada, and worldwide, specialized or rare items generally sell faster and command better prices here than they would locally.

Electronics and tech accessories
Collectibles and vintage memorabilia
Automotive parts and specialty goods
Items needing national or global reach

Best Items for Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is designed heavily around local commerce and community transactions. It is the ideal place to sell bulky items that are difficult or expensive to ship, such as large furniture, home appliances, and local yard sale goods. Because buyers can easily browse items in their immediate neighborhood, you can often complete a sale and get cash in hand on the same day without dealing with packing tape, shipping labels, or post office trips.

Large furniture and home decor
Home appliances and yard tools
Local cash transactions
Bulky items that are hard to ship

Shipping and Local Delivery Options

Both platforms support shipping and local sales, but their primary strengths differ significantly. eBay is built primarily for shipping, providing integrated label printing, discounted postage rates, and automated tracking uploads for domestic and international buyers. Facebook Marketplace supports shipping as well, but many users rely on it strictly for local pickup. If you prefer face-to-face meetings in public spaces, Facebook makes local coordination straightforward through Messenger.

eBay offers robust shipping and label tools
Facebook focuses heavily on local pickup
Meet in safe public places for local cash sales
Compare shipping costs before choosing a platform

Finding the Best Price Across Platforms

Pricing your items correctly is the secret to selling quickly, whether you are clearing out your garage or running a small resale business. Checking what similar items actually sold for on each platform gives you a realistic baseline. Tools like BuyLow AI can also help by comparing prices across multiple marketplaces including Amazon, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace, making it easier to see where demand is highest and what buyers are currently willing to pay.

Research completed listings for accurate pricing
Compare buyer demand across different sites
Use BuyLow AI to check prices across platforms
Price competitively to attract fast buyers

Buy low, sell high: see every marketplace's price in one search.

BuyLow AI searches Amazon, eBay, Mercari, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist, Swappa and more at once, then shows where to buy lowest and where to sell highest.

100% free. No subscription, no card.BuyLow earns a small commission from some store links, never from you.

Questions

Which platform has lower fees for sellers?

Facebook Marketplace has lower fees if you stick to local pickup, as those transactions are completely free. eBay charges final value fees between 13 and 15 percent on most sales. However, if you ship items through Facebook, you will pay a selling fee comparable to other shipping platforms.

Can I use both eBay and Facebook Marketplace at the same time?

Yes, many sellers cross-list their items on multiple platforms to maximize visibility. Just remember to promptly delete your listing from one site as soon as the item sells elsewhere to avoid double-selling headaches.

Is shipping safer on eBay or Facebook Marketplace?

eBay generally offers a more mature shipping infrastructure with built-in seller protections, automated tracking, and established dispute resolution processes. Facebook Marketplace also supports shipping, but its primary ecosystem is heavily centered on local, cash-in-hand exchanges.

What sells best on Facebook Marketplace?

Facebook Marketplace is best for bulky items that are expensive to ship, such as furniture, appliances, mattresses, and local goods. Buyers love finding large items nearby that they can pick up themselves to save on delivery fees.

Near you

More reselling guides

All reselling guides