eBay vs Substack
A side-by-side look at eBay and Substack. On our scoring, Substack comes out ahead — but the right pick depends on your priorities.
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| SellingScene score | 3.7/5 | 4.0/5 |
| User rating | 4 | 4.2 |
| Reviews | 4,360 | 1,320 |
| Pricing | ||
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Pricing model | free to list + optional Store subscription | no monthly fee, revenue share |
| Transaction fees | ~13% final value fee (varies by category) | 10% of subscription revenue (plus processing) |
| Hosting & setup | ||
| Hosting type | Marketplace | Fully hosted (SaaS) |
| Free trial | Free listings up to a limit | Free to start |
| Staff accounts | Limited | Multiple authors |
| Product limit | Limits scale with account | N/A (subscriptions) |
| Payments & security | ||
| Payment gateways | eBay Managed Payments | Stripe |
| SSL included | Yes | Yes |
| PCI compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Gift cards | No | Yes |
| Catalog & content | ||
| Themes / templates | N/A (standard listings) | Publication styling |
| App marketplace | Seller tools & integrations | Limited integrations |
| Multi-currency | Yes | No |
| Multi-language | Yes | No |
| POS included | No | No |
| Abandoned cart recovery | No | No |
| Built-in blog | No | Yes |
| Tools & flexibility | ||
| Drag-and-drop editor | No | No |
| API access | Yes | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Support channels | Phone, chat, help center | Email & help center |
| Actions | Read review | Read review |
Why pick eBay?
eBay still owns the auction format and remains a powerful outlet for used, refurbished, and collectible items with a huge global audience. Its final value fees and dated seller tools are the price of that reach.
Best for: Used, collectible, and auction-style goods
Read the full eBay reviewWhy pick Substack?
Substack makes launching a paid newsletter effortless, bundling publishing, email, payments, and a discovery network at no upfront cost. The flat 10% revenue cut is significant once you scale, and you build on their network, not your own.
Best for: Writers monetizing newsletters and subscriptions
Read the full Substack review