Comparing eBay vs Poshmark - Which Platform is Better for Sellers in 2024?

Secondhand online selling has been an inseparable part of ecommerce for quite some time, and has even seen a bit of resurgence in recent years. Many buyers love the thrill of finding something new-to-them and one-of-a-kind, some prefer to shop more sustainably, and some are simply on the hunt for a one-of-a-kind deal. For sellers, this uptick in secondhand shopping offers an abundance of opportunity to sell secondhand items. Choosing the right platform to sell them on, however, can be challenging. Here, we'll compare and contrast between two of the major marketplaces that have firmly established themselves in the world of secondhand ecommerce – eBay vs Poshmark. We'll compare the two platforms on everything from fees to listing type, target demographics to selling experience, and help you better understand which platform is best for your unique selling needs. Keep reading for a comprehensive seller's-perspective comparison of eBay vs Poshmark!

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Overview of eBay and Poshmark

Both eBay and Poshmark are household names at this point, and for those unfamiliar with online commerce, they may seem like very similar marketplaces. The truth is, eBay and Poshmark are quite different, and a large part of the difference stems from their very beginnings as marketplaces and the ecommerce niches they sought to fill. In this section, we'll take a look at each platform's history and background, and analyze the target audience and demographics of each to help you better understand which marketplace is more likely to have the type of buyer you're looking to reach.

History and Background

With even just a cursory look at the beginnings of each marketplace, it's plain to see that eBay and Poshmark were founded with two very distinct visions in mind. They have since grown and developed, reinventing themselves with the needs of the market, but their origins still have a significant impact on the type of marketplace that they are today. Below, we'll go over the history and background of eBay vs Poshmark, and discuss how each platform's beginnings has had an impact on each respective marketplace today.

A Brief History of eBay

Founded in 1995, eBay is a veteran ecommerce marketplace. It's been there from the beginning of everything – a major player in the dot com boom, eBay saw the rise of mega online retail platforms like Amazon and Walmart where third-party sellers are in competition with the platform itself, the launch of imitation marketplaces like eBid who sought to take a bite out of eBay's market share, and the rise and fall of many an online shopping trend – and it's weathered every storm. Where so many platforms failed, eBay has consistently succeeded: secondhand selling. eBay started out as an auction-only platform, and marketed itself specifically as the internet's garage sale. This branding has stuck, and a significant number of buyers on the platform today regularly look to eBay to find secondhand goods.

A Brief History of Poshmark

Compared to eBay, Poshmark is a relatively new marketplace. Founded in 2011, it has less than two decades of online presence under its belt. In that comparatively short timeframe, however, Poshmark has certainly made a name for itself. Unlike eBay, Poshmark was founded with a much more specific selling niche – secondhand clothes and fashion. As it grew, Poshmark became the place to purchase secondhand luxury and designer items, especially things like vintage designer purses and shoes. The platform leaned into this reputation, even launching its own authentication service to facilitate the safe selling of secondhand luxury goods. Today, Poshmark has expanded beyond exclusively fashion, and enables sellers to list in additional categories like home décor, electronics, beauty, and more.

Target Audience and Demographics

Both eBay and Poshmark's origins have had a significant effect on each respective platform's customer base, but there are many other factors that come into play when it comes to shopper demographics. In this section, we'll discuss each platform's reputation in online shopping circles, and see what kind of buyer each marketplace attracts.

eBay

eBay's demographics have shifted massively over the years, but one thing has remained steady – people come to eBay in search of a deal. eBay shoppers are used to haggling with sellers via eBay's Best Offers, bidding on items in auctions, and adding items to their watch lists to snag the best deal at the best time. That said, the typical buyer on eBay will be willing to pay a fair price for the right item in the right condition, especially if the item they're looking for is difficult to find or a unique vintage piece.

As a broad marketplace for selling virtually anything that can be sold online, eBay's average shopper is less likely to be on the hunt specifically for clothes or fashion items like the typical buyer on Poshmark. That said, there is no shortage of buyers who are indeed on the hunt for vintage, secondhand, or gently used clothes and fashion pieces, making it a solid choice if you're trying to decide whether selling clothes on eBay vs Poshmark is a better option for you.

While eBay has retained its "online garage sale" reputation, the majority of items sold on eBay were actually listed as "New" rather than used. Furthermore, eBay is a much larger marketplace than Poshmark, meaning it's the platform of choice for many more shoppers regardless of what they're looking to buy. In fact, eBay has over 180 million shoppers around the globe, with over 62 million shoppers actively purchasing through the mobile app each month (source). In short, as a marketplace for practically everything under the sun, eBay's buyers are varied, so no matter what you're selling, you're almost guaranteed to find a buyer for it on eBay.

Poshmark

Like eBay, Poshmark's early days firmly cemented its reputation in the world of online commerce, and as a direct result, the type of buyer that it attracts. Unlike eBay, which attracts buyers looking for a wide variety of items, Poshmark largely attracts buyers who are far more niche-oriented: those looking for a deal on secondhand fashion. While Poshmark does offer a wide variety of product categories (albeit fewer than eBay's), the majority of buyers still look to the platform for fashion-related goods.

As a more niche-oriented marketplace, Poshmark's buyer base is smaller. It has 80 million users worldwide, with around 80% of those users being female. Furthermore, its user base skews slightly younger, with over 50% being millennials or gen-z shoppers (source).

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Listing and Selling on eBay

For many first-time sellers, getting started on eBay seems daunting if not downright overwhelming. As a seller on eBay, you'll have many considerations: should you have an eBay Store? What should you sell on eBay? Is it better to sell items through fixed-price or auction-style listings? Furthermore, you'll need to get up to speed on various selling terminology, plus gain a solid understanding of how selling on eBay works in terms of fees, seller requirements, shipping options, payment methods, and more. In this section, we'll give a brief overview of the main considerations you'll have a seller when selling on eBay. Understanding these will help you make a more informed decision when choosing between selling on eBay vs Poshmark.

Types of Listings (Auction vs Fixed Price)

eBay has two main types of listings – auction-style and fixed-price. These listings offer sellers two ways to sell products on the platform, and create a uniquely flexible marketplace for both buyers and sellers. On auction-style listings, sellers can set both a starting price and a reserve price, which is the minimum price they're willing to accept for the listed item. Additionally, auction-style listings can become sort of hybrid fixed-price listings with the addition of a Buy It Now button. On fixed-price listings, sellers simply list their item at a fixed asking price and buyers can purchase at that price. Fixed-price listings can also become a type of hybrid auction-style listing with the addition of an optional Best Offer button, which gives sellers and buyers a way to negotiate a price for the listed item.

Fees and Costs

eBay's fee structure is relatively simple, even though at first glance it may seem a bit complex. Firstly, you'll have a set number of free listings known as Zero Insertion Fee Listings per month. The number will depend on whether you have an eBay Store subscription, and what kind of subscription you have. Next, when your item sells, eBay will take their cut of the sale, known as the Final Value Fee. The final value fee is calculated as a percentage based on the item's category, plus a flat fee of either $0.30 for orders totaling up to $10.00 or a flat fee of $0.40 for orders totaling $10.00 or more. For most categories, the percentage is 13.25%, but can be as low as 3% or as high as 15%.  

If this all sounds a bit overwhelming, 3Dsellers' handy eBay fee calculator can help you more easily determine the ideal price for any item based on your desired profit and the fees you'll be liable for when listing and selling it on eBay.  

Shipping Options

Sellers on eBay have a choice of fulfilling orders on their own with a courier of their choice, or with a discounted label purchased through the eBay Labels program. For international orders, eBay enables sellers to enroll either in the Global Shipping Program or the recently-launched eBay International Shipping, which is gradually replacing the Global Shipping Program.

In our experience, sellers who are just starting out benefit from the eBay Labels program immensely. A significant portion of your costs as an online seller will be logistics, and getting a good deal on shipping can be challenging if you're not selling a large volume of items.  

Payment Methods

eBay is gradually moving away from third-party payment processing services like PayPal, and is increasingly doing its payment processing in-house. Some sellers located outside of the US, however, will be required to set up a Payoneer account in order to receive buyer payments and seller payouts from eBay.

From a buyer's perspective, eBay offers a wide array of popular payment methods, including PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, credit card, and more.  

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Listing and Selling on Poshmark

Compared to eBay, selling on Poshmark is a far more structured – and far more limiting – experience. That said, Poshmark boasts a more tight-knit buyer/seller community, which results in a unique selling culture. The marketplace is structured more like a social media platform, which is what it was modeled after when it was first created, and is considered by some to be one of the first iterations of the now ubiquitous social commerce brand of ecommerce. In this section, we'll review the main things you need to know as a seller before you begin selling on Poshmark, including the two popular types of Poshmark listing types, Poshmark selling fees, available shipping options, and payment processing methods. Understanding these will help you make a more informed decision on whether you should sell on eBay or Poshmark.

Types of Listings (Closet vs Boutique)

Poshmark's two listing types, Closet and Boutique, are far more similar to each other than eBay's fixed-price and auction-style listings. Both listings are priced at a set selling price, making them essentially the same as eBay's fixed-price listings. What sets Boutique listings apart from Closet listings is that Boutique listings are for new items that were purchased by the seller directly from a wholesaler or distributor, and are being sold to the wider public for the first time. In other words, these items are brand new and not secondhand. To create Boutique listings, Poshers (users on Poshmark) must first get approved by Poshmark as a Boutique seller for a specific brand. Closet listings, on the other hand, can be created by every Posher with a Poshmark account. You can sell items that are used, new, or even new with tags through this type of listing. As evidenced by their names, these two types of listings are highly fashion- and clothing-oriented, in line with Poshmark's reputation as a hub for online fashion finds.

Fees and Costs

Poshmark's fees and costs are considerably simpler than eBay's, but are also much steeper in most cases. Listing on Poshmark is free, like on eBay, and Poshmark simply takes a commission from each sale. This commission is calculated as a flat fee of $2.95 for orders totaling less than $15, and 20% of the total sale price for sales totaling $15 or more.

Unlike on eBay, which has a dynamic fee structured based on variables like sale price and product category, Poshmark's simple fee structure applies across all product categories.

Shipping Options

Poshmark's shipping options are simple, because there are essentially no shipping options at all. Firstly, sellers cannot sell internationally, and international buyers cannot even create Poshmark accounts to shop. Secondly, sellers cannot fulfill their orders using their own shipping method, nor do they have a choice of shipping options within Poshmark. Any time an item is purchased on Poshmark, Poshmark sends an automatically created and prepaid USPS shipping label to the seller, who must then pack and ship the item within 7 days. This program is known as PoshPost, and is the only way sellers can fulfill their Poshmark orders. Postage is paid for by the buyer, and the label covers shipments up to 5lbs. For heavier shipments, sellers must upgrade to a more expensive shipping service, and the difference will be deducted from their earnings for the sale.

Payment Methods

Poshmark processes all of its payments, meaning that all you won't necessarily need to sign up for a third-party payment processing service like PayPal or Payoneer. Poshmark handles buyer payments, and sellers can withdraw their earnings from their Poshmark balance with third-party services like Instant Transfer, PayPal, and Venmo, which may incur a fee, as well as by direct deposit into their bank account.

Buyers on Poshmark have no shortage of payment options when checking out. Poshmark supports Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Affirm, and Venmo, as well as most major credit and debit cards.

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Comparison of Features and Tools

Your experience as a seller will be heavily influenced by the selling features and tools your marketplace of choice makes available to you. From creating listings to communicating with buyers, marketplace tools will shape every aspect of your selling experience. In this section, we’ll compare eBay vs Poshmark on seller experience based on factors like seller protections, marketing tools, the level of customer support you can expect to receive as a seller on each platform, and how convenient it is to manage your shop via each marketplace's mobile app.

Seller Protections

For a long time, eBay's seller protections were quite limited. Sellers had minimal recourse when buyers abused the returns system, and seller metrics were very susceptible to harm from false buyer claims and generally abusive behavior. Luckily, eBay's seller protections have significantly improved in recent years, and now include extensive and explicit protections for sellers from abusive buyers. This seller protection is offered to sellers whose accounts are in good standing and meet the following eligibility criteria:

1. Top Rated seller status
2. based in the United States or Canada
3. service metric ratings are lower than "very high" for all metrics
4. the item in question was listed on eBay.com
5. the listing offered returns for a minimum period of 30 days

Sellers and transactions that meet this eligibility criteria will be protected from negative and neutral feedback that results form factors outside of their control, false claims of "item not as described," and returns from buyers in which the item arrives back with signs of use or damaged. Read more about eBay's seller protections for the complete eBay seller protection policy.

Poshmark, however, takes a slightly different approach to seller protection. On Poshmark, sellers have little flexibility, but it also means they have fewer requirements they have to meet to be eligible for the platform's seller protections. As long as the item's listing represents the item honestly, clearly describes and showcases any flaws the item may have, and you've used the Poshmark-provided PoshPost label to ship the item within the 7-day timeframe, you're protected from virtually all angles. In fact, even if you receive a negative feedback for the order, it won't appear on your seller account, and will not affect your account's standing. Furthermore, Poshmark does not require you to accept returns on your orders for this protection to take effect, but it may force you to accept a return if you don't honestly represent the item in your listing.

Marketing and Promotion Options

On eBay, sellers have a wide range of marketing and promotional tools at their disposal for increasing their listings' visibility and boosting their sales. From varied promotional tools like sales and discounts for eBay Store subscribers to eBay Promoted Listings for paid advertising, eBay's promotion options offer something for every seller and every advertising budget. Check out our complete guide on how to promote an eBay listing for a full overview of eBay's marketing and promotional tools.  

Poshmark, however, is far more limited in its promotional tools. The only true promoted listings program it has is known as Promoted Closet, in which sellers enroll their entire Closet (Poshmark store) in a weeklong PPC ad campaign. The actual promoted listings are determined by Poshmark, meaning that your only real input is your weekly advertising budget. Additional promotional tools include Posh Parties, where you enroll listings into live sales events based on a central theme, Offers to Likers, where you send discounted buying price offers to interested buyers, and sales events like the Love or List Challenge Make a Deal Days, and Closet Clear Out.

Customer Support

eBay's seller support is structured and extensive, with sellers having both self-service seller help avenues through the Seller Help platform, and via email, chat, and phone. While it may be challenging to get what you need at times, eBay's seller support is one of the best in the world of online retail.

In this regard too, Poshmark lags behind. There is only one way to get in touch with Poshmark if you have a problem as a seller, and that's via a general contact form.

Mobile App Usability

From our 15 years of experience in all things ecommerce, if you're anything more than a casual seller, there is no practical way to do all of your selling through a mobile app, no matter how good that mobile app is. That said, having an easily accessible mobile app is a great tool for keeping on top of things like buyer messages, offers, marketplace notifications, and more while on the go.

Comparing the respective mobile app of eBay vs Poshmark, both offer similar things in terms of listing, messaging, and offer management. Both apps enable you to create listings from scratch, but neither one is a practical solution for creating and managing any significant volume of listings. Each app enables you to create listings one-by-one, which is not only tedious and time-consuming, but also a far less practical method for creating professional and optimized listings, like you would be able to do on eBay with 3Dsellers. Each app also gives you access to messages and notifications, which can be useful as a seller on the go. Finally, both apps will enable you to see your listings and orders, and do some minimal order management like closing an order or generating an invoice.

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Which Platform is Best for Different Types of Sellers?

When comparing eBay vs Poshmark, it's not always obvious which platform is better. That's simply because there isn't an objectively better platform; one marketplace may be better for one seller, while the other would be better suited to the selling needs of another.  Below, we'll compare eBay vs Poshmark from the perspective of different types of sellers. We'll examine how each marketplace measures up for individual vs small business sellers, sellers who sell more casual fashion vs those who sell high-end and luxury goods, and sellers who sell new vs used items, and help you understand which one is a better fit for your specific selling needs.  

Individual vs Small Business Sellers

Both eBay and Poshmark are incredibly accessible to individual sellers who are just starting out in the world of online selling. They offer a simple account setup, simple listing process, and simple order fulfillment options that make it easy for first-time and individual sellers who sell in relatively small volumes to start their online business.

Where the two platforms diverge is in their ability to facilitate future growth for individual sellers who want to scale their stores into small businesses. Here, eBay is the clear winner. Unlike Poshmark, eBay offers its sellers a wide array of growth options that enable them to grow their business in many different ways. No matter how much you increase your sales on Poshmark, on the other hand, you'll still be required to operate in the same structured and limiting way as a new or hobbyist seller – use exclusively Poshmark labels to fulfill your orders, have practically no control over your ad campaigns, and be unable to sell internationally, to name a few. On eBay, however, you're able to scale every aspect of your selling experience with things like tiered eBay Store subscriptions, varied promotional and advertising options with in-depth eBay Ads campaign management, flexible order fulfillment options, and more.

Fast Fashion vs High-End Products

While this perspective is more specific to selling clothes on eBay vs Poshmark, is also relevant for sellers who sell other fashion items like purses, watches, jewelry, and shoes. While Poshmark is the original marketplace founded for and focused on selling clothing and fashion, eBay has no shortage of fashion-focused features to choose from. For sellers whose sales consist mainly of fast fashion pieces, Poshmark is the obvious choice since it's a popular platform for buyers looking for online thrifting finds. For those selling high-end luxury goods, both marketplaces offer tools to facilitate smooth and safe transactions for both buyers and sellers.

Poshmark has Posh Authenticate, a third-party authentication service to authenticate items sold for over $500 on the marketplace. The service is free of charge, and is meant to ensure that both buyers and sellers feel confident selling and purchasing high-ticket items. On eBay, sellers can enjoy a similar service for a wider range of items. The service is known as eBay Authenticity Guarantee, and offers free (for sellers) authentication for watches, sneakers, handbags, jewelry, and trading cards, with different eligibility requirements for products in each category and at varying price points. One major advantage of the eBay Authenticity Guarantee over Posh Authenticate is the fact that it applies to buyer returns, too. This means that if a buyer returns an item after it has been authenticated by eBay's Authenticity Guarantee program, the returned item will be authenticated once again to ensure that the buyer is not fraudulently sending back a counterfeit item as a return while keeping the original authentic item. This means far better seller protection, and a much safer experience for sellers selling high-ticket items.

The one point where Poshmark stands out, however is Posh Boutique. Posh Boutique is intended for a very specific type of seller who purchases their stock directly from a wholesaler or distributor. High-end goods are therefore out of the question, since no luxury brand would sell directly to a Poshmark seller, but for selling brand new fast fashion items, Posh Boutique could be a good option.  

Selling New vs Used Items

Both eBay and Poshmark have a reputation for secondhand goods, but Poshmark takes the lead for secondhand fashion. eBay's reputation is actually somewhat outdated, with the majority of items listed on the platform being listed as new. The opposite is true for Poshmark; while there is no shortage of Boutique listings and Closet listings for new items, the majority of the merchandise listed on the platform is used/secondhand. As such, for sellers who want to sell primarily new items but still want their used listings to have a good chance of selling, eBay is the better platform. For those who wish to sell mostly used items from their closet, Poshmark may be the better choice, though it may come with more fierce competition on a narrower niche.

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Pros and Cons of Selling on eBay and Poshmark

Like all marketplaces, both eBay and Poshmark have their pros and cons. Each platform was founded to fill a specific ecommerce niche, and has since grown to provide not only a unique shopping experience, but a unique selling experience too. In this section, we'll draw on our experience in the vast world of ecommerce to examine the pros and cons of eBay vs Poshmark, and see how they stack up in terms of seller experience.  

eBay Pros and Cons

eBay has undergone many changes in recent years, and has become a much safer and more accommodating platforms for sellers. With many years of defaulting to the buyer's side in disputes far behind it, eBay realized that third-party sellers are what make up its marketplace, and began implementing a more seller-oriented approach to everything from buyer-seller disputes to advertising.

The Good: eBay offers a solid platform for sellers of all kinds, with a wide variety of eBay programs to help sellers in a variety of product niches. This includes eBay Motors, a marketplace-within-a-marketplace designed to facilitate the buying and selling of car parts; eBay Authenticity Guarantee, created to help buyers and sellers alike buy and sell high-end goods on the platform; and eBay Ads, an extensive advertising program that enables sellers to promote their eBay listings and take control of their eBay business' success.

The Bad: eBay has been around for a long time, and as it evolved it became a notoriously difficult platform to approach. While basic listing and selling is simple enough to be easily accessible to beginner sellers, you will need to put the legwork in to succeed as a bigger seller and grow your business. A good way to make your eBay selling journey much simpler is by using a smart third-party eBay listing software like 3Dsellers, which will help you create professional listings, run advanced ad campaigns, manage your orders in bulk, and even simplify your customer service with an AI-powered helpdesk, so you can list and sell like a pro from day one.

Poshmark Pros and Cons

Poshmark began as a kind of social commerce platform, years before social media and ecommerce became almost one and the same. These beginnings influence the way the platform grew and evolved over the years, which has resulted in Poshmark becoming one of the more unique online retail marketplaces on the internet today. Long gone are Poshmark's days as the internet's thrift shop; today, Poshmark is a varied and expansive ecommerce platform, with all the pros and cons that that entails.

The Good: Despite being a marketplace, Poshmark places an emphasis on the community aspect of social commerce. It provides a hands-on buying and selling experience, with plenty of interaction between sellers and buyers through live streams, comments, and even live conventions for Posh Ambassadors. For many sellers, this is part of Poshmark's appeal – it's not just a standard ecommerce platform, it's its whole unique corner of the internet.

The Bad: Poshmark can be rather limiting for sellers. It offers essentially one selling experience across the board, with all sellers using Posh Post shipping labels to fulfill their orders, enrolling their entire Closets in the same advertising program over which they have little control, and can selling to a limited pool of only domestic buyers. As such, there is very limited opportunity for the average seller to grow their business beyond a certain glass ceiling on Poshmark, which can quickly become a problem if you're interested in growing your business beyond casual selling.

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Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways: Which Platform is Right for You?

On the surface, a comparison of eBay vs Poshmark seems pointless; after all, the two platforms have entirely different reputations and seem to cater to two distinct groups of buyers. Upon closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that there is significant overlap between buyers on eBay and Poshmark and the types of items bought and sold on each marketplace. Poshmark is no longer fashion exclusive, making the choice between selling clothes on eBay vs Poshmark less clear-cut. On the other hand, eBay's more vast selling landscape, with a wide array of selling options and tools to enable growth may seem overwhelming to first-time sellers.

For sellers who wish to grow their business in the future, eBay will be the better option in most cases. Plus, getting started on eBay is even easier when you use 3Dsellers' eBay listing tool to help you easily create professional listings right away, seamlessly manage orders, and even run optimized eBay Ads campaigns.

For people who wish to sell more casually and clear out some space in their closet while making a little extra cash on the side, Poshmark is the better fit. It provides a structured, simplified selling experience for casual sellers, one that enables even the least selling-oriented and tech-savvy person to start listing and selling in minutes. Poshmark may also a good fit for sellers who wish to become official distributors of a specific brand through a Boutique store, though such a store on Poshmark will likely be less profitable than one on eBay due to Poshmark's high selling costs.

In short, making a decision to sell on eBay vs Poshmark must be made with all factors in mind. You'll need to take into account your selling needs, growth potential, and selling goals to understand which marketplace is a better fit for your business today, and for your selling goals tomorrow.