Reverb or eBay for your guitar, amp or pedal? Reverb is built for musical gear and has the buyer base for it; eBay reaches more buyers overall but charges more in fees. Here’s what each one leaves you on the same sale, using current US fees, starting at a $500 example. Enter your own gear to compare.
Reverb or eBay: where you keep more
Profit after each platform's fees, your shipping and what you paid. Updates as you type.
Each platform uses its standard settings, noted under its name. Open its calculator to change them. Fees checked 22 October 2026. How we calculate fees.
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Reverb vs eBay fees
| Reverb (US) | eBay (US) | |
|---|---|---|
| Selling fee | 5% of item + shipping ($0.50 min, $500.00 max) | None separately: folded into the final value fee |
| Payment processing / final value fee | 3.19% + $0.49 on item, shipping and tax | A single final value fee on item, shipping and tax, by category, plus a per-order fee |
| Listing fee | None | None for most sellers (free listings each month) |
| Promotion | Optional Bump, your rate, only if it sells | Optional Promoted Listings, a % of the sale |
What you keep
| Item price | Reverb | eBay | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150 | $40.18 | $29.75 | $10.43 |
| $500 | $158.99 | $125.65 | $33.34 |
| $1,200 | $303.30 | $225.39 | $77.91 |
| $3,000 | $748.20 | $556.38 | $191.82 |
| $8,000 | $2,330.00 | $1,969.20 | $360.80 |
US sale, $40 to $180 shipping scaled to the item, a matching shipping label cost, and 7.5% sales tax, before what you paid for the gear. Standard Reverb seller, no Store or Promoted Listings on eBay.
Reverb leaves you more at every price here. Its combined rate runs about 8.4% to 8.7% of the item and shipping, while eBay’s final value fee for most categories runs closer to 13% to 15%, since eBay charges one fee instead of splitting a selling fee from payment processing.
Why the gap
eBay’s final value fee for most categories is higher than Reverb’s combined selling fee and processing rate, and it applies to the same base: item, shipping and sales tax. eBay also has a per-order fee on top. Reverb’s 5% selling fee and 3.19% processing add up to less, because music gear doesn’t carry eBay’s category-specific surcharges.
eBay’s final value fee drops at higher sale totals in some categories, which is part of why the gap narrows a little on the $8,000 example above. It’s still higher than Reverb’s rate at every price tested here.
Which is better for you?
- Reverb for instruments, amps, pedals and recording gear. Buyers there are specifically shopping for music gear, and the lower fees mean more of the sale price is yours.
- eBay for broader exposure, gear that’s hard to find on Reverb, or when you already have an eBay following and Store discounts that lower its rate.
- Both: cross-listing is common for higher-value gear; just remove the other listing once it sells so you don’t double-sell.
Reverb vs eBay questions
Is Reverb cheaper than eBay for musical gear?
Usually, yes. Reverb’s selling fee plus processing comes to roughly 8% to 9% of the item and shipping on a typical sale, while eBay’s final value fee for most categories runs higher before any Store discount. Run your own numbers above, since eBay’s rate changes with a Store subscription and the category.
Does Reverb charge a final value fee like eBay?
Not by that name. Reverb splits its take into a 5% selling fee (with a $0.50 minimum and a $500.00 maximum) and separate payment processing, 3.19% + $0.49 on the order total including tax. eBay bundles everything into one final value fee plus a small per-order fee.
Do Bump and Promoted Listings cost the same?
No. Reverb’s Bump is a rate you choose yourself, charged only if the item sells. eBay’s Promoted Listings rate also varies by what you set and by category, and is charged on top of the final value fee when an ad leads to a sale.
Can I compare other platforms?
The full Reverb and eBay calculators have every option, including eBay’s Store tiers and categories. Where should I sell this? compares eight clothing-scale marketplaces and doesn’t include Reverb, since it’s built for a different kind of sale.
Is this from Reverb or eBay?
No. SellerCounter is independent and isn’t affiliated with either. We check both platforms’ fees against their own fee pages and help pages.