Etsy pricing guide
How to price candles on Etsy
A worked example with every 2026 Etsy fee, real material costs and your time, plus the price that gives you a 40% or 50% margin.
Example: 8 oz soy candle in a tin
Here's what one 8 oz soy candle in a tin might cost to make and ship. Swap in your own numbers in the calculator; supplier prices vary.
| Cost | Per item |
|---|---|
| Soy wax (7 oz) | $1.10 |
| Fragrance oil (8% load) | $0.70 |
| Wick and sticker | $0.20 |
| Tin with lid | $1.10 |
| Label | $0.25 |
| Box and padding | $0.85 |
| Materials and packaging | $4.20 |
| Shipping label | $5.50 |
| Your time (10 minutes at $15/hour) | $2.50 |
| At $22.00 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Etsy fees (listing, 6.5%, 3% + $0.25) | $2.54 |
| Profit before your time | $9.76 |
| Profit after paying yourself | $7.26 |
| Margin after paying yourself | 33% |
| Break-even price | $13.98 |
| Price for a 40% margin | $25.05 |
| Price for a 50% margin | $31.23 |
The pricing formula
With free shipping and no Offsite Ads, Etsy keeps about 9.5% + $0.45 of every order. So the price that leaves you a target margin is:
Price = (total cost + $0.45) ÷ (0.905 − margin)
For this 8 oz soy candle in a tin, total cost is $12.20, so a 40% margin needs ($12.20 + $0.45) ÷ 0.505 = $25.05.
Pricing tips for candles
- Candles are heavy for their price, so the shipping label eats more of each sale than it does for jewelry or prints. Weigh a packed candle before you set shipping.
- Fragrance oil is usually the priciest ingredient by weight. Price from your actual fragrance load, not just the wax.
- Pour in batches. Ten minutes of hands-on time per candle is realistic in a batch of 12; it's closer to 30 when you pour one at a time.
Don't forget Offsite Ads
If a buyer reaches your listing through one of Etsy's ads on another site, Etsy adds 15% of the order (12% once your shop makes $10,000 a year), capped at $100. Price so that sale still makes money: tick the Offsite Ads box in the calculator to check.
Get the free Etsy Pricing Cheat Sheet
Every 2026 Etsy fee, this formula, and the 8 hidden costs most sellers forget, on one printable page.
Questions
How much does Etsy take when you sell candles?
For a $22.00 order, a US seller pays about $2.54 in Etsy fees: the $0.20 listing fee, 6.5% transaction fee and 3% + $0.25 payment processing. That's 11.5% of the sale, before any Offsite Ads fee.
What's a good profit margin for candles on Etsy?
Many handmade sellers aim for 40% to 50% after every fee and cost, including their own time. Below about 30%, a single return or a 15% Offsite Ads sale can wipe out the profit from several orders.
How do I price candles on Etsy?
Add up materials, packaging, the shipping label and your time, then use: price = (total cost + $0.45) / (0.905 - target margin). For the example 8 oz soy candle in a tin here, that's $25.05 for a 40% margin.
More pricing guides: Soap · Crochet Items · Jewelry · Stickers · Art Prints
Example costs are illustrations; use your own. US seller fees as of October 2026. Oscar Kiki isn't affiliated with Etsy.
Price your whole shop in one sheet.
The Pricing & Profit Calculator does this for every product at once: materials, time, Etsy and other channel fees, and the price that hits your margin. Excel and Google Sheets.