Your Pattern Details
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Monthly Net Earnings
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How to Use This Calculator
- Enter your pattern price — the amount customers pay (in USD; adjust processing fees for other countries in Advanced settings).
- Enter estimated monthly sales — this is the key input for Ravelry and LoveCrafts because their fee tiers depend on your total monthly revenue, not individual sale price alone.
- Optionally enter your design cost per pattern — amortized cost of creating the pattern (tech editing, test knitters, your time at your chosen rate). This appears in the per-sale profit line.
- Toggle which platforms to include in the comparison.
- Check Advanced fee settings if you're outside the US, include Offsite Ads, or have non-standard PayPal rates.
Why the Monthly Total Matters
Unlike Etsy's flat per-sale fees, both Ravelry and LoveCrafts calculate their commission against your entire month's sales total — and then apply the result to all your sales in that month. This creates a threshold effect:
- Ravelry: If you earn $29 in a month, you pay zero Ravelry commission (only PayPal per-sale processing). Earn $31, and 3.5% is charged on the full $31 — not just the $1 above the threshold.
- LoveCrafts: Below $40/month — only the 2% + $0.20/sale transaction fee applies. Above $40 (up to $1,900) — an extra 3.5% selling fee is charged on your entire monthly total.
- Above $1,500/month on Ravelry — for non-EU sellers, Ravelry's 3.5% fee effectively disappears, making it extremely favorable for high-volume designers.
The calculator handles all of this automatically and tells you which tier you're currently in.
Fee Structure Summary
Ravelry
- No listing fee
- 0% Ravelry commission if monthly sales ≤ $30
- 3.5% on total monthly sales if $30 < monthly sales ≤ $1,500
- Above $1,500/month: 3.5% on EU sales only (non-EU = 0%)
- + PayPal processing on each sale (default: 2.9% + $0.30)
Etsy
- $0.20 listing fee per sale
- 6.5% transaction fee on item price (+ shipping if any)
- 3% + $0.25 payment processing (US; varies by country)
- Optional: 15% Offsite Ads fee (if sale came via an ad)
LoveCrafts
- No listing fee
- 2% + $0.20 transaction fee on every sale
- 3.5% selling fee on total monthly sales if $40 < monthly sales ≤ $1,900
- Above $1,900/month: only 2% + $0.20/sale applies again
FAQ
How much does Ravelry charge to sell patterns?
Ravelry charges no listing fee. Commission is 0% if your monthly sales total is $30 or under. Between $30 and $1,500/month, Ravelry charges 3.5% on your full monthly sales total. Above $1,500/month, the 3.5% applies only to EU sales — meaning non-EU sellers at that volume pay no Ravelry commission at all. Each individual sale also goes through PayPal (typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction).
What percentage does Etsy take from pattern sales?
Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee per sale, a 6.5% transaction fee on the sale price, and a payment processing fee of 3% + $0.25 (US sellers). Digital patterns have no shipping, so fees apply only to the pattern price. Combined, these typically total around 10–11% of the pattern price plus a flat ~$0.45 in fixed fees. If a sale originated from an Etsy Offsite Ad, an additional 15% fee applies.
How does LoveCrafts' selling fee work?
LoveCrafts charges a 2% + $0.20 transaction fee on every single sale. On top of that, if your total monthly sales fall between $40 and $1,900, an additional 3.5% selling fee is charged on your entire monthly sales total. Below $40/month or above $1,900/month, only the per-sale 2% + $0.20 applies. Fees are automatically deducted before you are paid.
Is Ravelry or Etsy better for selling knitting patterns?
For low-volume sellers (under $30/month), Ravelry has the lowest total fees — only PayPal processing applies. For moderate volumes ($30–$200/month), Ravelry's 3.5% + PayPal is usually lower than Etsy's combined 10%+ per-sale rate. Etsy's main advantage is a broader audience and stronger discovery for shoppers who aren't on Ravelry. Most successful designers sell on multiple platforms to maximize reach while minimizing reliance on any single platform.
Why does my net change when I cross $30 in monthly Ravelry sales?
Ravelry's 3.5% fee is charged on your entire monthly sales total once you cross the $30 threshold — not just the amount above $30. So earning $31 in a month means paying 3.5% × $31 = $1.09 in Ravelry fees, whereas earning $29 means paying $0. This threshold effect can feel counterintuitive but only significantly impacts you in the narrow zone just above $30/month. At higher volumes the 3.5% rate is comparable to other platforms.
Should I include design cost in this calculator?
The optional "design cost per pattern" field lets you amortize your creation costs — tech editing fees, test knitter payments, sample yarn, your own labor — across anticipated sales. If you enter $50 to create a pattern and sell it 50 times, the amortized cost is $1 per sale. This gives you a true profit-per-sale figure, not just the fee-adjusted revenue.
Fee rates are based on official platform documentation as of mid-2025 and verified against multiple independent sources. Fee structures can change — always verify current rates before making business decisions. This tool provides estimates for planning purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.