Guides

Short, numbers-first guides to the fees and metrics behind online business — every guide links to a calculator so you can run your own figures.

Etsy vs Shopify Fees: The Real Math at Every Sales Volume

Etsy charges ~9.5% + $0.45 per order with no monthly fee. Shopify charges $39/month plus ~3% per order. Here is the math that decides which one costs you less — and why fees are not the whole story.

Updated 2026-10-18

Stripe vs PayPal Fees: Which Processor Actually Costs Less

Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30, PayPal charges 3.49% + $0.49 for standard online payments. But the real difference hides in currency conversion, disputes, and payout timing. Here is the full comparison.

Updated 2026-10-18

How Payment Processing Fees Actually Work

A $100 sale does not deposit $97.10. Processing fees are actually three separate charges — interchange, assessment, and markup — and knowing which is which tells you what you can negotiate and what you can't.

Updated 2026-10-18

Why a 3x ROAS Can Still Lose Money

A 3x return on ad spend sounds profitable, but ROAS counts revenue, not margin. Here is the one division that tells you whether your ads actually make money.

Updated 2026-10-18

Upwork vs Fiverr vs Going Direct: What Freelance Platforms Really Take

Upwork takes 10%, Fiverr takes 20%, and 'direct' isn't free either. Here is what each channel actually costs per $1,000 of work — and the platform math most freelancers get wrong.

Updated 2026-10-19