Poshmark vs Depop: Which is the best for Sellers?
The fashion industry produces a lot of clothing waste every year. People are more likely to buy and sell gently used clothing online through a clothing resale app. Think of it like browsing a thrift store from the comfort of your own home.
Selling your clothes and shoes online is easy, like using an online consignment store. There are so many sites available, but they all have their pros and cons. If you’re debating Poshmark vs Depop, then check out this overview.
I’ve sold my clothes on both Poshmark and Depop. While the framework of both sites is similar, you may wonder which is better in terms of Depop vs Poshmark. Each site takes a different commission and has ways of promoting your items.
Believe it or not, there’s also a difference when you’re buying on each site. Messaging sellers and shipping vary depending on if you’re using Depop vs Poshmark. I’ve sold on both and also browse the two to buy stuff so I can show you the ins and outs of what works.
Learning about both Poshmark and Depop will help you understand each site. I’ll go in-depth into how to sell and buy through each company, whether you’re using the website or the mobile app.
Depop vs. Poshmark Overview
Poshmark, based in California, began in 2011. They allow users to shop through their website or mobile app. It’s the platform for individuals to resell their clothes, shoes, and accessories.
According to the Social Commerce Report, over 60 million Poshmark users buy and sell through their platform. That’s a huge community, so if you’re looking for the perfect item, you have a great chance of finding it. That also gives you a huge audience of potential customers who want to shop your closet.
Depop, based in London, began in 2011. It started as a social network, like an innovative magazine. As the platform grew to 26 million users, it expanded to a resale platform. The focus on Depop is for vintage items instead of upscale current fashions.
The business itself is expanding and now has offices in Milan, New York City, and Manchester. Buyers and sellers live around the world. This app is especially popular in countries like Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and of course, the United States.
For Sellers
Many sellers register on both Poshmark and Depop. You can cross-list some of your items, but each platform has a specific audience. It’s better to curate your collections to ensure you’re delivering what each group will want to buy. You also want to consider each site’s selling fees.
Types of Fashion Listed
When you’re considering Depop vs Poshmark, look at your items with a critical eye. You want to choose the platform with the best built-in audience so you can rack up sales.
Depop is like that hip thrift store in your city. Sellers list unique clothes, usually vintage but still trendy. Poshmark is the thrift store where people are selling brand name items that you can get for a deal.
There’s no harm in listing the same items on both sites. Make sure you stay on top of your inventory and take down the sold listing from the other platform.
When it comes to the types of fashion listed, there’s no clear winner in Depop vs Poshmark. Both offer different things so it’s up to your personal preference.
Ease of Setting Up Shop
It’s easy to list items on both Poshmark and Depop. You’ll benefit from taking better pictures, having a title that shares a lot of information, and a competitive listing price.
Poshmark offers sellers tools to help your listings reach the right audience. You can submit items to Posh Parties, but it’s also great when people like or comment on your items. This pushes the algorithm to share your listings with more people on the app.
Depop doesn’t promote items as Poshmark does. It’s more like a social media platform, where buyers see things because they liked them or if they follow you.
Commission Taken
Any online platform that allows individuals to sell items is going to take a commission; there’s no way around it. But you can do some math on the front end and decide which site in the battle of Depop vs Poshmark will help you make more money.
Physical stores make money when people buy their products. But online platforms like Poshmark and Depop aren’t selling items themselves. They’re only providing an outlet for individuals to use. Therefore, taking commission is how these companies make money.
Commission usually includes a percentage of the shipping charge and transaction fee. A certain percentage of the selling price might come off, and some outlets charge a listing fee before the item even goes live and has a chance to sell.
Poshmark
Poshmark fees are set. For any item that sells for less than $15, they take $2.95. This might seem like a hefty fee if you’re selling something for $5, but knowing this set fee can help you in the long run. Before you price an item, you can guarantee that Poshmark takes $2.95 of the profit. Now you know to price your item for more than $5 so you make more money.
If you’re selling an item on Poshmark for more than $15, the company takes a 20% commission fee. Again, this might seem steep, but you can do the math before you list an item and get a general idea of your profit.
Poshmark only has these two commission fees. There are no surprises when you’re getting paid out. They don’t take money for the shipping label, transaction processing fee, sales tax, or customer support.
Depop
Most sellers get excited when they see the Depop selling fees are just 10%, regardless of how much the item sells for. This cut is a lot smaller than Poshmark, whether you’re looking at the 20% commission or the $2.95 flat fee.
However, you have to look more into what you’ll actually make from Depop. For American sellers, they take an additional 2.9% fee plus $0.30. For sellers in the United Kingdom, that fee increases to 3.4% and an additional £0.30.
When it comes to commission taken, Poshmark is the winner. You know what they’re going to take, so you can price your items accordingly. They’re transparent about their fees and don’t take portions of the shipping cost.
Payment
You have a general idea about how much you can actually make per sale, based on the Poshmark vs Depop commissions. But what about getting your hands on the money you’ve earned?
Poshmark
Poshmark has customer protections in place that make it a trustworthy company but can be frustrating if you need cash now. You don’t get paid until the item ships to the customer and they accept delivery. Even then, Poshmark has up to three days after delivery to release the funds.
After you make money selling items on Poshmark, you can keep the money in the app and use it to shop for yourself. If you choose to cash out, the money transfers to your linked bank account with no additional fees incurred.
Depop
A major plus for Depop payments is that you get the money as soon as your item sells. You don’t have to worry about getting paid after shipping the item or ensuring it’s delivered.
When you want to cash out, Depop pays through your PayPal account or Stripe. PayPal has merchant fees that you’ll incur, further cutting into your profits. Stripe has similar fees, so you’re not really making as much from Depop as you initially think.
It’s hard to choose a winner when it comes to payment with Depop vs Poshmark. Sure, Depop pays out immediately, but they take additional fees so you’re not getting as much. You have to wait with Poshmark, but you won’t pay fees to access your own money.
Special Features
Poshmark has an option for people to make offers for your items, similar to bidding on eBay. However, these offers aren’t always something you want. Many customers might make a cheap offer just to see what they can get. It can be frustrating to check your messages and get excited about an offer on an item, only to see the customer wants it for an incredibly low price!
However, the site maximizes this option by giving you the ability to offer your item in return. If people “like” your listings as they might like an image on Instagram, you can offer it to them. This tactic can be a great way to maximize sales by interacting with potential customers.
Depop doesn’t have an option for people to make offers on your items. Instead, they have to DM you directly. It’s not a bad way to do it, because you won’t get notices about offers; the potential customer has to interact with you. But not many people make the effort to DM; they just want to browse and buy with little interaction, which is the whole point of the platform!
Overall, I can’t say there’s a set pro or con with this feature on Poshmark. In my experience, I’ve gotten more sales through Depop just because people buy what they want and that’s it. On Poshmark, I’ve gotten a lot more negotiations. I’ll still make sales, but it’s rarely at my set price. It seems like buyers prefer to haggle more on Poshmark.
Also read: Poshmark vs Mercari: Which is best for Sellers?
For Buyers
It’s easy to say that it’s more fun to buy clothes and accessories, regardless of Depop vs Poshmark. But there are still some benefits to choosing one platform over the other.
Types of Fashion Listed
Just as with listing items, it’s worth knowing what you’re going to get on each platform. Poshmark sells contemporary, name-brand clothes at good deals. Depop has unique, vintage, and rare clothes like you’d find at a cool thrift store.
You can buy clothes for men, women, and kids on Poshmark. Most of the clothes are new and gently used, though some are vintage. You can even find bags, purses, make-up, and other accessories on Poshmark.
Items like health and wellness products, home goods, or collector’s items aren’t listed on Poshmark—it’s for fashion only. If you’re looking for those types of things, you’re better off shopping on eBay, which is more like a general online thrift store.
When it comes to buying, Poshmark wins for having such a variety available. If you’re specifically looking for vintage, you might have better luck on Depop. But there’s a good chance you can find those items on Poshmark, too, so it’s an ideal first stop.
Shopping Ease
Both platforms have search bars so you can enter terms and find exactly what you’re looking for. I also like to use filters so I see only what items will fit me. You can set filters to certain sizes, categories, conditions, colors, brands, and, of course, prices.
If you’re going to shop a lot on either app, it’s worth saving some filters so you’ll only see items that fit you. There’s nothing worse than seeing the perfect clothing on your home page, only to realize it’s too small for you. When you save your size, the algorithm only shows you that size.
Poshmark
When you first open Poshmark, you might not enjoy browsing. The page looks cluttered because the company sorts listings into “parties” and “showrooms.” This is a great feature for sellers because they get extra eyes on their items. But if you’re trying to browse, you might feel overwhelmed with this visual.
You can follow sellers on Poshmark to ensure they show up in your feed, but I’ve found that it’s easier to select a category and browse that way. Posh Parties revolve around themes, like certain styles or accessories, and you can see new sellers and items that way.
Depop
Shopping on Depop is like scrolling through Instagram. You have a home feed that shows you items similar to what you’ve previously liked or bought. You can like items, comment on listing, and follow certain sellers so you see more of them.
As you use Depop, the app understands what you like and curates your My DNA and Explore pages. I love these features because they often show me things that would make a killer outfit with my previous purchases!
When it comes to shopping ease, Depop is the clear winner. It’s flat-out fun to browse on this app, and you’ll most likely find at least one item you can’t live without.
Prices and Shipping
You might feel like you’re getting a deal on clothes, but don’t forget shipping costs. Poshmark has a set shipping fee of $7.45. Some sellers offer discounted shipping if you order more than one item from their shop. If you find a lot of great things from the same seller, this type of discount can save you a lot in terms of shipping cost.
Sellers set their shipping on Depop, which means you might find some that offer free shipping. But they might integrate the price of shipping into the item itself. They have to pay Depop for the shipping label, so you might end up with that cost.
Both sites charge more for shipping internationally, but domestic purchases usually have a flat shipping rate. Shop around by looking for the item, or something similar, on both apps before finalizing a purchase.
Final Notes
Buying and selling clothes online reduces the amount of clothing going into landfills. When you sell clothes online, you’re earning a little money back from what you’ve spent. When you buy online, you’re supporting people instead of companies with poor working conditions. You can save money on the clothes and even with shipping costs.
If you love shopping at thrift stores, you’ll love browsing Poshmark and Depop online. You’ll also love the chance to make some money from selling items you don’t want anymore, instead of letting them end up in a landfill.
Let us know in the comments if you have tried Depop or any other platforms as well as Poshmark!
