Depop vs. Poshmark: A Detailed Comparison of the Pros & Cons

Depop vs. Poshmark: A Detailed Comparison of the Pros & Cons

As the online resale market grows, marketplaces like Depop and Poshmark have become go-to destinations for resellers and buyers alike. In this article, we’ll look at Depop and Poshmark, comparing their features, fees, audiences, and more to help you decide the best fit for your business.

Main Takeaways

• Audience: Poshmark has a larger U.S.-based audience, while Depop appeals to a global, younger, fashion-focused crowd.
• Fees: Poshmark has higher fees (20%), while Depop recently removed selling fees, though payment processing fees still apply.
• Shipping: Poshmark offers simple flat-rate shipping, while Depop provides more flexible and international options.
• Community: Depop's Gen Z users value artistic expression, while Poshmark caters to a more polished, classic style.
• Visibility: Poshmark listings benefit from strong Google SEO; Depop relies on hashtags for visibility.
• Vendoo Advantage: Crosslisting with Vendoo on both platforms boosts your sales potential and simplifies the process.

What Is Depop?

Depop is a popular, trendy marketplace with 35 million active users in over 150 countries. Depop is rapidly growing due to its unique blend of social media features and fashion focus. 

Depop is known for fashion but has a broad range of selling categories. Creating a Depop account takes only seconds, and the app is simple and user-friendly. 

One of the best things about Depop is its vibrant community and focus on sustainability, making it a top marketplace among fashion sellers.

For everything you need to know about Depop, check out the article How to Get Started Selling on Depop. 

What Is Poshmark?

 Founded in 2011, Poshmark is a social commerce marketplace known for buying and selling secondhand fashion. With over 80 million community members, Poshmark is one of the largest resale marketplaces. Known for fashion, Poshmark has recently expanded its categories to home goods, toys, select pet supplies, and electronics. One of the best things about Poshmark is its unparalleled ease of use. Poshmark offers the simplest selling and shipping experience, making it a top marketplace among sellers.

Did you know that Poshmark enhances your Google ranking? Your Poshmark listings can reach a wider audience beyond the platform itself, thanks to promoted placements in Google’s feed.

For an in-depth analysis of everything you need to know about Poshmark, check out The Poshmark Bible.

Depop vs. Poshmark: Detailed Comparison

Choosing the right marketplace is crucial for your reselling success. Let’s compare Depop and Poshmark across various aspects to help you make an informed decision.

Did you know that you can crosslist to both Poshmark and Depop in seconds with Vendoo? 

Audience Reach

Poshmark boasts a large audience of 100 million active users, primarily in the U.S. and Canada. It's best known for women’s fashion and trendy brands, though it has expanded into categories like beauty, home goods, and electronics. However, Poshmark’s audience is geographically limited to the U.S., and users cannot buy or sell internationally.

In contrast, Depop has over 35 million registered users in 150 countries. It is particularly popular for vintage, streetwear, and one-of-a-kind items, attracting a global audience that is predominantly young and fashion-conscious.

Reseller Tip: Poshmark listings rank well in Google Search, which can widen your audience beyond the platform. Depop listings, however, do not have the same SEO benefit.

Poshmark’s audience is substantially larger than Depop’s despite the geographical limitations. 

Community & Culture

The community and culture of Depop and Poshmark are quite different. Depop’s user base is primarily Gen Z, with 90% of users under 26. This is reflected in the platform’s vibrant, artistic atmosphere, where listings often feature unique, styled photography and modeled images. Depop’s focus is on artistic expression and individuality.

💡 Tip: Depop strictly prohibits stock images and proactively removes listings that use them. Usemodeled or flat lay photographs to be featured on Depop’s Explore page.

Poshmark, on the other hand, caters to a slightly older, more polished audience. Listings tend to be more formal, with professional photography and a focus on high-end, trendy brands. Poshmark’s community values chic and classic styles over the eclectic aesthetics that dominate Depop. 

Product Categories 

The range of selling categories is very similar on Poshmark and Depop. Both are fashion-focused but offer an expansive list of selling categories.

On Poshmark, you can sell men’s, women’s, and children’s fashion, select home items, pet items, and small electronics. 

The top-selling categories on Poshmark include: 

• Fashion: Women's clothing, men's clothing, shoes, accessories, 
• Beauty: Including makeup, skincare, haircare, and more
• Home Goods: Home decor

You’ll love the article Trends and Best Brands to Sell on Poshmark in 2024. 

On Depop, you can sell men’s, women’s, and children’s fashion, vintage items, select home goods, and accessories.  

The top-selling categories on Depop include:

• Fashion: Women's clothing, men's clothing, shoes, accessories
• Vintage: Including unique and retro fashion items
• Home Goods: Small home decor and artistic pieces

💡Tip: The specific top-selling fashion categories on Depop are designer, Y2k, Vintage, Streetwear, and OOAK (one-of-a-kind). 

Fees

Fees vary greatly on Poshmark and Depop. Compared to other marketplaces, Poshmark has the highest fees, and Depop has the lowest. 

Poshmark Fees: How much does Poshmark take? 

Poshmark fees are 20% of the sale price or a flat $2.95 fee for all items sold for less than $15.

Poshmark fees are simple. There are no listing fees or separate payment processing fees—only the 20% selling fee upon sale. However, listing items you can sell for at least $15 is best. If you sell an item for $3 on Poshmark, you make $0.05…

If you sell a pair of jeans on Poshmark for $20, you will make $16 after fees.

Sale Price: $20 

Poshmark fee: $4

You make: $16

👀 Did you know you can also opt into Poshmark Promoted Closet for paid promotion? Fees apply. 

Depop Fees: How much does Depop take? 

Depop eliminated the selling fee as of July 2024. For listings created after July 15, 2024, there are no Depop selling fees.  A few things to note:

The transaction fee still applies to all listings. In the US, the translation fee is  3.3% + $0.45 of the sale price for payments made through Depop Payments. (Note that transaction fees vary by location)

If you sell a pair of jeans on Depop for $20, you will make $18.89 after fees.

Sale Price: $20 

Payment Processing fee: $1.11

You make: $18.89

👀 Did you know you can also boost your listings on Depop. Using the Boosted Listings feature in Depop will incur an 8% boosting fee on the total sale price.

You might also be interested in the article A Reseller’s Guide to Marketplace Fees. 

Listing Process

Both Depop and Poshmark offer user-friendly listing processes. On both marketplaces, sellers upload images (and optional videos), write descriptions, and select item specifics like size, color, and price.

Depop, however, only allows eight images per listing and strongly emphasizes hashtags for visibility. The use of hashtags is crucial on Depop, whereas on Poshmark, style tags are less significant.

💡Tip:  Learn the popular Depop hashtags in the Reseller’s Guide to Keywords & Aesthetics. 

Refreshing Depop Listings & Sharing Poshmark Listings

Depop and Poshmark require sellers to "refresh" or "share" their listings to keep them visible in search engines and newsfeeds. 

On Poshmark, you can share a listing by clicking the "share" icon.  On Depop, you can refresh an item by opening the listing, editing it, and saving it. Serious sellers on both marketplaces use automation to perform these tasks. 

Both marketplaces also allow for individual and bulk offers to likers to maximize sales. 

Payments & Getting Paid 

Poshmark accepts credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and PayPal. The transactions are secure, and buyers can choose their preferred payment method at checkout.

Depop offers many payment methods for buyers, including credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, PayPal, and Klarna. Stripe facilitates Depop payments. 

On Depop, payments are automatically deposited into the seller’s bank account two business days after the buyer receives the item. Processing times vary, but it usually takes a few days for funds to appear in your account.

Poshmark’s payment process is similar but requires a three-day wait for the buyer to accept the item. After that, funds are deposited into the seller’s Poshmark account and can be transferred to a bank account within 2-5 business days.

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Shipping

Shipping works a lot differently on Poshmark and Depop. Poshmark offers the simplest shipping, but Depop offers more options for buyers and sellers. 

Poshmark offers the simplest shipping for sellers, offering only a flat-rate shipping option. The platform provides a prepaid shipping label for USPS, and the cost is typically paid by the buyer. While this is simple, it does not allow the seller much control over shipping and handling.

On Depop, there are many shipping selections available to sellers. When listing, you must decide whether to:

1. Ship with Depop or ship on your own;
2. Offer free shipping or charge shipping; and
3. Use USPS, FedEx, or UPS.

Each Depop listing has a shipping section for this information.  If you select to ship with Depop, Depop will email you a USPS label upon sale. However, when you list, you must enter the item’s approximate weight (including packaging) to select the label tier.

When you ship with Depop, you can download a prepaid shipping label issued by Depop. Tracking will automatically start once the package is en route. Depop uses USPS Ground Advantage for qualifying packages and USPS Priority Mail for all heavier orders.

Electing to ship on your own requires purchasing your shipping label and providing Depop with the tracking information for the package. When you ship on your own, you can purchase through any carrier. 

Expand your exposure by offering international shipping. Depop exists in over 150 countries worldwide, and buyers love American Vintage!

💡Tip: For the best rates on shipping on your own, I recommend using Pirate Ship. Note that you must ship on your own for international shipping on Depop. 

 To learn more about the pros and cons of self-shipping vs. shipping with Depop, check out The Reseller's Guide to Shipping on Depop. 

Returns & Customer Support 

Poshmark does not allow returns unless the item is not as described (wrong item sent, undisclosed damage, not authentic, etc.). To attempt a return, a buyer must open a Poshmark case and submit photographic evidence to support their claim. Within the formal case, the buyer, seller, and Poshmark can all communicate back and forth to “hash it out.” 

In my experience, Poshmark is certainly not quick to respond, but it is the fairest platform. While other platforms have a reputation for “always siding with the buyer,” Poshmark is fairly true to its return policy and terms of service. 

Depop allows sellers to create their return policy. Of course, buyer protections are in place even if a seller does not allow returns. When a buyer opens a claim with Depop, you do not see the claim or get a chance to respond. Depop will decide and inform you of the next steps. 

Depop customer support is not quite as comprehensive or accommodating as Poshmark’s. 

Selling on Depop vs. Poshmark: Pros and Cons

Let’s explore the pros and cons of selling on Depop and Poshmark: 

Depop Pros:

• Fashion-Focused Audience: Depop’s younger, trendier user base is highly focused on fashion, making it a great platform for sellers specializing in clothing, accessories, and vintage items.
• Flexible Shipping Options: Depop allows the seller control over shipping preferences and policies. 
• Global Reach: Depop sellers can ship to over 150 countries, significantly expanding the audience base. 
• Social Media Integration: Depop’s social media-like features, such as following, liking, and sharing, create a vibrant community and enhance the visibility of your listings.
• No Selling Fees: As of July 2024, Depop has removed its selling fees, allowing sellers to keep more earnings. This can make Depop a more profitable platform for sellers. However, note that payment processing fees still apply (see above). 

Depop Cons

• Smaller Audience: Despite Depop’s global reach, the userbase is significantly smaller than Poshmark. 
• Slower Payouts: Depop’s payout process can take a few days after the item is delivered, which might be slower than other platforms where funds are available more quickly.
• Offers Not Binding: Offers are not binding on Depop. When a buyer submits an offer, and the seller accepts, the buyer can still change their mind. Many sellers find this to be incredibly frustrating. 

Poshmark Pros

• Bundling: Poshmark is a great place to bundle items because there is an easy system for buyers to purchase multiple items at once from the same seller. This provides a cost-effective way for a buyer to reduce shipping costs and a convenient way for a seller to upsell. 
• Live Selling: The introduction of Poshmark live sales has provided a world of opportunity and profit for many Poshmark sellers. On Poshmark, you can go live to auction items in a social, interactive, fast-paced environment. This is appealing for sellers looking to skip the traditional drafting-and-listing process and sell many units quickly. 
• Shipping: If you're looking for the best shipping option, look no further than Poshmark. Because of the shipping price, Poshmark is hands down the best platform to sell bulky items that weigh more than a pound. All you have to do is print out the label and drop off the package at your nearest Post Office. 
• Returns: Selling on Poshmark makes returns easy. Poshmark handles all returns and even pays for return shipping. So, if a buyer requests a return, Poshmark will take care of it for you.

Poshmark Cons

• High Selling Fees: Compared to all other reselling online platforms, Poshmark has the highest selling fee, which is a 20% commission on items that sell for over $15. If your item sells for under $15, then Poshmark charges a $2.95 flat fee. 
• Shipping Costs: Poshmark is a great platform for selling clothes, but the shipping costs can be a real pain for sellers trying to move smaller items. The $8 shipping fee is a con when selling small items that weigh less than a pound, and it can eat into your profits. As a seller, you can offer your customers discounted shipping or free shipping, but for sellers who are trying to move smaller items, the $8 shipping fee can be a real deterrent. 
• Social Engagement Requirement: Poshmark is a social platform, which means that most sellers have to be active on the platform to see more sales. You can do more than just share your listings and respond to questions – you can also share other people’s listings, attend Poshmark virtual parties, and list and relist items frequently. The more you engage with the Poshmark community, the more likely you are to see success as a seller.
• Payout Process: You have to wait to get paid. Once the buyer receives your package and has accepted the item, your earnings will be automatically deposited into your Poshmark account. Buyers have up to three days to accept the item, and after that, the funds are automatically released to you, the seller. Depositing your Poshmark earnings into your bank account typically takes 2-5 business days. 

Which Platform Is Right for You?

When deciding between Depop and Poshmark, consider your specific needs and goals. If you’re focused on fashion and want to tap into a younger, global audience, Depop might be the better choice. If you prefer a broader range of product categories and a more straightforward selling experience, Poshmark could be the right fit.

For many sellers, using both marketplaces may provide the best results. This allows you to reach different audiences and maximize your sales potential. Personally, Poshmark and Depop are my best and favorite two marketplaces. 

Tips for Selling on Poshmark and Depop

Cross-List with Vendoo

Using Vendoo to crosslist your items on both Depop and Poshmark can significantly increase your exposure and sales potential. Vendoo simplifies the listing process, saving you time and effort.

Use High-Quality Photos

Clear, well-lit photos are crucial for attracting buyers on both marketplaces. Take multiple angles and highlight unique features or flaws to give buyers a complete view of the item.

💡Tip: If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million. Both Poshmark and Depop offer listing videos. Use video media to highlight your items and make more sales!

Offer Free or Discounted Shipping 

Offering free or discounted shipping can make your listings more appealing to buyers. If free shipping is offered, consider incorporating shipping costs into the item price.

Engage with the Community 

Active participation in the community, such as liking and commenting on other users’ listings, can boost your visibility. Respond promptly to inquiries and provide excellent customer service to build trust with buyers.

Sell on Both Poshmark and Depop with Vendoo!

Both Poshmark and Depop have so much to offer. Sell on both to optimize your profits! Why choose one marketplace when you can list to 11 marketplaces in under five minutes? Use Vendoo to enhance your listings, crosslist, manage your inventory, and more!

Start for FREE!