If you fancy the idea of making money from the best selling platforms, the question of selling on Etsy vs eBay must have crossed your mind once or twice. Undoubtedly, choosing between Etsy and eBay can be challenging for any seller due to various factors.
However, there is no need to worry since our following “Etsy or eBay” comparison will give you everything to decide which one you should go with.
In brief, here are 8 the major essentials between Etsy vs eBay:
- Product types
- Customer base
- Ease of selling
- Selling fees
- Ads & promotion
- Shipping & fulfillment
- Selling tools
- Customer support
Let’s get started with a detailed breakdown of Etsy vs eBay!
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Overall Comparison of Etsy vs eBay
Here is Etsy and eBay comparison at a glance.
Name | Etsy | eBay |
Product type | Handmade, antique, and one-of-a-kind products | A variety of items, from antiques and gently used items to new ones |
Customer bases | Mostly female in the UK, US, and Canada | Wider ranges of buyers |
Ease of selling | ||
Selling fees | ||
Advertising and promotion | ||
Shipping and fulfillment | ||
Selling tools | ||
Customer support |
Who should sell on Etsy?
If you are a content creator, an artist, or simply enjoy dealing in artistic and creative products, then learning how to start selling on Etsy can be a wise choice. It’s extremely simple to utilize and does not require much knowledge of the eCommerce industry, all you need to prepare is the uniqueness in goods and proper audience targeting.
Moreover, in case you already have an online store built on an eCommerce platform like Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, etc., you can integrate your store with Etsy to skyrocket your sales. In that case, come and check out LitCommerce’s Etsy integration package right below:
Who should sell on eBay?
As one of the top online marketplaces, eBay provides retailers, professional and second-hand sellers with an excellent sales channel.
On top of that, eBay’s most valued advantage is the increased flexibility it gives sellers. The design of product listings, shipping charges, and return policies are all completely under the hands of the seller. Given all these reasons, what is holding you back from learning how to sell on eBay?
Etsy vs eBay – Break Down Key Differences
Since we have walked through the Etsy eBay basics, it is time to figure out their 8 key differences and help you choose your best sales channel. Let’s dive in!
#1. Product types
It’s essential to compare what to sell on your online store on Etsy vs eBay. By doing so, you will find out whether your products would meet the requirements or not. Besides, the main distinction between Etsy and eBay lies in the product types, which help merchants define their audience on these marketplaces.
Etsy: Product types
Overall, Etsy is a great place to sell handmade, antique, and one-of-a-kind products. Also, if you have researched product types, you may realize that crafts and art supplies, jewelry, home decor, and vintage goods are making the best selling items on Etsy. Apart from selling physical items, have you ever considered digital products to sell on Etsy? In fact, Etsy downloads are blooming on the marketplace, and they can earn you a fortune.
Lastly, even though Etsy product types are quite diverse and have certain characteristics, bear in mind that there are some niches that you cannot sell on Etsy, here are some examples:
- Animal items
- Human remains
- Tobacco, drugs, alcohol, medical drugs, or drug paraphernalia
- Products that provoke hatred and violence
- Recalled items, weapons, and hazardous materials
- Internationally regulated products
- Mature content and pornography
- Highly regulated products or promoting illegal activities
Find out more on the Etsy prohibited items.
eBay: Product types
Following our analysis of Etsy vs eBay, let’s take a look at eBay product types and orientation.
To sum up, eBay is the right place for your business if you are looking forward to offering a variety of items, from antiques and gently used items to brand-new ones. In other words, you can almost sell anything on this marketplace! However, in case you are a newbie, we suggest that you look up the best selling items on eBay to kick off products that can profit in a short time.
Nonetheless, when selling on eBay, you need to consult with its policies on restricted items. Just like Etsy, eBay also forbids its users to sell:
- Adult items
- Alcohol
- Animals and wildlife products
- Autographed items
- Digitally delivered goods
- Drugs and drug paraphernalia
- Electrical and electronic equipment
- Event tickets
- Encouraging illegal activity
- Stamps, currency, and coins
Etsy vs eBay – Product types
To conclude, Etsy is an ideal marketplace for sellers that aim at crafts, collectibles, and creative items. Meanwhile, eBay is more of a general sales channel. Therefore, decide which marketplace is more suitable for you based on your product niche.
#2. Customer base
The customer base is a necessary factor in this breakdown of Etsy vs eBay differences. There are significant gaps in customer behaviors between both marketplaces. Now, why don’t we look at what sets Etsy buyers apart from eBay buyers?
Etsy: Customer base
According to our investigations, there are about 81.9 million active buyers on Etsy in Q2, 2023. In detail, the majority of Etsy’s customers are female, located in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada
Speaking more about Etsy’s customer persona, they tend to seek unique and one-of-a-kind products which cannot be found anywhere else. Notably, Etsy’s audience shopping tendencies refer to looking for products of personal use or collection.
Finally, if looking closely at shoppers’ behaviors and trends on Etsy, you may notice that more people aim at sustainable products. Based on a survey by Etsy, concrete evidence suggests that 98% of consumers belong to an eco-conscious group. They even engage in ethical practices to protect the environment, such as recycling and reusing.
eBay: Customer base
Comparing Etsy vs eBay, eBay appears to have a much greater customer base, with 135 million active shoppers in Q2, 2023. However, it is more challenging to identify a clear buyer’s persona, given that eBay has a much wider product range and more selling methods.
Yet, here are some facts about eBay’s audience in 2023 for online merchants:
- eBay consumers regularly look for general products that may be found at a reasonable price compared to other marketplaces.
- In March, 2023, 18 to 24 is the most remarkable shopper age range on eBay. This group accounts for 39% of the total buyers.
- The second runner in terms of shopper age range on eBay is from 25 to 34, which takes 36% of all buyers.
- People often purchase electronics, such as laptops, replacement parts, graphic cards, etc., on eBay.
Etsy vs eBay – Customer base
To summarize, Etsy has a smaller customer base than eBay. Nonetheless, it is easier to target the correct audience if you have a really narrow niche. In that case, Etsy is where you’ll discover your type of buyer. On the other hand, eBay is a good fit if you want to sell in bigger market niches.
#3. Ease of selling
The first question that might pop into your mind is, “Which is more user-friendly – eBay or Etsy?”. In the upcoming section of the Etsy vs eBay breakdown, we will help you determine which marketplace is easier to manage and sell.
Etsy: Ease of selling
With Etsy, you can easily open your own Etsy shop, but becoming successful takes much time and effort. First and foremost, signing up for an Etsy seller account is pretty straightforward. Specifically, you just need to enter your store name, upload a few products, and start selling on Etsy.
In the registration and setup stage, there is no need to be stressed about choosing the perfect name since the marketplace lets you change Etsy shop name up to 5 times after launching a store.
After registering a selling account, Etsy will walk you through everything you should include in your listing, which is:
- Product photos and videos
- A product thumbnail image
- Listing details (product variants, sizes, patterns, etc.)
- A product description
- Inventory and pricing information
- Shipping options
After uploading the necessary details, you can provide your consumers with invoicing and payment options. Then, choose to save or publish the listing.
More about selling on Etsy
As an Etsy seller, it is possible to interact with other sellers by participating in the forums. There, you may obtain their Seller Handbook, which is a comprehensive and helpful instruction for newcomers.
Furthermore, there are several strategies to “level up” to attract more customers. As a matter of fact, sellers with a good reputation can join Etsy Plus to get extra benefits, including free listing credits, Etsy Ad credits, custom web address discounts, and more comprehensive store customization.
If you want to be a successful Etsy seller, consider the following suggestions:
- Increase your activity and creativity;
- Raise the number of product combinations;
- Make use of appropriate and targeted keywords in the title and description;
- Gain a deeper understanding of both Copyright and Trademark law;
- Avoid keyword stuffing by including more special identities;
- Add more keywords and links that are relevant;
- Utilize the image alt tags.
Furthermore, several strategies exist to “level up” to attract more customers. Sellers with a good reputation can join Etsy Plus to get extra benefits, including free listing credits, Etsy Ad credits, custom web address discounts, and more comprehensive store customization.
If you want to be a successful Etsy seller, consider the following suggestions:
- Increase your activity and creativity;
- Raise the number of product combinations;
- Make use of appropriate and targeted keywords in the title and description;
- Gain a deeper understanding of both Copyright and Trademark law;
- Avoid keyword stuffing by including more special identities;
- Add more keywords and links that are relevant;
- Remember to utilize the image alt tags.
eBay: Ease of selling
In the analysis of Etsy vs eBay – ease of selling, the marketplace also lets sellers easily make an eBay store and barely triggers them during the initial setup. On top of that, after creating your account, you will have 2 possibilities to choose from:
- Individual account (also known as Personal account)
- Accountant in Business (also known as Business account)
Depending on your business size, you can choose your suitable account type to sell on eBay. If you want to sell on eBay full-time, deal in large volume transactions, or resale things, a business account is what you’re looking for. In case you need more information about Personal accounts and Business accounts, check out our detailed comparison between these 2 types to find your best answer.
Once you’ve all set, you’ll be able to get an overview of your selling page, which shows you all of the products you’re currently selling:
Sell on Etsy right from your current store
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* More about selling on eBay
Comparing Etsy vs eBay, becoming an eBay seller is also simple by using Seller Hub. Explaining more clearly, eBay Seller Hub gives you step-by-step instructions on how to start selling on eBay. Beyond that, eBay Seller Hub helps manage listings, monitor and analyze business performance, as well as view payouts. But keep in mind that you need at least one sale on eBay to access the Seller Hub.
What’s also amazing about eBay is that you can look for similar products to use as a starting point for your listing. This can save you a lot of time filling out data like size, color, etc. In addition, you can create your own listing templates using a wide range of listings to get through.
On the other hand, eBay isn’t the most visually appealing marketplace. It’s a bit cumbersome, and its layout is not always clear, particularly where important features are located (for example, the ability to build templates).
Lastly, you should remember that standing out on eBay can also be challenging. Focusing all of your efforts on customer experience is the best thing you can do at this time.
Similar to Etsy, here are some selling tips you can consider while using eBay:
- Find the right products to sell for a reasonable price;
- Spend time crafting descriptive names and descriptions;
- Create high-resolution item images;
- Make sure your shipping items are well-packaged.
Etsy vs eBay – Ease of selling
When discussing selling on eBay vs Etsy, many people claim that it is much more straightforward on Etsy. Also, listing creation is faster compared to eBay. Yet, eBay seems to grant sellers greater functionality. This will surely help when you are a professional seller.
#4. Selling fees
At first glance of Etsy vs eBay fees, eBay appears more appealing to newbies because it offers up to 250 free listings. Etsy might not offer such a warm welcome, but its fee policies are more predictable and simpler than eBay’s. Let’s have a closer look at Etsy fees vs eBay fees.
Etsy selling fees
Since eBay is much larger when compared to Etsy, you might raise the question, “Is it cheaper to sell on eBay or Etsy?”. To answer this question, let’s look at the fees on Etsy, they are quite clear and comprehensive.
In short, here is how much it costs to start an Etsy shop (compulsory fees):
- Listing fee: Whether your item sells or not, publishing a listing on Etsy costs 20 cents; you must pay a $0.20 listing fee which expires after 4 months. Nonetheless, if you also sell on Etsy Pattern (an eCommerce service by Etsy) with the same listings, Etsy won’t charge the renewal fees. Yet, paying for new listings is still compulsory.
- Transaction fee: Etsy charges a 6.5% transaction fee on each item sold (including the shipping price you set).
- Shipping fee: You may be required to pay for shipping labels on Etsy. Usually, this varies based on products’ information, destination, and carriers’ policies.
Other optional Etsy selling fees you may need to pay:
- Payment processing fee: It obviously depends on your country, however, in the US and Australia, Etsy charges 3% + $0.25 for each transaction. But this only occurs when you use Etsy Payments.
- Subscription: Another fee you may have to pay is Subscription, which takes $10 a month. Specifically, Etsy charges a subscription fee when you sign up for Etsy Plus.
- Etsy ad fee: Ad costs mainly depend on your goals, conversion targets, budget limits, and runtime. Also, Etsy ad charges can go up or down due to the competition rate in your niche.
eBay selling fees
Regarding Etsy vs eBay fee comparison, eBay may charge higher and apply a more complex fee policy. Generally, you must pay eBay seller fees regularly or for one-time purchases. For more details, below are the basic costs of an eBay store.
- Subscription: $4.95 to $2999.95 per month
- Insertion fee: Free 250 listings, then $0.35 per listing
- Final value fee: 6% to 15% of total sales value + $0.30 per order
- Listing upgrade: This optional fee applies when you want to upgrade listings with larger images or videos to attract more customers.
The provided information shows that eBay selling fees are divided into several sections: an insertion fee when you create product lists, subscription, insertion, and final value fees, which are charged after your items sell. The amount eBay charges mostly depends on the item’s price, the format, chosen category, optional listing upgrades included, and sales conversion.
Etsy vs eBay – Selling fees
Regarding Etsy vs eBay fees, both marketplaces offer their users affordable pricing. However, Etsy seems better because of its clear and comprehensive pricing plan.
#5. Advertising and promotion
Another crucial factor to consider in Etsy vs eBay’s key difference breakdown is advertising and promotion. Currently, the two channels are offering a wide range of tools for sellers. It’s time to take our investigations further into it!
Etsy advertising and promotion
Undoubtedly, advertising on Etsy is among the most effective selling practices to promote Etsy shops. Below is a general outlook, including on-site and off-site Etsy ads.
- On-site ads
In short, on-site ads are displayed within Etsy’s search results and product listing pages. Normally, Etsy on-site ads rely on keywords and a determined budget. In particular, when a buyer looks up a specific query on Etsy, the search results page will show both organic listings and ads.
Speaking more about Etsy on-site ads, it works on a PPC model (Pay-per-click). Hence, you only pay when someone clicks on your ads.
- Off-site ads
One more way to get more sales on Etsy is to use its off-site ads. Overall, Etsy off-site ads show up on external search engines and social media platforms. What’s more, these Etsy ads are created and managed by the house.
It is worth noting that if you have made any sales in the past 12 months via Off-site ads, you are automatically enrolled in off-site ads. Also, in case a shopper clicks on your off-site ad and makes a purchase within 30 days, Etsy will charge an advertising fee.
eBay advertising and promotion
In the analysis of Etsy vs eBay advertising, eBay works differently, and here is a more in-depth glance. First and foremost, eBay offers many marketing tools directly on the platform, including:
- Email marketing
- Cross promotions
- Promotion for similar items
- Seller top picks
- The ability to add branding materials, such as your logo.
Besides, eBay offers two types of advertising: brand advertisements and promoted listings. This means you can buy a massive ad banner for your entire brand if you have a sufficient budget. On the other hand, most merchants employ sponsored listings to get their products to the top of the list.
On top of that, it seems that eBay is generating a more effective ad rate because you pay only when your item is up for sale on eBay. To be more specific, the eBay ad rate is charged when a customer clicks on a sponsored listing and buys it within 30 days. The cost is calculated using the current ad rate at the time of the first click.
Last but not least, when it comes to eBay advertising, you can set the ads rate based on a percentage of your item’s price. As a result, you are well aware of the upfront ad costs to market and sell an item.
Etsy vs eBay – Advertising and promotion
When it gets down to advertising and promotion, eBay appears to have a winning point over Etsy with direct marketing tools available and a more effective ad rate.
#6. Shipping and fulfillment
Comparing Etsy vs eBay, we can see that both marketplaces go out of their way to make shipping easy for sellers.
Etsy shipping and fulfillment
It’s worth shipping with Etsy because it offers sellers subsidized postage labels, which is less expensive than shipping directly with most carriers like USPS, FedEx, and Canada Post.
Notably, Etsy has its own set of tools and features that help sellers with shipping, such as shipping profiles, tracking updates, and calculated postages. And the best part? The convenient shipment monitoring allows you to build, update, and bulk edit delivery profiles to streamline sending.
Nevertheless, you should bear in mind that Etsy does not offer fulfillment services like other marketplaces. Therefore, picking, packing, and shipping may cause you inconvenience.
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eBay shipping and fulfillment
On eBay, sellers can offer their customers a delivery discount, free shipping, or flat-rate shipping. Yet, retailers may be pressured to provide free shipping. This is at your own expense, so you must adjust your listing pricing accordingly. No seller can afford free shipping. Over and above, for those who are selling low-priced products on eBay, you might feel under more pressure. Regarding shipping charges, don’t forget to check our latest updates on eBay shipping fees!
Despite the shipping issues mentioned, eBay has put efforts to simplify the shipping process and assist its sellers by providing various shipping tools, including:
- Shipping labels that merchants can print at home
- An eBay shipping calculator to help them estimate the delivery costs.
In 2020, eBay finally launched Managed Delivery, allowing e-merchants to fulfill orders more conveniently and swiftly. Plus, eBay has a Global Shipping Program that lets sellers ship purchased items to eBay dropshipping in Kentucky. Then, it will take care of any customs formalities and ship the items to buyers worldwide. Because of that, this marketplace will be accountable for any delays in delivery.
Etsy vs eBay – Shipping and fulfillment
In our perspective, Etsy and eBay both grant sellers a variety of shipping tools and resources, such as shipping labels, shipping programs, and tracking updates. However, Etsy hasn’t made fulfillment services available for sellers yet.
#7. Selling tools
Etsy vs eBay selling tools is one of the most decisive factors when it comes to choosing the marketplace. Both offer different tools that enhance your business in managing products, orders, inventory, and more.
Selling tools on Etsy
Apart from its ease of use, Etsy offers several selling tools that help to monitor and grow your business effectively. Let’s take a look at them.
- Etsy Seller Dashboard: The Seller Dashboard provides a snapshot of your shop’s performance, including sales, traffic, and customer activity. Notably, it displays your revenue, orders, and views for the past 24 hours, week, month, or custom date range. Based on the provided details, you can easily see your top-performing listings, keywords, and traffic sources.
- Etsy Shop Manager: Shop Manager is the central hub for managing your Etsy shop. When using Etsy Shop Manager, you’ll get access to tools for listing items, managing orders, customizing shop, and communicating with customers.
- Etsy Marketing Tools: In general, Etsy offers a variety of marketing tools to help sellers promote their shops, which refer to promoted listings, social media integration, email marketing, and many more!
- Etsy Analytics: Here is an essential tool for business monitoring. Speaking of which, Etsy Analytics is in charge of providing detailed information about your shop’s performance, including traffic sources, conversion rates, and popular products. Some of the metrics you can track with Etsy Analytics are shop stats (summarized shop performance, revenue, orders, and traffic), traffic sources, conversion rates, and top products.
- Etsy Seller Handbook: The Seller Handbook provides sellers with information and tips on everything from product photography to customer service. It includes articles, tutorials, and guides on a wide range of topics, such as listing optimization, product pricing, shipment, advertising, and promotion.
Aside from using tools, you should pay close attention to Etsy SEO to win out the search engine and approach a larger audience. Furthermore, joining Etsy community forums is a great idea because they allow merchants to actively encourage one another, provide advice, and share constructive perspectives.
Selling tools on eBay
In terms of selling on Etsy vs eBay, eBay may be a more fiercely competitive marketplace. But this marketplace encourages sellers to scale up, expand listings, and drive their businesses to thrive. While selling on eBay, you can access the professional tools which are meant to help you meet and exceed your objectives as follows:
- eBay Seller Hub: Briefly, the Seller Hub is the main dashboard, providing a centralized location for managing listings, orders, and sales. Moreover, the eBay Seller Hub includes tools for monitoring your sales performance, tracking your inventory, and managing your listings.
- eBay Listing Tools: There are several eBay listing tools to help sellers create and manage their listings. This listing tool set includes Listing Designer (customize the look and feel of their listings), eBay Turbo Lister (create and list multiple items on eBay at once), and eBay File Exchange (create and upload bulk listings using a CSV file).
- eBay Sales Reports: Detailed sales reports will help you track your performance and identify trends. Explaining this selling tool further, it contains several parts, which are a sales dashboard (performance overview), sales, and traffic reports.
- eBay Promotions Manager: Simply put, the Promotions Manager allows you to create and manage sales promotions and other marketing campaigns. With the support of eBay Promotion Manager, you can create percentage-off discounts, free shipping offers, and other promotional offers to attract buyers.
- eBay Global Shipping Program: The Global Shipping Program enables you to sell internationally, with eBay handling the shipping and customs clearance. Accordingly, this program can help you expand your customer base and increase sales.
Etsy vs eBay – Selling tools
When it comes to eBay vs Etsy, both sales channels are doing a great job in assisting and encouraging their merchants thanks to a wide range of professional selling tools.
#8. Customer support
When it comes to Etsy vs eBay, you should take a closer look at how these marketplaces offer you support during the selling process. Both platforms feature help centers if you’re new to selling and have problems setting up your business or have general concerns about it. Now, let’s go for more details.
Etsy: Customer support
To begin with, Etsy’s seller support center offers rather simple materials. Detailedly, they cover issues such as handling orders, managing your business, payment FAQs, typical inquiries about Etsy listing tools, and more. However, looking on the bright side, Etsy’s support center is accessible 24/7, available in multiple languages, and provides comprehensive help articles.
Yet, there are limitations. Specifically, several users have claimed Etsy takes a long time to reply. Adding to that, you may find it challenging to find relevant information if it is not in a well-defined category.
eBay: Customer support
Talking about Etsy vs eBay customer service, eBay also has a comprehensive help center with information on selling fees, listing creation, refunds, shipping, selling tools, performance factors, and more.
Similar to Etsy, eBay offers support in multiple languages, a wide range of help materials, and easy navigation. Besides, eBay provides greater support for personalized cases through phone calls, social media, and live chat. Considering this aspect, eBay seems to have a winning point over Etsy. Nonetheless, eBay still needs to work on response time.
Etsy vs eBay – Customer support
On the subject of Etsy vs eBay customer service, both marketplaces have a plethora of learning materials for users and customers to look for. However, eBay’s support center is more effective for personalized cases and offers various communication methods when their sellers are in need. That’s why eBay is gaining a competitive advantage over Etsy.
Etsy vs eBay – FAQs
- 1. What is the difference between Etsy and eBay?
Etsy and eBay has numerous differences, which are product niche, selling styles, buyers’ demographics, selling fees, shipping and fulfillment, selling tools, advertising, and promotion methods.
- 2. Who pays for shipping on Etsy?
In most cases, buyers are the one who pays for the shipping, as the shipping costs are added to the price of the product. Moreover, most Etsy shops charge an extra, separate shipping fee on top of the product price.
- 3. How can I lower my Etsy fees?
There are so many ways to reduce the Etsy fees. However, it’s important to understand that you cannot attempt to avoid Etsy fees; that’s prohibited by Etsy and will likely get your shop suspended or shut down:
- Lower shipping fees
- Reduce shipping countries
- List prices in your banking currency
- Reduce listings
- Turn off the auto-renew function
- Limit unique items
- Use variations
- Create bundle listings
- 4. Does eBay take a percentage of shipping?
eBay actually doesn’t charge any fees related to purchasing postage from them. The final value fee on shipping is based on what the buyer pays, so if sellers offer free shipping, then the fee is zero.
- 5. Does eBay always take 10%?
eBay takes a percentage of almost all sales, ranging from 1.5% to 15%. eBay’s final value fees are often the largest single cost for sellers. This is a percentage of the amount actually charged to the customer. This includes the item price, the shipping cost, and sales tax.
- 6. Is eBay a good place to sell?
Yes, eBay is a great place to sell, especially if you are kicking off general products or looking to sell in auctions. However, it is worth minding that eBay has intense competition. Therefore, you’d better implement effective pricing and overall business strategies.
Final Words: Is eBay or Etsy better?
To sum up, the comparison of Etsy vs eBay has come to an end. Both are impressive online marketplaces that could be beneficial for your business.
While eBay suits the needs of growing business for any seller thanks to its massive reach and vast diversity of inventory, Etsy is a perfect option if you have a small business that sells handcrafted, creative, artistic, or unique products. Therefore, it all depends on what you want to sell and who your potential customers are.
Etsy vs eBay comparison only helps you choose the marketplace you want to integrate. In the long run, every merchant can sell their products on both or beyond these marketplaces with the help of multichannel selling.
This can be a daunting task to go through initially, but LitCommerce is proud to be your companion. Why wait any further? Contact us to get the ticket to expand your business effectively now!
Finally, if you are looking for more information about the eCommerce world, simply stay tuned to our Retailer Blog and join LitCommerce’s elite social community. We’re looking forward to your participation!
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