ArbiKey vs Excel & Spreadsheets
for eBay Profit Tracking
Spreadsheets weren't built for eBay arbitrage. They go stale, break quietly, and don't know what the pound is worth today. Here's why thousands of sellers switch.
£0.33 per sale. Times 300 sales. Every month.
Same sale. Two different tools. Two different answers. Only one is right.
❌ Spreadsheet calculation
- eBay sale price£34.00
- FVF 13.25% of £34− £4.50
- Shipping cost− £3.50
- Amazon cost− £20.00
- Calculated profit£6.00
✅ ArbiKey calculation
- eBay sale price£34.00
- FVF 13.25% of £38 total− £5.04
- Fixed order fee− £0.30
- Shipping cost− £3.50
- Amazon cost− £20.00
- Real net profit£5.16
On 300 sales a month that's £249/month in phantom profit — not cost, not fees, just miscalculation. ArbiKey catches it automatically, every time.
ArbiKey vs spreadsheets
| Feature | 🔵 ArbiKey | 📋 Excel / Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Live eBay fee rates (auto-updated) | ✓ Always current | ✗ Manual update required |
| FVF on shipping charge (often missed) | ✓ Included always | ✗ Commonly forgotten |
| Category-specific fee calculation | ✓ 30+ categories | ⚠ Only if you built it |
| Live ECB exchange rates | ✓ Hourly updates | ✗ Static or manual |
| Return tracking & profit reversal | ✓ Automatic | ✗ Manual formula |
| Multi-store tracking | ✓ Built in | ⚠ Complex to build |
| CSV import from eBay | ✓ Full import | ⚠ Possible but tedious |
| Formula error risk | ✓ Zero — no formulas | ✗ High — one bad cell |
| Time to log a sale | ✓ Under 30 seconds | 3–5 minutes |
| Works on mobile | ✓ Full mobile support | ⚠ Painful |
| Cost | $1 for 30 days, then $29.99/mo | Free (your time) |
Common questions
Can't I just build a better spreadsheet?
Yes — and some sellers do. A well-built Google Sheet with live FX, category lookup tables, and formula coverage can work. But every edge case (returns, multi-store, promoted listings, international fees) requires more complexity. At some point you're maintaining a spreadsheet instead of running a business. ArbiKey handles all of it by default.
Can I import my existing spreadsheet data into ArbiKey?
Yes. ArbiKey has full CSV import — you map your existing column headers and bring your historical sales data in. Most sellers have their existing data imported in under an hour.
What does it cost to try ArbiKey?
Thirty days for $1, with every feature unlocked and no product limit beyond your plan's. That is long enough to run a full month of real orders through it and compare the numbers against your spreadsheet before you pay full price. After the trial the plan bills monthly from $29.99, and you can cancel at any time.
Replace your spreadsheet in under an hour
Import your existing CSV data and see your real profit numbers — with live eBay fee rates and ECB exchange rates applied automatically.