Five Top Etsy Alternatives for sellers (Updated 2022) --
Updated: 3 December 2022
If you're a craftsperson or business owner with a small or no-profit business selling products made by hand, you could be familiar with Etsy because it's been taking the world of online creativity by storm since 2005. Etsy has since become an online marketplace where users from all over all over the world can connect to create or sell distinctive items. Etsy sellers offer a wide variety of products including jewelry and clothing to decor and artwork, and even digital products including design art, digital art, website templates, and many more.
While the site has grown increasingly popular, this online market isn't for everybody. Some drawbacks can make sellers reluctant to remain on the platform. In addition sellers have often complained about the rising cost of fees and poor seller support quality as reasons why they're considering leaving the giant marketplace online for a more alternative platform.
In this article we'll take a look at five top Etsy alternatives that could be a better fit for your business.
A quick list of the best Etsy alternatives for your company:
What exactly is Etsy being used to do?
Etsy is an online market place that focuses on selling handmade or vintage products and accessories and also exclusive factory-made items. Etsy was founded in 2005 with a vision of bringing together people who seek unique goods with independent sellers all over the world.
Today, sellers on Etsy range from handmade artisans to digital artists who create and sell digital artwork, design assets, and much more.
What is the cost of Etsy Pay?
Etsy charges a listing fee of USD$0.20 for each listing. This is in addition to 6.5% of the price that you show for each listing plus the cost you pay to deliver and wrap gifts when an item sells.
Be aware that as the Etsy seller you'll automatically be paid at a USD$0.20 per listing each four months to ensure the longevity of your listing. You can choose to disable the automatic renewals for a particular listing or for your own shop.
5 Etsy Alternatives for Sellers (Free + Paid)
1.
There are many ways you can be more self-reliant in your business and "break free" of the Etsy platform in order to establish an independently-owned business. Another option is to set up an online shop using an e-commerce website. With , you can create your own online store or site in just a few minutes no cost. You don't require any design or technical skills.
is the best e-commerce platform for selling digital products. Whether you're selling digital downloads as well as courses, coaching or physical goods, the platform makes it easy for you to market online anyplace.
PRICING:
Three pricing plans are available that you can pick from:
- Unlimited Free:No monthly subscription fees plus 5% fee per transaction (excluding shipping fees)
- Plus: $29/month fees + 2% fees per sale
- Pro: $99/month fees + no fees per sale
The greatest benefit of's pricing is that you have access to every one of the fantastic features no matter if you're on the no-cost plan or one of the monthly options. Pricing plans for's were created solely for the benefit of managing your transaction fees as your shop grows in terms of revenue.
If you're only beginning your journey, start on 's forever-free program, which means you'll only be paid 5% of the cost for each sale you make i.e. if you don't make a sale, you pay nothing at all while still having the option of keeping your stunning online store. A huge gain!
PROS
- Most affordable option. It is less expensive than Etsy and has a forever-free plan, with a 5% fee for every sale. No monthly subscription fee, no listing fee, no hidden fees. If you're selling physical goods the 5% price will only be applied to the purchase price , and does not include the shipping costs or taxes.
- Website builder that is fully customizable and can be customized with themes
- Instant payouts through Stripe and Paypal
- Free store domain (and possibility of connecting your own domain, if you'd like to)
- Unlimited number of products and unlimitless orders
- Automated control of UK & EU VAT
- Review feature for customers with an approval method (say goodbye to the headache of negative 1-star reviews)
- Sell various product types including digital downloads, online courses, coaching services, subscriptions/memberships, and physical merchandise
- Marketing tools that can be free including affiliate marketing, referral method, coupon code cross-sell, upsell, email marketing, and more
CONS
- It's the best Etsy alternative for selling digital downloads. In addition, you can to sell physical products but keep in mind that the marketplace doesn't have the ability to integrate a shipping label automatically.
- There are no multi-account features. You'll have one online store per email.
2. Amazon Handmade
We will preface this with the fact that Amazon's costs actually more expensive than Etsy's. However, Amazon has over 8x the user base that Etsy does, and we've put them on this listing because it could be worthwhile to explore in order to expand the reach of your customers.
Amazon Handmade is an excellent alternative to Etsy for those looking for handmade goods. Amazon Handmade offers a wide assortment of products made by hand that range from jewellery to furniture, and permits customers to narrow their search through price, category and seller. Additionally, Amazon Handmade offers free two-day shipping for Prime users, which is an ideal choice for customers looking to get their products quick.
PRICING:
12.24 percent referral fee per every sale. If sellers have more than 40 listings, Amazon charges a 15% referral fee and an annual fee of $39.99/month. No listing fee.
PROS
- Access to Amazon's large customer base. Amazon is one of the most popular online stores worldwide, boasting over 300 million active customers. This means you have a more potential customers for your goods compared to Etsy
- Access to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), which also means that your product will be eligible for Prime shipping
CONS
- Amazon's 12.24%-15% fees are higher than Etsy's 6.5 percentage (even though Amazon does not charge fees for listing)
- If you're selling on FBA You'll have sufficient inventory in order that you can ship to the Amazon warehouse, while also having enough inventory to sell in other locations. It might be out of reach for small-sized online businesses.
- Though FBA can be advantageous however, it's certainly not the ideal choice for small businesses that are able to give a personal touch to their customers' purchases (e.g. thank-you notes)
- Amazon's huge user base will not matter if your products are easily discoverable on the market. If you're selling in a crowded marketplace, you'll need to work hard to get visibility for your listings (sometimes this means you have to spend a considerable amount to advertise within the Amazon marketplace)
3. GoImagine
GoImagine is marketed by claiming to be "the market that takes care". The concept allows small-scale businesses to operate their online stores just like they do in the past, while also providing an opportunity to change the world. GoImagine donates 100% of its profits to charitable causes.
It's great that the artists and creators continue to make their money the way they normally do. If you're selling your products on Etsy, they provide instructions for how to import your listings from Etsy and GoImagine.
PRICING:
There 3 pricing plan options to choose from:
- Starter: $2.50 per month + 5% Transaction Fee. There are up to 25 product listings
- Development:$5.00 per month + 4.5% Transaction Fee. The account will provide up to 100 product listing
- All-Star$10.00 monthly plus 3.5 percent Transaction Fee. You'll get up to 1,000 Product Listings
PROS
- Perfect for businesses looking to sell handmade products as well as contribute to a worthy cause.
- Specialized marketplace that caters to handmade artists. Comparatively, Etsy has become saturated with a variety of sellers, which makes it difficult for you to gain visibility for the products you sell.
CONS
- A lot less traffic and potential customers in comparison to Etsy as well Amazon Handmade
- It is very limited
4. Folksy
Established in 2008, Folksy is one of the biggest online craft fairs/marketplace where you will find an extensive selection of hand-crafted gifts and original art, which is sold direct by the artists and designers who designed these items. Folksy proclaimed itself as an Etsy alternative located in the UK as well as an importer to help to move listings onto Etsy.
PRICING:
- Simple: a listing fee of GBP$0.15 + VAT per item. Furthermore, Folksy also charges 6%+VAT commissions for each sale.
- Folksy Plus Monthly fee GBP$7.50 per month or GBP$75 for the year. Unlimited listings. Folksy is also charging 6% plus VAT commissions for each sale
PROS
- Instant payouts via Stripe or PayPal
- Access to over 70,000 shoppers. Much lower than Etsy however, it's worth exploring especially for those who are a hand-made artisan. It is a platform that concentrates on the handmade crafts niche. However, Etsy has become saturated with other types of sellers
- Unlike Etsy, Folksy does not make commissions for products' shipping costs
CONS
- Folksy is available only in the UK, making it inaccessible to other sellers or customers from other parts of the world.
- No vintage or second-hand items allowed
- Much lower customer reach as compared to Etsy
- Commission and listing fees could be a bit less expensive than Etsy, but it's unclear as there is an additional tax on top of that which could increase the cost of listing as Etsy
5. Bonanza
With over 25,000 sellers, Bonanza is an online marketplace offering entrepreneurs with a way to create sustainable businesses through making it easier for customers to return. Bonanza pride themselves in having zero listing costs, no monthly store fees and no additional hidden charges. They provide one-click publishing to all major buyer channels, and they'll pay for the entire advertising cost for you until they make a purchase.
PRICING:
- If you purchase items that have a final offer value (FOV) below $500, you'll be charged with $0.25 + 3.5 percent of FOV
- For items with final offer value (FOV) over $500, you'll be charged $0.25 plus 3.5% of FOV plus a flat fee of 1.5 percent after the initial $1000.
Minimum final value fee: $0.50. Additionally, you can opt-in to Bonanza's marketing program and pay any additional charges.
PROS
- Costs and listing fees are not included and substantially less than Etsy.
- Print shipping labels easily that are presized
- Access to Bonanza's networks of associate publishers for marketing efforts. Bonanza can also provide advertising options for those who don't think this is an area you'd like to handle yourself.
CONS
- Poor webstore customizations. It's easy to build an online store by using Bonanza, but the platform still has a long way to go before it can transform into a fully-customizable store that can match your brands' aesthetics
- Bonanza is a much smaller Etsy alternative. You might not have the ability to connect with more potential customers than you could through Etsy and Amazon Handmade
Final Ideas
There you have it! Five Etsy alternatives that small businesses can use to sell their products online. All of the sites listed offer unique features and are definitely worth considering in case you're unhappy with Etsy. Have you tried any of these websites before? What was your experience like? Let us know via the comment section below!