If you’re a maker and seller of arts and crafts or a curator of vintage collectibles, you know Etsy is a popular ecommerce platform for transforming your passion into profits.
With more than 45 million buyers and excellent brand recognition, the site offers sellers a great place to launch and build an online business. In addition to a ready marketplace, Etsy offers makers a website builder called Pattern, making it easy if you’re just starting a business.
That said, Etsy can only take your business so far. After all, it owns your customer list, so you’re limited in terms of branding, customer retention, and retargeting. Etsy also pits makers against each other by recommending other Etsy sellers who offer similar items at the bottom of a product page.
We’ve rounded up a list of the best Etsy alternatives that allow you to sell your goods on other websites or your own online store.
Table of Contents
9 best Etsy alternatives for craft sellers
- Shopify
- Big Cartel
- Squarespace
- Wix
- Ecwid
- IndieMade
- Bonanza
- Amazon Handmade
- Goimagine
Below we’ll detail each of these Etsy alternatives so you can determine which may be a good fit for your business goals.
Website-building Etsy alternatives
Merchants who decide to explore alternatives to Etsy after starting their retail journey on the platform often do so because of Etsy’s limitations and increasingly restrictive rules. One of the most common reasons retailer’s switch is to gain ownership of their online store.
When you have a store on Etsy, or any third-party online marketplace, Etsy owns all of the data, which makes it hard to run advanced marketing campaigns (such as automated emails or retargeting ads) across all your sales channels.
In addition, if your business grows to the point where you want to convert from handmade production to outside manufacturing, your products will no longer be available to list on Etsy. Etsy prohibits reselling, except in the case of vintage items. These constraints make it hard to scale a startup business to the next level.
If you’re a maker with crafts to sell who’s looking at life beyond Etsy, building your own website may be the best Etsy alternative. An online store often makes for a great “home base”—a place where you own the content, data, and your customer list—and still gives you the option to leverage on other sales channels to supplement your revenue.
1. Shopify
Price: Monthly plans start at $29, plus transaction fees
We’re biased, but for many makers, the next step in growing their business is to scale sales with a Shopify store. Shopify is an all-in-one commerce platform that lets you sell online, in a retail store or pop-up shop, and through social media. It also offers a full suite of business tools and resources, including merchant loans through Shopify Capital, an advanced point-of-sale solution with Shopify POS, and even local delivery tools.
Shopify’s multi-channel solution is user-friendly, with hundreds of templates you can easily customize to reflect your branding. Shopify also lives on your custom domain name, which means you own your online store and customer list, and it offers flexibility with plans and pricing tiers to support a variety of business needs.
In addition, Shopify offers merchants powerful analytics and built-in marketing tools. In fact, many current Shopify merchants started on Etsy and migrated when they were ready to grow.
Tips for using Shopify as an Etsy alternative:
- Incorporate Shopify and Etsy into your multi-channel selling strategy. Shopify has tools that allow merchants to create their own branded experience while fueling a multi-channel approach with their Etsy integration.
- Consider adding other channels to your strategy with Shopify’s variety of marketplace selling options. According to research by Stitch Labs, retailers who sell on two marketplaces earn 190% more revenue than those who sell on just one.
- Use the growing list of free Shopify apps to improve your online store’s functionality and sell more online.
Best for: Makers who are ready to get serious about their business and optimize for the most sales and profitability.
2. Big Cartel
Price: Free for up to five products; plans start at $9.99 for up to 50 products
Another alternative to Etsy is Big Cartel, which caters to artists, handmade craft sellers, and entrepreneurs with its tailored community and resources. The platform offers templates you can customize to match your branding, the option to use your own custom domain, and a number of marketing tools. Like Etsy, it’s an excellent place for selling art online.
Big Cartel sellers can set up a free online store or pay a flat monthly fee, depending on the number of products they sell. Shoppers buy directly from your store and can communicate with you through a contact form.
Tips for using Big Cartel as an Etsy alternative:
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One of the biggest advantages of Etsy is its built-in audience and customer base. While Big Cartel’s online marketplace also offers a platform for makers and crafters, it doesn’t come with that benefit. Instead, because Big Cartel allows you to build your own website and online store, you’re also responsible for driving traffic. If you don’t have a budget or strategy for getting people to your store, Etsy might be a better option.
Best for: Makers, crafters, and artists who want to test turning their handmade-goods business into its own store and brand.
3. Squarespace
Price: Monthly plans start at $12, plus transaction fees, but to sell products you’ll need one of the plans starting at $18/month. Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial for all of its websites.
Squarespace is another ecommerce platform makers can use. Its user-friendly templates offer drag-and-drop design tools, making it a good option for beginners. Squarespace also lets you import your Etsy site, allowing you to keep your products and product URLs in the process—making it one of the easier alternatives to Etsy if you’re looking to migrate to a stand-alone online store.
Sellers can take advantage of Squarespace’s strong inventory system and market products with built-in social media tools. Squarespace offers a tiered pricing plan that varies based on the features you need. For example, the ability to sell gift cards or subscription products are in the service’s highest pricing tier.
Unlike Etsy, which charges listing fees for each product, Squarespace charges transaction fees on each sale when used as an Etsy alternative.
Tips for using Squarespace as an Etsy alternative:
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Squarespace requires a similar level of technical know-how as Etsy: virtually none. It’s one of the easiest ways to DIY your online store. However, because it’s a complete website builder while Etsy offers a specific ecommerce tool, Squarespace requires more time and patience to set up. You can consider investing in outsourced web design and development resources to help if you have the budget.
Best for: Entrepreneurs on a tight budget who want to invest the time into DIYing their ecommerce site.
4. Wix
Price: Monthly plans start at $23, plus transaction fees
Wix is a website builder with ecommerce abilities and user-friendly templates that make it easy to build a website with drag-and-drop editing. You can also customize the templates to match your branding and use your own custom domain.
Wix lets you track orders, accept PayPal and credit card payments, create promotional coupons, and set tax and shipping rules for different locations. Wix offers tiered monthly pricing plans as well as an active community, knowledge base, and phone support.
Tips for using Wix as an Etsy alternative:
- One of the downfalls of Etsy is its lack of customization and marketing options. While Wix has plenty of marketing tools, you’re mostly stuck using their website builder templates. There are also limited SEO features, which are essential if you want to earn organic traffic to your site.
- Like Shopify, Wix also has an Etsy integration. However, its 2.5-star ratings and reviews cite a wide range of issues, from technical difficulties to ineffective sales channels.
Best for: Small budgets and businesses that want to build their own ecommerce site before investing in a full build on a different platform.
5. Ecwid
Price: Free to build and launch your store with up to 10 products; monthly business plans start at $15 (or $12.50/month if paid annually); no transaction fees
Technically speaking, Ecwid isn’t an actual website builder. Instead, it’s a tool you can use to add to your online store, social media, and other commerce channels to allow customers to shop and purchase your products. If you’re an artist with an existing website or portfolio on a compatible platform, for example, you can use Ecwid’s Buy button features to add an ecommerce component.
Ecwid is simple and free, which makes it an appealing Etsy alternative for new ecommerce entrepreneurs and makers looking to explore their own store. You don’t need to know how to code or design. It includes valuable features like centralized inventory, order management, and pricing—more advanced than Etsy but less than a robust platform like Shopify.
If you want to sell on Etsy and Ecwid, you’ll need at least the Business plan, which starts at $29.50/month if paid annually. Different plans support selling on Facebook, Amazon, Google, and other channels. All plans limit the number of products you can sell, except Unlimited, at $99/month.
Tips for using Ecwid as an Etsy alternative:
- Note that you’ll still have to use a separate website builder platform if you want to build a true ecommerce site. While Ecwid has an “instant site,” it doesn’t have the depth of features that growing businesses need.
- Optimize your business across all sales channels with Ecwid if you want the best results. Its standout features include the ability to sell online across various marketplaces, commerce channels, and digital platforms, so it’s a good way to test the waters and see where you gain the most traction. You can then apply those learnings to your “real” online store when you’re ready to upgrade to a different platform.
Best for: Etsy shop owners who are still on the fence or want to start small when launching their own online store.
6. Indie Made
Price: Affordable plans range from $4.95/month to $19.95/month, and all come with a 30-day free trial and zero setup fees
IndieMade is one of the best Etsy alternatives for selling art in particular, so it has some features specific to artists and art dealers. It’s an affordable platform that makes it easy to curate content on your site. In addition to building an online store, you can add a blog, a calendar of events, image galleries, and news and press.
IndieMade’s inventory management features sync in real-time with your Etsy inventory data, so you don’t have to worry about inaccurate data or overselling. However, like Etsy, there are limited options for product variants, making it difficult for merchants with growing product offerings.
Tips for using IndieMade as an Etsy alternative:
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Among Etsy alternatives, IndieMade is a bit lacking when it comes to customizing your site. Though you can make changes to the overall look and feel, compared to other website builders, the options are limited. It functions more similarly to an Etsy store in that way, so if you’re looking for more control of your rebranding, you may want to look elsewhere.
Best for: Etsy makers with limited technical and financial resources who want to quickly start selling online.
Online marketplace Etsy alternatives
Owning your own website has a lot of benefits, but maybe you’re looking for alternatives to Etsy as a marketplace. Sites like Etsy that serve as third-party marketplaces are a great way to give your goods more exposure. And selling on more than one can improve your chances of being discovered by new buyers. Different Etsy alternatives will attract different shoppers who may not find you if you limit yourself to one venue. It’s good to go where the customers are.
In addition, dedicating your entire business to one sales “basket” could be risky. If the marketplace changes its algorithm or policies, it could negatively impact how much traffic comes to your store and you’d have no way to control or change it. If you’re ready to branch out to a new marketplace, here are three Etsy alternatives to consider.
7. Bonanza
Price: Sellers pay 3.5%–5% of the final sales price, including shipping, with a minimum of $0.50
Similar in functionality to eBay, Bonanza is an Etsy alternative that focuses on the sale of unique items, such as arts, crafts, and collectibles. Its built-in market provides sellers with a ready customer base, and Bonanza also allows you to create a standalone online store. It’s free to list items on Bonanza, and the site charges final value fees.
With Bonanza, makers import items directly from Etsy, which makes it easy to get started. It also creates automated listings on Google Shopping, eBay, and Nextag, and it includes marketing and analytics tools. However, its smaller user base is still no match in an Etsy competition.
Tips for using Bonanza as an Etsy alternative:
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Note that while Bonanza is an online selling site with a similar audience to Etsy, it functions differently. While technically speaking, Etsy store shoppers can message sellers to negotiate price, that’s not the norm. On Bonanza, that’s expected. So bear this in mind when pricing your products, and add a little wiggle room to help shoppers feel like they’re getting a deal when you accept their offer.
Best for: Makers who want to reach a new audience and are willing to negotiate on prices.
8. Amazon Handmade
Price: Artists pay a 15% referral fee with a $1 minimum
Amazon dominates many areas of retail, and it might not be the first place a shopper would look when searching for something handmade and unique. However, that didn’t stop the retail giant from entering into the craft and artisan marketplace. Amazon Handmade offers makers an Amazon storefront to sell their items.
Benefits of Amazon Handmade include shipping through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), no listing expiration, insightful analytics, and Amazon-sponsored ads. The costs are higher than other marketplace platforms, though, with Amazon taking a 15% commission per transaction as well as a monthly membership fee, depending on the number of items listed. Fees for Amazon Handmade sellers also work out to be more expensive than for Etsy sellers, unless products are priced around $5 or less.
Tips for using Amazon Handmade as an Etsy alternative:
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Bear in mind that Amazon has similar restrictions, if not stricter, to Etsy when it comes to customer data. It owns the customer relationship and doesn’t allow merchants to take that relationship outside of its platform to other sales channels. It’s also been said that Amazon has a lengthier application process for new sellers.
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Though FBA may be convenient, especially for merchants who are new to multi-channel selling, it’s not always the best option—especially for handmade goods. These products and experiences typically come with an extra personal touch that Amazon Handmade just can’t match.
Best for: Etsy sellers who want to give a boost to their sales.
9. Goimagine
Price: $2.50/month with 5% transaction fee at “Starter” level
Another marketplace site similar to Etsy, goimagine is sets itself apart by donating 100% of all transaction fees to charitable causes for children—specifically, Horizons for Homeless Children (www.horizonschildren.org) and Relief Nursery (https://reliefnursery.org). Goimagine also stands out for its strong commitment to hosting handmade crafts only, with guidelines requiring that products be made by the seller or a small group of family and/or employees using hand tools or light machinery.
Like some other Etsy alternatives, goimagine offers makers the option (at the All-Star subscription level) to have a stand-alone site as well as access to its marketplace customer base. Sellers can use the built-in tools in goimagine’s Seller Dashboard to view sales statistics, track orders, and manage their inventory. New users can also import products from their existing Etsy accounts by emailing a CSV file to goimagine’s support team.
Goimagine offers three subscription tiers with a range of pricing and inventory capacity:
- Starter: $2.50/month plus 5% transaction fees for up to 25 products
- Growth: $5/month plus 4.5% transaction fees for up to 100 products
- All-Star: $10/month plus 3.5% transaction fees for up to 1000 products
Tips for using GoImagine as an Etsy alternative:
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Consider saving your unique and one-of-a-kind items for goimagine and keeping your “generic” products on Etsy. Those looking for your unusual items can find them through a Google search, while there’s more search competition for something like “personalized coasters.”
Best for: Etsy sellers looking to sell handmade products and contribute to a good cause.
Brass tacks: Compare alternatives to Etsy
Shopify
- Price: $29–$299/month
- Ecommerce site: Yes
- Marketplace selling: Etsy, Amazon, eBay, Facebook Messenger, Instagram
- Marketing tools: Yes
- Mobile app: Yes
- Business management tools: Yes
- POS: Yes
Big Cartel
- Price: Free–$29.99/month
- Ecommerce site: Yes
- Marketplace selling: Instagram
- Marketing tools: Yes
- Mobile app: Yes
- Business management tools: Yes
- POS: No
Squarespace
- Price: $18–$40/month
- Ecommerce site: Yes
- Marketplace selling: No
- Marketing tools: Yes
- Mobile app: Yes
- Business management tools: Yes
- POS: No
Wix
- Price: $23–$49/month
- Ecommerce site: Yes
- Marketplace selling: No
- Marketing tools: Yes
- Mobile app: Yes
- Business management tools: Yes
- POS: No
Bonanza
- Price: 3.5%–5% of final offer value
- Ecommerce site: No
- Marketplace selling: Yes
- Marketing tools: Yes
- Mobile app: Yes
- Business management tools: Yes
- POS: No
Ecwid
- Price: Free–$99/month
- Ecommerce site: Yes
- Marketplace selling: Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Facebook, Instagram
- Marketing tools: Yes
- Mobile app: Yes
- Business management tools: Yes
- POS: No
IndieMade
- Price: $4.95–$9.95/month
- Ecommerce site: Yes
- Marketplace selling: No
- Marketing tools: No
- Mobile app: Yes
- Business management tools: Yes
- POS: No, works with Stripe, Square, 2Checkout, and PayPal
Amazon Handmade
- Price: 15% referral fee with $1 minimum
- Ecommerce site: No
- Marketplace selling: Yes
- Marketing tools: Yes
- Mobile app: Yes
- Business management tools: Yes
- POS: No
Goimagine
- Price: $2.50-$10/month and 3.5-5% transaction fee
- Ecommerce site: Yes (select subscriptions)
- Marketplace selling: Yes
- Marketing tools: Yes
- Mobile app: Yes
- Business management tools: Yes
- POS: No
When to switch to an Etsy alternative
Etsy is an excellent marketplace for crafty founders looking for their first customer—but it has its limitations. A good way to test the waters is to add a personal website or marketplace to your current Etsy store, paying attention to analytics on traffic and marketing campaigns. In fact, many Shopify merchants who started on Etsy elected to keep their Etsy shop while growing their Shopify store, creating a higher growth potential.
Etsy is a great place to test your concept, build an audience and develop the foundation you need to succeed. At a certain point, though, it may be time to take the next step and move to one of these Etsy alternatives. Outgrowing your Etsy shop is a good sign—one that says your business has proven its potential to grow and thrive.
You can get started with Shopify and a no-hassle Etsy sales channel integration and test it out for free for 14 days before you commit.
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Etsy alternatives FAQ
What is the best alternative to Etsy?
- Shopify
- Big Cartel
- Squarespace
- Wix
- Ecwid
- IndieMade
- Bonanza
- Amazon Handmade
- Goimagine
