Etsy vs Shopify: which should you sell on?

01The fees side by side

US rates in 2026, from published fee guides. Etsy's and Shopify's own pages show regional figures, so check them for your country.

02Fee math at three sales levels

Assume a $40 average order including shipping, Etsy without Offsite Ads, and Shopify Basic on yearly billing. These are simplified estimates to show the shape of the trade, not exact bills.

03What Etsy gives you that Shopify does not

Shoppers. Etsy is a search engine for handmade and vintage goods, and a new shop can make sales without any marketing of its own. That is worth a lot when you are starting and have no audience. Etsy also handles payments, buyer trust and much of the storefront.

The trade-off is control. You compete with similar listings on the same page, follow Etsy's rules, and the customer is Etsy's as much as yours.

04What Shopify gives you that Etsy does not

Your own brand and your own customers. A Shopify store has no competitors beside your products, lets you design the experience, and gives you customer emails to market to directly. Repeat customers buying from your own store cost far less than marketplace fees on every order.

The trade-off is traffic: nobody finds a new Shopify store by accident. You need social media, search, email, partnerships or ads. How to get your first sale online covers the early channels.

05Rules and risks that differ

On Etsy, your shop exists under Etsy's policies: what you may sell, how you describe it and how disputes are handled. Sellers who break rules, even accidentally, can have listings removed or payments held, and fee changes apply to everyone at once. Diversifying beyond a single marketplace protects against that.

On Shopify, you set your own policies for returns, shipping and customer service, and you own the customer list. The risk moves to you: if nobody visits, nobody buys, and every customer service problem is yours to solve.

06Using both: the common path

1. 1Start on EtsyValidate products and pricing with marketplace traffic.
2. 2Build your own storeOnce you have steady sales, open a Shopify or website-builder store.
3. 3Move repeat buyersInclude a card in orders inviting customers to your own store, within Etsy's rules.
4. 4Keep Etsy for discoveryMany sellers keep both: Etsy for new customers, their own store for loyal ones.

07Which is right for you

Choose Etsy if you make handmade, vintage or craft goods, are just starting and want sales without marketing. Choose Shopify if you sell your own brand, already have an audience, or sell products Etsy does not allow. Choose both once your Etsy shop is steady. If you want a store bundled with a broader website, is Shopify worth it? and the best website builder for ecommerce compare other options.

Whichever you choose, the product listing does most of the selling: clear photos, honest descriptions and shipping times stated up front. Those habits transfer between platforms, so time spent on them is never wasted if you switch later.