Shopify vs Etsy: Which Should You Use?

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Short answer

Start on Etsy if you're just getting started and your product fits their marketplace (handmade, vintage, craft supplies). Move to Shopify (or run both) once you have consistent sales and want to build your own brand.

Key differences

	Etsy	Shopify
Setup time	Minutes	A few hours
Monthly fee	$0 (+ listing fees)	$29–$299/month
Transaction fee	6.5% + $0.20/listing	2.9% + 30¢ (with Shopify Payments)
Built-in traffic	Yes (Etsy shoppers)	No (you bring your own traffic)
Brand control	Low	Full
Your customer list	No (Etsy owns it)	Yes

When Etsy makes sense

You're selling handmade, vintage, or craft items
You're just testing whether there's demand for your product
You want to reach buyers without doing your own marketing
You sell low volumes and don't want a monthly fee

When Shopify makes sense

You want to build a real brand, not just sell on a marketplace
You're doing consistent volume and Etsy fees are eating into margins
You want to build an email list of your own customers
You're selling products that don't fit Etsy's categories

Start a Shopify trial: 3 days free, then $1/month for your first 3 months (Shopify pricing, October 2026).

The best of both worlds

Many successful sellers run Etsy and Shopify simultaneously. Etsy brings in new customers via marketplace traffic; Shopify is where repeat customers buy directly (at lower fees).

The risk of relying solely on Etsy

Etsy can change its algorithm, increase fees, or suspend your shop at any time. Businesses that built their brand on Etsy alone and then had their shop suspended had nowhere to fall back to. Your own Shopify store is insurance.