Shopify vs Etsy: Which Should You Use?
Etsy gives you instant access to buyers. Shopify gives you full control. Here's how to choose based on what you're selling.
2 min read · Updated 2026-04-15
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
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.