Etsy is a marketplace platform ideal for handmade and vintage sellers who want instant access to 88 million monthly buyers with minimal upfront costs, while Shopify is a standalone e-commerce platform designed for entrepreneurs building independent branded stores with full customization and higher profit margins.
Etsy vs Shopify — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Online marketplace platform for handmade, vintage, craft, and unique goods with built-in buyer audience of 88 million monthly visitors.
Leading standalone SaaS e-commerce platform powering 4.6M+ online stores globally.
Business Model. Monthly Base Cost. Transaction Fees. Monthly Buyer Traffic. Brand Control & Customization. Time to First Sale. Scalability for 6-figure revenue
Choose Etsy if you're selling handmade, vintage, or craft items and want immediate access to millions of buyers with zero upfront investment and minimal marketing burden. Choose Shopify if you're building a branded e-commerce business, plan to scale beyond $50,000 annually, want full control over customer experience, or sell products outside Etsy's niche categories.
Etsy: 81.9 million (2020) | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: Artisans and creative entrepreneurs | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: 2-4% growth Q1 2026 | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: Handmade, vintage, crafts only | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: Niche specialist leader | Shopify: N/A
Base Monthly Subscription (Starter Plan)
Etsy: $0.16 | Shopify: Included in subscription
Etsy: 70 variants max | Shopify: Unlimited
Etsy: Optimal below $1,350 | Shopify: $1,350
Etsy: Limited marketplace integrations | Shopify: 10,000+
Monthly Active Buyers (Marketplace Access)
Etsy: 90+ | Shopify: Self-driven traffic
Etsy: Free (listing fees apply) | Shopify: $29-$399
Etsy: $0.20 | Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 (Shopify Payments)
Etsy: 1.7 billion | Shopify: Self-generated
Etsy: Limited (3/10) | Shopify: Extensive (9/10)
Etsy: Handmade, vintage, craft | Shopify: All product types
Etsy: 14-30 days (varies) | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: $20/year (Etsy Plus optional) | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: 4.6/5 average seller rating | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: 280 million downloads | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: 85%+ handmade/vintage | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: 10-13% (listing + transaction + payment processing) | Shopify: 2.9-5% (payment processing only; plan fees absorb transaction costs)
Etsy: 88 million | Shopify: 0 (seller-dependent traffic)
Etsy: 0.25-0.5 hours (15-30 minutes) | Shopify: 20-30 hours
Etsy: No membership required | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: 9.5% total (6.5% + 3% payment) | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: 14-30 days (seller-dependent) | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: 87% trust Etsy for handmade (2024) | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: 98% small independent businesses | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: 4.6/5 stars for handmade category | Shopify: N/A
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 2.0% (third-party gateways) / 0% (Shopify Payments)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Native AI-driven commerce agents built-in
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: $39 (Shopify Basic)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Phone, Email & Chat
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Yes ($2,300+/month)
Typical Seller Monthly Revenue Threshold
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: $5,000+ (lower barrier)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 0% (on Shopify Payments)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Advanced (Liquid code access)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: ~300 (optimized for sales)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Zero (must generate own traffic)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 5 days (with traffic setup)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 100% direct access to customer emails and data
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Moderate; app-dependent for advanced needs
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Good GraphQL API; limited headless options
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: $0-20M GMV (optimal fit)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Low; point-and-click setup
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: $100-150 (optional)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: ~30% of all online stores
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: $5 (Starter plan minimum)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 10+ (online store, POS, social, marketplace, B2B, wholesale)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited with advanced sync
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: $5-39 (all-inclusive)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Hosting, SSL, domain, support included
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Separate subscriptions required
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus enterprise)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Ongoing regular updates
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: $105 (Shopify Plan)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 8,000+ apps in App Store
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: None (paid plans only)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Mobile-optimized by default
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 6 (Liquid templating limits)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Shopify manages all compliance
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited (pricing tier independent)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: $468 + transaction fees ($2,900)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 6,800 verified apps
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 1-2 hours to launch
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Theme/app API limited (Liquid template language)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Level 1 (fully managed)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Limited (basic automation)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Full REST & GraphQL APIs
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 100+ sales channels (Amazon, Facebook, TikTok, eBay, etc.)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Included in all plans
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 24/7 phone, email, and chat
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Built-in tools with limitations on code-level access
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Possible but complex; vendor lock-in concerns exist
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 100+ payment gateways
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 100+ free + premium designs
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 0% (Shopify Payments)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: $468 (plan) + $0 (fees)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Must drive own traffic
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 100% - you own all customer records
Profit Margin Retention (Example: $100 sale)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: $71 (after $29 monthly allocation)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited - custom domain, full HTML/CSS
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 2-4 hours (24/7 chat)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 2.9% + 30¢ (Shopify Payments)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 6-8 native, 120+ via apps
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 2 requests/second (standard)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 6 (limited to Liquid)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 2 (minimal technical knowledge)
Etsy: N/A | Shopify: 100+ (Shopify Plus)
Etsy vs Shopify — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Etsy vs Shopify. Contains 167 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Etsy vs Shopify — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Etsy vs Shopify.
How much money can I make on Etsy vs Shopify?
On Etsy with $1,000 in sales, you'll pay ~$115-130 in fees (11.5-13%), netting $870-885. On Shopify with a $99/month plan, the same $1,000 generates $970+ in revenue after 3% payment processing. However, Etsy's 88 million buyers make reaching $1,000 much faster. Shopify becomes more profitable beyond $50,000 annual revenue due to lower per-transaction costs. For sellers planning $100K+ revenue, Shopify's profit advantage reaches $10,000-15,000 annually.
Can I move my Etsy shop to Shopify later?
Yes, but with caveats. You'll need to migrate product data manually (or use migration tools costing $200-500), rebuild your customer base (Etsy customers rarely follow to external sites), and restructure your SEO. Etsy shops rank within Etsy's search; Shopify requires external marketing. Estimate 2-4 months to recover sales volume. This is why Shopify is better long-term if you plan to scale significantly.
Which platform is better for beginners with zero marketing skills?
Etsy is overwhelmingly better for beginners. 73% of Etsy sellers report zero prior e-commerce experience, compared to 12% for Shopify. Etsy's 88 million buyers eliminate the need for marketing, pricing strategy, or customer acquisition—your challenge is just making products and uploading listings. Shopify requires you to understand Facebook/Google ads, SEO, email marketing, and customer psychology. Budget $500-2,000 monthly for marketing on Shopify or plan for 6-12 months to see meaningful sales.
What happens to my Etsy shop if I violate policies?
Etsy suspends 1.2% of active sellers annually for policy violations (policy breaches, IP violations, or repeated customer complaints). Once suspended, recovery is difficult; reinstatement requires appeal and typically takes 30+ days. Shopify's enforcement is less aggressive but exists. For risk-averse sellers, Etsy's clear policies are reassuring; for high-volume sellers, Shopify's independence eliminates platform risk.
Which platform has better customer support?
Shopify offers 24/7 email/phone/chat support (response time <2 hours) included in all plans. Etsy provides email support with 24-48 hour response times on paid plans, but live chat is limited. Shopify's support is superior for technical issues. However, Etsy's community forums (50,000+ active sellers) provide peer support unavailable on Shopify. For hands-on guidance, Shopify wins; for seller community, Etsy wins.
Business Model: Etsy has Marketplace (sell on Etsy's platform), while Shopify has Self-hosted store (build your own brand).
Monthly Base Cost: Etsy has $0 (pay per listing/transaction), while Shopify has $39-299+ (subscription plans).
Transaction Fees: Etsy has 6.5% + $0.20 per order + payment processing, while Shopify has $0-2% depending on plan + payment processing.
Monthly Buyer Traffic: Etsy has 88 million active buyers (built-in), while Shopify has Zero (must drive your own traffic).
Brand Control & Customization: Etsy has Limited (Etsy brand dominates), while Shopify has Full (complete design freedom).
Time to First Sale: Etsy has 2-5 days (audience exists), while Shopify has 30-90+ days (require marketing).
Consider: Scalability for 6-figure revenue
Scalability for 6-figure revenue: Etsy has Capped by Etsy's fee structure & policies, while Shopify has Unlimited with economies of scale.