Etsy is regarded as the most powerful online marketplace where artists present and sell their handcrafted goods, extremely customised crafts, and vintage objects to people who have been interested in buying them for several years.
Etsy is still a successful online marketing tool for small companies offering distinctive goods and services; however, sellers could have some problems running the Etsy shopfronts.
These include listing fees, limited control over the branding of the site, including the look and feel, for each online store, and very stiff competition. Suppose you discover that your Etsy store doesn't meet your goals. In that case, you will be relieved to learn that various alternatives to Etsy are worth looking at to boost income, cultivate a loyal clientele, and propel your business to the next level.
We will show some of the top Etsy alternatives, going through the pros and features you should not miss so that you can identify a platform that fits your online store's needs.
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What is Etsy?
Users of Etsy purchase and sell handcrafted and vintage items, as well as craft supplies. With more than 5 million sellers and 80 million users, Etsy has grown into a significant worldwide marketplace since its launch in June 2005. It has become a first choice for those seeking unique and handcrafted items.
Etsy is a reliable medium for users to assort goods catering to varied tastes and interests. The platform offers a wide selection of categories, such as jewellery, apparel, decor, handmade crafts, etc. Small firms and independently working vendors can reveal their creativity, create brands, and associate with the global user base in an environment offered by the platform.
Because Etsy is driven by community, it allows sellers and users to build a strong communication channel, allowing tailored experiences, custom requests, and an open dialogue. Users can rapidly search for and purchase products, all thanks to the consumer-friendly interface and empowering search tools.
Why Explore Etsy Alternatives in 2024?
If you are contemplating the concept of looking for sites like Etsy, you are not the only one. Most of the sellers, like you, weigh their choices for one reason or another. Below is a rundown of why you should be relying on any of such platforms:
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Etsy’s fee structure might not go with the business model. If you think the prices are excessive or not reasonable, you probably search for sites with better fee policies.
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With Etsy's increasing popularity, there is tough competition. If you believe your original products are hidden among the flood of listings, you may be looking for a venue where they will shine.
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Etsy has released its own policies and regulations that restrict control over store rules, user interactions, and branding. Exploring alternatives to Etsy might imply acquiring more autonomy.
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Virtual marketplaces can modify their policies, and at times, this is not liked by everyone. If current Etsy policy changes make you uncomfortable, you should search for a platform where you can relax more easily.
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Create a brand identity of your own. An independent website like Etsy can better fit your concept than one connected to a bigger marketplace like Etsy.
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Your target market will determine whether Etsy competitors provide superior worldwide reach or are more popular in particular areas, therefore increasing your consumer base.
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If you are looking to enter a distinct demographic or focus on a particular niche, you may want a switch for simplicity.
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If you are interested in resolving disputes or are happy with the way Etsy regulates policies, consider looking for Etsy alternatives that effectively align with your preferences.
Top Criteria for Choosing an Etsy Alternative
When searching for an alternative to Etsy, you should prioritize some important factors to make sure the new platform satisfies your demands as a seller. First and most important are audience size and demographics. You want a market where the active user base fits the kind of goods you offer. For instance, a platform famous with a younger, trendy audience would be better suited if your products appeal to such an audience.
Next, consider pricing and fee structure. Various platforms have different fee structures covering listing fees, transaction fees, and payment processing costs. Knowing these expenses will let you decide which platform has the best profit margins. One more crucial consideration is the ease of usage. The platform should be easy to use and have simple capabilities for ordering processing, inventory control, and product listing.
A difficult interface can result in errors and slowed-down speeds. Ultimately, analyze the promotional opportunities. Some Etsy competitors provide tools by default to promote goods or stores, like social media integration, advertising choices, and SEO features. These tools can enhance your sales and visibility.
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List of Top Etsy Alternatives
1. Amazon Handmade
Amazon Handmade is a platform where customers in search of products to buy reach out to artisans through Amazon. Amazon Handmade offers sellers a single location to list products and fulfill orders. Unlike the mass-manufactured products that have typically been sold on Amazon, Amazon Handmade makes searching for items that really are handmade much easier for customers.
Apart from that, it offers superior customer care compared to Etsy. For one, it has a team from Amazon's customer support department in case of problems. To sell on Amazon Handmade, you will require a professional selling account that will set you back $39.99 every month. However, your pro-selling cost is waived if you get accepted for Amazon Handmade after your first month.
2. Shopify
Among the well-known Etsy-related sites that let companies of any kind quickly develop, change, and run online stores is Shopify. Established in 2006, Shopify has acquired pace and become among the most well-known Etsy alternatives for companies and entrepreneurs aiming to establish an online presence.
For those who know nothing about technology, Shopify's simple design is one of its main benefits. Using a drag-and-drop editor and a selection of professionally created themes, customers may also transform the appearance and feel of their business so it reflects the corporate brand. The basic Shopify annual package runs $399.
3. eBay
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Long pitched as the reselling giant, eBay remains an excellent Etsy alternative for those people who sell more products, often mass-produced, that don't fit into some particular niche. In 2022, it had about 138 million active shoppers, making it one of the biggest online marketplaces.
If you're within the realms of clothing and jewellery or selling electronics with accessories, then it's a highly profitable eBay market for such goods. An eBay seller can create an independent store and sell a line of products as an alternative to Etsy. We place it on our list to sell handmade, vintage merchandise, but you never know that you may get lucky if you decide to go that route.
4. Poshmark
Poshmark is an extremely social eCommerce platform known mainly for selling preloved fashion. However, it has opened its doors to home decor and personal care products, among others. It's a hybrid of an eCommerce site and a social networking site, imitating the protocol of a virtual boutique where one could follow other sellers and collaborate with them in terms of sales events.
What really differentiates it from others and makes it one of the potential alternatives to Etsy is that it deals more with community interaction. Users are able to connect, and sharing style tips is also possible.
5. Big Cartel
Big Cartel is also very promising as one of the best Etsy alternatives for artists. As long as you have several products to offer, it gives you a free online store with the ability to employ its website designer for the desired look and the development of marketing skills in order to drive traffic toward your store.
Compared to Etsy, Big Cartel has a much smaller audience base, but it is still quite challenging for some creators to handle. If selling art or handmade goods is what you are passionate about, find alternatives to Etsy; they give you more freedom for brand building, creating a business you are proud of, and bringing in the profits you need to keep going.
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6. Society6
Society6 is a virtual platform where artists can show their work independently. Its print-on-demand feature eliminates the risk of inventory for the creators. Similar to Redbubble, it has a broad range of goods prepared for the designs, starting from home decor items to apparel. Particularly for artists looking for a larger audience without the difficulty of managing actual inventory, its excellent images and specific product categories help it be a good Etsy alternative.
7. RedBubble
Popular print-on-demand (POD) marketplace Redbubble lets artists upload their ideas and sell them on a range of products, including t-shirts, mugs, phone covers, and wall art. Redbubble presents a special selling pitch for artists who wish to concentrate on design and artwork but
Etsy's marketplace approach, in which sellers control their inventory, differs. For beginners, setting up a free account here is easy. Though a big print-on-demand platform, seller accounts are sometimes suspended without reason, and their minimal customer support usually forces artists to search for alternative venues to sell their work.
8. Storenvy
Storenvy is a renowned platform for artists and newly established brands. It gives a combination of Etsy’s community interaction and Shopify’s flexibility, making it a reliable selection for the sellers to release their brand. Storenvy outshines as one of the Etsy competitors with its captivating storefront functionalities and low costs of commission.
Among the numerous websites like Etsy, this is one where vendors may open a handcrafted shop for market sale. Storenvy's professional plan, which runs at $24.99, enables you to create a customised shopfront without any commissions or requirements for coding experience. Keep in mind, though, that the less expensive plans provide fewer personalising choices.
9. Faire
Faire is another trustworthy website like Etsy. It is en route to the wholesale route and sells its goods to retailers. Its B2B platform creates a link between sellers and more than 70,000 retailers. At first, Faire's pricing and fees can be confusing. If a new wholesale customer finds you via Faire's marketplace, you will pay a 15% commission on all orders and an extra $10 new customer fee on beginning orders.
You will pay a 0% commission for any current or future clients who order using your Faire Direct link. Among Etsy alternatives, it is noted for strong customer support and positive feedback.
10. Ecrater
eCRATER offers an online marketplace that puts buyers in touch with sellers. Registration is free, you get to open your customizable online store, and you have access to its community forum, where you can interact with buyers and share your experiences with other sellers. You get to keep 100% of the sales you bring to your online store.
If you do sell something through Ecrater’s advertising or the central marketplace, you'll receive a bill for a 2.9% marketplace fee. Ecrater offers different benefits to sellers, such as no fees for listings or integration with Google Shopping. In comparison to Etsy, it attracts fewer users, which can lead to a low level of sales.
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11. Folksy
Folksy is an esteemed online platform specifically designed for UK artists to allow them to sell their handmade items. Although Folksy provides a unique selling proposition for creators residing in the UK or aiming for a UK audience to get their handcrafted products viewed by a relevant audience that values handcrafted goods, it lacks the worldwide reach of Etsy.
Hence, the maximum traffic arrives from the UK alone, so one should strategise return policies and shipping mindfully. Folksy lacks promotional resources, unlike Etsy and Amazon; thus, sellers must employ other marketing techniques to attract buyers.
12. Bonanza
Bonanza is another remarkable alternative to Etsy. Although it is regarded as one of the biggest online markets, its focus is considerably more on finding customers for handcrafted craft vendors. If Etsy is considered a saturated or challenging space to release profits, Bonanza offers the same environment where buyers are aware of what they wish to buy.
Bonanza lets you build a customised store and charges relatively small commission costs of 3.5% on orders less than $500. This site is less well-known than Etsy or eBay, even if it has outstanding analytical and promotional features.
13. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is a virtual platform designed originally by Facebook that enables users to purchase, sell, or trade goods with users in local groups. It offers consumers an easy approach to finding, perusing, and cataloging items or services they wish to sell or purchase.
Facebook users worldwide will find the Facebook Marketplace easily accessible since it is included in the Facebook app and website. It covers everything from furniture to gadgets to clothes to cars. Consumers can establish communication with sellers or buyers via Facebook Messenger, schedule meetings, negotiate costs, and fulfill transactions. The platform is known for its ability to associate with people in a nearby area to sell or purchase goods.
14. Depop
Anyone may buy, sell, and find reasonably priced, good secondhand apparel at Depop, a circular fashion market and peer-to-peer marketing platform. Since its launch in 2011 in London, its community of 35 million registered members has helped popularize preloved fashion and propel forward resale culture worldwide.
This website like Etsy presents a sizable and active audience that gives lots of chances for sales and publicity. Bargains abound at Depop. Hence, expect consumers to negotiate for reduced rates, which could affect your profit margins.
15. nAsos Marketplace
The British online fast-fashion and cosmetic shop ASOS was founded in London in 2000. The company mostly targeted young adults. From fulfillment facilities in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe, the Etsy alternative ships to all 196 countries and sells over 850 brands, as well as its custom collection of clothes and accessories.
The platform has a stable clientele and is significantly recognized for its credibility. Nevertheless, it also charges a 20% commission. It has strict regulations on the stock levels and photo style of the sellers, making it a reliable choice for boutiques compared to individual sellers.
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16. Pinterest Shopping
Pinterest shopping is a feature of the Pinterest platform that allows users to purchase goods directly from the platform. Pinterest Shopping presents adverts to users while customizing items for the people who tend to purchase them. Like shopping advertising, shoppable items relating to the product groupings Pinterest users are interested in can also be shown.
When users have product-related pins on their Pinterest boards, you will find a purchase option at the top of the board. The platform offers integrations for potential online spaces and Shopify to upload the catalog, extending its access to a vast user base. However, Pinterest operates primarily as a storefront, so you should have an existing store to enjoy the benefits of the platform's capabilities.
17. Mercari
Popular online resale market Mercari is well-known for providing a large range of used items, including homeware, electronics, and clothes. Although it might not be one of the first Etsy alternatives that comes to mind for handcrafted goods, Etsy vendors who also produce distinctive, recycled, or vintage items alongside their handcrafted goods could find it appropriate.
The site charges a reduced fee compared to Etsy and enables a user to give discounts to people who like the items, motivating them to buy a particular item. Unfortunately, it is also well-known for fraud, which makes consumers reluctant to purchase pricey goods.
18. Wix
Wix is a space where one can create a tailored website and insert an e-commerce store. Being one of the alternatives to Etsy, Wix is a commendable choice for novice businesses that wish to invest more creativity and attain experience while partnering with a website creator.
If you develop a site via Wix, you can gather technical skills and valuable marketing, which is desirable by most business owners. You can start your journey from scratch using a designer template or generate it with Wix's AI-backed website builder. The drag-and-drop aspect of the editor allows a user to personalize the site at any point flexibly.
19. Squarespace
Squarespace is based in New York City and is an American website builder and server. It lets users construct and alter webpages by using pre-built website templates and drag-and-drop elements, therefore offering software as a service for website building and hosting.
Squarespace is one of the thriving Etsy alternatives that is emerging daily. It has a consumer-friendly interface, a drag-and-drop feature, and other intuitive features for businesses. Squarespace lets artists create their shopfronts, whether they offer handmade things, digital prints, or personalized sweatshirts as an Etsy alternative. If Etsy vendors wish to go to Squarespace and create a custom e-commerce site, they can even transfer items from their current Etsy store.
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Final Thoughts
In conclusion, exploring alternatives to Etsy can provide new opportunities for your business, whether you're seeking more control over your brand, better fee structures, or access to a different audience. While Etsy remains a powerful platform for selling handmade and vintage items, it may not always align with every seller's goals or needs. Fortunately, the options we’ve covered, from Amazon Handmade and Shopify to niche platforms like Big Cartel and Society6, offer various features that could be a better fit for your unique products.
By understanding your priorities and comparing the features of these platforms, you can choose the one that best supports your business growth. Whether you're aiming to reach a broader audience, reduce costs, or create a more personalized online store, these Etsy alternatives can help you achieve your objectives while maintaining the integrity of your brand.
