Etsy Empire – one of the best selling platforms for crafts and supplies – is now facilitating nearly 94 million active users regarding all shopping activities. Without a doubt, businesses are likely to go “beyond and above” to attract customers due to the tough competition. As the case goes, should e-sellers head to Etsy competitors?
From our perspective, Etsy is still the world-leading marketplace for craft business owners and artists. However, its high listing fees, overcrowded market, and strict seller rules have provoked the urge to search for Etsy competitors. Is it worth selling on Etsy as it used to be? Or it’s time you should be looking for alternatives to Etsy to distribute their products. Especially if you are looking for how to start selling on Etsy.
In this article, let’s discover exactly why finding Etsy alternatives is crucial for your online business. And most importantly, here are the best 9 Etsy competitors rounded up just for you by LitCommerce:
Let’s have a more detailed analysis of each platform and find out why it should be your choice in the following sections.
Why Should We Need Etsy Alternatives?
As mentioned, harsh competition is among the motives to discover Etsy competitors and alternatives. Some may claim that a highly competitive level can stimulate business growth. Nonetheless, intense Etsy competition has been proven to result in a downward price spiral.
Besides, Etsy’s constant-changing policies get the marketplace to come under fire. One of its updated house rules refers to pricing. Earlier in 2022, Etsy’s CEO announced a 30% raise in transaction fees. The rulebook seems to get more stringent, encouraging sellers to find other selling platforms like Etsy.
Apart from that, Etsy has applied new Communication Standards and return policies (for sellers outside of the EU). Not to mention, this marketplace lists several restricted items related to what sellers can’t sell on Etsy.
More reasons why sellers should look for art sites like Etsy refer to the lack of brand awareness and audience control. By limiting customization, this marketplace restricts potential but sets unreachable marketing expectations. As a result, it contributes to the need to find Etsy competitors these recent years.
Given the reasons to search for sites like Etsy, are you ready to explore our list? Now, keep scrolling down for our recommended Etsy alternatives to help you choose the one that meets your business needs!
Maximizing Your Profit via Multiple Marketplaces
Why limit your selling potential to one marketplace? Try LitCommerce – A multichannel selling tool to integrate with Etsy and multiply your profit now!
Etsy Competitors: Best Online Marketplaces
Our Etsy competitors’ analysis consists of two sections: online marketplaces and eCommerce platforms. The first section is devoted to online marketplaces that are similar to Etsy, including:
#1. Amazon Handmade
Let’s kick off our list of the 9 best Etsy competitors with Amazon Handmade. Deprived as a microsite from Amazon, this top online marketplace guarantees its sellers and buyers a versatile and feature-full shopping experience.
Considering it as an alternative to Etsy, Amazon Handmade is surely a selling site filled with potential. Particularly, when selling on Amazon Handmade, you still benefit from incredible traffic from Amazon, including 197 million active users and 2+ billion web visits monthly.
Yet, that’s not all this Etsy alternative can offer. For now, let us walk you through some of Amazon Handmade’s eCommerce highlights
Ecommerce highlights
First and foremost, Amazon Handmade is so potent as an Etsy competitor because its payment methods and procedures are much more flexible than those of Etsy. In particular, Amazon is now accepting 12+ payment methods for global sellers and buyers. Meanwhile, Etsy seems to rely mostly on its own payment system.
On top of that, Amazon Handmade is a great selling channel, if not better than Etsy, when it comes to seller protection and security. In these recent years, this marketplace has been putting excessive effort into protecting sellers, which include Amazon Web Services, Amazon Brand Registry, and many more. In accordance with that, Amazon generates a highly strict sign-up process and r equirements to ensure actual people are registering on the marketplace.
Lastly, what fills Amazon Handmade in the list of Etsy competitors is the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). FBA means that logistic processes and services are on the house. In detail, picking, packing, shipping, and delivering will be conducted by Amazon. Then, all you have to is focusing on your eCommerce strategies to thrive on this channel.
Similar services to FBA are not available on Etsy, which drives many people to find selling on Amazon Handmade more intriguing. If you need more information, go to our Amazon Handmade vs Etsy topic and determine the ultimate option.
#2. eBay
Our list of Etsy alternatives for sellers cannot go without eBay. To begin with, eBay has long empowered thousands of successful businesses since its inception in 1995. Along with that, despite significant changes in the eCommerce industry, eBay retained its proposition as a world-leading marketplace with excessive traffic, diverse product ranges, and flexible selling methods.
On those grounds, we firmly believe artists, creators, and collectors will find this Etsy competitor a potential site for selling stuff online.
Ecommerce highlights
Being one of the biggest Etsy competitors, eBay is well-reputed for its flexible selling styles. Aside from the usual “Buy it Now” option like other marketplaces, you can choose to hold auctions when selling on eBay. It means anyone who pays the best will get your items. For someone who sells rare collectibles, artisans, and creative products, the eBay auction style will surely be an ideal way to make money.
Besides versatile selling methods, eBay is among the most popular alternatives to Etsy due to its massive product ranges with fewer item restrictions. Especially, when it gets down to products and listings, eBay lets you list up to 250 items for free. Compared to Etsy, this is certainly a winning point.
In case you want a more precise glance between the two market dominants, check out LitCommerce’s detailed comparison between Etsy vs eBay to find out which one makes more money for your business.
eBay selling fees
Like any other marketplace, eBay charges several selling fees, and here are the details.
#3. Bonanza
If you look for marketplaces like Etsy, don’t miss Bonanza from your consideration list. Being one of the rising Etsy competitors, Bonanza is exactly where you can run wild with creativity. In the spirit of “Find anything but the ordinary”, Bonanza has been doing a great job at orientating its audience. Furthermore, the marketplace always keeps up its proposition as a potential selling site within the creative niche.
To understand Bonanza better and decide if this is your best Etsy alternative, why don’t we look at its eCommerce highlights?
Ecommerce highlights
As one of the leading Etsy competitors, Bonanza provides a user-friendly interface, enabling sellers and buyers to maneuver any action on the marketplace easily. Going into detail, both sellers and buyers can easily look for products or categories on the menu bar.
Not to mention, Bonanza offers a Shop by choice, which includes filters of Hand-picked items, Gift ideas, New items, and Freebies. In our opinion, this functionality can not only give buyers a more convenient shopping experience but also show soon-to-be sellers a glance at how they sort products.
Moreover, what we love about Bonanza is that it fits garment virtue stores excellently. The listing and categories for clothing are specific and adaptive to every garment demand out there. This feature has partly turned Bonanza into one of the sites like Etsy for clothing.
Last but not least, more people are heading to Bonanza because it grants 100% free listings for both subscribers and non-subscribers. Speaking of which, you can access numerous advanced tools when signing up for membership. Yet, the selling potential of this Etsy competitor is still endless, with or without subscriptions.
Bonanza selling fees
Rising as one of the most promising Etsy competitors, Bonanza may have compelling seller fees. Nonetheless, that can highly depend on your selling targets. Just in case you need the details, skim right through the table below.
#4. Mercari
Mercari is the last on our recommendations for Etsy competitors and alternatives. Among all Etsy similar sites, Mercari is by far the best place to resell your preowned items and streamline instant cash. As their slogan goes – Preowned is the new New this year.
Talking more about this business model, do you know that the resale market is expected to reach $350 billion by 2027? Indeed, such an impressive figure is thrilling news. Also, it is a huge motivation for e-sellers looking for selling platforms like Etsy to make money from their unique secondhand goods.
Now, it’s time to investigate Mercari’s eCommerce highlights!
Ecommerce highlights
There are two reasons why Mercari becomes one of the most significant Etsy competitors. The first refers to its diverse product ranges, which still live up to Mercari’s creative and unique spirit.
Discussing in more detail, for creative resellers, Mercari has offered the flexibility to list and sell what they have in store, either brand new or pre-owned. Significantly, sellers who kick off pre-owned products can benefit from low startup costs on Mercari.
More about product ranges, if you detect a bit further into this marketplace, you may see handmade crafts and creative items are taking the lead. So, why not give it a try?
Another reason to list Mercari among the most ideal websites like Etsy is its instant payment for sellers. According to the marketplace, you can get paid in two ways, through Direct Deposit or Instant Payment.
Mercari selling fees
You must be eager to discover Mercari’s seller fees. Check the details right below!
Etsy Competitors: Best eCommerce Platforms
The discussion over Etsy competitors and alternatives to sell artisan continues with eCommerce platforms, including:
These platforms help e-sellers sell handmade and unique items on their own website, making it easier to build their brand awareness.
Check out the detailed comparison: Etsy vs. Own Website Comparison: Choosing Where to Sell in 2024.
#5. Shopify
In experts’ opinion, Shopify is optimized for all sizes of businesses, from newbies to SMBs. Until now, Shopify has been trusted by 4+ million customers worldwide.
Thanks to its ease of use, Shopify takes the hassles out of creating a website. It’s not even an exaggeration to say you can get your store up and running in minutes. If you are new to the platform, check out our latest Shopify tutorial for beginners now!
Ecommerce highlights
Shopify offers a robust third-party app marketplace as one of the top Etsy competitors. This means when going live on Shopify, you can find all eCommerce selling tools needed to promote products and increase sales performance. Moreover, you can access a variety of Shopify themes and templates to create a dazzling design that can improve the user experience for creating eCommerce conversions.
Adding to that, Shopify has 24/7 customer service along with a supportive community to support sellers and shoppers using the platform. If you want to sell on Shopify and Etsy, check out our detailed integration guide here!
Still weighing the pros & cons of each platform? You can always find more details in our updated Shopify vs Etsy comparison.
Shopify selling fees
We will devote this section just to let you know how much Shopify is. Learn the details in the table below.
#6. Wix
Considered among the most popular Etsy competitors, Wix allows users to create professional and visually appealing websites without coding knowledge. With its drag-and-drop editor and customizable templates, this alternative to Etsy offers a user-friendly interface for designing and publishing websites.
Want to learn more about why Wix would be a strong Etsy competitor? Let’s get into its eCommerce highlights!
Ecommerce highlights
WIX is now propositioning as the world leader in website building. Particularly, this Etsy alternative allows you to create a website seamlessly with its drag-and-drop interface and sell products in all sections. The process of creating a website on Wix consists of 6 steps. These steps are fully instructed on the official websites and translated into numerous languages. Besides, you can use Wix ADI and Editor to build eCommerce stores seamlessly yet constructively.
Additionally, visually appealing themes and templates are available on WIX. There are also basic selling tools provided as you go on this platform, making this a perfect choice for sites like Etsy.
When you first use WIX to build their eCommerce platform, you will have an unlimited free trial until your businesses are ready to make a profit. This is where WIX charges fees from users. Obviously, the supportive policy has encouraged more businesses and individuals to join WIX, making the site one of the top Etsy competitors.
Among Etsy alternatives, WIX primarily targets digital products and service showcases, creating a less prioritized order for crafts and art supplies. Yet, WIX still helps craft sellers create more optimized websites serving their businesses. Find out more in our Etsy vs Wix comparison!
Wix selling fees
Wix is pretty price-competitive as one of Etsy competitors. For business and eCommerce plans, it offers three options as follows.
#7. WooCommerce
When you compare WooCommerce vs Etsy, WooCommerce is a powerful open-source eCommerce platform that helps create an online store with ease.
Its customizable features and seamless WordPress integration offer a compelling alternative to Etsy for all creative merchants and artists. Without a doubt, this has been empowering businesses to sell products, manage inventory, and process payments effectively.
Ecommerce highlights
Most sellers favor WooCommerce for its ultimate customization. Retailers are free to make adjustments when they are on WooCommerce.
Besides its allowance for users to maneuver customization, WooCommerce offers incredible themes for business to build their websites with ease. Different concepts would certainly satisfy users from new to experienced.
On top of that, WooCommerce stands out from Etsy competitors for third-party apps, with 6,000+ plugins found in WordPress Plugin Directory. These plugins support users whenever they need a selling tool or face a myth. Especially, WooCommerce reputes for having excessive SEO plugins that can boost your store visibility.
Speaking more about this eCommerce platform, it can be pricey compared to Etsy. However, if your store is growing, you may need to set it on WooCommerce at the same time as Etsy to gain sales increase rather than doing one-channel business.
WooCommerce selling fees
When sellers go on WooCommerce, they may get charged different fee types. Shall we check them out?
#8. Squarespace
We are reaching the final recommendations for Etsy competitors, and one of those is Squarespace. Given that you are a non-tech-savvy merchant or owner of a small business, Squarespace is actually ideal for you.
Moreover, regarding creative and unique product niches, Squarespace is rising among the most promising platforms like Etsy, thanks to its stunning visual. Nevertheless, compelling looks aren’t the only thing this selling site provides you.
Now, why don’t we take a closer look at its other eCommerce aspects?
Ecommerce highlights
Approaching as one of Etsy alternatives, Squarespace gains favor thanks to its customer support, built-in marketing tools, and a strong sense of customization.
When you start selling on Squarespace, advertising crafty products get easier with Squarespace’s built-in marketing tools and supportive communities. Beyond this, you would get asked in advance about your goals. Based on the provided information, Squarespace would guide you directly to the tools you need.
As mentioned, Squarespace helps to create eye-pleasing stores with beautiful themes. Although there are roughly 110 themes available on Squarespace, they are thoroughly selected by the in-house team. On those grounds, why haven’t you tried this Etsy alternative?
Squarespace selling fees
Similar to other sites like Etsy, Squarespace will charge you several selling fees, considering it a hosted solution.
#9. Big Cartel
The last name on our list of Etsy competitors is Big Cartel. Comparing Big Cartel and Etsy, the former one is a hosted eCommerce platform that has impressed us with its dedication to artists and makers all around the world. Explaining in other words, Big Cartel propositions itself as a selling site for only artisans, crafts, and creative products. This is exactly why Big Cartel would be a perfect Etsy alternative.
Like the above selling sites, it’s time for us to mention the eCommerce highlights!
Ecommerce highlights
So far, what we think most highly of still refers to Big Cartel’s focus on creative niches. They vary from artwork to garments. Yet, products sold by Big Cartel retailers are unique, special, and aesthetic. That’s also the spirit that Big Cartel is trying to promote within its community.
Aside from devotion to artists and makers, Big Cartel also encourages retailers in general with efficient business support and tracking tools. Even though such tools are only available in certain pricing tiers, they make quite a remarkable package.
Based on information on Big Cartel, the business suite contains real-time statistics, Google Analytics integration, shipping, inventory tracking, tax autopilot, and many more!
Big Cartel selling fees
The eCommerce platform generates 3 different pricing tiers. Compared to many other Etsy competitors, and Etsy itself, Big Cartel is promoting quite an attractive seller fee!
Go Multichannel Selling and Thrive Your Business
Have you ever thought of selling on Amazon Handmade, eBay, and Etsy at the same time? Selling in numerous places is called Multichannel-selling. It simply means listing and selling your products on two or more sales channels.
Looking to expand your sales beyond Etsy?
Try LitCommerce – A multichannel selling tool to integrate your store with 20+ selling platforms no matter it’s eCommerce platforms, online marketplaces, or social media channels.
Speaking of multichannel selling, we cannot go without its significant benefits. To start with, multichannel not only enhances profit levels but also prevents sellers from taking high risks of an eCommerce site failure.
Moreover, selling on many sites at once can help you reach a larger audience and spread your brand awareness more effectively. Given those reasons, what’s holding you back from joining the multichannel race?
However, to conduct multichannel integration, sellers need tools. In that case, LitCommerce is worth a try. It is a SaaS system enabling e-sellers to list and sell their products on whatever online marketplaces. Specifically, here is a grasp of our main features:
- Multichannel Connect: Effortlessly connect your selling channels, manage inventory, and fulfill orders from one central spot. We’ll lift all the heavy work for you.
- LitCommerce QuickGrid: You can edit listings in one spreadsheet-style interface individually or as groups. Additionally, we provide filters and templates to make you create rules more easily.
- LitCommerce LiveSync: Pricing, inventory, and orders are now in real-time synchronization, with you being the rule maker!
- Integrated Order Flow: With this feature, you can import orders directly from the second selling channel to the main store and manage them effectively from one dashboard.
Our system is designed to simplify every seller’s experience with multichannel selling. For further information, come and read our multichannel selling guide and check out our plans on Litcommerce.
Etsy Competitors – FAQs
- 1. Who is Etsy's biggest competitor?
9 biggest Etsy competitors:
- Amazon Handmade
- eBay
- Bonanza
- Mercari
- Shopify
- WIX
- WooCommerce
- Squarespace
- Big Cartel
- 2. Is Etsy still popular?
Yes, Etsy remains one of the most popular marketplaces worldwide. This online selling channel now facilitates roughly 94 million active users in 2023 and propositions as the world leader in creative product niches.
- 3. Is Etsy competitive?
Yes, Etsy is very competitive with 5.90 million active sellers in Q1 2023, which has increased by 7% compared to 2022. Adding to that, Etsy currently has over 60 million products listed. Provided these figures, you can surely consider that Etsy is a highly competitive marketplace.
- 4. Can you make money selling crafts?
Yes, you can actually earn a lot of money from selling crafts. The best places to sell crafts, artisans, collectibles, and creative items are Etsy, Amazon Handmade, eBay, Bonanza, Mercari, Shopify, WIX, WooCommerce, Squarespace, and Big Cartel.
- 5. Is Etsy reliable?
Yes, Etsy is reliable and legitimate. In fact, it has established itself as one of the leading marketplaces in the eCommerce industry. Apart from that, Etsy is considered the most trusted online marketplace for creative product niches.
Finding The Best Etsy Alternatives to Sell Crafts
In a highly competitive market like Etsy, the price contest and conventional one-channel retailing no longer set you apart from other runners. Hence, businesses of all sectors are encouraged to spread their brand coverage and increase the chances of purchase via multichannel selling.
But you have to do more than get used to the concept of multichannel. Check out LitCommerce solutions for eCommerce management for the latest updates. We also offer a 24/7 live chat so that you can get help in real time from real people in case you have any related concerns.
