Shopify vs Etsy: Which Should You Use to Sell Online?

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If you want to start selling online, it’s best to work out early on which avenue you’re going to take. For instance, if you’re wanting to sell a large number of items and have control over your store’s look, then you are better off creating your own online store through an ecommerce platform like Shopify. It’s scalable, flexible, and ranks as the second-best ecommerce platform in the market, just after Wix, with an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5.

However, if you just wish to sell a small number of handmade goods, then Etsy is better suited to your needs. As an enormous online marketplace, Etsy immediately gets you connected with customers. Simply set up your storefront on their site and join a community of other like-minded sellers.

Whether you’re looking to sell personalized t-shirts, vintage items, or you just want to explore the world of ecommerce — Shopify and Etsy are two of the most sought-after platforms to help get your site off the ground. But, how do you know which ones right for you?

shopify vs etsy inforgraphics with two cartoon desktops and a phone on the Shopify side with stylized people looking at them
Best all-round ecommerce platform

4.8

out of 5
Top Choice
Ease Of Use

3.5 out of 5 stars

Design Flexibility

3.9 out of 5 stars

Customer Score

4.4 out of 5 stars

Help and Support

3.9 out of 5 stars

Value For Money

3.6 out of 5 stars

Website Features

4.2 out of 5 stars

Sales Features

4.7 out of 5 stars

Shopify vs Etsy: Pros & Cons

Etsy has 7.5 million users selling to over 96 million buyers. Between October to December 2020 alone, shoppers spent over $3 billion on the platform. Shopify boasts an even more impressive figure: $79.5 billion was sold on Shopify in 2021.

We don’t blame you for wanting to get in on that action!

Like all ecommerce platforms, there are pros and cons to selling on either one. This is why we do our research to provide you with everything you need to know to make the best decision for you and your growing business. So, let’s find out what platform will work best for you, because this is where the selling journey begins.

Shopify Etsy
Ease of Use
Winner: Draw!
Shopify makes it super simple to set up a powerful online store. Etsy is great for anyone less tech-savvy! Simply set up an account and get selling.
Design Flexibility
Winner: Shopify
Shopify has tons of templates to choose from, and provides helpful customization tools, so you can personalize your store to suit your brand. Etsy limits your customization since it manages your storefront layout for you. Your products are the only way you can stand out from other sellers.
Domain & URL Structure
Winner: Shopify
Shopify encourages using a custom domain to create a unique website address, and promote a clear brand. There's no room for a unique domain on Etsy's marketplace, meaning your website address is harder to remember for customers.
Ecommerce Tools & Features
Winner: Shopify
Shopify comes packed with powerful tools, and a massive app store, so you can create a perfectly tailored site for your business. Etsy's features are good, but there are few of them, and they're relatively simple. However, they do aim to make running a business as easy as possible.
Payment Options & Fees
Winner: Shopify
Shopify has no transaction fees when using Shopify Payments, just the expected credit card charges. It also supports hundreds of payment gateways. Etsy has listing fees, transaction fees, and credit card charges.
Attracting Customers
Winner: Etsy
Shopify gives you all of the tools you need to create and promote your business, but it doesn't do the work for you. You're responsible for driving traffic to your website through marketing, SEO, social media, and campaigns. Etsy is an extremely popular platform with millions of buyers. This gives your products great exposure, and it means you don't have to work hard to get visitors to come to your site.
Help and Support
Winner: Shopify
Shopify has a wide range of support options, including 24/7 phone and live chat, email, and an extensive help center. Etsy has a clear and useful help center, as well as a community forum. You can also email Etsy's support staff, or request a call.
Pricing & Value For Money
Winner: Draw!
Shopify has three price plans, ranging from $29 to $299 per month. But, you can start with its 3-day free trial if you want to test it out first. Additionally, larger stores can upgrade to Shopify Plus which has custom pricing. Etsy users can start with its free plan, or upgrade to the Plus plan for $10 per month.
Are You Ready? Shopify Etsy

Shopify is our top-rated builder for online stores.

What's the Difference Between Shopify and Etsy?

First, let’s take a look at what Shopify and Etsy offer exactly. How do they differ? What do they excel at? Where do they fall short?

Shopify is an ecommerce platform, designed for people to set up and grow their online stores (check out some successful stores built with Shopify). It has a whole bunch of powerful ecommerce tools and apps to help you do this.

With Shopify, you create your very own ecommerce website, upload products, and track customer orders. It’s an easy way to build an online store.

On the other hand, Etsy is a marketplace, as opposed to a specialized ecommerce platform. You create an account to sell from, alongside lots of other Etsy sellers. It promotes itself as “a creative marketplace”, and only sells handmade, vintage, or craft goods.

Etsy Pattern

Though Etsy is positioned as a marketplace, it does also have an ecommerce platform — called Etsy Pattern — where you can build a website to sell your products. Interestingly, it has less restrictions on products than the Etsy marketplace, so it could be one to consider if your products don’t fit the usual Etsy niche.

You can try Etsy Pattern for free for 30 days. After that, it costs $15 per month. Because this is separate from the Etsy marketplace, it’s worth noting that you’ll be responsible for generating your own traffic.

Overall, it’s a simple platform — it’s not up to the same standard as Shopify by any means, but it’s a good add-on if you do choose to sell through the Etsy marketplace.

You must already be an Etsy seller to set up Etsy Pattern — in this article, we’ll only be reviewing Etsy as a marketplace, rather than exploring its website builder service.

Further Information

  • Shopify Review: For a more detailed discussion on Shopify’s features, pricing, design, and more.
  • Shopify Pricing Review: Just want to know about the cost? Our pricing review tells you all you need to know about Shopify’s monthly plans, value for money, and extra fees.
  • Compare Ecommerce Platforms: Head on over to our interactive article that pits the best ecommerce platforms against each other.
  • Selling Digital Downloads: See how Shopify and Etsy compare when it comes to selling digital downloads.

Ease of Use

The Winner

Both Shopify and Etsy are very easy to use...

It’s too close to call a winner! Shopify requires a little more time and effort to understand, as opposed to the speed of setting up a store with Etsy, but Shopify is very easy to use considering its library of powerful ecommerce tools.

Who says you have to be a tech guru to sell online? Not Shopify or Etsy, that’s for sure!

Shopify is designed to make building your own online store as easy as possible. Ecommerce platforms often struggle with this because of all the powerful tools needed to run an ecommerce business, but Shopify excels at making it a smooth process.

However, our research scores Shopify 3.5 out of 5 for ease of use, which is fairly average given its position as a simple builder. That being said, Shopify achieved the highest customer score in our ecommerce platform testing — top of the league with a score of 4.7 out of 5, meaning users clearly approve of Shopify.

Shopify makes sure to guide its users through set up with action buttons and a beginner-friendly menu. Plus, once you’ve entered all of your information, Shopify then helps manage your store by syncing your inventory, tracking orders, and more. To put it simply, Shopify gives you everything you need while keeping its interface clean, tidy, and easy to use!

shopify dashboard with category list to the left and a cartoon women doing yoga with a turtle
The backend is easy to navigate. When you start with Shopify, it guides you through setting up your store, from adding products to managing orders.

Etsy is less in-depth than Shopify, but just as easy to use. It’s super simple and straightforward, so you can get to grips with the site quickly.

All you need to do is set up an account, choose your store name, stock your store, and enter your billing details to make sure you get paid!

Just like Shopify, Etsy guides users through each step which makes it easy to fill out each stage:

etsy set up process with progress bar at the top and a search bar for choosing a store name
Etsy guides you through your set up, and makes it simple to enter your details. Here you can see how it provides store names using your suggestions.

You can see how close you are to having your Etsy store set up, and it even helps you with catered suggestions for your store name if your first choice isn’t available.

Once you’re all finished with the setup process, that’s it! You can start selling! This makes it ideal if you’re a beginner and you want to get your store running quickly.

With Etsy, you don’t have to create a whole website like you do with Shopify, which takes away from some of the workload. Just upload your products and descriptions, then you’re good to go. You could be an online seller within the hour.

Ease of Use: Verdict

It’s a draw!

Both Shopify and Etsy are super simple to use. Shopify is slightly more technical than Etsy, but considering its number of powerful ecommerce tools, it really is remarkably beginner-friendly. Etsy is quicker and more simple to set up though.

Our users rated Shopify as the easiest ecommerce website builder.

Design Flexibility

shopify
The Winner

Shopify is the best for design flexibility...

Shopify offers greater customization options than Etsy to help you build a stylish and aesthetically pleasing store. A great choice of platform if you’re looking to make your mark online!
Build Your Store With Shopify

Have you ever been put off an online store because of its horrible web design? You’re not the only one!

With Etsy, the worry about making the right design choices is taken off your plate. On the one hand, that’s great! However, it does make it harder to stand out from the crowd.

Your store page will follow Etsy’s design and layout — all seller pages on Etsy are laid out the same, with your store name, logo, products, and descriptions customizable for your own content.

It’s both an advantage and disadvantage. You can trust that Etsy use a clean, clear, and attractive design which shows off your products and provides a great user experience. But, at the same time, Etsy gives you very limited room for customization, so it’s hard to separate your store from others.

etsy product page with a poster of st louis on a wall next to a plant with a description and add to cart button
You add your own images, descriptions, and product details, but the overall layout is uniform across the whole of Etsy’s marketplace.

Etsy isn’t the right choice if you want to create a really strong brand online.

It’s a great service if you’re selling a few items, or just finding your footing. But, if you want to grow your business, you’ll need to build a unique and solid brand which just isn’t possible on Etsy.

It is possible on Shopify.

When creating your store, Shopify gives you over 90 themes to choose from. These themes form the building blocks of your website. Our research scores Shopify 3.9 out of 5 for design, so it gets the job done well. Shopify’s themes cover a whole range of industries, from furniture to clothing and fashion. So, you’re sure to find something to suit your needs.

As well as guiding the design of your website, your theme also comes with tailored features to benefit your chosen industry. For example, a product zoom feature for clothing stores.

shopify theme page with a selection of different themes available for different store types
Shopify's themes cover a variety of industries, and it's easy to filter them using the categories provided, from layout style to price.

Currently, Shopify has nine free themes and over 80 paid ones, ranging in price from $200 to $350. All themes are mobile-responsive, professional, and modern looking, and you can easily switch themes at any time (you just might need to reformat your content to match).

Most importantly, you can customize to your heart’s content!

The themes are there to help you, so it’s always a good idea to pick one that matches the purpose of your store, and has a design that you like. But, you can personalize, edit, and rearrange as much as you want.

With Shopify, you can create a truly unique brand for your online store.

Design Flexibility: Verdict

Shopify wins design flexibility!

While Etsy’s controlled settings take the pressure off designing your own page, Shopify offers superb customization and stylish designs to build your website. This means you can create a strong brand to grow and promote your business with.

Shopify offers a high level of customization, beating out all others in our design research.

Domain and URL Structure

shopify
The Winner

Shopify has better domain options...

Shopify encourages you to set up a custom domain quickly to make sure your online store looks like a professional brand.
Check Out Shopify

Domain names are incredibly important if you’re setting up an online business.

A domain name is the website address people use to find your website. For example, our domain name is www.websitebuilderexpert.com. You pay to have that address, and that means nobody else online can use it. It’s unique to your website, which makes it a powerful part of your brand.

Domains like these, that you choose and pay for yourself, are called custom domains.

Shopify is a clear winner in this category as it encourages you to use a custom domain. Why? Because a custom domain is essential for creating a trustworthy, professional, and recognizable brand for your business.

registering a domain name through Shopify with desktop image to the right
Shopify makes it easy to find and register your custom domain name. This helps connect with customers, rank in Google, and establish your brand online.

Shopify even has an automated setup to make it as easy as possible to get a totally personalized name for your online store.

On the other hand, Etsy is very different. Because you’re selling through Etsy’s marketplace, you don’t get your own domain name. Instead, your domain will look something like this: www.etsy.com/shop/your-store-name-here.

You can’t have a custom domain because you’re under the umbrella of Etsy. You can only connect your own domain if you’re using the Etsy Pattern website builder. So, Etsy isn’t ideal if you want to create your own brand space, but it shouldn’t matter too much for individual sellers who want to keep things small and simple.

Domain and URL Structure: Verdict

Shopify wins the domain round!

You have a custom domain with clear structure. Your website address is completely your own, which establishes your brand and looks professional. Etsy doesn’t have the option of a custom domain, making your business harder to identify.

Shopify lets you use a custom domain with your website.

Further Information

  • What is a Domain Name?: Want to learn more about domain names? Read our beginner’s guide for everything you need to know.

Ecommerce Tools and Features

shopify
The Winner

Shopify has all of the sales features your business needs...

For sales features, Shopify came second in our ecommerce platform research, and it’s a great choice for stores with more complex, or larger inventories. Along with its built-in features, Shopify also has an extensive app store.
Check Out Shopify's Sales Features

Design and domain names are all very well, but if your site has poor ecommerce tools, you’ll run into trouble fairly quickly, no matter how snazzy your website address is!

Etsy has basic, but good ecommerce features, which makes managing your shop straightforward. Helpfully, you can use the ‘Sell on Etsy App’ to stay on top of things when you’re on the go.

You can use your Etsy account to easily buy and print discounted postage, too. This will help you save on shipping costs as well as speeding up the process.

Etsy also has handy marketing and advertising tools to increase your customer base, get found online, and draw in new followers. An especially useful feature considering it can be hard to stand out within the Etsy marketplace. You can share across social platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, create coupons, or use third-party tools such as Google Shopping to widen your audience reach.

etsy ecommerce tools infographic detailing the powerful tools etsy has on offer and reaching a world of shoppers
Etsy has simple but effective ecommerce tools to help you manage your store in an easy and proactive way.

Remember you can only sell handmade goods, vintage products, and craft supplies on Etsy. If you want to sell something that falls outside of these areas, then Etsy probably isn’t the right choice for you.

And, if you’re looking for additional sales tools, and want to upgrade your store to the next level, you can subscribe to Etsy Plus. This gives you:

  • Customizable options such as banner templates
  • Deals on your own web address
  • Discounts on marketing materials such as business cards
  • Email alerts to send customers once an item is back in stock
  • Advertising credits

Because Etsy is a marketplace rather than an ecommerce platform, your inventory isn’t included in your store account – you have to keep track of this yourself.

Overall, Etsy sums it up nicely with its “simple, powerful tools”. They’re not the most impressive ecommerce features out there, but for small scale selling of homemade and craft products, it’s an appropriate range.

shopify app store page with selection of apps and a search bar to the top
Shopify has an impressive app store which offers hundreds of apps to expand and customize your online store.

When it comes to ecommerce tools, Shopify definitely beats out the majority of the competition. In our research, it’s the second best for sales features with a score of 4.5 out of 5. This makes Shopify an ideal choice for any business which is looking to grow online.

You can sell unlimited products on all of Shopify’s plans, and there are no restrictions on what you sell either. You have greater ecommerce freedom with Shopify than Etsy.

Shopify also has an extensive app store, so you can add whatever you want to your website. This gives you ultimate customization, and a whole load of powerful extras to choose from!

Here’s a list of just some of the features you get across all Shopify plans:

  • Fraud analysis
  • Brand asset management
  • Multichannel selling across different social platforms
  • Discount codes
  • Free SSL certificate
  • Abandoned Cart Recovery
  • Gift cards
  • Third-party calculated shipping rates
  • Shopify POS (Point of Sale) app

Multichannel selling is extremely important for widening your customer base and giving your customers an easy buying experience. The free SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate means your site is safe for visitors to enter their payment details through, and is an essential feature for any online store.

Abandoned Cart Recovery sends emails to customers who have abandoned their products at checkout, and encourages them to return. This can recover up to 20% of customers!

One of Shopify’s best sales features is its inventory system. Unlike Etsy, Shopify has an extensive inventory, which makes it especially useful for growing stores. You can upload products in bulk, or one at a time, and Shopify provides in-house stock management tools, so it’s easy to track and analyze your sales.

Ecommerce Tools and Features: Verdict

Shopify wins sales features!

It has everything a growing business could need, and is much more advanced than Etsy. But, you don’t want to pay for tools you won’t use, so choose wisely! Etsy’s basic features make it ideal for selling small amounts.

Further Information

Further Information

  • Shopify Review: Read for a more in-depth look at Shopify’s sales tools and features.

Payment Options and Fees

shopify
The Winner

Shopify has the best payment options...

It’s hard to beat Shopify which offers cost-effective rates and a 0% transaction fee, so it’s an easy winner for payment options. Etsy charges a listing fee per product, and a 6.5% transaction fee (plus processing charges), which can add up very quickly!
Check Out Shopify's Fees

On some platforms, transaction fees can be the monster hiding under the bed waiting to jump out and give you a shock at the last moment. Neither Shopify or Etsy charge scary prices like that, but it’s still always a good idea to get an idea of payment options and transaction fees before you sign up to a platform.

While Etsy doesn’t charge monthly fees, it does charge listing fees at $0.20 per product. This is the cost to publish your listing, which is active for four months, or until the item is sold.

Etsy payment options on a cream background in black text
Etsy charges listing fees and transaction fees as well as the usual payment processing charge.

When you sell a product, (congratulations!), there’s a 6.5% transaction fee, plus a 3% + $0.25 payment processing charge. That’s a lot of numbers, so what does it actually mean?

Payment processing fees are applied by the payment provider (such as the credit card company), or the payment gateway sending the transaction. This is really common and comes as standard, although Etsy’s rates are slightly higher than average which does set it at a disadvantage against Shopify.

Etsy’s fees certainly aren’t the cheapest out there. But, they shouldn’t damage your pockets too much if you’re selling on a small scale. It’s only once you start pulling in the big bucks that you’ll feel the burn of that 6.5% transaction fee.

If you’re seeing dollar signs already, Shopify might actually work out as better value for money, depending on the size of your business.

Shopify has different payment options to choose from. It has its own in-house payment gateway called Shopify Payments, which doesn’t charge any transaction fees. On Shopify Payments, you only have to pay the card processing fee which starts at 2.4% + 30¢ with the Advanced Shopify plan.

shopify payment options gateway with email sign-up for 14-day free trial and icons of other payment gateways
Shopify supports hundreds of payment gateways such as PayPal and Amazon Payments, or you can use Shopify Payments to get rid of transaction fees.

If you don’t want to use Shopify Payments, there are plenty of other payment options, including the expected PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and more.

If you’re using one of these payment options instead of the Shopify Payments gateway, the highest transaction fee is 2%, and the lowest is 0.5%. So comparing the two, Shopify has much cheaper rates than Etsy.

Payment Options and Fees: Verdict

Overall, Shopify wins!

It offers lower rates and has 0% transaction fees if you use its in-house payment gateway. Shopify has higher upfront costs, but Etsy’s more expensive fees can set you back in the long run if your sales increase.

Shopify grants 0% transaction fees if you use Shopify Payments.

Attracting Customers

Etsy logo
The Winner

Etsy makes it easy for customers to find you...

The popularity of Etsy’s marketplace, and the ease at which customers can find your products, gives Etsy the edge in this round. However, you do need to put in some work yourself to make your products stand out!
Explore Etsy Now

Once you’ve spent time uploading stunning product photos and writing detailed descriptions, your store deserves attention. You don’t want your website to be hidden in a dusty corner of the internet.

Etsy will definitely shine a bright spotlight on your store. It’s an extremely popular marketplace, with over 96 million active buyers. People don’t need to be looking for you specifically. They simply search Etsy, find your products, and make a purchase.

google SERP of "buy handmade items" with etsy appearing top
Etsy is an established and popular brand. It ranks first in Google for terms such as “handmade items”, which will encourage high volumes of traffic to the site.

The drawback of Etsy is that there’s no way to guarantee those visitors will end up on your store, buying your products. There are over 97 million products on Etsy — so standing out from the crowd is important!

In contrast, Shopify gives you the tools to promote yourself. Visitors won’t even know your store was built on this platform, so they’ll need to search for it using your store name.

However, with Shopify, you need to handle your own search engine optimization (SEO) to rank in Google, promote yourself across social media, and build up your brand to attract more customers.

It can seem overwhelming, so, if you’re thinking you don’t know where to start with any of that, don’t worry! Though Shopify doesn’t handle it for you, Shopify does give you all the tools you need, from SEO apps and guides, to email campaigns, and multichannel selling across Facebook and Instagram.

Although it’s more work overall, you’re in total control of connecting with your customers and creating kick-ass marketing campaigns. You don’t have to sit around and wait for visitors to stumble across you.

Attracting Customers: Verdict

Etsy wins this round!

All you have to do is sit back and relax — and hope people pick your products out of millions. Shopify gives you more control, and a more unique presence online, but requires its own marketing and SEO wrangling.

Further Information

Help and Support

shopify
The Winner

Shopify's support is available 24/7...

Shopify’s help and support is brilliant. No matter your problem, they’ll have a solution for you, whether that’s in the form of a video guide, or a chat with Shopify’s team via phone.
Get Help With Shopify

What happens if all of your product images disappear at 2am? Do you panic? No! You contact your very own support team!

Your business never stops, and Shopify knows it. That’s why Shopify has 24/7 support, so you’re covered all day, all night, and all week. Here’s a list of all the different support options you can choose from:

  • 24/7 phone
  • Social media
  • 24/7 live chat
  • Forum
  • Email
  • Video tutorials
  • Advanced specialist support (on Plus plans)

With that in mind, our research scores Shopify favorably, with a score of 3.8 out of 5 for help and support — joint third in the rankings.

So, whether you’re a total phone-phobe, or you love to browse a community forum, Shopify has something to suit everyone. The Shopify Help Center is clear and easy to use, while providing an extensive range of help articles and guides.

shopify help center with search bar at the top and categories with blue icons underneath
The Shopify Help Center is easy to navigate and has tons of helpful articles and guides. You can browse or search for what you’re looking for.

One of the best parts of Shopify’s support is when you ask for help in the editor — Shopify takes you straight to the relevant help page in the help center. This saves you time and leaves you headache-free!

Etsy also has a help center. It’s laid out simply, and also has a search function, so you can get straight to the answer if you know what you’re looking for.

etsy help center with search bar and purple illustration and popular articles section underneath
Etsy’s Help Center has a range of articles as well as a search function to help you find exactly what you need.

Additionally, Etsy has a forum where you can read and join community discussions, ask questions, and follow Etsy announcements. But, you can email Etsy’s support staff, or schedule a phone call, if you need further help. In comparison to Shopify, Etsy’s help and support services just don’t compete.

Help and Support: Verdict

Shopify wins help and support!

Shopify is more comprehensive than Etsy. You’re covered even if things go wrong at 4am! Etsy does have a good help center and community forum, but it can’t compete with Shopify’s personal and in-depth support.

Further Information

Can we help? Read any of the following guides for helpful tips, tricks, and answers to Frequently Answered Questions. We’re here to help, so get stuck in!

Pricing

The Winner

Shopify and Esty are both great value for money...

It depends on your needs. Etsy is cheaper overall, and great if you don’t want to pay any upfront costs. Shopify, on the other hand, is the more expensive option, but you’ll have access to greater features and tools.

When it comes down to it, pricing is often the thing that draws us to — or puts us off — products. This is especially true if you’re on a tight budget, or looking to make money rather than spend it!

In this case, it’s impossible to determine a winner between the two platforms.

On the one hand, Etsy has very little in the way of upfront costs. On its most basic level, the Etsy Standard plan comes with no monthly fees — only the listing fees, transaction costs, and payment processing charges applied to products.

You can upgrade to Etsy Plus to unlock more features for $10 per month, which gives you a wider set of tools to help grow your store, including additional customization options and email alerts.

On the other hand, Shopify has higher upfront costs, but you get what you pay for. Shopify has three price plans, plus a 3-day free trial, and charges $1 per month for the first three months on the Basic plan. The prices range from $29 to $299 per month, and with each upgrade you unlock more features.

In our value for money testing, Shopify scores an average 3.0 out of 5, so let’s take a look at its plans more closely:

Plan Basic Shopify Advanced
Price $29 per month $79 per month $299 per month
Features - Ecommerce website & blog
- Unlimited products
- 2 staff accounts
- 24/7 support
- Multichannel selling
- Discount codes
- Free SSL certificate
- Gift cards
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Fraud analysis
- Shopify POS App
- Standard credit card rates
- Everything from Basic plan
- 5 staff accounts
- Standard professional reports
- 88% shipping discount
- Cheaper credit card rates
- Everything from Shopify plan
- 15 staff accounts
- Advanced report builder
- Lower credit card rates
- Duties & import tax calculator at checkout

To put it simply, the Basic plan costs $29 per month, and gives you everything you need to set up your store. Unlimited products, multichannel selling, discount code creation, and abandoned cart recovery, are just a few of the features included on this plan.

If you upgrade to the Shopify plan, you’ll have everything you need to keep growing your business at $79 per month. Enjoy all the features of the Basic plan, plus more, such as professional reports, and cheaper credit card rates.

The most expensive Shopify plan is the $299 per month Advanced plan. This has everything from the first two plans, plus an advanced report builder, even lower credit card rates, and up to 15 staff accounts.

These are Shopify’s main price plans — but, there’s also Shopify Plus which has custom pricing and targets the big businesses of the ecommerce world.

Although Shopify’s plans might seem extreme in comparison to Etsy’s low prices, Shopify is great value for money because of the features and long-term scalability that come with them.

As we’ve already discussed when looking at payment options, Etsy’s prices can also creep up with its transaction fees, and Shopify’s monthly cost can increase with the use of third-party apps. So, the two remain fairly balanced when it comes to pricing overall.

Shopify’s introductory deal means the you spend $1 per month for the first three months.

Pricing: Verdict

It’s a draw!

Etsy is the cheaper option, but Shopify offers amazing value for money with all of its features. Ultimately, it really depends on your budget. Etsy wins for individual sellers, and Shopify wins for businesses who have the budget to start scaling.

Further Information

Using Etsy with Shopify

If you’re still torn between the two after reading this, we have great news. You can have the best of both worlds!

By using the Shopify App Store, you can integrate the Etsy marketplace with your Shopify store. Real-time synchronization makes sure you avoid confusion, or overselling, by syncing your Etsy and Shopify stores whenever you make any changes.

There’s a free trial for a week, but after that you’ll need to choose between the three paid plans:

  • Starter: $25 per month
  • Basic: $39 per month
  • Standard: $59 per month

Each plan includes custom features, product management, and limited product uploads — the Starter plan allows you to publish up to 100 products on Etsy, whereas the Standard plan allows up to 1000 products.

Overall, the integration is a great option if you have a Shopify store, but also want to diversify your online presence. By integrating with Etsy you can reach a new audience, and make the most of this popular marketplace.

Further Information

Perhaps you don’t want to use Etsy or Shopify. That’s okay, we’ve got you covered!

Shopify vs Etsy: Conclusion

Shopify and Etsy may seem similar at first, but they’re very different selling platforms. This article has looked at the key differences between them, what they excel at, and where they let users down.

Shopify provides everything your business needs to succeed. It has powerful sales tools, scalable plans, and no limits on what you can sell. On the other hand, Etsy comes with product restrictions, and basic features. Still, it’s simple and cheaper than Shopify, making it better for small-scale sellers with a niche.

To sum up, here’s an overview table to give a quick-glance summary:

Shopify Etsy
Ease of Use
Winner: Draw!
Shopify makes it super simple to set up a powerful online store. Etsy is great for anyone less tech-savvy! Simply set up an account and get selling.
Design Flexibility
Winner: Shopify
Shopify has tons of templates to choose from, and provides helpful customization tools, so you can personalize your store to suit your brand. Etsy limits your customization since it manages your storefront layout for you. Your products are the only way you can stand out from other sellers.
Domain & URL Structure
Winner: Shopify
Shopify encourages using a custom domain to create a unique website address, and promote a clear brand. There's no room for a unique domain on Etsy's marketplace, meaning your website address is harder to remember for customers.
Ecommerce Tools & Features
Winner: Shopify
Shopify comes packed with powerful tools, and a massive app store, so you can create a perfectly tailored site for your business. Etsy's features are good, but there are few of them, and they're relatively simple. However, they do aim to make running a business as easy as possible.
Payment Options & Fees
Winner: Shopify
Shopify has no transaction fees when using Shopify Payments, just the expected credit card charges. It also supports hundreds of payment gateways. Etsy has listing fees, transaction fees, and credit card charges.
Attracting Customers
Winner: Etsy
Shopify gives you all of the tools you need to create and promote your business, but it doesn't do the work for you. You're responsible for driving traffic to your website through marketing, SEO, social media, and campaigns. Etsy is an extremely popular platform with millions of buyers. This gives your products great exposure, and it means you don't have to work hard to get visitors to come to your site.
Help and Support
Winner: Shopify
Shopify has a wide range of support options, including 24/7 phone and live chat, email, and an extensive help center. Etsy has a clear and useful help center, as well as a community forum. You can also email Etsy's support staff, or request a call.
Pricing & Value For Money
Winner: Draw!
Shopify has three price plans, ranging from $29 to $299 per month. But, you can start with its 3-day free trial if you want to test it out first. Additionally, larger stores can upgrade to Shopify Plus which has custom pricing. Etsy users can start with its free plan, or upgrade to the Plus plan for $10 per month.
Are You Ready? Shopify Etsy

To expand, Shopify is a dedicated ecommerce platform, and a great option for any small business looking to grow their size online, and establish themselves in the ecommerce market. It has higher upfront costs than Etsy, but Shopify is jam-packed with powerful features, plus an impressive app store.

Etsy is a marketplace, unlike Shopify, which is perfect for individual or small-scale sellers. It’s a lot more basic than Shopify, but it has no monthly subscription (apart from its product fees). So, if you’re curious about stepping into the world of ecommerce, but don’t want to commit to anything just yet, Etsy is a great fit.

Overall, Shopify is the better selling platform. But, Shopify and Etsy are very different, which makes it hard to recommend one over the other. It’s very dependent on what your business needs. If you’re selling a few homemade items a month, Etsy is the best choice for you.

Why not set up an Etsy account and give it a go, or try Shopify’s 3-day free trial and see what you think? After all, you should always try before you buy!

Shopify is our most recommended ecommerce builder, scoring 4.8 out of 5.

Shopify vs Etsy: FAQs

Etsy is cheaper when you look at upfront cost. If you’re on a tight budget, or you only want to sell a few items, Etsy will definitely be cheaper than Shopify. But, if you’re earning a lot of money in sales, Etsy’s 6.5% transaction fees could become expensive, making Shopify cheaper in the long run.

You can learn more about Shopify’s plans and fees in our Shopify Pricing Review.

Or, if you’re looking to budget, check out our article on the Best Free Ecommerce Platforms to compare free trials and plans.

Etsy is a popular place for both buyers and sellers! It has over 96 million buyers, which is a large market you don’t want to miss out on. But, you can only sell through Etsy if you’re selling homemade goods, vintage products, or craft supplies. We recommend it for very small-scale sellers.

If you’re looking for something a bit more advanced, take a look at our Online Store Builder Comparison Chart, or explore our in-depth guide about How to Sell on Etsy.

Shopify is better for scaling an ecommerce business. It has tons of features and an impressive app store to expand your site, and attract more visitors. Shopify caters for small businesses all the way up to large brands such as Penguin. You can read our Shopify Review for more information.
To put it simply, Etsy is a marketplace for sellers and buyers to come together. It’s not a dedicated ecommerce platform like Shopify. Etsy has fewer features, product restrictions, and limited scalability. Shopify, on the other hand, is better suited for growing businesses looking to establish a brand online.
Whether one or the other is better is determined by what products you wish to sell.

If you want a store with a lot of items and a noticeable brand, then Shopify is better as you can list more items and design your site however you want to.

Etsy is better for those who only have a few, homemade items to sell and therefore don’t want to have to build an entire store. Both have their pros and cons when it comes to selling, it’s ultimately about what’s better for you.

Shopify has two types of fees attached to its selling: transaction fees and credit card fees. Credit card fees are a normal part of online selling and Shopify charges differently based on its plans:

Transaction fees are also charged if using a third-party payment gateway, and it is 2% for Basic, 1% for Shopify, and 0.5% for Advanced Shopify. However, if you sign up for Shopify Payments, these transaction fees are waived.

Found our Shopify vs Etsy review helpful?

Did this guide help you decide whether to use Shopify or Etsy, then help to get you started building your online store? If so (or if not!) leave a comment below.

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I’m the Content Manager here at Website Builder Expert, which means I read and edit nearly all the content we publish, and work with our wonderful writers and researchers to bring you the best possible advice for achieving your online goals. Over the past five years I’ve built demo websites using all the website builders we review, so I have the experience and expertise to help you out. You’ve got the experts on your side – I’m here to help you reach your online goals, and enjoy the process too!

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Natasha Willett Lead Researcher

I love to understand human behavior and the cognitive biases that drive us to do what we do. For over nine years I have worked as a mixed method researcher – research using a mix of numerical data and personal experiences – across a range of sectors, from insurance and policy development to finally arriving at Website Builder Expert five years ago. Fascinated by consumer decision-making, I meticulously built our leading ranking methodology to explore where providers like Wix sit within a competitive industry and what value they truly bring to our audience.

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