Softwr

Print & Publishing · head to head

Etsy vs GIMP

Etsy logo

Etsy

Print & Publishing

Global marketplace for handmade, vintage, and unique items

From
$0.2/per-listing
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GIMP logo

GIMP

Print & Publishing

Free and open-source image editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GIMP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Etsy etsy charges a $0.20 USD listing fee per item, a 6.5% transaction fee on sale price plus shipping, a 3% plus $0.25 USD payment processing fee, and a 2.5% currency conversion fee when shop and payment currencies differ; GIMP gPLv3 licence requires derivative works to be open-source and freely distributed
  • They diverge on capability: Etsy covers Shop setup, GIMP covers Photo editing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Etsy and GIMP actually diverge.

Attributes where Etsy and GIMP differ
AttributeEtsyGIMP
Starting price$0.2/per-listingFree
Pricing modeltransactionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebGNU/Linux, macOS, Windows
CategoryUnknownPrint & Publishing
Founded20051995

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Etsy

  • Shop setup
  • Product listings
  • Payment processing
  • Shop customization
  • Order management
  • Shipping labels
  • Reviews & ratings
  • Shipping protection

Only in GIMP

  • Photo editing
  • Digital painting
  • Image processing
  • Batch editing
  • Filters
  • Color correction
  • Layer support
  • Script-fu automation

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Etsy

No use cases recorded yet. See the Etsy review.

GIMP

  • Photo editing and retouching with professional colour managementnot Etsy
  • Digital art creation with power and flexibility for image transformationnot Etsy
  • Icon and UI element design for application developmentnot Etsy
  • Batch image processing through Python, C, C++, and Scheme scriptingnot Etsy

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Etsy

  • Etsy charges a $0.20 USD listing fee per item, a 6.5% transaction fee on sale price plus shipping, a 3% plus $0.25 USD payment processing fee, and a 2.5% currency conversion fee when shop and payment currencies differ

GIMP

  • GPLv3 licence requires derivative works to be open-source and freely distributed
  • Community-driven development with no commercial support tier
  • No native CMYK support for professional print workflows
  • Ecosystem depends on community plugins and scripts for advanced features

Pricing, plan by plan

Etsy

$0.2/per-listing
  • Standard Shop$0.2/per-listing-plus-commission
    • Listing fees
    • Transaction fees
    • Payment processing

GIMP

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the GIMP review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Etsy if

  • You need shop setup.
  • You also want product listings.
Etsy review

Choose GIMP if

  • You need photo editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want digital painting.
GIMP review

Questions people ask

Is Etsy or GIMP better?
Neither clearly leads. Etsy starts at $0.2/per-listing and GIMP at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Etsy or GIMP?
GIMP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $0.2/per-listing for Etsy and Free for GIMP.
Does Etsy or GIMP run on more platforms?
Etsy runs on Web. GIMP runs on GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use GIMP for free?
Yes. GIMP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Etsy starts at $0.2/per-listing.
What can Etsy do that GIMP cannot?
Etsy covers Shop setup, Product listings, Payment processing, Shop customization. GIMP covers Photo editing, Digital painting, Image processing, Batch editing.
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