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E-Commerce · head to head

Etsy vs Saleor

Etsy logo

Etsy

E-Commerce

Global marketplace for handmade, vintage, and unique items

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Saleor logo

Saleor

E-Commerce

Open-source, headless e-commerce platform with a GraphQL API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Saleor has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Etsy transaction fees at 6.5% of sale price; Saleor saleor requires development resources to build a storefront, since it ships as an API-only backend without a front-end store out of the box.
  • They diverge on capability: Etsy covers Shop setup, Saleor covers GraphQL API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Etsy and Saleor actually diverge.

Attributes where Etsy and Saleor differ
AttributeEtsySaleor
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modeltransactionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebweb, api
Founded20052019

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

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 Saleor

  • GraphQL API
  • Admin dashboard
  • Webhooks and apps
  • Omnichannel order processing
  • Configurator CLI
  • OpenTelemetry tracing
  • OpenID Connect support

What people use each for

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

Etsy

  • Selling handmade crafts and unique itemsnot Saleor
  • Reselling vintage goods and collectiblesnot Saleor
  • Marketing handpicked curated productsnot Saleor
  • Operating storefront with secured payment processingnot Saleor

Saleor

  • Custom headless storefrontsnot Etsy
  • Composable commerce architecturesnot Etsy
  • Omnichannel retail and B2B commercenot Etsy
  • Developer-built e-commerce requiring deep API accessnot Etsy

Where each one falls short

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

Etsy

  • Transaction fees at 6.5% of sale price
  • Payment processing fee of 3% plus $0.25 per transaction
  • 15% offsite ads fee for sales from Etsy external advertising
  • No monthly subscription covers fees - all fees per transaction

Saleor

  • Saleor requires development resources to build a storefront, since it ships as an API-only backend without a front-end store out of the box.
  • Self-hosting requires managing infrastructure, scaling, and updates, which adds operational overhead compared to fully managed platforms.
  • Saleor Cloud's paid tiers start at $1,599/month, making the managed offering costly for small merchants compared to typical SaaS store builders.
  • The GraphQL-first, code-driven approach has a steeper learning curve for non-technical users than drag-and-drop e-commerce builders.

Pricing, plan by plan

Etsy

On request
  • Seller Fees$0.2/listing
    • Listing fee per item for 4 months
  • Transaction Fee$6.5/percent
    • 6.5% of sale price including shipping
  • Payment Processing Fee$3/percent
    • 3% of sale price plus $0.25 per transaction
  • Offsite Ads Fee$15/percent
    • 15% of sale price when sale results from Etsy external advertising

Saleor

Free
  • Sandboxes (Cloud)Free
    • Free forever tier for prototyping and development
  • Select (Cloud)$1599/month
    • Up to $200,000 GMV monthly
    • 0.8% fee on orders exceeding GMV limit
    • Dedicated Slack channel
  • Volume (Cloud)$3999/month
    • Up to $1,000,000 GMV monthly
    • 0.4% fee on orders exceeding GMV limit
    • Dedicated Slack channel
  • Enterprise (Cloud)$undefined/mo
    • Custom GMV limits
    • Fees negotiable as low as 0.2%
    • Project delivery lead

Which should you pick?

Choose Etsy if

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

Choose Saleor if

  • You need graphql api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want admin dashboard.
Saleor review

Questions people ask

Is Etsy or Saleor better?
Neither clearly leads. Etsy starts at On request and Saleor at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Etsy or Saleor?
Saleor has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Etsy and Free for Saleor.
Does Etsy or Saleor run on more platforms?
Etsy runs on Web. Saleor runs on web, api.
Can I use Saleor for free?
Yes. Saleor has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Etsy starts at On request.
What is Etsy best used for?
Etsy is most often used for selling handmade crafts and unique items, reselling vintage goods and collectibles, marketing handpicked curated products, operating storefront with secured payment processing. Of those, selling handmade crafts and unique items and reselling vintage goods and collectibles are not what Saleor is typically brought in for.
What can Etsy do that Saleor cannot?
Etsy covers Shop setup, Product listings, Payment processing, Shop customization. Saleor covers GraphQL API, Admin dashboard, Webhooks and apps, Omnichannel order processing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Etsy: What is the listing fee on Etsy?

Each listing costs $0.20 and is active for 4 months. You only pay transaction and payment processing fees when you make a sale.

Source
Saleor: Is Saleor free to use?

Yes. Saleor is open source under the BSD-3-Clause license and can be self-hosted for free. Saleor Cloud also offers a free Sandboxes tier for prototyping and development.

Source
Etsy: What are Etsy's transaction and payment fees?

Etsy charges 6.5% transaction fee on the sale price including shipping, plus 3% and $0.25 for payment processing per transaction. If a sale results from Etsy's external advertising, an additional 15% offsite ads fee applies.

Source
Saleor: How much does Saleor Cloud cost?

Saleor Cloud paid plans start at $1,599/month for the Select plan (up to $200,000 monthly GMV), with Volume at $3,999/month and custom Enterprise pricing for larger merchants.

Source
Etsy: Are there monthly subscription costs?

No, Etsy does not require a monthly subscription. You pay per listing ($0.20) and transaction-based fees when you make sales.

Source
Saleor: Does Saleor provide a storefront out of the box?

No. Saleor is an API-only, headless commerce backend built on GraphQL; storefronts must be built separately using the API and are not bundled with the platform.

Source
Etsy: What types of items can I sell on Etsy?

Etsy allows items you made, designed, handpicked, or sourced that meet Creativity Standards. The marketplace focuses on unique, handmade, or vintage goods rather than mass-produced items.

Source
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