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Etsy vs Shopify

Etsy logo

Etsy

Software

Global marketplace for handmade, vintage, and unique items

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

Shopify

Software

The most trusted ecommerce platform to start, grow, and scale your business

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Shopify using any payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee on top of the card rate, at 2% on Basic falling to 0.2% on Plus
  • They diverge on capability: Etsy covers Shop setup, Shopify covers Hosted ecommerce platform.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Etsy and Shopify actually diverge.

Attributes where Etsy and Shopify differ
AttributeEtsyShopify
Starting price$0.2/per-listing$29/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Founded20052006

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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
  • Shop customization
  • Order management
  • Shipping labels
  • Reviews & ratings
  • Shipping protection

Only in Shopify

  • Hosted ecommerce platform
  • Inventory management
  • Order tracking
  • Marketing automation
  • Apps and integrations
  • Multi-channel selling
  • SSL certificate

Both cover

  • Payment processing

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.

Shopify

  • Running a hosted ecommerce store with payments and fulfilmentnot Etsy
  • Selling across online, in person and social channels from one cataloguenot 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

Shopify

  • Using any payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee on top of the card rate, at 2% on Basic falling to 0.2% on Plus
  • That fee makes the cheapest plan the most expensive place to use an outside processor, which is the opposite of how plans usually work
  • Card rates also improve with the plan, from 2.9% on Basic to 2.7% on Advanced
  • Amex is charged at a higher rate than other cards on every plan below Plus
  • Plus starts at $2,300 a month
  • The advertised lower monthly prices require paying a year up front

Pricing, plan by plan

Etsy

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

Shopify

$29/month
  • Starter$5/month
    • Buy Button & Sales Channel
    • Abandoned checkout recovery
    • Basic reporting
  • Basic$29/month
    • Online store
    • Up to 2 staff accounts
    • Basic reports
  • Standard$79/month
    • Professional reports
    • Gift cards
    • Up to 15 staff accounts

Which should you pick?

Choose Etsy if

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

Choose Shopify if

  • You need hosted ecommerce platform.
  • You also want inventory management.
Shopify review

Questions people ask

Is Etsy or Shopify better?
Neither clearly leads. Etsy starts at $0.2/per-listing and Shopify at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Etsy or Shopify?
Etsy starts at $0.2/per-listing and Shopify at $29/month.
Does Etsy or Shopify run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What can Etsy do that Shopify cannot?
Etsy covers Shop setup, Product listings, Shop customization, Order management. Shopify covers Hosted ecommerce platform, Inventory management, Order tracking, Marketing automation. Both handle Payment processing.
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