Etsy Alternatives: 25 Sites Like Etsy to Sell Your Crafts




Or maybe you just like buying handicraft goods and supporting independent artisans.

Either way, you can buy and sell handmade arts & crafts online and Etsy certainly isn’t your only choice.

Sure, a lot of people make money on Etsy and it is the go-to website for many artists, artisans, and craft-makers.

It is easily one of the most successful marketplaces for indie crafts. And that’s exactly why Etsy may not be the best site to sell your art!

So are there other sites like Etsy out there that may better suit you?

Yes, there are!

But first…

Why Use Other Sites Like Etsy Alternatives?

Etsy is a popular website and with good reason. But there are a few reasons why you might want to use another site to sell your crafts online.

The competition is high on Etsy

With more than 45 million buyers on Etsy, it’s not hard to see why many people choose to sell their handmade goods on there.

However, with that many buyers also comes millions of sellers all of whom are competing for the attention of customers on the platform.

This means that if you have, say, a painting up for sale on there, it’s going to appear among thousands of other results when a customer searches on Etsy.

This can make it tough for your listings to stand out on Etsy, which really isn’t ideal.

As of 2019, more than 2.5 million sellers sold items through Etsy.

You might want to diversify

Limiting yourself to just one platform can also limit the number of sales you get. If you have your goods up for sale on a few sites, as well as on Etsy, it gives you more chances to make sales.

Plus, you might find that your target audience spends time on Amazon Handmade, rather than on Etsy. By using multiple platforms to sell your stuff, you can see where your goods are most popular with customers and potentially bring in more sales.

Listing stuff for sale on Etsy isn’t free

For each item that you want to sell on Etsy, you’ll need to pay a fee. Etsy charges you $0.20 to list an item. Sure, it’s not a huge amount of cash, but if you’re looking for a site that doesn’t charge fees to list stuff, then Etsy may not be the best platform for you.

Etsy also charges you a 5% transaction fee on the sale price once an item sells. This includes the shipping price you set. On top of that, if you accept payments through Etsy Payments, the site also collects a 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee when an item is sold.

So factoring in all the fees and sales commissions you have to pay, selling on Etsy becomes even less appealing to those who’re looking to keep a larger percentage of their profits.

Of course, there are lots of other reasons you may be considering moving away from Etsy if you currently use it. Maybe, you’re just not getting many sales on there.

Or if you’re just starting out in your career selling stuff, you might be wanting to review your options before just going with Etsy.

So, in today’s post, I’ll give you some awesome alternatives to Etsy and cover reasons why you might want to use these platforms over Etsy.

Sites like Etsy

Okay, so, as I said above, there are many reasons that you might want to try out some other platforms over Etsy. But, which ones should you try?

Here are some Etsy alternatives to consider.

1. Amazon Handmade

Sure, Etsy is a popular website. We all know that. For finding awesome handmade goods, custom made pieces, vintage items and more, it’s hugely popular.

But, what site is more popular than Amazon?

When it comes to shopping Amazon sits atop of the online merchant throne.

It gets billions of customers from around the world all looking to spend cash on there.

And Amazon makes it so easy to do so. I often shop on Amazon because in just a couple of clicks, your stuff is on its way. Factor in the fast and free delivery that comes along with a Prime membership and it’s not hard to see why Amazon is such a popular platform.

That’s why for anyone looking to sell online, Amazon is definitely a platform to consider.

It actually has a platform now designed for artisans to sell their stuff on the site, called Amazon Handmade.

Amazon Handmade vs Etsy

So, why use Amazon Handmade over Etsy?

Well, there are a few reasons why you might consider it:

  • Amazon gets millions of more customers than Etsy does. It gets more than 200 million unique visitors each month. Like I said above, Amazon is the king of the online shopping realm.
  • It’s free to list items. Amazon Handmade doesn’t charge you fees for listing your stuff, which I think is awesome. You’re only charged a fee when your item sells.
  • You can sell to people in multiple countries.

Now, when your crafts do sell, Amazon charges you a 15% referral fee. That’s higher than Etsy’s commission fee. So do take that into account when you’re deciding which platform is best for you.

2. Bonanza

Bonanza is a website where you can sell a wide variety of items, like health and beauty products and home and garden items, as well as crafts.

It’s another one to consider, proving pretty popular in the crafts market.

Bonanza vs Etsy

Why should you consider using Bonanza over Etsy?

Here are a few reasons:

  • It’s free to list stuff for sale on Bonanza. So you avoid paying that $0.20 fee per listing that you’re charged on Etsy.
  • Bonanza is less competitive than Etsy. The website has just 25,000 sellers, which is much less than the 2.5 million sellers on Etsy.
  • There’s a huge array of categories to sell in (categories below).

Categories include:

  • Beads & Jewelry Making
  • Fabric Painting & Decorating
  • Glass & Mosaics
  • Handcrafted & Finished Pieces
  • Home Arts & Crafts
  • Kids’ Crafts
  • Leathercrafts
  • Scrapbooking & Paper Crafts
  • Sculpting, Molding & Ceramics
  • Sewing
  • Stamping & Embossing

You still have to pay 3.5% commission when your stuff sells, but that’s less than Etsy’s 5% fee. And since Bonanza isn’t as well known a site as Etsy, you may find that there are fewer customers on the platform.

3. Handmade Artists’ Shop

Sell your handmade wares through the Handmade Artists’ Shop. This website is a great alternative to Etsy.

Handmade Artists’ Shop vs. Etsy

Here’s why you might want to consider selling through Handmade Artists’ Shop:

  • You don’t pay commission. So you aren’t losing out on any of your profits, as you would if you were to sell through Etsy.
  • There are so many categories (list of categories below) to sell in. This means that no matter what you make, you can find the right section for your wares.
  • There are no limits on the amount of products you can have on there. If you have a large inventory you want to sell, then this is ideal.

Here are the categories you can sell in:

  • Accessories
  • Art
  • Bags and Purses
  • Bath and Beauty
  • Candles
  • Ceramics and Pottery
  • Clothing
  • Crochet, Knitting, and Needlecraft
  • Dolls and Miniatures
  • Edibles
  • Glass
  • Handmade Supplies
  • Holiday and Special Occasion
  • Housewares
  • Jewelry
  • Metal Craft
  • Mosaic
  • Outdoor
  • Paper and Books
  • Pattern Tutorials and Kits
  • Pet Stuff
  • Quilts
  • Toys
  • Weddings
  • Woodworking

Now, you do have to pay $5 a month to be a member of the site. However, since you aren’t paying any listing fees or commission fees when your stuff sells, that $5 a month might work out cheaper than the fees you’d pay on Etsy. There’s also a $50 a year plan that saves you $10 annually.

4. eBay

Although it’s not specifically a marketplace for crafts like Etsy, it’s still a popular platform for selling all sorts of craft items. So it’s definitely one to consider.

eBay vs. Etsy

Here’s why you might want to sell on eBay:

  • There are more than 182 million shoppers on the site. That’s a lot of customers that you can get your crafts in front of.
  • You can list your first 50 items for free on there. After that, you will need to pay 30 cents per listing.
  • People see eBay as a trustworthy site since it’s one of the best-known online marketplaces out there. This means people are willing to spend money on there.

Now, when your stuff sells, eBay does charge a 10% commission fee, which is higher than Etsy’s fee.

5. Folksy

Folksy is like the British Etsy. You might want to consider the platform if you’re UK-based.

Folksy vs Etsy

Here’s why Folksy could be a good Etsy alternative for you:

  • It has a super loyal community. It has with 9 million monthly unique viewers on Pinterest, 50,000 subscribers to its newsletter, more than 35,000 followers on Instagram and 64,000 followers on Facebook. Plus it has its own Facebook Group and forums.
  • It’s gets lots of shoppers. In fact, it gets 150,000 shoppers a month. That’s plenty of customers who can purchase your stuff.
  • Folksy provides secure and instant payments and doesn’t hold your money. That means you can get paid fast. Sales go directly to your PayPal or Stripe account.

You do have to pay 6% commission when your stuff sells, which is higher than the fee charged by Etsy. Also, you can only list your first three items for free. After that, you need to pay £0.15 plus VAT per item. Or to get more free listings, you can pay for a membership plan. It’s called Folksy Plus and costs £5 a month, including VAT.

6. Spoonflower

Next on our list is Spoonflower. This works in a slightly different way to the other sites on the list. Rather than selling a product yourself, you upload your designs and the site prints them on lots of different items that customers can purchase.

Spoonflower vs. Etsy

  • It’s much more convenient. With Spoonflower, you don’t have to ship stuff to the customer or worry about your inventory. The website prints your designs on products when the customer purchases the item.
  • You can sell your designs as:
    • Fabric
    • Wallpaper
    • Home décor
  • There are no listing fees.

Since you aren’t doing as much work as you’d have to selling your items through Spoonflower as you would on Etsy, you only keep 10% to 15% of your sales.

7. Society6

Next on the list we have Society6. This website is similar to Spoonflower in that you sell your designs on products that the website prints.

Society6 vs Etsy

Here’s where you might want to consider using Society6 over Etsy:

  • Sell your designs on a variety of items, such as:
    • Phone cases
    • Home décor items
    • Apparel
    • Art prints
    • Wall art
    • Tapestries
  • Earn an additional 10% on sales you refer through the website’s affiliate program.
  • It’s easier than selling on Etsy, since you aren’t having to ship products or make the products yourself. Instead, you can just upload your designs, and wait for customers to buy them and Society6 will handle everything for you like printing your designs onto items and shipping them.

Since you aren’t doing as much work on Society6 as you would on Etsy, you only keep 10% of the sales. That being said, artists can set their own prices above the standard 10% for art prints, framed prints, and canvas prints.

8. Aftcra

Another Etsy alternative where you can sell your handmade crafts is Aftcra. This website supports local artists and artisans living in America.

Aftcra vs. Etsy

Here’s how Aftcra compares to Etsy:

  • You don’t have to pay to list items or set up your store.
  • There’s a huge range of categories to sell through.
  • There’s a focus on handmade crafts from artisans in America.

When your item does sell, you’ll need to pay 7% commission, which is higher than Etsy’s commission rate.

9. iCraft

Another website to consider is iCraft. It is actually one of the best sites to sell handmade jewelry, paper crafts, and lots of other craft items is iCraft.

iCraft vs. Etsy

Here’s how iCraft compares to Etsy:

  • iCraft doesn’t charge you a commission on sales. So you get to keep all of your profits.
  • You can get a free .store domain for your store for a year. Or you can get a 50% discount on .com or other domains.
  • You can have unlimited items on there.
  • There are sales and marketing tools available. You can:
    • Create coupons
    • Add discounts
    • Put items on sale
    • Connect your social feeds to your store
    • Add the site’s promo widget to your own blog or website

You do have to pay a one-off $25 registration fee to join the site.

Also, iCraft charges a monthly fee to use it. You can pay $15 a month. Or you can choose the 6 months package, which costs $12 a month, or the 12 months package, which costs $10 a month.

10. Cargoh

Cargoh describes itself as a curated marketplace for independent artists.

It’s another one to consider selling your crafts on.

Cargoh vs. Etsy

Here’s why you might want to consider Cargoh over Etsy:

  • There are lots of categories available on the site, from Jewelry to Tees to Bags & Purses.
  • It’s free to list your stuff for sale on Cargoh.

While listing stuff for sale on there is free, you do need to pay 10% commission when your stuff sells. So that’s a higher commission rate than Etsy’s.

11. Teespring

Another one to consider is Teespring. This website is like Spoonflower, where you can sell your designs on lots of different products and the store will print them up for you.

Teespring vs. Etsy

Let’s take a look at how the two platforms compare.

Here’s why it’s a great platform for selling your designs:

  • Teespring makes selling your designs super simple since you don’t have to handle things like shipping or printing your designs yourself. Simple, right?
  • You can have your designs printed on-demand, on a huge range of products, such as:
    • Backpacks
    • T-shirts
    • Dress socks
    • Leggings
    • Onesies
    • Tank tops
  • You don’t pay to list stuff

There is, of course, one downside:

Once your stuff sells, the site charges 15% of the selling price of the product. That’s higher than Etsy’s 5% fee.





12. Zibbet

Zibbet is a website that allows you to sell your arts and crafts on lots of different platforms. It’s a good platform to consider if you’re looking to diversify.

Zibbet vs. Etsy

There are a few reasons why you might want to use Zibbet over Etsy, such as:

  • You can list a product once and sell it through multiple places, like:
    • Etsy
    • Facebook Shop
    • Instagram
    • Zibbet Marketplace
    • C. Moore Marketplace
    • Stitch websites.
  • You can easily keep track of your products across multiple sales channels. This is awesome if you want to diversify your business.

Now, of course, there are a couple of reasons you may not want to use the platform. The main one is that you have to pay $5 a month per sales channel to use Zibbet. And in addition to the monthly fee you pay to Zibbet, you may be charged fees form the other platforms.

For example, if you list a craft for sale on Etsy, you may have to pay the $0.20 listing fee charged by Etsy, plus the 5% transaction fee, in addition to that $5 a month to Zibbet for the sales channel.

13. GLC Craft Mall

GLC Craft Mall is another place to consider setting up your own craft business. The website is a community of independently owned craft stores where you can sell your handmade arts and crafts.

GLC Craft Mall vs. Etsy

The main reason to choose GLC Craft Mall over Etsy is that it is totally free to list on the site. Some people don’t want to have to pay $0.20 every time they list an item – after all, there’s no guarantee that the item will sell.

So with this site, you can avoid having to pay each time you want to list an item for sale!

Of course, there is a downside. You have to pay a monthly fee that ranges from $4.50 to $12 a month, depending on the membership plan you choose.

And, even though you’re paying a monthly fee, you still have to pay a 5% processing fee on all plans.

14. Redbubble

If you’re looking for a website where you can sell your designs on a wide range of products, then I’d recommend that you check out Redbubble.

Redbubble vs. Etsy

Here’s why you might consider using Redbubble over Etsy:

  • It makes selling stuff easy. Just upload your designs, and Redbubble will print them when a customer makes the purchase and handle everything, like shipping, for you.
  • You can have your designs printed, on-demand, on lots of different items, such as:
    • T-shirts
    • Mugs
    • Stickers
    • Phone cases
    • Pillows
  • You have more control over what you earn. Redbubble doesn’t take a set commission. Instead, Redbubble has a base price for each product. This is what it costs the site to print and sell your product, basically. Then you set your own commission per sale – this is your artist margin. By default, this is set to 20%, but you can change it. Then the final retail price the customer pays = the base price + the artist margin.

15. eCrater

eCrater is an online marketplace that brings together buyers and sellers from around the world. And it’s also a free eCommerce website builder that provides sellers with customizable online stores. Products that you upload to your seller’s store are automatically added to the marketplace too.

This means that you can set up your own store using eCrater’s website builder and you can sell your crafts through the site’s own marketplace as well.

eCrater vs. Etsy

Here’s why you might want to use eCrater over Etsy:

  • You can open your store for free.
  • You aren’t charged commission on your sales. So you keep all of the money you make!

You will have to pay commission if eCrater brings you a sale through the main marketplace. The site collects a 2.9% marketplace cost, which is still less than Etsy’s commission fee!

And if you don’t pay the fee, the site won’t suspend your account. Instead, it just decreases your ranking in the marketplace, or it might completely remove your items from its marketplace and won’t feed your items to Google Shopping. Your own store stays active and operational though.

Also, you have to be able to ship throughout the United States even if you’re an international seller.

16. CafePress

CafePress is a print-on-demand marketplace where customers can purchase items that include their favorite designs.

CafePress vs. Etsy

Here’s why you should consider selling on CafePress:

  • You can sell your designs on lots of items, such as:
    • Notebooks
    • Calendars
    • T-shirts
    • Accessories
    • Phone cases
  • Since CafePress is a print-on-demand service, it handles everything for you.
  • You can set your own markups, so the profit you keep, on your designs.

17. Zazzle

Right, if you want to get your designs out there and on lots of products from t-shirts, to mugs, then you will definitely want to give Zazzle a try.

Zazzle vs Etsy

Here’s why you might want to sell through Zazzle:

  • You can add your designs to more than 1,500 blank products. You can put your designs on everything from mouse pads to phone cases to mugs.
  • It’s really convenient and easy since Zazzle fulfills the orders and handles any customer service requests for you.
  • You can set your own royalties for your sales from 5% to 99%.

18. Big Cartel

If you’re looking for more control over your craft business, then you might want to consider Big Cartel.

With it, you can create your own eCommerce store.

Big Cartel vs. Etsy

Here’s why you might want to sell through Big Cartel over Etsy:

  • You can set up your own store. So you can choose everything from the color scheme to the graphics you want to use.
  • Your products won’t get lost in the crowd. Etsy is essentially one big store with all sellers competing for customers. If you’re selling a necklace for example, then that necklace is going to appear among hundreds of others that are being sold on the platform. That’s not the case with Big Cartel since you can set up your own store.
  • You don’t pay commission on your sales.
  • With the paid membership plans, you don’t have to pay to list your stuff for sale.

Of course, there’s a downside like with every site. There’s a free membership account but you can only list 5 products. To list more than this, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee. This ranges from $9.99 to $29.99 a month, depending on which membership plan you choose.

Of course, since you aren’t paying listing fees for those or commission, it’s a pretty good deal.

19. Ruby Lane

Another place to sell through is Ruby Lane. You can sell lots of arts and crafts items on there.

Ruby Lane vs. Etsy

Here are a few reasons to consider selling stuff on Ruby Lane:

  • Sell everything from antiques to fine art to jewelry.
  • Like with Etsy, you can also sell vintage stuff through the website as well.
  • It’s free to list 50 items on there.

You do have to pay a maintenance fee. This is $54 a month and you can list 50 items. After that, you’ll pay to list items. Each listing costs from 1 cent to 30 cents, depending on the number of items you have listed.

The site also charges a service fee of 6.7% based on Purchase Order total (this does not include Sales Tax), and it is capped at $250.

20. Storenvy

Storenvy is a website that offers free custom online stores and a social marketplace.

Storenvy vs. Etsy

Here’s why you might want to consider Storenvy:

  • In the Marketplace store, you get access to millions of customers.
  • You can also build a professional online store that looks like your own business. You can launch your online store in minutes and it’s free to do!
  • It doesn’t charge listing fees.
  • There’s a free membership plan available.

You’re charged 15% commission on sales that the Storenvy marketplace drives you. So the remaining 85% goes to you, minus the payment processing fees.

21. Absolute Arts

Absolute Arts is a website where artists can sell their paintings, fine art sculptures, photographs, mixed media art, and lots of other artworks.

Absolute Arts vs. Etsy

Here’s why you might want to consider selling through Absolute Arts:

  • If your main focus is selling artwork, then Absolute Arts may work out better for you since it’s art oriented. It gives artists, like you, a way to sell and promote their work without traditional galleries.
  • There’s a free membership plan available.
  • You can list 20 artworks for free with the free membership.

Now, if you want to list more than 20 artworks for sale, you have to pay for a membership plan, which ranges from $55 to $100 a year, depending on the plan you choose. That’s not that high really.

When your stuff sells, you have to pay 35% on your sales. That is pretty high and the fact that the site charges commission and a membership fee for some plans isn’t ideal.

22. Spreadshirt

Next, we have Spreadshirt. This is another platform I’d recommend if you are looking for a simple way to sell your designs. This is because Spreadshirt is a print-on-demand platform.

Spreadshirt vs. Etsy

Here’s why you might want to sell on Spreadshirt:

  • You can set up your own store or you can sell to millions of people through the site’s marketplace.
  • It requires less effort on your part than actually making products to sell through Etsy. Outside of that initial design, you don’t have to worry about things like shipping or printing up of products yourself. Spreadshirt handles all of that for you.
  • You can sell your designs on more than 200 products, like:
    • T-shirts
    • Mugs
    • Phone cases
    • Tablet cases

The downside to Spreadshirt is that it has a slightly more confusing fee structure than some of the other sites on this list.

Depending on the distribution channel, so whether that’s the Spreadshirt Marketplace or Spreadshop, the commission will vary. Regardless of the chosen distribution channel, you always get the design price. You can also set the amount that you want to receive for each sale.  The design price can be set up to $15.

Now, if you have a Shop and sell a product, you’ll be charged 20% on the price of the product and printing. You can learn more about the site’s fee structure here.

23. IndieMade

Next on the list we have IndieMade. This is a platform that helps artists and crafters to build their own website.

You can build a site with a store, blog, event calendar, galleries and more with IndieMade’s website builder.

IndeMade vs. Etsy

Here’s why you should consider selling through IndieMade:

  • You can get a fully-integrated online store.
  • You can accept PayPal, credit cards, or check.
  • The site doesn’t take a commission from you. So you get to keep 100% of your sales.
  • There’s a free 30-day trial of the site.

You do have to pay a monthly fee to use the site. Depending on the membership plan you choose, this ranges from $4.95 to $19.95 a month. You can try out the site for free for 30 days though to see if it’s for you.

24. FineArtAmerica

FineArtAmerica is an ideal alternative to Etsy if you’re looking to sell artwork.

FineArtAmerica vs. Etsy

Here’s why you might want to sell through FineArtAmerica:

  • It’s ideal for artists and photographers since you can sell original art, prints, home décor, apparel and more to millions of buyers all over the world.
  • The website offers print-on-demand products, meaning you can just upload your designs and the website handles the rest for you. But if you want to, you can also sell original artwork.
  • You can sell a huge range of items, like:
    • Prints
    • Greeting cards
    • Phone cases
    • Tech accessories
    • LifEtsyle products
    • Digital downloads
    • Apparel
  • You can set your own prices. The website sets the base price for each product that it manufactures. Then you add a markup on top of that base price. Whatever you set as your markup is the amount you’ll earn on the sale. So if FineArtAmerica sets the base price at $50 for a canvas print and you set your markup at $25, then the customer would pay $75 for the canvas print and you would earn $25.
  • You get to keep 100% commission on original artwork, but you do have to handle everything like collecting payments, packaging, and shipping yourself.

25. Artful Home

If you’re an artist, you might want to consider Artful Home. On this site, you can sell fine art prints, original paintings, jewelry, apparel and more.

Artful Home vs. Etsy

Here’s why you might want to consider selling art with Artful:

  • Artful Home handles customer care, merchandising, and marketing for you, so you don’t have to do anything else.
  • The website supports artists with direct marketing. It uses its catalogs, email marketing campaigns, and advertising to sell artists’ work. The site says that it is always trying to reach potential buyers to encourage them to buy artwork.

There are, of course, reasons why the platform may not be for you.

Firstly, you can’t just set up a store there. You have to be approved. This takes 12 to 14 weeks, which is a pretty long time. Also, you have to pay a $35 fee just to apply. Then if you’re accepted, you have to pay a one-time membership fee of $300, which you can pay monthly at $25 a month for a year.

That’s not all either. When your artwork sells, you pay a 50% commission fee.

So the fees are pretty hefty compared to Etsy.

So Which Alternative Site is Better Than Etsy?

When it comes down to it, only you know what you want for your business.

Maybe you’re selling lots of different items like a range of jewelry for example, and you don’t want to have to pay to list every single item? In that case, Handmade Artists’ Shop would be the website for you.

Or perhaps you don’t want to be stuck using just one platform? In that case, try out Zibbet.

Or maybe you’re tired of the high competition on Etsy? If that’s the case, then a site like Bonanza where there are fewer sellers to compete with might be best for you.

Whatever the reason is that you’re looking for an alternative site, it’s great to know that there are lots of options available to you.

Write down a list of what it is you want from a platform. Maybe it’s lower competition or free listings?

Then take a look at our list to see which site best matches with your specific goals. Doing this will help you to decide which Etsy alternative is best.

And remember, that you don’t need to use just one platform. A lot of websites, like Amazon Handmade, for example, allow you to list your products on other sites too.

It could be a good idea for you to try out a few sites at once just to see which ones give you the best results.

Give these sites like Etsy a try and start making money selling your handmade items, artwork, crafts, and vintage goods online.

Source link







Posted in Uncategorized