Looking for the best platform other than Etsy to sell your products?
Whether you’re selling handmade, digital or print-on-demand products, Etsy has been the go-to marketplace for most sellers.
But with its growing competition, fees and other problems, many sellers are tempted to find alternative places to sell.
In this guide, let me show you the best Etsy alternatives for handmade, digital and print-on-demand products. I’ll also show you the unique features of each of the platform so you can make the most informed decision.
Let’s get started.
While Etsy is a popular choice with over 96 million buyers, there are several problems from the last few years that made sellers want to look for alternatives:
Over-Competition - With the huge number of buyers comes a massive number of sellers. And that means the level of competition is high and standing out is difficult.
Etsy Allowing Mass-Produced Products - Originally known for handmade and unique items, Etsy has increasingly allowed mass-produced products. This shift can dilute the marketplace’s uniqueness, especially affecting genuine handmade product sellers.
Lack of Control - On Etsy, you’re subject to their search algorithms and constant tests. You also don’t have full control over your store’s branding, customer interactions, or how your products are displayed. All of that can limit your ability to create a unique brand identity.
Fees Getting Higher - Etsy charges various fees, including listing fees, transaction fees, and payment processing fees. As these fees increase, they can eat into your profits, making it harder to stay profitable.
Account or Listings Getting Suspended for No Reasons - Mainly as a reply from Etsy to combat the increasing number of sellers and the rise of copycats and resellers, Etsy has been implementing automated systems to remove suspicious listings and sellers. But as you can probably guess, some sellers are unfairly suspended because of this without explanation, which can lead to weeks of no views or sales.
With these problems and challenges in mind let’s look at some great alternatives for sellers to consider if they want to move away from Etsy:
Marketplaces are third-party sites that already attract a built-in audience. They handle some aspects of payment processing, search visibility, and sometimes marketing. However, fees and listing rules vary, and your ability to customise your shop’s look and feel could be limited.
Best For: Handmade product sellers looking to expand beyond Etsy with more convenient shipping options
Why It’s Good: Unlike Amazon, Amazon Handmade requires products to be ‘made, altered or assembled entirely by hand’, which makes it suitable for Etsy sellers of handmade products. Categories span accessories, clothing, home decor, and more. You have the option to use Amazon’s built-in FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon) to simplify shipping. The application process is relatively straightforward and takes about 7-14 days for the result of the application.
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Best For: Handmade product sellers looking for similar marketplace to Etsy
Why It’s Good: Bonanza lets you import your listings from your Etsy shop to Bonanza, which can speed up the transition. The marketplace is similar to Etsy in terms of features so Etsy sellers should feel quite familiar. One feature that could be quite different is that buyers and sellers can negotiable pricing for products.
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Best For: Sellers of secondhand items, or other adjacent products like upcycle, vintage, etc.
Why It’s Good: Focusing on secondhand, Mercari is a modern marketplace which focuses on clothing, electronics, collectables and more. Though it’s not necessarily a handmade marketplace, Etsy sellers of vintage, upcycle, or other similar products could find success here.
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Best For: UK-based handmade sellers
Why It’s Good: Folksy is more focused on UK crafters. It’s smaller than Etsy but has an engaged community that appreciates handmade goods. They have an Etsy import service to help you import your Etsy listings to the new Folksy shop.
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Best For: Independent artists who’s looking for a more curated marketplace vibe
Why It’s Good: Storenvy blends aspects of a social marketplace and a customisable storefront. You can connect directly with customers seeking unique, small-batch, or artisan products. There are some mass-produced products on the marketplace, but not as prevalent as Etsy.
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Best For: Digital product sellers for graphics, fonts, themes, templates, etc.
Why It’s Good: Creative Market is quite famous for its high-quality digital design assets, which could be great if your designs are up-to-par with its offerings. The built-in traffic is pretty strong. It also handles hosting, marketing, and transactions which lets you concentrate on creating.
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Best For: Independent creators, especially digital products like ebooks, courses, music, or art
Why It’s Good: Gumroad makes it easy to upload and sell digital files, subscriptions, and even physical products. It handles payment processing, file hosting, and offers a simple checkout. They also have extra tools like email marketing and coupon code that can help with better selling.
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Best For: Print-on-demand items such as t-shirts, phone cases, and art prints
Why It’s Good: Creators can upload artwork and have it printed on various products without worrying about fulfilment. Redbubble handles all production, shipping, and customer service.
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Best For: Print-on-demand products focusing on art and design.
Why It’s Good: Similar to Redbubble, Society6 supports a wide range of products, from home decor to apparel. Its established audience look for unique designs that are hard to find in mass-produced products.
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Building your own website gives you full control over branding, pricing, and customer experience. You also own the customer data - unlike on marketplaces. The trade-off is that you must drive your own traffic and handle more of the setup.
Best For: Anyone ready to scale their business, from handmade goods to print-on-demand and digital products.
Why It’s Good: Shopify offers powerful ecommerce features and capabilities, though it comes at a higher price tag. It also integrates with various plugins from their Shopify App Store, making it suitable for most product types and sellers of different sizes. Used by some of the biggest brands in the world like Gymshark, Shopify is highly scalable when you grow. There is also option to migrate your Etsy listings and sync inventory between Etsy and Shopify at additional costs.
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Best For: Designers, artists, and sellers who value aesthetics and easy-to-use site-building tools
Why It’s Good: Squarespace offers a sophisticated drag-and-drop interface. It's known for its stylish and minimalist aesthetic, which could be great for Etsy sellers with amazing product photography. Like Shopify, Squarespace allows you to import Etsy listings using a third-party migration app. Suitable for handmade, print-on-demand (via third-party integrations), and digital products. However, as it’s not built specifically for ecommerce, there may be some advanced features missing. Squarespace also has a great library of free website templates.
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Best For: Etsy sellers who’s looking to open their own online shop for a lower price
Why It’s Good: Big Cartel offers a simplified setup with a free plan for up to five products. Users can customise their store with templates, track shipments, and integrate Google Analytics, though the designs of the templates are on the simple side. They can help you import your current Etsy listings to the Big Cartel shop.
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Best For: Sellers who are familiar with or are planning to use WordPress
Why It’s Good: WooCommerce is a plugin that transforms a WordPress site into an online store, though WordPress can be confusing for beginners due to its frustrating interface. The main benefit is its affordability. As both Wordpress and WooCommerce are both open-sourced, technically you only need to pay for hosting to set up your website, which could be as low as $5/month, but this option requires knowledge of hosting website and setting up Wordpress on your own domain, which many Etsy sellers may not be comfortable doing.
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Best For: Overall a beginner-friendly website builder that’s good for all product types
Why It’s Good: Wix provides an intuitive drag-and-drop website builder with customisable templates and a free trial. Although it doesn't excel in ecommerce like Shopify, it still supports some functionalities like email marketing order tracking and dynamic shipping rules for different countries. And it's more user-friendly than platforms like Woocommerce on Wordpress.
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Best For: Sellers looking for highly customisable website, though it comes with a steep learning curve
Why It’s Good: Webflow offers extensive customisation options but requires some knowledge of HTML and CSS. It's ideal for those who want a highly tailored website design. Despite the learning curve, the website has great performance and loads fast. For your reference, Growing Your Craft is built on Webflow.
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Social media channels have evolved into powerful sales channels. They can be excellent alternatives or complements to Etsy by enabling you to connect directly with your audience and sell directly to them. This is particularly appealing for handmade artisans, as well as sellers of vintage or unique creations.
Instagram is a highly visual platform perfect for showcasing lifestyle images of your products. An Instagram Shop allows you to tag your products directly in posts and stories, making it easy for followers to purchase. You can also create Reels to show your product in action.
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Facebook Shops let you set up a mini-store within your Facebook page. Customers can browse, add to cart, and even checkout, depending on your region. It’s a good option if you already have a following on Facebook or belong to relevant groups.
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TikTok integrates a shopping feature that allows sellers to add product links and showcase them in short videos. If your products can be demonstrated creatively, TikTok’s viral potential can lead to massive exposure.
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Pinterest functions more like a visual search engine where you can post “pins” that link back to your shop. Pinterest’s audience often browses with the intent to buy or discover new ideas, making it perfect for handmade, print-on-demand, and even digital products.
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If you still haven’t decided whether you should sell on Etsy, this pros and cons guide can help you decide.
