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10 Best Etsy Alternatives for Crafty Entrepreneurs in 2023

Updated on January 18, 2023

11 Min Read
ETSY Alternatives

Etsy is one of the go-to online marketplaces to sell manufactured goods. But that’s not the right fit for everyone. Depending upon the size of your business, your budget and other factors, your choice may vary.

Not to worry: There are many other platforms, from burgeoning ecommerce hubs to specialty marketplaces, that may serve your interests better.

In this guide, we’ll run down ten of the most suitable Etsy alternatives to help you make your pick so you’re never cramped for choice.

Why Look for Etsy Alternatives?

In recent times, Etsy has come under fire for its stringent policies and constantly changing rulebook, leaving some of its most popular sellers disappointed and estranged.

For instance, the platform recently announced its plans to transition to an “offsite ads” model. With this change, vendors will have to pay mandatory advertising fees of up to 15%/customer click on websites like Google, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Other hefty fees and radical transformations have also made the global marketplace the ire of the Internet, spawning the search for many Etsy alternatives.

So unhappy sellers looking for an alternate home, or those wanting to launch a new venture in a more favorable business environment, may want to consider some top Etsy alternatives.

Best Web Building Etsy Alternatives

1. WooCommerce

Woocommerce

WooCommerce is one of the most widely used open-source ecommerce platforms today. It boasts many valuable features for retailers, such as an intuitive dashboard for management and an extensive library of customizable themes. The best part: WooCommerce is free and seamlessly integrates with WordPress.

It’s one of the best Etsy alternatives for people who want to build their own website.

Why Choose WooCommerce as an alternative?

Using WooCommerce is a breeze. A setup wizard helps you launch your store in a matter of minutes. Post-launch tasks, such as managing orders, placing promos and ads, and updating inventory, are also straightforward.

If you’re already familiar with WordPress, the learning curve is cut even shorter. WooCommerce has the same user-friendly dashboard that WordPress users love, making it an excellent Etsy alternative.

Another great thing about WooCommerce is that you don’t need advanced coding knowledge to set up or tweak your online store. The platform has an in-built WordPress editor, which makes customizations as easy as ABC. If you are looking for website-building alternatives to Etsy, WooCommerce is a fantastic option!

Since WooCommerce is an open-source ecommerce platform, you also have the option to make advanced backend changes, such as third-party plugin integration and alteration of core developer files.

WooCommerce support is not the best in the world. However, it has an active community of users more than happy to help out. For more in-depth assistance, you may need to get in touch with a “WooExpert.”

Cloudways has recently launched the ECommerce Starter Bundle, which combines all of the plugins that you will require to start selling. The WooCommerce Bundle includes 1-click integration for popular plugins including:

  • Stripe Gateway
  • Coupon Shortcodes
  • Checkout Field Editor
  • PayPal Checkout Gateway
  • Google Analytics Integration
  • Kadence Email Designer
  • Cart Abandonment Recovery
  • Shipping & Tax

Key Features

  • Seamless WordPress integration
  • In-built WordPress Editor for customization
  • Strong data security protocols
  • Extensive library of third party applications and themes
  • On-site payment processing
  • Flexible open source platform
  • Allows unlimited products

Launch Your WooCommerce Store Today!

Choose the ECommerce Starter Bundle. Avoid the early struggles, and start selling immediately!

2. Magento

Magento

Magento is another open-source Etsy alternative  served in various formats. The cheapest and most accessible option is “Magento Open Source.”

Magento Open Source is free and offers many valuable features for sellers, including cloud hosting and customer support. Retailers looking for more advanced functionality can also invest in a paid Magento commerce subscription. It’s also one of the most popular alternatives to Etsy if you want to build your own store.

Why Magento?

Magento requires advanced coding knowledge to operate, especially if you’re using the paid and enterprise versions. However, some features are pretty intuitive and user-friendly.

For instance, small businesses prefer a special page-builder, which makes setting up a storefront very convenient. To check whether Magento is the right fit for you as an Etsy alternative, you can try out the free trial.

Although you need advanced development skills to run Magento, it is arguably the most customizable ecommerce platform for retailers. You can integrate third-party themes and experiment with different design elements to your heart’s content. You can also choose from several payment gateways.

Small and medium business owners with limited coding knowledge prefer simpler ecommerce solutions like Shopify and WooCommerce.

Key Features

  • 100% customizable templates
  • Support for multiple languages and currencies
  • Bulk import and export of product catalogs
  • Allows setting up of different price points for different kinds of consumers
  • Downloadable digital products
  • Automatic image resizing

3. Shopify

Shopify

Shopify is a great Etsy alternative to scale and grow your online store. It’s compatible with many third-party applications and has a whole host of unique ecommerce tools to facilitate sellers.

With Shopify, you can create your ecommerce website or Etsy alternative, fill up your inventory, and track customer requests and orders. It’s one of the fastest and robust ways of setting up online stores.

Whether you want to create a direct Etsy alternative such as a marketplace, or your own store, you can do it all with Shopify. It’s one of the biggest ecommerce platforms in the world.

Why Shopify?

The best thing about Shopify: You don’t have to be a tech guru to sell your stuff with this Etsy alternative. The core philosophy of the platform is to help you build an online store without much struggle or effort.

You can choose from over 60 themes, which form the foundations of your online store. Whether you’re from the construction industry or arts and supplies, there is a little something for everyone. Furthermore, each theme comes with additional cool features, such as product zoom for inventory images.

The interface is clean, sleek, and user-friendly. There are action buttons to guide you through the process of setting up your Shopify store. Once you’re up and running, you’re opened up to many new features, such as inventory syncing, order tracking, and more.

There is also no limit to how many and what kind of products you can sell on Shopify. The extensive app store is another excellent place to visit. Here, you can find powerful bells and whistles to give your store that extra flair.

The cherry on top is the 0% transaction fees for in-house payment channels. There are higher upfront fees compared to Etsy, but they pay dividends in the long run. It’s one of the better alternatives to Etsy if you want to build your own site.

Bottom line: Compared to Shopify, Etsy is a marketplace. It’s great if you’re selling a couple of items. But, if you want to grow a business and build an online brand presence, Shopify is where you need to be.

However, if you want to set up a separate store on an Etsy alternative, Shopify is a great choice. If not, there are plenty of Shopify alternatives to consider.

Key Features

  • Unlimited products, bandwidth, and storage.
  • Discount codes
  • Fraud analysis
  • Free SSL certificate for security
  • Shopify POS app
  • Multichannel selling across several social media websites

4. Squarespace

Squarespace

Squarespace is one of the best Etsy alternatives that is ideally suited for retailers who want an aesthetically pleasing and stylish store. The platform has various features to facilitate ecommerce transactions. It also allows the addition and sale of unlimited products. Put simply, Squarespace is the hippy and “dope” kid of the ecommerce site-builder world.

Why Squarespace?

Squarespace is a place for both advanced and amateur developers, which doesn’t exactly make it better than Etsy.

The customization tools are accessible, and the website builder is intuitive. Even if you’re not a master coder, you can make advanced code changes with minimal effort. To get started, you also get ten free beautiful templates that are mobile responsive.

Overall, Squarespace offers many great features, ranging from multichannel management and customer accounts to POS and shopping feed integration. There are also options to sell subscriptions and digital products. It’s one of the strongest Etsy competitors out there.

Not sure about Squarespace? You can also take a test drive with the free trial. If you don’t like Squarespace, there are several other alternatives to consider.

Key Features

  • Modern templates and template switching
  • Free trial
  • Custom CSS
  • Automatic image scaling
  • Built-in mobile websites
  • Content downloading

5. Big Cartel

Bigcartel

Big Cartel is a great place to set up an independent ecommerce store. Unlike Etsy, it allows you to launch a personal website, giving your business a more standalone brand prominence and presence. It’s not better than Etsy, but does hold its own.

Why Big Cartel?

Big Cartel isn’t big on customization. However, this isn’t necessarily a drawback. Some ecommerce businesses are easily overwhelmed with excessive features and design choices.

Big Cartel keeps things simple, neat, and clean, emphasizing ease of use over everything else.

Big Cartel also has powerful tools and features to accommodate your ecommerce needs. You can choose custom domain names, secure pages with SSL encryption, bulk edit customer orders, check conversion rates, track inventory, and analyze key customer insights, among other things.

Moreover, the help and support pages are organized and contain a treasure trove of helpful information.

There are hundreds of blogs, articles, and videos to inform and educate users. For additional assistance, you can also contact Big Cartel’s technical support via email. The support team has 13 members that work throughout the week.

Key Features

  • com domain for brand establishment
  • Bulk management of orders
  • Web analytics
  • Inventory and shipment tracking
  • Detailed support content

5 Marketplace Etsy Alternatives

6. Folksy

Folksy

Folksy prides itself as the “Home of British craft.” First created in 2008, it has become the best place to showcase handmade pieces for independent designers in the UK in recent years.

Why Folksy

Folksy has garnered impressive reviews and ratings on TrustPilot. The general customer consensus is that the selling experience is smooth, convenient, and rewarding.

One of the main things that set Folksy apart from Etsy and other platforms is zero shipping costs. There is also an “Etsy Import service” where you can import your entire product inventory from Etsy to Folksy in one go.

There are two Folksy plans: Basic and Plus. The basic account gives the greatest bang for your buck if you have only a few item listings. On the other hand, the plus account is better for high stock volumes. If you are looking for sites like Etsy, this is a great pick.

One thing to keep in mind: Although Folksy has reasonable selling commissions, there are also UK VAT fees added before listing an item or making a sale. This is perhaps one of the more direct Etsy alternatives out there.

Key Features

  • Easy setup ─ advanced coding knowledge not required
  • Zero shipping costs
  • Etsy import service
  • Secure payments and fast checkout
  • Low fees and commission
  • Search engine-friendly listings (SEO optimized)

7. ArtFire

Artfire

Artfire and Etsy share many similarities, making it one of the top Etsy alternatives. For one, both are global marketplaces and offer many similar selling options, such as mobile-responsive eCommerce stores, coupon codes, and shipping and order notifications.

Why ArtFire

Artfire is great for small sellers, giving a competitive edge to those whose handcrafts stand out in quality and aesthetics, making one of the more popular sites like Etsy.

The marketplace has a search filter, which allows buyers to sort sellers by size and make their pick. So, even if a merchant isn’t as prominent and recognized, they have the chance to enjoy the same visibility as their more established counterparts.

Artfire also has a very defined demographic, whereas Etsy has evolved into a broader marketplace for “manufactured goods,” including handmade products.

This targeted and narrowed-down audience makes Artfire a better choice for selling crafts and other handmade products. Plus, Artfire has a dedicated community where business owners can share ideas and grow together.

If you are looking for decent Etsy alternatives to grow your store, this is a great choice.

Key Features

  • Support for small sellers
  • Complete shipping control (Artfire sellers take care of the shipping on their own)
  • Low fees and commissions
  • Dedicated business community
  • Live help

8. Aftcra

Aftcra

Aftcra is a limited marketplace exclusively dedicated to serving American artisans. On Etsy, you can sell all kinds of manufactured goods, but on Aftcra, you’re an advocate of the “Made in America” tag, and therefore can only sell American products.

Why Aftcra

Aftcra doesn’t have any upfront fees. You’re only charged when you’re ready to upload your goods, making it a very safe financial investment for sellers. However, there is a fee of 7% commission/transaction. It’s one of the most popular Etsy competitors, so if you are looking for sites like Etsy, Aftcra might be worth checking out.

The marketplace doesn’t allow internationally sourced or mass-produced items, so you don’t have to worry about being outdone by low-quality factory-made products.

To succeed on Aftcra, your marketing strategies outside the platform will play a pivotal role. Not many buyers frequent Aftcra, meaning you’ll have to attract traffic from Google Shopping, Facebook, and other advertising and marketing avenues. You can also use other upselling techniques to improve revenue.

Key Features

  • No upfront fees
  • Low commissions per transaction
  • Marketplace exclusively dedicated to local handmade products
  • Local competition and global reach

9. Bonanza

Bonanza

Bonanza is an Etsy alternative that offers a similar range of features and functionality, with greater emphasis on unique products. It allows you to build both an independent online store and capture a broad audience.

Why Bonanza

With Bonanza, you can expand your brand reach and presence with automated listings on reputable platforms, including eBay, Google shopping, and more. The platform also provides in-built marketing and web analytics tools to facilitate marketing efforts. As you can see, it’s one of the top Etsy alternatives out there.

There are a lot of design tools you can use to customize your online store. However, they require some getting used to. Plus, some Bonanza memberships and advertising tools are a bit pricey.

For instance, the Bonanza membership plan starts at $25/ month. That said, you can sell on the platform for free. The advertising and selling fees of 3.5% are only added on after a sale is finalized.

Key Features

  • Automated listings on eBay, Google shopping, etc
  • In-built promotional tools
  • Customizable booth panels and banner pages, real-time toolboxes, and product page boxes
  • No listing or selling fees

10. Amazon Handmade

Amazon Handmade

When Amazon jumped into the handmade business, it immediately caught the attention of Etsy sellers. Known for its versatile and feature-full buying experience, Amazon Handmade is strongly regulated to preserve its strict “handmade” philosophy. This makes it a perfect spot to set a tent for the hardcore craftsman.

It’s not better than Etsy, but it’s still one of the best alternatives to Etsy that you’ll find.

Why Amazon Handmade

To start, categorization on Amazon handmade is a lot more organized compared to Etsy. There are 12 product categories with precise details to fit particular handmade products. Other benefits include shipping via FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon), Amazon-sponsored promotions, listings with an unlimited shelf life, and powerful web analytics.

That said, Amazon Handmade is more expensive than Etsy. There’s a 15% commission on every transaction, in addition to a monthly membership fee.

Key Features

  • Mobile app
  • Business management and marketing tools
  • Listings with no expiration date
  • 15% referral fee

How to Find the Best Etsy Alternative That Works For You

If you’re still unsure how to find the best Etsy alternative that’s great for your business model, you don’t have to rush things.

Despite obvious limitations, Etsy is an excellent marketplace with a global audience for handmade products and crafts. You can go slow, adding a personal website or marketplace to your existing Etsy store and tracking analytics and other crucial marketing metrics to see how things pan out.

To summarize, here are the 10 most popular alternatives to Etsy for personalized craft sellers:

  • Folksy
  • ArtFire
  • Aftcra
  • Bonanza
  • Amazon Handmade
  • WooCommerce
  • Magento
  • Shopify
  • Squarespace
  • BigCartel

Many users who eventually move on to other more hospitable options use this strategy to test the waters.

Once you’ve developed a solid foundation and garnered an audience on Etsy, you will have to muster up the courage to make the complete transition.

Here are more blogs from our alternative series that you will find interesting:

Q1. Who are Etsy’s competitors?

Etsy’s direct competitors include Amazon Handmade, Aftcra, Artfire, and Bonanza.

Q2. Is there another shop like Etsy?

In essence, Etsy is not a “shop.” It is a marketplace. Similar options include Amazon Handmade, Bonanza, and IndieMade.

Q3. What is the best website to sell crafts?

Etsy is the best option – but not the only one. You should consider setting up your own store as well to avoid having to pay excessive amounts.

Share your opinion in the comment section. COMMENT NOW

Share This Article

Najam Ahmed

I work as a digital content producer at Cloudways. Besides that, I love to read, and i love to play the guitar. Fan of all things Arsenal and the Patriots. Occasional gamer. I like to fly drones too. Jack of all trades.

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