Shopify vs Etsy
Your own store versus a marketplace. Shopify charges a monthly plan; Etsy charges per listing and per sale.
Verdict
- 1
Pick Shopify
if you'll drive your own traffic and want your own brand and customer list. Basic is $29/mo billed yearly ($39 monthly), with a $1/mo intro offer for 3 months.
- 2
Pick Etsy
if you want buyers already searching for handmade, vintage or digital items. Expect $0.20 per listing, a 6.5% transaction fee and 3% + $0.25 processing (US), plus Offsite Ads fees on some sales.
Bottom line: Start on Etsy to validate demand; move to Shopify once you have repeat buyers and your own traffic.
Side by side
| Shopify | Etsy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Paid plans only | Free to join, fee per sale |
| Free plan | Trial only | Yes |
| What the free plan gives | No free plan. The page offers 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months. | No monthly fee. Each listing costs $0.20 and lasts four months or until it sells. |
| Plans and prices |
|
|
| Month 1 (our estimate) | Basic (intro offer): $1 | Pay per listing and sale: $0 |
| Month 12 (our estimate) | Basic: $39 | Pay per listing and sale: $0 |
| Commercial rights | Not a content generator | Not a content generator |
| Learning difficulty | 2/5 The setup wizard helps; theme tweaks and apps take time. | 2/5 Listing is easy; SEO and photography take practice. |
| Best for | A serious store you control | Printables and handmade goods with built-in buyers |
| Watch out for |
|
|
| Sources | Shopify pricing | Etsy: how fees work (sell page) Etsy Fees & Payments Policy Etsy payment processing fees Etsy 10-K note on Offsite Ads (SEC) |
| Full profile | Shopify profile · Official site | Etsy profile · Official site |
Every price and limit above comes from the linked vendor pages, read on . Month-1 and month-12 figures are our estimate of the plan a solo seller needs, not quotes. The order of the tools never depends on affiliate status.