Etsy is a marketplace: buyers are already there, searching for things to buy. Shopify gives you your own online store, and you bring the buyers yourself. Both work. The right choice depends on what you sell, how many sales you expect and how much marketing you are ready to do.
Fees below come from Etsy's help pages on fee basics and fees and taxes, and the Shopify pricing page, as of October 2026. Prices are in US dollars. Both say fees and features vary by country.
The short verdict
- Pick Etsy if you make, design or source creative items, want buyers who are already searching, and are just starting out.
- Pick Shopify if you want your own brand and store, sell products Etsy does not allow, or already have customers who come to you.
- Use both if you want Etsy's buyers and a store for repeat customers.
What you can sell
Etsy has rules about what can be listed. According to its help page on what you can sell, everything must be made, designed, handpicked or sourced by you. Reselling mass-produced items is not allowed. Items you make must be made by hand or with tools like a 3D printer or Cricut machine, and you must use your own photos.
Shopify is your own store, so these marketplace rules do not apply in the same way. You still have to follow Shopify's terms and the law where you sell.
Etsy fees
As of October 2026, Etsy's fees for most sellers are:
- Listing fee: $0.20 per listing, whether it sells or not. A listing lasts 4 months. Renewing costs another $0.20.
- Transaction fee: 6.5% of the total order, including shipping and gift wrap if you charge for them.
- Payment processing fee: a set amount plus a percentage of the sale. The rate depends on your country.
- Offsite Ads fee: charged on orders from Etsy's ads on other sites. 15% of the order if your shop made less than $10,000 in the past 365 days, 12% if it made more.
- Currency conversion: 2.5% when a conversion is needed.
There is no monthly fee to have a shop. Optional extras, such as Etsy Ads and shipping labels, cost more.
A quick example. You sell a $30 item and charge $5 for shipping. The transaction fee is 6.5% of $35, which is about $2.28. Add the $0.20 listing fee, then your country's payment processing fee.
Shopify costs
As of October 2026, Shopify's plans in the US are:
- Basic: $19 a month billed yearly, or $27 billed monthly.
- Grow: $54 a month billed yearly, or $72 billed monthly.
- Advanced: $299 a month billed yearly, or $399 billed monthly.
Shopify Payments processing fees depend on your plan and country. If you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, Shopify adds a fee: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced. Shopify Payments is only available in some countries.
At the time of writing, Shopify offered a 3-day free trial, then $1 a month for the first 3 months on most plans.
Apps and themes can add to the cost, so budget for them.
Who brings the buyers
This is the biggest practical difference.
On Etsy, people search the marketplace and can find your listing. You still compete with other sellers, so good photos, titles and product descriptions matter.
On Shopify, nobody finds your store unless you send them there. That means social media, email, search and word of mouth. In return, the store carries your brand, and you can build your own email list from day one.
How to decide
- Check what you sell against Etsy's rules. If your items do not qualify, the choice is made.
- Estimate your monthly sales. Work out Etsy's fees and a Shopify plan at that level.
- Be honest about marketing time. If you cannot drive visitors yet, a marketplace helps.
- Plan for both. You can start on Etsy and add your own store later, as repeat customers grow.
Whichever you choose, write a clear shipping policy and take good product photos. On your own store, an abandoned cart email can recover some lost sales.