Would love to sell your handmade wares?
Maybe you sell knitted goods?
Perhaps you do oil paintings?
Maybe you love to make DIY crafts to sell online?
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.
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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…
Table of Contents
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.
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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.
Best Etsy Alternatives
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
- 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 selling on Redbubble instead of 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.
You forgot JustCustom.com :)
Thanks for that, Kirk!
and also Shippi.com
Thanks for the addition, Steven.
Is it your own? If so, I would love to hear more about the site and how your members are doing.
Hi Satrap,
Great article. As Etsy declines, there is a large void for quality marketplaces.
Also, you forgot about framestr.com! an e-comm site dedicated to small businesses with a focus on social sharing!
Cheers,
Chris
Nice addition. Thanks, Chris.
PinkLion.com, is another handcrafted online marketplace. It caters to premium and high end handmade goods.
Thanks for the addition, Frank.
What is the new site that you post a picture and they do the description of the item and they charge when sold.
Sorry Linda, I do not know. Maybe someone else will chime in and let you know.
Let Go
I tried indigoly.com and it is great. It is special for African handmade products and everything is for free for now. Really great! Got a couple of sales in first ten days as well.
Wow, that’s nice to hear Denis. I am glad you are having success with it.
Which one (other than ETSY) is the best for hand made invitations, banners, and party decorations?
From what I hear, aftcra and iCraft are the best ones.
Hopefully some of our readers who do make and sell handmade invitations and party decoration art, will chime in and share the best site they use.
Thanks for the rundown on these. I have three etsy shops. The one for pet lovers goes like gangbusters at christmas and the jewelry shop kicked in a little this year but there are so many people selling jewelry. Too much competition. After christmas, everything flat lines including the pet one. I’m trying to find a better place to sell. Have tried store envy for my jewelry but they don’t have teams for forums, just a facebook support forum and after a couple months, I haven’t sold anything. Trying to figure out what to try next. One thing I am certain of, it’s important to find a place that has a good support network with teams, forums, etc. because that cross promoting is crucial.
Hi Teena,
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Yeah, I agree, having a good support network is crucial specially in the beginning. I hope you find a place that fits you.
You should definitely include Hatch.co. They focus on curated makers who make more premium, high-end handmade goods.
Thanks for the suggestion, Julia. Looks interesting.
Have you been selling on Hatch, or are you part of the company?
Hatch.co is not a good source for selling your products and their software platform is extremely buggy and a pain in the rear end to use. User beware!
Hmmm…
Were you a seller on their platform?
Great list! Etsy has unfortunately made lots of changes that make it difficult for sellers that actually handmake their goods.
Be sure to check us out americanartisanmarket.com
Only for American handmade products.
Also we try to be straight-forward on everything – no listing fees, monthly fees, product limits, etc, just a straight-forward 3% commission on any sale.
Thanks for the suggestion Joshua. Will add it to the list.
How long have you guys been in business?
Just since the beginning of the year, so we are working hard to get things off the ground. Would appreciate being added to the list!
Added to the list. Thanks, Joshua.
I just tried going to this website and there isn’t one. Is it misspelled or something? Anyone know anything about it? Thanks!
RebelsMarket.com is another great alternative (disclosure – am affiliated with this site).
You have to apply to be a merchant on RebelsMarket
rebelsmarket.com
Hey James,
Looks interesting.
What would you say is the biggest sale category on the site?
There is also wevebuilt.com. It focuses on collaborative design.
Eve, I had a look at the site and it looks awesome.
Now, I noticed interested artists have to email you guys. Whats the processes like? And what percentage of those who apply actually get in?
There is an Asian version of Etsy which is a Taiwan based company Pinkoi. You need to apply first to become a seller. They have a listing fee as well as a sale fee.
Thanks for the suggestion, Sunny.
Sadly, the site uses the Traditional Chinese language. So for most people it’s impossible to find their way around.
What about Shoppe by Scoutmob? Would that fall under this umbrella?
http://scoutmob.com
Absolutely!
Thanks for the addition, Diana.
A free alternative to Etsy – EthicalStores.com
Thanks for the suggestion, Sam. Added to the list.
Etsy are flooded with mass production chinese apparel and Etsy is not a 100% handmade site anymore. Search for dresses and they are machine made from China.
The people in Etsy are ignorant for this and it is a shame for allowing them to open shops on Etsy. I guess they do not understand the word mass production….
I noticed the same thing. Yes, indeed it is a shame.
Hi Satrap
Thanks for compiling the list. You might want to add RebelsMarket. Its another great alternative.
http://www.rebelsmarket.com
thanks
James
Now that’s a very unique site. Is it your site/company, James?
I’ve heard ScottsMarketPlace.com , but I’ve never tried it. Has anyone here tried it?
I have never heard of them. Hopefully one of our readers will chime in.
Yes! Scotts marketplace is a great one.
Do you sell there as well, Norma?
Shouldn’t a site like DIscovered.us be on this list as well?
I never heard of DiscoveredUs before today, hence it wasn’t listed here. So thanks for mentioning it, Roy.
Do you sell there, Roy, and if so, how do you like it?
I’ve been selling on Artfire.com since 2008. Check it out!
ArtFire is already listed above. I hear a lot of good things about them. How has our experience been like, Norma?
I was reading your article on etsy alternatives and I would like to be
included in the next article on new out of the gate handmade websites.
My company Artyah.com is a newly established handmade for artists website.
We only accept artists that make handmade items and allow small vintage items
to be sold i.e jewelry, bags/purses/hats etc.
We offer sellers the ability to run an auction and have their own gallery.
We do not charge a listing fee and no member fees. Our only commission is taken at the
end of the sale which is 3.75%.
We do not allow any outside advertising like banner ads or adwords.
Thank you for your consideration,
Craig Weiss
http://www.ArtYah.com
530-613-2084
Nice site Craig. I will have to do a new post based on your suggestion (listing new out of the gate sites for buying and selling handmade stuff). I will make sure to add your site as well.
How long have you been up and running, and how many sellers do you have so far, if you don’t mind me asking?
Thank you so much! We started our site mid September. We have 12 people selling. They are doing very well. We made a pledge to our sellers that we will promote all sellers on all of our social media channels as well as other media marketing levels like adwords or other media outlets. I think we are one of the only (if not the only) websites that will promote artists and help them sell their art.
I am trying so hard to get the word out about our site. I know it takes time. We are having so much fun helping people :-)
That’s good to hear, Craig. Thanks for sharing. I wish you and your team success.
Hi Satrap,
Just wanted to update you about Artyah! We have made several improvements to our site and it is looking good. Our seller’s gallery is really nice and improved and sign ups are coming in much faster. If you haven’t already made your update to your site, I was wondering if you could check us out and add us to your site? I do see that we are getting about 20 referrals a month from your site so keep up the great work!
Thank you so much!
Craig Weiss
Artyah.com
Hi Craig,
Glad to hear you guys are keeping busy and doing good. I am so sorry, I haven’t had the time to add your site to the list. I’ll add your site shortly.
I am glad you are getting a few visitors from MoneyPantry. Good luck and keep us posted of your progress.
Great info thank you. The problem i see is that most of these sites stays up for a year or two and than shut down. Etsy have been a big problem for me, my site disappeared and I am being charged for something I can’t even see online. But to be fair they kept up, they have changed for worse but maybe that is market evolution/de-evolution, maybe handmade isn’t in such a demand and they have to adapt to survive, people look for low priced items. I am looking for a quality online service but long term commitment as well.
Ellie, I totally agree. It seems like when the companies are small they are much better, but as soon as they grow, they change for the worse. I think when they are smaller, the value every single user they have more, but when they get big, the look at the big picture of overall site and forget about individual users.
You can always try other smaller sites listed here. That said, I would urge you to put more effort into growing your own site. I looked at your site and you have some beautiful pieces of jewelry. Promote your own site (social media, content marketing, word of mouth, etc) so you don’t have to rely on third-party platforms. Best of luck, Ellie.
Read all the posts on this interesting subject as an Independent Designer am looking at other places to sell. I am already an Etsy shop owner, have had sales, but would be a lot better if Etsy wasn’t so huge as my product has a lot of competition to deal with. Love all the suggestions on alternative selling on line opportunities. Will follow through with a few. Again many thanks and I will stay in tune with your site. Rhonda.
Hi Rohanda,
You are right, Etsy has gotten so big and full of sellers that is hard to stand out. So you are very smart for wanting to try smaller sites. Do you have any particular site in mind?
Let us know how it goes. good luck.
Hello again,
Yes, I was successful with Hatch. after reading your visitors post etc. I sent them my info and products.
One thing too about Etsy, and I am honest here because its taken me about 2 yrs with my present shop but I am getting a lot of lookers and favourites but also I have to be very proactive and look through all of my visitors sites each day and follow them back. Then each day scroll through their products and fav them, this way you get more people looking at your site whether they have shops too or just buyers.
I am spending on average about $70 a month for Etsy to promote my products as I have a $2 a day budget built in. On average 140 and more hits each day, worldwide. US averages over 100 and Australia likewise. I really can’t afford to spend more at the moment, but with this, I average 1-2 orders per month. Doesn’t sound a lot but I have to handmake the products so average time spend 1-2 weeks for med size or 3-4 weeks for larger size products.
Regards, Rhonda.
Was so pleased to be chosen. and I love their site.
Will let you and your readers know how I go.
Regards,
Congrats, Rhoanda. I am glad you were accepted into Hatch.
Yeah, advertising is a though art to master. It takes time and a lot of practice. Whatever you do, make sure you keep an eye on your results and adjust your advertising strategy accordingly so you are not wasting money for nothing.
I look forward to your next update (hopefully you will be selling way more by then).
I see lots of different types of etsy sites, but they all charge too much.. I agree with Rhonda. We all work hard making our products I now use craftbay.co.uk UK with only a 3.5% commission rate.. Keep advertising on all smaller sites and it will always pay off!
Kudos on this amazing resource especially for those no longer enchanted with etsy. A shame because Etsy was a wonderful site back in the day.
Their new mandatory participation in Direct Checkout with PayPal feeding through their platform is just a money making set up for Etsy. Their venture into going public caused the value of the company to plummet, from what I’m reading on line.
There was a problem with Direct Checkout earlier this month, no one to reach out to via phone. Not good to set up your own sort of banking system without offering clients a phone number.
Hi do you know any easten asian e crafts store?
Unfortunately, I don’t!
I have been on ebid.net since 2008. They have an upfront charge of $49.99 for a life-time membership and I think it is still 2% when something sells but no charge for listing, no limits. They are UK based but there are lots of sellers from USA. They are smaller than eBay so do not have as many shoppers but the hope is that as sellers are leaving other sites they will bring more buyers over. They have an active forum where the people are friendly and helpful.
Wow! Didn’t realise there were so many. Not sure how old this blog is but artisanmarket.uk is steadily growing – clearly as the name suggests though it is UK only focused but seems to offer international shipping. What will clearly start to do well are the sites that offer a consolidated view of your store orders etc like sellbrite so that sellers can manage their inventory and stockholding across multiple platforms. Saw one the other day but can’t find it again for the life of me!
Love the design of your site. How long have you guys been in business, and o you accept international buyers/sellers?
Hi Satrap,
Thanks for putting together such a comprehensive list. Take a look at our e-commerce marketplace for handmade artisans: http://www.oneofakindonlineshop.com
We have been operating for just over 2 years now and have 350+ sellers from across Canada & the United States.
Thank you,
Alyssa
Thanks for the addition. Great site, Alyssa.
I am currently looking for a new online platform as well. I work closely with my community and children. In the last year etsy has not only had flat sales, but I am continuing to get distasteful and inappropriate photographs in my feed and my clients are receiving them when they search for my products. What is the disadvantage to having your store on your website? Just marketing?
Well, the downside of having your own site is mainly having to market.
Etsy is so big that it gets a lot of traffic and with good description, titles, and images, people will find you and your product. But with your own site, you have to put a lot of work into marketing and getting your site out there in front of potential customers.
That said, you get to keep `100% of the profit and you are not dependent on a third party platform.
thanks Satrap for the timely info. I am expanding from local/family/friends sales to bigger shows. I set up an Etsy shop, only to show no sales activity – getting lost with all the cheap import stuff. I was looking for alternatives when this article popped up. AmericanArtisanMarket.com link did not work as of today. Are they still around?
Hi Henry,
You’re welcome. I am glad it’s been helpful.
I am sorry to hear about the difficulties you’re having with your Etsy store. You’re right, the cheap imported stuff is killing the business for the artists who are actually making things with their hand and not manufacturing with machines. Then again, there are always challenges to running a business. I am sure you can overcome it and make your store a successful one.
As for AAM, you’re right – I just checked it and seems like they closed down. I will update the post with this new info.
Thanks for the heads up and god luck, Henry.
I’m in the process of trying Aftcra right now. There are a few things that I’m already not fond of.
1. They require all sellers to list their credit card information in their shop set up (You actually CANNOT bypass this and set up a shop. They require this before you can ever set up shop). They say this is how they will charge you the 7% fee they get from your sales. However, all sales go through PayPal. Why can’t they just bill your PayPal account for the amount you owe? I know eCrater does that (or they did when I used them).
2. I keep getting an error that my card is invalid when I’m trying to set up my shop. I have tried different cards (all of which are active, with good expiration dates and are linked on PayPal), double and triple checked all numbers – including expiration date and security code. I’m still getting the error. When I contacted them concerning this, their response was “I have honestly never heard of this error before. Unfortunately this process is managed by PayPal and we try not to get too involved with financials due to security issues”. Really? If that’s the case, why do they want my credit card information??
3. In the process of trying to troubleshoot the credit card issue myself, I happened across more info in the FAQ Help Section. Mixed in with all the other information on setting up your shop is the declaration that you cannot sell items that are under $10. Why put a limit on that? Maybe someone has a small handmade item that they wish to sell for only $8.
Considering all of this, I believe I will just go with another company. I’m researching more of those you have listed here. If I don’t find anything else that I like, I will just go back with eCrater.
Thanks for sharing your experience and what you have learned so far, Becky. Hope you can find one that works the best for you. Keep us posted.
How about a website From the square reader? Any thoughts on them?
April, I’m not at all familiar with any site associated with the Square reader, sorry.
Hi Satrap,
How are you?
Just want to give you a little bit of an update to ArtYah.
Our site, ArtYah is really taking off. To give you an idea of our numbers:
From September 2015 till March 2016 we had 500 registered users and
200 listed items. From April till now, June 21st we have 1,750 registered
users and 10,000 listings. We are working on many new features as well. New home page design, import tool, variations and many more. We are strictly Handmade only.
No manufactured goods. We also offer Antiques, Vintage & Supplies. My customer service is 2nd to none.
Take care,
Craig Weiss
Artyah.com
Thanks for the heads up, Craig. I’m glad you guys are doing great.
I’d like to add my thoughts of online selling sites … Having been in the cottage industry for well over 35 years as a successful seller it was a joy to be able create my products and sell online. First with Ebay, than Etsy and now ArtYah. Tried several others but just couldn’t stay with them … lack of sales and cost factor because of no sales.
As we all know Ebay is a powerhouse but handmade is questionable now compared to the past, but great for selling whatever else someone might want to let go…
Etsy was great when it first started out and still does OK, but resellers have taken over the site, especially after they came up with their own definition of “handmade” and we all know what that led to.
I recently joined ArtYah – June 2016 and although I haven’t sold anything yet only because I need to get a lot more listed …the vibes have been so wonderful. Craig is super helpful and responds very quickly. As a seller everyday I see more people joining ArtYah and listing more. These are recognized sellers from other sites that have done very well. This leads me to believe that our regular buyers will also follow us where one can get true handmade items. Thank you for letting me comment.
Hi Emilie, I 100% agree with that. It’s always like that; the sites start great, but slowly resellers and big companies take over and the quality goes down with the prices. That’s exactly why my GF gave up her eBay shoe business. She was doing great for a few years, until all the resellers came in, eBay raised their fees, and all the rest.
I am glad the customer service and your experience with ArtYah has been great so far. Hopefully it will work out for you as a great place to sell a lot of your stuff.
Thank you for taking time to share your experience, Emilie. Good luck.
Woww! What a list! Thank you!
You have some sites listed that I’ve never heard of. I’m not really a craft person but a painter, mainly of small-format artwork. Although in the UK I find the majority of my buyers have been American, so I don’t mind listing on USA sites. I’ve checked out a few in your list (as on 6th October 2016) and find some sad stories; Shop Windoz has gone; NotMassproduced is just a black screen with “under development”.
I thought Coriandr was quite a cute site, until I noticed the spammers taking over the forums. Ebid I’ve used and never sold a thing; the owners do not spend much on promoting the site. Zibbet looks quite reasonable.
It seems a lot of sites (like Etsy) started out with good intentions….I thought of joining it last year, but didn’t. Then the lure of big-hitters comes in (like on Ebay; I used to sell quite well on there ten years ago). The little guy is being hammered out. Truth is, I believe the little guy will be the future, as the dinosaurs come down. I’m all for the individual and their creativity.
Your list has been very good and helpful; I’m checking a few out now, including ArtYah.
I completely agree, Chris. Most sites do start with good intentions, but as they grow (eBay anyone?) they forget their routes and making more money rules over everything else.
Hi
Great article, would you consider adding MadeMakers to the list?
It’s a new free handmade marketplace with no commission on sales and no listing fees.
You can open your own shop, setup your own profile page and appear in the makers directory.
There is both a site for the USA and UK.
USA site: https://mademakers.com
UK site: https://mademakers.co.uk
Regards
David
Hey David, feel free to send us some detail about your site through our contact page and we will add it to the list.
ETSY has grown too large. They just upped their fee to 6.5% under the guise that they would provide better Buyer/Seller service. But ETSY has disconnected their phone service numbers. Now they tell you to go online to ETSY.com/help/support which takes you to a page of useless questions and cookie cutter answers with no ability to get help with your real issues. So fees went up, service has been terminated. Sounds like they have gotten the Robber Baron attitude with all the money going to Joel. And they have not bothered in 3 years to fix the many software glitches and snafu’s they have. Time for another, better service.
Thanks for the list of possible other companies, We will look into them.