Etsy Alternatives: 5 Sites Compared on Fees (2026)
The best Etsy alternatives compared on fees, monthly cost and buyers: Amazon Handmade, Shopify, Big Cartel, Payhip and Gumroad, checked October 2026.
The best Etsy alternatives depend on what you sell. For handmade goods with built-in buyers, Amazon Handmade is the closest match. For your own branded store, Shopify or Big Cartel. For digital products, Payhip or Gumroad. Below we compare the main Etsy competitors on fees, monthly cost and who brings the buyers, checked on each site's own pricing page.
Photo: Compagnons on Unsplash
We checked every price and fee on 30 October 2026. We did not create seller accounts; everything comes from each platform's public pricing and help pages, linked below. Searching for "Etsy competitors" or "websites like Etsy" leads to the same choices.
Why sellers look for an Etsy alternative
Etsy brings buyers, but it costs: a $0.20 listing fee, a 6.5% transaction fee, payment processing of 3% + $0.25 in the US, and Offsite Ads fees of 12-15% on ad-driven sales. On a $20 sale that is $2.35, or $5.35 when an Offsite Ad brought the buyer. Our Etsy fees guide has every fee. Sellers also leave because Etsy owns the customer relationship and shows buyers other shops next to yours.
| Tool | Price | Ads and pop-ups | Limits | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Handmade | $0 a month for approved Handmade sellers | โ | 15% referral fee, $0.30 minimum; application required | Handmade goods at Amazon scale |
| Shopify | Basic $39 a month ($29 billed yearly) | โ | Card fees 2.9% + 30ยข (US); 2% extra with another payment provider | Your own brand and a growing store |
| Big Cartel | Platinum $15 a month, Diamond $30 a month | โ | 7-day free trial; payment provider fees apply | Small art and maker shops |
| Payhip | Free (5% fee), Plus $29 (2%), Pro $99 (0%) | โ | Same features on every plan, unlimited products | Digital products with tax handled |
| Gumroad | $0 a month; 10% + $0.50 per sale | โ | 30% on sales through Gumroad Discover | Starting with no monthly fee, tax handled |
| Sellwares | Free plan โฌ0 (3 products); Creator โฌ29 a month | โ | 0% transaction fee on every plan; you handle your own sales tax | Digital products, courses and coaching from your own store |
Amazon Handmade
Best for: Handmade goods at Amazon scale- Price
- $0 a month for approved Handmade sellers
- Limits
- 15% referral fee, $0.30 minimum; application required
- Amazon's huge audience
- No $39.99 monthly fee for approved makers
- Trusted checkout and shipping options
- 15% fee, higher than Etsy
- You must be approved as a maker
- Amazon controls the customer
Shopify
Best for: Your own brand and a growing store- Price
- Basic $39 a month ($29 billed yearly)
- Limits
- Card fees 2.9% + 30ยข (US); 2% extra with another payment provider
- No transaction fee with Shopify Payments
- Your brand and customer list
- Thousands of apps and themes
- Monthly fee from day one
- You bring all the traffic
- Paid apps add up
Big Cartel
Best for: Small art and maker shops- Price
- Platinum $15 a month, Diamond $30 a month
- Limits
- 7-day free trial; payment provider fees apply
- Simple, made for artists and makers
- Low monthly price
- No Big Cartel fee per sale
- No free plan
- Brings no buyers by itself
- Fewer apps than Shopify
Payhip
Best for: Digital products with tax handled- Price
- Free (5% fee), Plus $29 (2%), Pro $99 (0%)
- Limits
- Same features on every plan, unlimited products
- Collects EU/UK VAT and US/Canadian sales tax
- Free plan with all features
- Courses, coaching and memberships too
- 5% fee on the free plan
- PayPal or Stripe fees on top
- No marketplace traffic
Gumroad
Best for: Starting with no monthly fee, tax handled- Price
- $0 a month; 10% + $0.50 per sale
- Limits
- 30% on sales through Gumroad Discover
- Merchant of record since January 2025: sales tax handled
- Nothing to pay until you sell
- Some buyers from Discover
- 10% + $0.50 is high on bigger sales
- 30% on Discover sales
- Few store design options
Sellwares
Best for: Digital products, courses and coaching from your own store- Price
- Free plan โฌ0 (3 products); Creator โฌ29 a month
- Limits
- 0% transaction fee on every plan; you handle your own sales tax
- 0% transaction fee, free plan included
- Paid straight to your own Stripe, PayPal, Mollie or Revolut
- Downloads, courses, coaching and memberships in one store
- No marketplace traffic: you bring the buyers
- Not a merchant of record: sales tax is yours
- Made for digital products, not physical stock
The best Etsy alternatives compared
| Platform | Monthly cost | Fee on a $20 sale | Brings buyers? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Etsy | $0 | $1.50 + processing | Yes |
| Amazon Handmade | $0 for approved sellers | $3.00 (15%) | Yes |
| Shopify | $39 ($29 yearly) | $0 + 2.9% + 30ยข | No |
| Big Cartel | $15 or $30 | $0 + your card fees | No |
| Payhip | $0, $29 or $99 | $1.00, $0.40 or $0 + card fees | No |
| Gumroad | $0 | $2.50 (10% + $0.50) | Some (Discover) |
Amazon Handmade
Amazon's marketplace for handmade goods. Approved Handmade sellers do not pay the $39.99 monthly Professional selling fee; Amazon takes a 15% referral fee per sale, with a $0.30 minimum. You must apply and be approved as a maker. It brings Amazon's huge audience, but the fee is higher than Etsy's and Amazon controls the customer.
Shopify
Your own online store, from $39 a month ($29 billed yearly), with card fees of 2.9% + 30ยข in the US and no transaction fee when you use Shopify Payments. You bring the traffic. It suits sellers who already have an audience or plan to advertise. Read our Shopify vs Etsy comparison for the break-even point.
Big Cartel
A simple store builder made for artists and makers: Platinum is $15 a month and Diamond $30 a month, after a 7-day free trial. You pay your payment provider's normal fees. Good for small shops that want a clean store without many apps; like Shopify, it brings no buyers by itself.
Payhip
A store for digital products, courses, coaching, memberships and physical goods. Free with a 5% fee, Plus at $29 a month with 2%, or Pro at $99 a month with 0%, plus PayPal or Stripe fees. Payhip collects and pays EU/UK VAT and US sales tax for you, which is a real time saver for digital sellers.
Gumroad
No monthly fee; Gumroad takes 10% + $0.50 per sale, or 30% on sales through its Discover marketplace. Since January 2025 Gumroad is the merchant of record, so it handles sales tax worldwide. The fee is high for higher-priced items, but there is nothing to pay until you sell.
Which one should you choose?
- Handmade goods and you want buyers without marketing: stay on Etsy or add Amazon Handmade.
- You have followers and sell 30+ items a month: Shopify, or Big Cartel for a small, simple shop.
- Digital downloads, and you want tax handled: Payhip or Gumroad.
- Mostly digital products, courses or coaching from your social media: a creator store such as Sellwares, below.
- Best of both: keep Etsy for discovery and send repeat buyers to your own store.
Where Sellwares fits
Sellwares is built for creators selling digital products, courses, coaching and memberships rather than physical goods. There is no listing or transaction fee on any plan, the free plan includes 3 products, and buyers pay you directly through your own Stripe, PayPal, Mollie or Revolut. Unlike Gumroad, it is not the merchant of record, so you handle your own sales tax. See how to sell digital products or start from your link in bio.
What we found in the top results
We reviewed the pages Google ranks first for "etsy alternatives" on 30 October 2026: a Reddit thread, a vinyl-decal blog, YouTube videos and print-on-demand blogs. Most list a dozen marketplaces with old prices. Few show the fee on an actual sale or say who brings the buyers, which is the decision that matters, so this page is built around both.
Open a free store for your digital products and keep the whole price.
Questions
What is the best alternative to Etsy?
For handmade goods with built-in buyers, Amazon Handmade. For your own branded store, Shopify or Big Cartel. For digital products, Payhip or Gumroad, which both handle sales tax.
Is there a cheaper site than Etsy?
Per sale, yes: Shopify, Big Cartel and Payhip Pro charge no platform fee per sale, but they cost a monthly fee and do not bring buyers. Amazon Handmade costs more per sale (15%).
Where can I sell digital downloads besides Etsy?
Payhip, Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy are built for digital downloads, and a creator store lets you sell them from your own link with no transaction fee.
Should I leave Etsy completely?
Usually not at first. Many sellers keep Etsy for new buyers and move repeat customers to their own store.