9 Best Etsy Alternatives for Sellers

Last updated: July 2026

Why Sellers Look for Etsy Alternatives

Etsy’s listing fees, transaction fees, and payment processing charges add up quickly, and increased competition on the platform means new shops often struggle for visibility against established sellers. Sellers who want lower fee etsy alternatives, more control over branding, or a marketplace with less saturation in their category typically start comparing options once their shop passes a few hundred sales.

None of this means Etsy is a bad platform. It still delivers built-in search traffic that a brand-new standalone store can’t match on day one. The question most sellers actually need answered is which additional or replacement channel fits their specific product type, whether that’s handmade goods, digital downloads, or print-on-demand items.

Comparison Table

Best For Matrix

• Lowest fees overall: Big Cartel and Ko-fi
• Highest built-in traffic: Amazon Handmade and TikTok Shop
• Best for digital products: Gumroad
• Best for full brand control: Shopify and Squarespace
• Best for print-on-demand: Redbubble and TeePublic

1. Shopify

Pros: Full control over branding, checkout, and customer data. Thousands of apps for marketing, inventory, and shipping. Strong support for Canadian sellers, including CAD pricing and local shipping carrier integrations.

Cons: No built-in marketplace traffic, so you need a marketing plan from day one. Monthly subscription cost regardless of sales volume.

Pricing: Entry plans start in the range most small sellers can absorb monthly, with payment processing fees on top.

Best for: Sellers ready to build a lasting brand rather than rely on marketplace search alone. If you’re comparing platforms for a Canadian storefront specifically, our breakdown of Shopify vs WooCommerce Canadian store cost covers the total cost picture in more depth.

2. Amazon Handmade

Pros: Access to Amazon’s massive existing search traffic without building an audience first. Prime shipping eligibility for qualifying sellers increases buyer trust.

Cons: Per-item referral fees, strict handmade verification requirements, and less room for storefront branding than a standalone site.

Pricing: A percentage-based referral fee per sale, with no separate listing fee structure like Etsy’s.

Best for: Sellers who want marketplace-level exposure without waiting months to build organic traffic elsewhere.

3. Big Cartel

Pros: Simple setup, a free tier for very small catalogs, and a lower monthly cost than most competitors as your catalog grows.

Cons: Fewer apps and integrations than Shopify, and limited built-in discovery tools.

Pricing: Free for a handful of listings, then a modest monthly fee as your product count increases.

Best for: Artisan sellers with a smaller catalog who want to keep monthly costs minimal while they test demand.

4. Redbubble

Pros: Zero inventory risk since production and shipping are handled by the platform. Passive income potential once designs are uploaded.

Cons: Limited pricing control, since Redbubble sets a base cost and you add your markup within a range. Brand presence is secondary to the platform’s own.

Pricing: No upfront cost. You earn the markup you set above the base production price.

Best for: Designers who want ongoing royalty-style income without managing fulfillment.

5. TeePublic

Pros: Similar print-on-demand model to Redbubble but with a stronger apparel focus and frequent site-wide promotions that drive volume.

Cons: Royalty percentages can be modest per unit, so volume matters more than per-item margin.

Pricing: No upfront cost, royalty paid per sale.

Best for: Illustrators and designers focused specifically on apparel and accessories.

6. Squarespace

Pros: Strong design templates that suit sellers who also want a portfolio or content-driven site alongside their store.

Cons: Fewer e-commerce-specific apps than Shopify, and less depth in inventory or shipping automation for larger catalogs.

Pricing: Monthly subscription with a commerce-specific tier for online selling.

Best for: Sellers whose brand leans heavily on visual storytelling, such as photographers or fine artists.

7. Gumroad

Pros: Built specifically for digital products, templates, and downloads, with a simple flat-fee structure and no monthly subscription requirement.

Cons: Minimal marketplace discovery, so it works best when paired with an existing audience on social media or a mailing list.

Pricing: A flat percentage taken per transaction, with no fixed monthly cost.

Best for: Creators focused on digital downloads like templates, printables, or courses rather than physical goods.

8. Ko-fi

Pros: Very low fees, and a familiar tipping and membership model that works well for creators who already have a following.

Cons: Not designed as a full storefront for a large physical product catalog. Discovery relies almost entirely on the creator’s existing audience.

Pricing: Low transaction fees, with an optional paid membership tier for extra features.

Best for: Artists and makers who already have social media or newsletter reach and want a lightweight storefront layered on top.

9. TikTok Shop

Pros: Algorithm-driven discovery can put products in front of buyers who’ve never heard of your brand, which is difficult to replicate on a standalone site.

Cons: Requires consistent short-video content, and trends shift quickly, so what works one month may not the next.

Pricing: Commission taken per sale, varying by category.

Best for: Visual, giftable, or trend-friendly products that photograph and film well in short clips.

[IMAGE: comparison of Etsy alternative platforms shown on a laptop screen, related to best etsy alternatives]

How We Chose

Canada Create evaluated each platform on fee structure, built-in traffic potential, ease of setup, and suitability for different product types, from handmade goods to digital downloads to print-on-demand. We weighted total cost of ownership over headline pricing, since a low monthly fee doesn’t help if a platform lacks the traffic tools to actually sell products. As we cover at Canada Create, the right platform often depends less on fees alone and more on where your specific buyers already spend time.

Many sellers we talk to at Canada Create ultimately run two channels at once: Etsy or a marketplace like Amazon Handmade for discovery, paired with a Shopify or Squarespace store for margin and brand control. If you’re planning that kind of build for a Canadian storefront, our guide on what to plan before building an ecommerce website is a useful starting point, and our comparison of Shopify vs Etsy margin comparison for Canada breaks down the actual take-home difference in CAD.

For handmade brands specifically weighing whether they’ve outgrown Etsy entirely, we’ve also covered the sales volume and margin signals worth watching in a related piece on the same topic.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free alternative to Etsy?

Big Cartel’s free tier is the most workable no-cost option for a small handmade catalog, though it caps the number of listings. Gumroad and Ko-fi also have minimal upfront cost structures, charging only when you make a sale.

Which platform has lower fees than Etsy?

Big Cartel and Ko-fi generally come out lower for small sellers, since Etsy’s combination of listing fees, transaction fees, and payment processing adds up faster than either platform’s simpler fee structure.

Can I sell handmade items on Shopify instead of Etsy?

Yes. Shopify has no restriction on handmade goods and gives you more control over branding and pricing than Etsy does. The tradeoff is that you’re responsible for driving your own traffic instead of relying on marketplace search.

Is Amazon Handmade better than Etsy for sellers?

It depends on your goals. Amazon Handmade offers stronger built-in traffic and Prime shipping trust signals, but Etsy has a shopper base specifically primed for handmade and vintage goods, which can convert better for certain niches.

Related Resources

• WooCommerce vs Shopify: Which Is Better
• When Should a Handmade Brand Outgrow Etsy
• How to Fix the Not Secure Warning

If you’re a Toronto seller ready to move beyond marketplaces entirely, Canada Create’s e-commerce website service in downtown Toronto builds Shopify and WooCommerce stores designed to convert.

For broader context on marketplace fee structures, see Etsy’s official fee policy and the Amazon Handmade program overview. Statistics Canada’s data on retail e-commerce trends is also a useful reference for Canadian sellers weighing channel strategy.