If you are a creator, you know that Etsy is a fantastic e-commerce platform to sell your art and monetize your passion.

Etsy offers more than 45 million buyers and provides creatives with a great marketplace to build their business.

However, Etsy places some limitations on creators as well. They not only own your customer list, which limits your ability to promote to buyers who have purchased your goods previously, but they also frequently promote your competitors on your listings, driving business away from your store. 

If you believe in the adage that you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket, you may be looking to diversify your creative business.

Etsy sellers looking for some new alternatives for selling handmade products are in luck. 

There are several great platforms that can help you reach a wider audience and grow your business. 

In this blog post, we’ll look at 19 of the best Etsy alternatives for sellers like you. 

Why Might you Consider Using a Platform Besides Etsy?

There are many reasons sellers may want to consider platforms outside of Etsy. Some of the most popular are:

You Want Your Store to Stand Out

This is one of the biggest challenges with selling on Etsy because even when customers have found their way to your store page, the Etsy algorithm serves up your competitors who sell similar products. While this is a feature that customers may appreciate, it puts sellers at a distinct disadvantage.

You Want More Marketing Options

Etsy sellers are locked out of some of the most effective eCommerce techniques, including email marketing, retargeting, and up-selling.

While sellers do have the option of limited paid promotions, Etsy offers no fundamental marketing tools. Not only that, sellers are not permitted to collect buyers’ email and contact information or even communicate with their customers after the sale is complete. This means sellers are constantly stuck in “first sale” mode, which any marketer worth their salt will tell you is the most expensive and challenging way to make a sale. 

You’re Looking to Expand into Non-Handmade Items

Many Etsy sellers find that they outgrow their Etsy store once they become successful. This is because Etsy only permits handmade items, vintage products, and crafts supplies to be sold on the platform. This cuts out Etsy sellers interested in moving into wholesaling and non-handmade items.

You’re Looking for a Platform with Less Competition

Another critical challenge with Etsy is stiff competition on the best-known platform for handmade items. If you are looking to expand your customer base, selling on additional platforms with less competition may help you do just that. 

What Should you Consider Before Switching Platforms or Using Multiple Platforms Simultaneously?

As a maker of handmade goods, you have a unique challenge in selling your wares. Not only do you need to find the right platform or platforms to sell on, but you also need to consider the cost of using multiple platforms and the time commitment required to maintain a presence on each one. 

For example, Etsy is a popular choice for handmade sellers, but it charges fees for both listing items and collecting payments. 

Those fees can eat into your profits if you’re selling high-priced items. Similarly, if you sell on multiple platforms, you’ll need to invest time in creating separate listings and managing inventory levels on each site. 

As you weigh your options, be sure to consider the costs and the time commitment involved in selling on multiple platforms.  

Before you decide, you’ll want to consider:

• How many products you can list for free
• The fee structure 
• Terms and conditions of the platform
• The level of customer support for both you and your customer

Apps and Sites Like Etsy

Below you’ll find 19 of the best apps and sites like Etsy, where you can sell your unique and handmade goods.

Ruby Lane

Ruby Lane is a marketplace for vintage dolls, jewelry, furniture, glass, pottery, and more. There are no setup or listing fees. They have a $25 monthly store maintenance fee, which is waived if you add at least 15 items per month, making it a steal for serious sellers.

The service fee is 9.9% but is capped at $250. 

One exciting feature that sets this platform apart is its secret shopper program, which provides feedback and recommendations to sellers based on shopper experiences.

Storenvy

Storenvy touts itself as the marketplace for the world’s most awesome indie brands. The platform sells men’s and women’s clothing, jewelry, art, and home goods.

The site will notify your store’s “watchers” every time you post new items for sale, The shopper community votes on their favorite products, giving popular products more exposure on the site.

It takes about 5 minutes to set up your store, and you can have up to 20 product listings for free. The platform also offers email tools to help you reach out to your customers and promotional tools such as discount codes.

The platform’s target audience seeks higher-end Goods, and so the per sale price is higher on average than Etsy. 

Storenvy has no listing or per item fees but charges a 15% commission for each sale.

Aftcra

Aftcra is similar to Etsy but requires all items to be American-made. They are also quite specific in their definition of handmade, requiring all items to be made, literally, by hand. 

The platform charge has no listing or per-item fees and charges a 7% commission when the item sells.

Folksy

Folksy is the UK’s answer to Aftcra, featuring jewelry, clothing, homeware, art, wedding goods, and craft supplies created by a community of UK-based artists and makers.

The site does not allow any vintage goods or reselling, which sets it apart from other marketplaces. 

The site is optimized for Google and other search engines, and sales are deposited immediately into your PayPal or Stripe account. Other features include online analytics and a free online course designed to teach you how to sell your handmade goods online. 

Folksy charges listing fees for the basic account and unlimited listings for the Folksy Plus account, which will run you $5 a month. They also charge a 6% + VAT sales commission on the sale price of all items.

Spoonflower

Spoonflower specializes in custom fabrics and sells home furnishings, bedding, and decor items. Sellers may upload their designs, which can then be printed on fabric, wallpaper, and more.

Spoonflower does not charge per item or design fees, and sellers earn a 10% commission on every sale. 

iCraftGifts

iCraft is a marketplace based in Canada, featuring items from artists all over the world. You will not find vintage items or craft supplies on this site, which has the feel of an arts and crafts bazaar in an online form.

There is a lot of creator-friendly language on the site, and they’re clearly looking to attract artisans who are frustrated with other platforms. 

There are no transaction or listing fees. However, there are subscription fees ranging from $10 – $15 per month for unlimited listings. The platform does charge an initial registration fee of $25 to get started.

IndieMade

IndieMade is a simple, easy-to-use platform that was initially built for selling art but has a variety of features that translate to other handmade goods as well.

It’s an affordable platform, ranging from $4.95 to $19.95 per month. The site makes it simple to create a website, build a store, curate content, add a blog, and add extras such as image galleries and news media. 

While IndieMade plays well with others and works in real-time with your Etsy inventory, it has some of the same limitations as Etsy – namely, few options for product variants, making it challenging for creators to expand their product offerings.

Bonanza

If eBay and Etsy had a baby, it would be Bonanza. 

Bonanza is a creative marketplace featuring crafts, art, collectibles, and other artsy goods. It also allows you to create a standalone eCommerce store. Unlike Etsy, however, bargaining is expected on Bonanza, and it works a bit like eBay in that sense. 

You can list your items for free and pay a 3.5 – 5% commission on the final sales price, which includes shipping.  

A few of the cool features offered by Bonanza include the ability to import your items directly from your Etsy account and automatic listings in Google Shopping, eBay, and other sites, expanding your potential reach.

Amazon Handmade

63% of shoppers start on Amazon, which makes this an ideal platform for buyers to find you before they even look on Etsy. To get started on Amazon Handmade, you will need to submit an application and offer only handcrafted items. You will also need to register for Amazon’s professional selling plan. This plan usually costs $39.99 per month. However, there is no fee for Handmade sellers.

Amazon will charge you a 15% referral fee for each sale you make on Amazon Handmade.

Big Cartel

Big Cartel allows creatives to create their own storefront and won’t nickel and dime you to death. There are no service fees or commissions, and listing prices are pretty straightforward. You can list up to 5 products for free, up to 50 for $9.99 per month, and a whopping 500 products for $19.99 a month.

This site offers customizable templates, the ability to use your own domain name, and several marketing tools and analytics to help you grow your business.

eBay

If any platform can match Etsy’s ready-to-shop crowd, it’s eBay. In fact, Bay is the second-largest US-based marketplace after Amazon. While eBay has a little bit of everything for sale, it’s certainly better known than Etsy.

It is free to set up an eBay store and list up to 250 items per month. eBay will then charge you a commission when you sell your item. 

eCrater

This platform allows you to create a free online store and import your products from your eBay store. Products for sale on eCrater include handmade items, collectibles, pottery, jewelry, vintage items, and more.  

Just Artisan

Just Artisan sells art and collectibles, bath and beauty products, jewelry, handmade wedding items, digital downloads, and more.

While Just Artisan is a relative newcomer in the handmade space, they’re already making a splash. Reselling is not allowed on the platform, and all products must be made by the creative or a small team that includes the creative.

There are no listing fees, just a 7.5% commission when you sell an item.  

Goimagine 

Goimagine is a unique platform for US-based artisans that donates 100% of its profits to charity. The site also allows you to import your product listings directly from Etsy. A Starter account begins at just $2.50, and an All-Star account tops out at $10 per month. Transaction fees range from 3.5% to 5%, depending on your plan. 

Uncommon Goods

UncommonGoods is a destination for unique, purposeful, and handmade items. Products are green and planet-friendly, and unlike many of the other platforms we’ve mentioned in this post, there’s no need to run your own storefront on the site.

The site sells jewelry, accessories, gifts, games, home decor, and barware, among other treasures.

To sell your handmade goods through Uncommon Goods, you’ll need to submit your items for review by their product team. 

Redbubble

Redbubble is another marketplace for artists and designers to upload their work, which can then be placed on nearly 100 products, from iPhone cases to clothing to home goods.

 Home

Artful Home allows artists and creators to sell their works in several categories, including home decor, jewelry, and art. To sell your work on Artful Home, you’ll need to submit an application to a jury of artful peers. If they accept you as one of their own, you’ll need to pay a $300 membership fee, which you can pay in $25 installments over your first year.

Zazzle

Zazzle allows you to sell either products or art. They also have an “ideas” section if you’re looking for something unique for your wedding or celebration. You can set up your shop for free, and the site allows you to set your own royalty rates.

Your art, designs, and photographs can be added to more than 1,000 different products for sale. 

Luualla

If you’re a creative entrepreneur, Luualla can help you to expand your business and get your store up and running quickly.  

Makers can list up to 100 products for free with a free account, and paid accounts start at just $5. Transaction fees will run you between 5 – 8%, but the site offers many promotional tools to help you grow your business.

Not find any winners? Don’t worry – Here are more Etsy alternatives to check out for your business.

Final Thoughts

While Etsy is a great place to start your online business, you may need to expand your retail channels if you want to grow your crafts, art, or handmade goods eCommerce business. 

Looking for next steps when it comes to increasing sales for your business? Learn where to sell handmade items online.

In addition, expanding your channels can help you sell in a less-crowded marketplace and give you more marketing options.

SkuVault can give you the tools to transform your Etsy business and help you grow. We’d be happy to show you how with a live demo today.