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Etsy alternatives split into two kinds, and most sellers end up needing one of each. Marketplaces like Amazon Handmade, Goimagine, and Folksy replace Etsy’s traffic and charge their own cuts. Your own store, on a free builder, replaces Etsy’s fees and gives you the customer list, but brings no traffic. The Reddit threads on this query reach the same conclusion: keep Etsy for discovery, build your own store for margin, and move the repeat buyers over.
Etsy’s fee page blocked our automated check today, so the fees are described rather than quoted: a per-listing fee, a percentage transaction fee on each sale, payment processing, and an offsite ads fee when Etsy’s ads bring the buyer. The current numbers are on Etsy’s fees page.
Marketplace alternatives to Etsy
| Marketplace | Best for | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Handmade | Makers who want the biggest audience | Amazon’s referral fee and approval process |
| Goimagine | US handmade sellers who want a smaller, curated market | Smaller traffic |
| Folksy | UK makers | UK only |
| eBay | Vintage and supplies | Not a handmade brand |
| Facebook Marketplace and groups | Local pickup and low-cost items | No storefront, manual everything |
None of these are verified for fees today; check each seller page before listing.
Own-store alternatives to Etsy
| Builder | Price today | Pick it if |
|---|---|---|
| systeme.io | Free, then $17/mo, 0% platform fee | You sell digital goods or a small physical range and want the email list built in |
| Squarespace | From $19/mo billed annually | You want a designed shop with inventory |
| Wix | From $17.77/mo billed annually | You want templates and an app market |
| Shopify | Not verified today | You are running a real inventory business |
Free Etsy alternatives
Truly free means no monthly fee and no platform cut. systeme.io’s free plan is that for digital products and simple physical checkouts: a store page on your own domain, a checkout through Stripe or PayPal at 0%, and 2,000 contacts with unlimited emails. Wix’s free plan gives you a site on a Wix subdomain but not a real store. Marketplaces are free to join and paid per sale.
Etsy alternatives for artists
Artists selling prints and originals usually need a gallery-style site plus a checkout. Squarespace does the gallery best; systeme.io does the checkout, the mailing list, and launch funnels best and the gallery adequately. Print-on-demand sellers should keep Etsy for discovery and add a store for the list. The website builder for artists page ranks the options.
What the Reddit threads say
The top threads on this query, from craft-fair and small-business communities, converge: Etsy’s fees and competition are the complaint, no marketplace matches its traffic, and the sellers who are happiest run Etsy plus their own site and move repeat buyers to the list. That is the setup this page recommends.
How to move your customers
Etsy does not give you buyer emails for marketing. Add a thank-you card with a link to your store and a discount for joining the list, put the store link in your Etsy About section where allowed, and email every past buyer who opts in. Within a year most repeat purchases happen off Etsy.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best Etsy alternative?
For traffic, Amazon Handmade. For margin and owning the customer, your own store on a free builder. Most sellers run both.
Is there a free Etsy alternative?
systeme.io is free with a 0% platform fee for digital and simple physical products. Marketplaces are free to join but charge per sale.
What do sellers on Reddit recommend instead of Etsy?
Keeping Etsy for discovery and building an own store for repeat buyers. No single marketplace replaces Etsy traffic.
What are the best Etsy alternatives for artists?
Squarespace for a gallery site with a shop, systeme.io for a checkout with a mailing list, and Etsy itself for discovery.
Related: Etsy alternatives for digital products, Gumroad alternatives, systeme.io pricing.