Etsy has been a go-to platform for independent artists and crafters for a long time. But, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. With about 2 million sellers, competition is fierce. Plus, recent policy changes have made things a bit tricky. For instance, in 2019, Etsy made shipping costs more visible, pushing sellers to offer free shipping. They also made it harder for buyers to find other items from the same seller.
But don’t worry, Etsy isn’t the only option. There are plenty of other platforms where you can sell your handmade goods. Some of these platforms cater to specific niches, like Aftcra and IndieMade, while others, like Big Cartel, try to mimic Etsy’s model. Then there are platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce that don’t really care what you sell, as long as it’s legal.
Let’s take a look at some of these alternatives:
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Zibbet: This platform helps you manage listings and sales on up to four different marketplaces, including Etsy, the Zibbet Marketplace, the A.C. Moore Marketplace, and Stitch. After a 14-day free trial, you can manage all your Zibbet-linked sales channels for $5 per month per channel. You don’t pay sales or listing fees for items listed on the Zibbet Marketplace, the A.C. Moore Marketplace, or your Stitch website.
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Storenvy: This platform is more than just a community of independent crafters. It offers two ways to sell: a free online store hosted on Storenvy and a commission-based online marketplace. Storenvy has one free plan and two paid plans.
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ArtFire: This is a smaller marketplace for independent artisans. It offers three plans, all of which omit ads from shop and listing pages.
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Aftcra: This platform focuses on handmade-in-the-USA crafts. It has a simple, reasonable fee structure with no listing fee and a 7% sales commission on all items.
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IndieMade: This is a website builder for artisans and upcyclers. It offers four monthly hosting plans, all of which come with a 30-day free trial.
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Bonanza: This user-friendly "web store" builder resembles a collection of independent boutiques. It doesn’t charge transaction fees and offers seamless integration with Etsy and eBay.
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Big Cartel: This platform blends user-friendly features with an artistic bias. It offers four plans, including a basic free version with a custom domain and sales tax collection.
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Amazon Handmade: This is Amazon’s marketplace for handcrafted goods made by independent artisans and small teams. It’s free to create and maintain a shop, and Amazon takes a 15% commission on each sale.
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Shopify: This is a multichannel solution for merchants seeking a single platform to manage sales. It offers three main plans, each with a 90-day free trial.
In conclusion, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. There are plenty of platforms out there where you can sell your handmade goods. From small, crafty outlets like Aftcra to massive e-commerce gateways like Shopify, you’re only limited by your willingness to try new platforms.
