Alternatives to Etsy
Are you looking for ways to start selling your crafts online, but not sure where to begin? Etsy is a great starting point, but there are plenty of other options out there that can help you reach new customers and boost your sales.
If you’re a crafter who is looking for alternatives to Etsy, then you’ve come to the right place. With the rise of e-commerce, there are now several online options for craft sellers. There are a number of other websites and platforms that offer the same services and Etsy alternatives, but with different fees and benefits.
In this blog post, we will be discussing three of the top Etsy alternatives and what each one has to offer. From handmade marketplaces to print-on-demand services, there are plenty of options for craft sellers who are looking for a new platform to showcase their products. Read on to learn more about the top three Etsy alternatives for selling your crafts online.
We’ll cover everything from pricing plans to features and discuss how each platform can help you sell your unique handmade products. Read on to learn more!
1. Shopify
Shopify is an e-commerce platform that allows entrepreneurs to build their own online stores. It offers a variety of features, including customizable storefronts, product management, inventory tracking, analytics, and marketing tools. Shopify provides users with the ability to create a customized store from scratch or use existing templates. If you don’t have a name for your business yet, Shopify also developed a great tool to help you generate a name for your business – Check out Shopify business name generator here.
With Shopify, you can accept payments from major credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, and other payment methods. Shopify also offers a range of services such as shipping, order fulfillment, and customer service.
Shopify is an ideal choice for those who want to establish their own brand and reach new customers around the world. It makes it easy to set up and manage your store in a few clicks. Additionally, you can customize your store with themes and extensions to make it unique and powerful. Shopify has various integrations that allow you to add additional features to your store and make it stand out.
Overall, Shopify is a great choice for craft sellers looking to take their business to the next level. With its user-friendly interface and extensive features, it is easy to get started and quickly launch your own online store.
Pricing & Plans
To open a Shopify store and start selling your crafts, you have a few packages to choose from. The Basic Shopify plan starts at $29 a month, $79 for the medium plan and the Advanced Shopify plan is $299 a month. You can review the plans here.
If you want to try Shopify before committing to a monthly plan, you can sign up for a free trial! This free trial will give you 3 days to test and experiment the platform to see if it is suitable for your needs.
In addition to the monthly fee, you also have to pay a transaction fee every time you make a sale. The transaction fee varies depending on your chosen plan. On the Basic plan it’s 2.9% + 30¢, on the Advanced plan it’s 2.4% + 30¢, and on the Lite plan it’s 0.5% + 30¢.
Added Benefits
You can also enjoy access to robust analytics, which will help you optimize your store to maximize sales.
Moreover, Shopify’s support team is highly responsive and helpful, so any questions you have will be answered quickly and effectively. They offer tutorials and guides to help you become a successful seller on the platform.
Plus, if you need more advanced features, there are plenty of apps and plugins available to enhance your store. All in all, Shopify offers everything you need to easily run an efficient online shop selling crafts.
2. WordPress / Woocommerce
WordPress is a free open-source platform and Woocommerce is one of the leading free e-commerce plugins that allow you to build your own shop and sell crafts online. It is an open-source platform that allows you to quickly and easily build a professional online store.
Using Woocommerce, you can quickly customize your site with a wide range of features, such as product management, payment processing, shipping, and tax calculations. You also have the ability to integrate popular social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. With its free WooCommerce plugins, you can easily add additional features to your store, such as shopping cart abandonment, email marketing campaigns, and user reviews.
Then to set up your shop, you only need to install WordPress, woo-commerce, and connect to the PayPal checkout plugin – and the shop is live.
Additionally, Woocommerce makes it easy to securely accept several forms of payments from customers. In addition to PayPal, you can accept payments through major credit cards, Apple Pay, Stripe, and other payment gateways.
Pricing & Plans
Woocommerce is an excellent free plugin to create an e-commerce platform to sell your crafts. They offer a free plan, which provides all the basic features you need to start selling.
Unlike Shopify, there are no monthly fees for users to pay. However, there are some additional associated costs including:
Hosting expenses – this is paying for the associated costs of a server where you can store your site.
A recommended and affordable hosting is Bluehost. They have a new “online store” plan for just $9.95 per month, but you can also select the basic hosting plan for low as $2.95 per month. Most customers find that the cheapest plan still contains everything they need to host their store.
Domain – In the first year, you also get a free domain and then it costs up to $20 a year.
Transaction Fees – this is specifically applicable for PayPal if this is your chosen payment gateway. You may also incur a $15 USD fee per dispute (refunded if you win the dispute).
Alternatively, there are no additional fees for using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Link by Stripe.
The hosting, domain and transaction fees are the only things that you must pay to start your own shop on WordPress / Wocommerce. So the huge advantage of using Woocommerce shop is that it’s really cheap, you don’t need to pay monthly fees to manage the store and it’s 100% yours.
On top of that, you can also buy themes, and different Wocommerce plugins to add different styles and features to your shop. Some of these can be found for free while others are paid.
Woocommerce is an excellent option for craft sellers who want a powerful e-commerce platform that is easy to set up and use. It’s affordability means creating a store of your own will be well within your budget.
Additional Benefits
Furthermore, Woocommerce allows you to create discount codes and promotions, as well as manage orders, shipping options, and more. You can also track inventory and manage customer accounts. Plus, with its user-friendly interface, you can quickly and easily get your craft business up and running.
With all of its features and benefits, Woocommerce is an excellent choice for anyone looking to create an online store to sell their crafts.
The only con of using Woocomerce is that it’s usually better for more technical minded users and can be slightly more complicated to build a shop with WordPress and Woocomerce compared to Shopify and Etsy.
This is because you will need to set up the shop from scratch; install WordPress, build the shop pages, and connect all the plugins. To overcome this, you can hire a freelance website builder or ask Bluehost support who are very helpful.
3. StoreEnvy
Storenvy is an excellent Etsy alternative for craft sellers. It has a wide variety of features and tools to help you create and manage your online store. With Storenvy, you can set up your own store in just minutes, choose from a range of designs, upload photos, customize your storefront, and more.
You have complete control over the look and feel of your store, including the ability to add custom HTML and CSS.
Storenvy also offers a number of built-in features such as automated order fulfillment, secure payments, real-time tracking, product search and filtering, customer reviews, promotions and discounts, social media integration, and more.
Additionally, you can set up your own private marketplace and invite other sellers to join. This allows you to offer a wider selection of products in your store, with access to new customers who may not have been able to find your products otherwise.
Pricing & Plans
Storenvy also provides a range of pricing plans that are designed to fit different budgets. The free plan gives you unlimited product listings and basic features like customer reviews and orders management.
The premium plan adds additional features like coupon codes, loyalty programs, and advanced order management. You can also upgrade to the Enterprise plan for additional features like wholesale support and analytics.
The paid plans range between $15 – $30 monthly for access to the additional features.
Overall, Storenvy is a great option for craft sellers looking for an Etsy alternative. With its wide range of features, easy setup process, competitive pricing, and private marketplace options, it’s a great way to expand your online presence.
Key Takeaways
When it comes to selling your crafts online, Etsy is a great choice. However, there are several alternatives that can offer unique features and benefits. Shopify, Woocommerce and Storenvy all have advantages that may be more suitable for craft sellers.
It’s important to take the time to compare the different options and find out which one best fits your needs. With the right platform, you can make sure that your craft business has the tools and support it needs to succeed.
No matter what your specific needs may be, there is sure to be a suitable Etsy alternative that can help you reach your goals. Whether you’re looking for more features, better pricing, or more customization options, these Etsy alternatives offer different solutions that can help take your craft business to the next level.
Shopify and Woocommerce are great all-in-one solutions for anyone looking for a comprehensive platform to run their craft business from, while Storenvy offers affordable pricing options for those just starting out. Weebly is a great choice for anyone wanting to build their own website, while still having access to a marketplace with a large customer base.
Overall, it’s important to do your research when selecting an Etsy alternative. Take the time to compare each platform’s features, pricing, and customer support to find the best fit for you and your business. With the right platform, you can build an online craft business that is successful and profitable.
