Etsy vs Shopify: Which one to use to sell online?

Online sales have become a popular way of marketing products and services. However, it can be difficult for online sellers to choose the right e-commerce platform. Two of the most popular e-commerce platforms are Etsy vs Shopify. In this article, we'll look at the advantages and disadvantages of this alternative platform to Shopify to help you choose the one best suited to your business.

Selling on Etsy or Shopify: comparing features

The features offered by each ecommerce platform are a crucial element to consider before making a choice. Here's an overview of the key features of Etsy vs Shopify:

Etsy

Etsy is an online sales site that focuses on handcrafted products, supplies and vintage goods. Platform features include:

• Store management interface: the interface is easy to use and allows sellers to customize their e-commerce store with images, colors, logos, etc.
• Marketing tools: sellers can create promotions, sales and coupons to encourage buyers to purchase.
• Customization: Shop customization is limited. However, sellers can add product categories, store sections and store policy pages.
• ‍Customer service: Etsy offers comprehensive customer service for buyers and sellers. Sellers can also contact buyers directly to resolve problems.

Shopify

Shopify is an online sales platform suitable for a wide range of products, from digital goods to physical products. Indeed, the platform's features include:

• Shopify interface: Shopify's interface is intuitive and easy to use. What's more, sellers can customize their ecommerce store with themes, page sections, images, videos and more.
• Marketing tools : Shopify offers marketing tools such as gift cards, promotions and discounts to help sellers increase their sales.‍
• Customization : Shopify offers a high level of customization, sellers can personalize almost every aspect of their online store.‍
• Customer service: Shopify offers 24/7 customer support by phone, e-mail or live chat. In addition, sellers can also use the live chat functionality to communicate with buyers in real time.

You can read this article"Shopify Reviews: Advantages, Disadvantages & Features" to find out more about this e-commerce platform.

Etsy vs Shopify: Advantages and disadvantages

Find out more about the advantages and disadvantages of these two e-commerce sites below:

Advantages and disadvantages of Shopify

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Advantages and disadvantages of Etsy

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Cost comparison

If you're thinking of creating an e commerce site to sell on Etsy or Shopify, it's important to know the rates. So let's take a look at the rates for these two platforms:

Shopify

• Registration fees: Shopify offers several pricing plans, ranging from $24 to $299 per month, depending on the features you need for your online store.
• Transaction fees: Shopify charges additional transaction fees for each sale made on your online store. These fees depend on the price plan you have chosen. They range from 0.5% to 2% per sale.
• Payment processing costs: Shopify charges a payment processing fee on every transaction made on your online store. These fees range from 2.4% to 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction.

Etsy

• Registration fee: Etsy charges a one-time registration fee of $0.20 per item you publish on your online store.
• Transaction fees: Etsy charges a 5% transaction fee for each sale made on your web store. In addition, additional payment processing fees are charged depending on the processor you use. These fees range from 3% to 4% + $0.25 per transaction.
• Advertising costs: It offers a number of paid advertising tools for sellers. For example, you have Etsy Ads and Offsite Ads, which charge additional fees depending on the advertising budget chosen.

You may also be interested in this comparison guide: Shopify vs Amazon: Which one to choose in 2023?

Comparing ease of use

Find out how easy it is to use both platforms in this section:

Shopify

• Shopify offers an intuitive, easy-to-use interface for managing your online store. The tools are user-friendly for creating products, managing orders and analyzing sales data.
• Support tools: Shopify offers a variety of support tools to help novice sellers. It also offers online help guides, telephone support and live chat.

Etsy

• Store management interface: Etsy's store management interface is simple and easy to use. However, it can be more limited in terms of customization and advanced features.
• Support tools: Etsy offers support tools for novice sellers, including community forums, online sales resources and e-mail support. However, telephone support is not available for standard sellers.

Etsy vs Shopify: comparing visibility

Visibility plays a very important role in the growth of your e-commerce site. So let's see which of the two platforms offers your site the most visibility: 

Shopify

Shopify boasts a large number of users and a vast ecosystem of applications. This increases the visibility of online stores. What's more, sellers can also take advantage of advanced SEO tools to improve their ranking in Google search results.

Etsy

Etsy specializes in the sale of handicrafts and vintage products. This gives it a high profile among the community of buyers interested in these types of products. Sellers can also use SEO tools to enhance their visibility on the platform.

Comparison of customization options

Let's discover the customization options of Etsy vs Shopify : 

Shopify

Shopify offers a wide variety of customization options for online stores. These include customizable themes, design tools and the ability to modify store source code. What's more, it enables sellers to create unique, customized online stores.

Etsy

Etsy offers more limited customization options, mainly focused on personalizing product images and the store homepage. Sellers can also use predefined store themes to customize the look and feel of their online store.

Conclusion

All in all, the comparison between Etsy vs. Shopify shows that both platforms have their advantages and disadvantages. Shopify is ideal for sellers who need total control over their online store and want to extend their reach outside the Etsy community. On the other hand, Etsy is ideal for craft and vintage sellers looking to reach a specific community of buyers.

The decision to choose between Shopify and Etsy depends on the needs and preferences of each individual seller. It's important to take into account various aspects listed in this guide. Last but not least, Minea is also a very powerful tool that can help you rapidly increase the sales of your Shopify or Etsy store. 

Thanks to its built-in multi-functionality, you can boost your sales in no time, simply by finding the best product. It also enables you to implement a sound marketing strategy. You can explore the features of this tool right now with a free trial version.

Frequently asked questions  

Shopify vs Etsy: is there a difference between the two platforms?

Shopify and Etsy differ in that Shopify allows merchants to create their own website, develop their own brand, manage their marketing and become a household name. Etsy, on the other hand, is a marketplace for selling products.