# Shopify vs Etsy: when to open your own store

> Etsy brings buyers and charges per sale. Shopify costs a monthly fee and brings none. See the fees on a $50 order and when each choice makes sense.

Published 2026-11-04, updated 2026-11-04. Source: https://forgefont.com/blog/shopify-vs-etsy

Stay on Etsy if you sell handmade, vintage or craft items and need buyers now: Etsy brings them and charges per sale. Open a Shopify store when you have your own audience or enough orders that Etsy’s fees exceed a monthly plan. On a $50 order, that point comes at roughly 9 to 12 orders a month.

## What is the real difference?

Etsy is a marketplace. People go there to shop, and you compete with other sellers on the same page. Shopify is your own store, under your own brand and domain. Nobody arrives by default, so every visitor comes from your own marketing, search or social work.

So the comparison is not only about fees. On Etsy, you pay for access to buyers. On Shopify, you pay for your own store, then spend time or money to find buyers.

## What does a $50 order cost on each?

Here is one order of $50, with no shipping charged and no tax, from a US seller with a US bank account. Etsy figures come from its [fees page](https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014483627-What-are-the-Fees-and-Taxes-for-Selling-on-Etsy) and [payment processing page](https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115015628847-What-are-Payment-Processing-Fees-for-Selling-on-Etsy), and Shopify figures from its [pricing page](https://www.shopify.com/pricing), as of November 2026.

| Fee | Etsy | Shopify Basic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Listing | $0.20 | $0 |
| Transaction, 6.5% | $3.25 | $0 with Shopify Payments |
| Card processing | $1.75 (3% + 25¢) | $1.75 (2.9% + 30¢) |
| **Total on the order** | **$5.20** | **$1.75** |
| Monthly plan | $0 | $29 billed yearly, $39 billed monthly |

Shopify saves $3.45 per order here, so the plan pays for itself at 9 orders a month on yearly billing, or 12 on monthly billing. This covers platform fees only. It leaves out what you spend to attract those orders, which can change the answer completely. Etsy also has a one-time shop set-up fee that varies by location, and Shopify has apps and a domain. Our guide to [what a Shopify store costs](https://forgefont.com/blog/how-much-does-a-shopify-store-cost) lists the rest.

## What about Etsy Offsite Ads?

If a sale comes from Etsy’s advertising on other sites, [Etsy charges an extra fee](https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000338367-How-Etsy-s-Offsite-Ads-Work): 15% of the order, or 12% once you have made $10,000 in a 365-day period, capped at $100 per order. On the $50 order above, 15% adds $7.50. Under the threshold you can opt out. Once you pass it, you cannot.

Also note that Etsy’s percentages apply to the whole order, including the shipping you charge, and a listing renews for $0.20 every four months.

## When should you stay on Etsy?

- You are starting out and have no audience of your own yet.
- You have only a few orders a month, so a fixed plan would cost more than Etsy’s fees.
- Your products fit what Etsy buyers look for: handmade, vintage, craft supplies.
- You do not want to spend time on marketing.

## When is it time to open your own store?

- Your orders regularly pass the break-even point above.
- Customers come back or find you by name, on social media or by word of mouth.
- You want your brand, your design and your domain, not a shop page among others.
- Your products [do not fit Etsy’s rules](https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/23948763872151-Does-Etsy-Allow-Drop-Shipping-or-Reselling), such as items resold from retailers or wholesalers.

## Do you have to choose?

No, and leaving Etsy overnight is rarely wise. Keep your Etsy shop running while you build your store, and send your own audience to the new one. [Shopify’s Etsy migration guide](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/migrating-to-shopify/migrating-from-etsy) explains how its Store Migration app imports your listings CSV as draft products. Listings with 101 or more variation combinations arrive without variants, and customers, order history and reviews need third-party apps. Then follow our [step-by-step guide to starting a Shopify store](https://forgefont.com/blog/how-to-start-a-shopify-store) for the rest.

## Your Etsy photos are a head start

If you already sell on Etsy, you have what Forgefont needs: products, prices, photos and a brand story. It turns them into a complete Shopify store in an unpublished theme, for $69, $119 or $149 paid once, with your Shopify plan paid separately. Your Etsy shop is not affected. [Compare the plans](https://forgefont.com/#forfaits) when your numbers say it is time.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I sell on Etsy and Shopify at the same time?

Yes, nothing stops you from running both. Watch your stock closely if the same item is on sale in two places, so you do not sell something you no longer have.

### Can I sell anything on Etsy?

No. Etsy’s Creativity Standards cover items made, designed, handpicked or sourced by the seller. Etsy says reselling mass-produced items is not allowed, with limited exceptions. Shopify has its own terms, but does not limit you to these categories.

### Can my Etsy reviews follow me to Shopify?

Shopify says a third-party app can import them. Check that any app you use, and the way you display those reviews, respects the terms of both platforms.