Etsy Review
The go-to marketplace for handmade, vintage, and craft goods.
Overview
Etsy connects independent makers with a built-in audience that specifically wants handmade, vintage, and craft goods, so discovery comes almost for free. For the right products, that targeted demand is its biggest advantage.
Rising fees, increasingly mandatory ad costs, and tightening policies have frustrated many long-time sellers, and you compete inside Etsy rather than on your own site.
Our verdict
Etsy connects independent makers with a built-in audience that specifically wants handmade, vintage, and craft goods, so discovery comes almost for free. Rising fees, mandatory ad costs, and tightening policies have frustrated many long-time sellers.
Best for: Makers selling handmade, vintage, or craft items
Key features
Built-in craft audience
Shoppers come to Etsy specifically for handmade, vintage, and unique goods.
Easy to start
Listing and selling is fast, with no website or technical setup required.
Etsy Ads & Offsite Ads
Built-in advertising drives visibility (Offsite Ads can be mandatory above a threshold).
Trusted brand
Etsy’s reputation for unique goods lends credibility to new shops.
Pros
- Built-in audience for handmade and craft
- Very easy to list and start selling
- Trusted brand for unique goods
Cons
- Fees and offsite ad costs keep rising
- You compete inside Etsy, not on your own site
Ideal for
- Makers selling handmade, vintage, or craft items
- Sellers wanting fast access to a relevant audience
- Side businesses testing product-market fit
Not ideal for
- Brands wanting to own customers and avoid platform fees
- Sellers of mass-produced or non-craft goods
Pricing
pay per listing + selling fees · 6.5% transaction fee + $0.20 per listing transaction fees
Pay listing and selling fees
Extra tools and listing credits
There is no subscription required: you pay $0.20 per listing plus a 6.5% transaction fee and payment processing, with optional Etsy Plus at ~$10/mo. Offsite Ads fees can also apply, so total take rates climb at scale.
Performance & reliability
Etsy handles all infrastructure and scale. Sellers optimize listings and Etsy SEO rather than managing performance.
Support
Support is mostly email and help center, with limited chat. Many sellers find resolving account issues slow.
Full specifications
- Hosting type
- Marketplace
- Free trial
- No subscription required
- Themes / templates
- Shop customization
- App marketplace
- Etsy integrations
- Staff accounts
- Limited
- Multi-currency
- Yes
- POS included
- Yes
- Abandoned cart recovery
- No
- Built-in blog
- No
Payments & security
- Payment gateways
- Etsy Payments
- SSL certificate
- Yes
- PCI compliant
- Yes
- Gift cards
- Yes
Capabilities & limits
- Product limit
- Unlimited listings
- Drag-and-drop editor
- No
- Multi-language
- Yes
- API access
- Yes
- Mobile app
- Yes
- Support channels
- Email, help center, limited chat
Frequently asked questions
How much does Etsy take per sale?+
A $0.20 listing fee plus a 6.5% transaction fee and payment processing. Offsite Ads fees may also apply for some sellers.
Can I sell anything on Etsy?+
No. Etsy requires items to be handmade, vintage (20+ years), or craft supplies, and enforces these categories.
Do I own my Etsy customers?+
Only partially. Etsy controls discovery and limits direct marketing, so building an independent brand is harder.