Shopify vs Etsy: Which One is Better for Selling Purposes 

If you are a business owner, you must have heard about either Shopify or Etsy for selling goods. 

Shopify lets you build your own online store and sell almost anything with full control over branding, layout, and pricing. In 2024, it powered over 5 million businesses. Plus, it processed $292 billion in sales.

Etsy is a marketplace built for handmade, vintage, and craft goods. It connects you to 96 million active buyers and supports over 8 million sellers globally.

Both platforms are strong in their own way—but the real question is: which one actually fits your business goals? That’s what we’re about to unpack, step by step.

What Can You Sell on Shopify and Etsy?

One of the biggest differences between Shopify and Etsy is what you can and are encouraged to sell.

On Shopify, you’re the boss. You can sell anything: physical products, digital downloads, print-on-demand merch, subscription boxes, services or event tickets. No category rules. If it’s legal, you can sell it.

Etsy, on the other hand, is for unique, creative, and personal items. It’s best known for handmade goods, vintage items (at least 20 years old), craft supplies and digital printables.

If you’re an artist, maker or collector, Etsy puts your work in front of people who are already looking for something different.

Getting Started on Shopify vs Etsy

Setting up a store can be time-consuming, right?. But both Shopify and Etsy make it surprisingly easy once you know what to do. Here’s a step by step guide to get you started on either.

How to Start Selling on Shopify

This platform allows you to create your shop online. But it requires you to add your personal details. Hence, let's discuss a few business documents you should have.   

What You’ll Need:

• Business name

• Email address

• Product images and descriptions

• Pricing and shipping info

• Domain name (optional)

• Bank account for payments

Step by Step Guide :

• Sign up at shopify.com. After that, start your 3 day free trial.

• Choose a store name and answer a few questions.

• Pick a desired theme to design your store.

• Add your products and all other details regarding shipping

• Set up payment processing with Shopify Payments or PayPal.

• Set up tax and shipping based on your location.

• Connect your domain (or buy one through Shopify).

• Preview and publish when ready.

How to Set Up an Etsy Shop

Similar to other platforms, setting up an Etsy shop is very easy. Just a few clicks here and there and you are all set to go!

What You’ll Need:

• At least one product listing

• Good product images

• A short, snappy shop name

• Bank details for payment

• Shop policies (processing time, returns etc.)

Step by Step Guide:

• Go to etsy.com/sell.

• Click "Open Your Etsy Shop."

• Set up shop settings like language, country and currency.

• Choose a shop name (must be unique).

• Add your first product listings including descriptions, tags and pricing.

• Set up shipping like fees and delivery times.

• Connect your bank and billing info.

• Click "Open Shop" to make it live straight away.

Shopify vs Etsy – Cost, Fees & Payments Breakdown

Image Size Guide – Shopify vs Etsy

Visuals matter a lot, especially when you are selling online. Let's take a quick comparison of recommended image sizes for Shopify and Etsy. It will help you design visuals that look great. 

Which One Is Right for You?

Now that we know all about these two, it’s time to know which one to choose.

If you want full control over your brand, site design and customer journey, go for Shopify. It’s for scaling, selling digital or physical products and building a long term business. Shopify is for small businesses that will drive traffic through SEO, ads or social media.

But if you’re just starting out and want instant exposure, Etsy is a good option. Because you don’t need a website. Here you can just list your products and start selling. It’s for side hustlers and creatives testing the waters.

So, is Shopify better than Etsy? It depends on you.

But if you are specifically looking to choose between Shopify vs Etsy for handmade products, Etsy is better. 

Shopify vs Etsy Pros and Cons

After knowing Etsy vs Shopify fees, let’s quickly recap some advantages and disadvantages of both of these platforms, one by one.

Pros of Shopify

• You can customize your store’s design and branding.

• Access advanced apps, inventory management, and analytics for growth.

• Multi-Channel Selling

• Supports Digital & Physical Products

Pros of Etsy

• Built-in Audience

• Quick Setup

• Perfect for creative sellers and artisan products.

• Lower Upfront Cost

While there are no specific cons to Shopify or Etsy, one thing to note is that Shopify requires you to drive your own traffic, while Etsy limits your brand control within its marketplace.

Tips for Selling Well on Each Platform

At the end of the day, using sales and brand awareness is what matters the most. For that, you need to learn a few tips that can help you enhance sales on each platform:

Shopify Selling Tips: 

1. Use a clean theme for a smooth shopping experience. 

2. Optimize product titles and descriptions for SEO.

3. Go to Shopify’s app store. Here, add reviews, upsells and chat.

4. Promote your store through social media ads and content—traffic isn’t automatic.

Etsy Selling Tips:

1. Use all 13 tags with keywords.

2. Write keyword rich product descriptions to attract buyers.

3. Upload bright images to stand out in search.

Generate Eye-catching Product Images For E-Commerce

While you sell your products on any of these platforms, know that product presentation is really important. For that, you need high-quality images along with good backgrounds. X-Design's AI Background generator makes it easy for you.

AI Background Generator

Generate brilliant backgrounds that make your products look professional and eye-catching.

AI Background Generator

Here’s how it streamlines your workflow:

1. Instant subject detection eliminates time spent manually erasing backgrounds.

2. Drag-and-drop upload saves time, just pick your image and start editing.

3. Over 600 templates to get you started fast.

4. Export in high-res PNG or JPG to upload to websites, shops or socials.

5. No installation required - design anywhere, on any device.

6. Free credits to try before you buy, so it's risk-free for new users.

Whether you're a content creator, small business owner or online seller, X-Design helps you design faster, better, smarter. All in a few clicks.

Conclusion: Etsy vs Shopify for Small Business

It's not which is best, it's which works for your business.

Consider your long term aspirations: do you wish to establish a brand or sell within a marketplace? There's no single response. But by having the right strategy and using the right platform you'll be one step further in making your passion profitable.

Finally, using resources such as X-Design's AI Background generator, you can quickly design a perfect product that will serve the needs of your audience.