Etsy vs Shopify for Beginners — Which Platform to Start With?
Compare Etsy and Shopify fees, profit per order, and monthly costs side-by-side. Find the order volume at which Shopify becomes more profitable than Etsy.
By Marginory team · Online sellers with hands-on experience across Etsy, Shopify & POD
Shopify plan
$
$
$
| Etsy | Shopify Basic | |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction / Referral fee | 6.5% | 0% |
| Payment processing fee | 3% + $0.25 | 2.00% + $0.30 |
| Listing fee | $0.20 per sale | — |
| Monthly subscription | $0 | $39/mo |
| Total fees per order | $3.78 | $1.00 |
| Net profit per order | $14.23 | $17.00 |
| Profit margin | 40.6% | 48.6% |
| Monthly profit (30 orders) | $426.75 | $471.00 |
Bottom line
Per-order profitShopify earns $2.77 more per order (no 6.5% tx fee)
Break-even for Shopify Basicⓘ15 orders/month to cover $39/mo plan
Which platform is right for beginners?
Choose Etsy if…
- You're just starting out and want built-in traffic
- You sell handmade, vintage, or craft supplies
- You don't want to invest in marketing yet
- You want to test a product before building a brand
- Monthly order volume is under 50–100
Choose Shopify if…
- You already have an audience (social, email list)
- You sell a branded product with repeat buyers
- You run paid ads (Facebook, Google, TikTok)
- You want to own your customer relationship
- You have 50+ orders/month or are scaling fast
Many sellers do both: Start on Etsy for discovery and organic traffic. Once you find winning products, build a Shopify store for higher-margin repeat sales and brand building.
Fee comparison formula
Etsy fees per order = Sale price × 9.5% + $0.25 + $0.20 listing
Shopify fees per order = Sale price × 2.00% + $0.30
Monthly Shopify profit = (Per-order profit × Orders) − Monthly plan cost
Break-even orders = Plan cost / (Shopify profit − Etsy profit per order)
Assumptions:
- Etsy: US seller using Etsy Payments. Listing fee charged per sale.
- Shopify: Basic plan ($39/mo), using Shopify Payments (no transaction fee)
- No Etsy Offsite Ads fee included
- Shopify traffic cost (ads, SEO) not included — this is a fee comparison only
Source: https://www.shopify.com/pricing · Last verified: 2025-06-01
Related Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I start with Etsy or Shopify?
For most beginners: start with Etsy. Etsy has 90M+ active buyers and no monthly fee — you only pay when you sell. Shopify requires you to drive your own traffic (via ads, SEO, or social). Unless you already have an audience or marketing budget, Etsy gets you sales faster.
At what point is Shopify cheaper than Etsy?
Shopify Basic ($39/month) saves ~$1.50–3.00 per order vs Etsy (no 6.5% transaction fee). At $2 savings per order, you need 20 orders/month just to break even on the plan cost. Most sellers find Shopify more economical starting at 30–50+ orders/month — but only if they can maintain that traffic without Etsy's built-in search.
Does Etsy charge a monthly fee?
No. Etsy has no monthly subscription. You pay $0.20 per listing (auto-renewed every 4 months or on sale), 6.5% transaction fee, and payment processing (3% + $0.25 for US). This makes Etsy low-risk for beginners — you only pay when you make a sale.
Can I use Etsy and Shopify together?
Yes, and it's a smart strategy. Sell on Etsy for organic discovery and cash flow. Build a Shopify store for repeat customers, email list building, and higher-margin direct sales. Apps like Printify and Printful can sync inventory to both platforms simultaneously.
Does Shopify charge a transaction fee?
Only if you don't use Shopify Payments. If you use Shopify Payments (available in most countries): no transaction fee — you just pay the Shopify Payments processing rate (2%/1.5%/0.85% + $0.30 depending on plan). Third-party payment processors (PayPal, Stripe standalone) trigger an extra 2%/1%/0.5% transaction fee.