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The Best Platform for Selling Handmade Items

Makers have more options than ever, from marketplaces with built-in buyers to stores you fully own. Here is where to sell handmade goods, and how to combine platforms for the best results.

Part of our guide: Best online shop platforms

By The BOSP Editorial TeamUpdated 2 min readHow we review

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Quick answer

  • Best to build a brand you own: Shopify, with POS for craft fairs.
  • Best for discovery: Etsy.
  • Best combo: Etsy for reach + Shopify as home base.

Best platforms for handmade sellers

#1

Shopify

Best to grow a brand
9.2/10

Your own branded store, lower per-sale costs, email marketing, and POS for markets and craft fairs, all synced. Connect Etsy with an app and manage both from Shopify.

Price: From $29/mo billed yearly. Free trial + $1/mo for 3 months

Pros

  • You own the brand and customers
  • POS for fairs
  • Lower fees at volume

Cons

  • You bring the traffic
Open your handmade store (opens in a new tab) Read our full review
#2

Etsy

Best for discovery
7.5/10

Millions of shoppers searching for handmade gifts. Fees stack up and branding is limited. See Shopify vs Etsy.

Price: Listing + transaction + processing fees

Pros

  • Built-in buyers

Cons

  • Fees
  • Competition
Visit Etsy (opens in a new tab)
#3

Squarespace

Most beautiful
8.1/10

Gorgeous templates to showcase craftsmanship with a small shop.

Price: Commerce plans from about $23/mo billed yearly

Pros

  • Beautiful

Cons

  • Limited growth tools
Visit Squarespace (opens in a new tab)
#4

Wix

Flexible
8/10

Flexible site and shop for makers who also run workshops or classes.

Price: Store plans from about $29/mo

Pros

  • Bookings + shop

Cons

  • Fewer commerce features
Visit Wix (opens in a new tab)

Instagram and TikTok are huge for handmade brands. Read how to sell on social media.

Our verdict

Start on Etsy if you need buyers fast, but build your brand on Shopify, where you keep more of every sale and own your customer list.

Try Shopify free (opens in a new tab)

Frequently asked questions

Is Etsy or Shopify better for handmade items?

Etsy is better for initial discovery; Shopify is better for building a brand and keeping more of each sale. Many makers use both.

Can I sell handmade items at craft fairs and online?

Yes. Shopify POS lets you take card payments at fairs with inventory synced to your online store. See Shopify POS review.

Keep reading

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About the author: The BOSP Editorial Team

We build and run test stores on each platform we cover, track pricing changes, and write up what we find in plain English. No platform pays for placement in our rankings.

Read our review methodology and affiliate disclosure.