I still remember the "Strike" of 2022. If you were a seller back then, you felt the ground shake. Etsy announced a transaction fee hike from 5% to 6.5%, and thousands of us put our shops on "vacation mode" in protest. I was one of them. I sat there staring at my dashboard, realizing that I had built my entire livelihood on rented land. If Etsy decided to double their fees tomorrow or tweak the algorithm to hide my vintage lamps, I would be out of business by Friday.
That week of silence was terrifying, but it was the wake-up call I needed. I realized that putting all my eggs in one basket wasn't just risky; it was reckless. I spent the next six months testing every alternative platform I could find. I moved inventory to Amazon Handmade, I set up a Shopify store, and I even dabbled in niche marketplaces that promised to be the "Etsy Killer." The reality is, there isn't one single perfect replacement, but there is a vast ecosystem of websites like etsy that can actually make you more money if you know how to play the game.
Why Look for Other Websites Like Etsy?
The urge to find other websites like etsy usually stems from two pain points: fees and saturation. When I started selling in 2016, Etsy felt like a craft fair. Today, it often feels like a crowded flea market where you are shouting over dropshippers selling mass-produced junk.
The Saturation Problem: I once listed a hand-carved wooden spoon. I searched for it to see where I ranked. I was on page 47. Pages 1 through 46 were filled with "handmade" spoons that were clearly factory-made imports selling for $4. If you are a legitimate maker, competing on price with a factory is a losing battle. This is why looking for websites similar to etsy that actually vet their sellers is crucial for survival.
The Fee Fatigue: It’s not just the transaction fee. It’s the listing fee ($0.20 per item), the payment processing fee, and the "Offsite Ads" fee (which takes 12-15% if you make over $10k/year). I did the math on a $50 sale last year. After all was said and done, Etsy took nearly $9. That’s almost 20%. That stings.
The Big Competitor: Amazon Handmade
When asking are there other websites like etsy, the biggest answer is the one most people are afraid of:Amazon.Amazon Handmade is a specific, gated section of Amazon. You have to apply. They actually audit your production process (I had to send photos of my workshop).
The Pros:
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Volume: Amazon has 300 million active users. Etsy has about 90 million.
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Prime: If you use FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon), your handmade goods get the Prime badge.
The Cons (and My Failure): I tried to treat Amazon like Etsy. I wrote flowery, emotional descriptions about the "soul of the wood." Nobody cared. Amazon buyers want specs. "Size: 10 inches. Material: Walnut. Dishwasher Safe: No." My sales were zero for three months until I rewrote everything to be transactional and keyword-heavy.
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The Lesson: Amazon is a shopping mall, not a boutique. Adjust your tone accordingly.
The "Pure" Alternative: Goimagine
If you are looking for sites like etsy that feel like the "Old Etsy" (pre-2015), Goimagine is the current frontrunner in the US. Their hook is unique: They are a "caring economy" marketplace. They donate 100% of their profits to children's charities.
Here is where it gets interesting. Because they verify every seller to ensure they are actually in the US and actually making the items, you don't compete with dropshippers.
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My Experience: I listed a batch of ceramic mugs on Goimagine. The traffic was much lower than Etsy—I got maybe 50 views a week compared to 500. BUT, the conversion rate was higher. The people browsing Goimagine are there specifically to support makers. They aren't looking for the cheapest option; they are looking for the bestoption.
Where to Sell Handmade Items Besides Etsy (The Niche Players)
When considering where to sell handmade items besides etsy, you have to look at niche-specific sites. General marketplaces are great, but sometimes a smaller pond is better.
1. Michaels MakerPlace Launched recently by the craft store giant, this is a direct competitor.
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Pros: They have low fees and integrate with Michaels classes.
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Cons: It is still very new and the traffic is unproven.
2. Storenvy This feels more like an indie social network. It is great for art prints, stickers, and "kawaii" culture items.
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My limitation: I tried selling high-end furniture on Storenvy. It flopped. The demographic skews younger and the price point lower ($20-$50 range).
3. Bonanza Often called the "best eBay alternative," but it works for handmade too. It integrates with Google Shopping very well.
Managing inventory across Goimagine, Amazon, and Etsy can be a nightmare. I used to oversell constantly because I forgot to delete an item from one site after it sold on another. I now use Closo 100% Free Crosslister to keep my stock levels synced. It allows me to list on multiple platforms without the risk of selling the same one-of-a-kind item twice.
Building Your Own Empire: Shopify
Technically, Shopify isn't a "marketplace" like Etsy. It is an e-commerce platform. But it is the ultimate etsy alternativefor sellers who want to own their customer list.
The Difference:
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Etsy: They bring the customers to you (but charge you rent).
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Shopify: You own the store (but you have to bring the customers).
My Transition: I launched my Shopify site in 2021. The first month, I had 12 visitors. 10 were my mom refreshing the page. Building traffic is hard. You have to learn SEO, run Facebook ads, and build an email list. However, the freedom is intoxicating. No listing fees. No competitors listed on my product page.
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Opinion: You should not leave Etsy for Shopify. You should use Etsy to find customers, put a business card in their package, and drive them to your Shopify site for their second purchase.
How to Build a Website Like Etsy (For the Techies)
Sometimes, people search for how to create a website like etsy not because they want to sell on one, but because they want to build one. They want to own the marketplace. If you have a big idea for a niche marketplace (e.g., "Etsy for Vintage Car Parts"), you don't need to code it from scratch.
Software Options:
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Sharetribe: This is the industry standard for how to build a website like etsy without coding. It lets you create a multi-vendor platform where users can sign up, list items, and you take a commission.
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CS-Cart Multi-Vendor: A more robust, self-hosted option if you want total control.
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WordPress + Dokan: If you are on a budget, you can turn a WordPress site into a marketplace using the Dokan plugin. I built a small local marketplace for my town's farmers market using this. It cost me about $200 to set up.
Understanding how to make a website like etsy is complex because of the payments. You have to split the money. The buyer pays $100. You need to send $90 to the seller and keep $10. Tools like Stripe Connect handle this split payments logic automatically, which is a lifesaver.
How to Start a Website Like Etsy (The Business Side)
If you are serious about how to start a website like etsy, the code is the easy part. The "Chicken and Egg" problem is the hard part.
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You need sellers to get buyers.
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You need buyers to get sellers.
My Failure: I tried to launch a marketplace for "Upcycled Tech" in 2019. I recruited 20 sellers. They listed items.Nobody bought anything because I didn't have a marketing budget. The sellers got bored and left. When I finally got some press coverage, the shelves were empty.
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The Lesson: If you want to build websites like etsy, you need to subsidize one side of the market. You might have to buy inventory yourself at first just to populate the store.
Pricing and Fees on Etsy Alternatives
One of the main reasons we look for etsy alternatives for sellers is to save money. Let's compare the costs.
*Amazon usually waives the $39.99 Professional fee for approved Handmade sellers, but check the current terms.
As you can see, Amazon's 15% sounds high, but remember that includes credit card processing and access to their customers. Etsy is roughly 9-10% total. Shopify is the cheapest per sale, but the most expensive in monthly overhead and marketing time.
When I run the numbers, I use Closo Demand Signals to see where the demand actually is. It helps me decide if the higher fee on Amazon is worth it. If Closo shows me that "Handmade Leather Wallets" are searching 10x higher on Amazon than Etsy, I'll happily pay the 15% fee for the 10x volume.
Managing the Chaos: The Multi-Channel Strategy
The reality of 2026 is that you shouldn't be looking for one website like etsy. You should be everywhere. The most successful sellers I know follow this "Hub and Spoke" model:
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Hub: Shopify (Your brand home).
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Spokes: Etsy, Amazon, TikTok Shop, Pinterest.
You catch the fish in the ocean (Etsy/Amazon) and bring them to your private pond (Shopify). This requires discipline.You need consistent branding, consistent pricing, and impeccable inventory management.
People always ask me...
Is it really possible to build a website like Etsy?
Yes, technically. With tools like Sharetribe, you can launch a functional multi-vendor marketplace in a weekend.However, building the community and the traffic to make it profitable takes years and significant capital. It is a marketing challenge, not a software challenge.
Are there any free websites like Etsy?
"Free" is a tricky word. There are platforms with no listing fees (like Storenvy or the free tier of Square Online), but everyone takes a cut when you sell. Payment processing fees (usually 2.9% + $0.30) are unavoidable because Visa and Mastercard have to get paid. If a site claims to be 100% free, run. They are likely selling your data.
Conclusion
The search for websites like etsy is really a search for security. We want to know that our business won't disappear because a corporate executive changed a policy.
There is no single "Etsy Killer." Amazon Handmade brings the volume but lacks the soul. Goimagine has the soul but lacks the volume. Shopify gives you control but demands you do the marketing work.
My recommendation? Stop looking for a replacement and start looking for an expansion. Keep your Etsy shop open—it’s still a powerful search engine. But start planting seeds elsewhere. Open that Amazon Handmade account. Build that email list.
And most importantly, get your operations in order. You can't be on five platforms if you are manually typing listings into five different dashboards. I rely on Closo to automate the heavy lifting of cross-listing. It frees me up to focus on making things, rather than managing data entry.
Start cross-listing with Closo today—because the best place to sell your work is everywhere your customers are.
