Shopify vs Etsy: Choosing the Best Platform for Print on Demand
By Sam Nguyen
In this article, we will compare Shopify and Etsy, exploring their features, advantages, and limitations to help you make an informed decision for your print-on-demand business.
Shopify vs Etsy for Print on Demand: Quick Comparison
A key distinction between Shopify and Etsy, when it comes to Print on Demand (POD), lies in the degree of control and freedom that each platform offers to sellers.
Shopify stands as a robust e-commerce platform that allows you to create and manage your own online store. It offers extensive customization options, giving you the freedom to tailor your store’s design and functionality to align with your unique brand identity. With Shopify, you have full control over your site, from layout and product display to checkout. It enables you to create a seamless and cohesive customer shopping experience.
On the other hand, Etsy operates as a marketplace where you can set up your print-on-demand product page, like setting up a kiosk in a market. However, Etsy offers relatively limited customization options. While you can add some of your branding elements, like logos or banners, your store’s overall design and layout will remain within the standardized framework provided by Etsy.
Etsy vs Shopify For Print On Demand: Pros & Cons
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of each platform:
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Shopify vs Etsy Key POD Features: Detailed Comparison
Pricing
Shopify
Subscription Fees: From $39 to $2,000+/month
Transaction Fees: Free with Shopify Payments. If you choose a third-party payment provider, an additional fee of 2%, 1%, or 0.5% will incur based on your selection plan.
Credit Card Processing Fees: Depending on the selected subscription plan, start at 2.4% + 30¢ USD for online transactions; 2.4% USD for in-person transactions.
Etsy
Subscription Fees: Etsy Plus $10/ month (optional) with 15 free listing items and $5 in Etsy Ads credits. You can use Etsy Pattern for $15/month if you want a branded website on Etsy.
Listing fees: $0.20/ item
Transaction Fees: 6.5% of the price you display for each listing (including shipping and gift wrapping charges). Additional fees apply for optional personalization.
Credit Card Processing Fees: vary based on the location of your bank account.
Advertising fees: 12-15% of the sale price
The Verdict
At first glance, Shopify charges a higher subscription fee than Etsy. However, Etsy fees can increase over time, especially for high-volume sellers.
Product Creation and Customization
Shopify
Shopify offers a robust set of features when it comes to product creation and customization:
- Unlimited product listings: With Shopify, you have the flexibility to create and list as many products as you want. Whether you’re selling t-shirts, mugs, or any other customized items, you can showcase your entire product catalog without limitations.
- Integrations with print-on-demand services: Shopify seamlessly integrates with popular print-on-demand services like Printful and Printify, allowing you to create a wide array of customized products easily.
- Themes and drag-and-drop design: Shopify provides a variety of themes to create a visually appealing online store. Additionally, it offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, making it easy to design and customize your storefront according to your brand’s aesthetics. In short, you have full control over the look and feel of your store.
- Custom domain: With Shopify, you can use a custom domain for your online store that aligns with your brand identity, giving your store a more professional and personalized touch.
- Pages: Shopify allows you to create essential pages for your store, such as an “About Us” page, FAQs, and even a blog section. These pages are crucial for providing additional information about your business, addressing customer queries, and sharing valuable content.
- Check-out experience: Shopify offers your customers a smooth and streamlined checkout process with a single check-out page and various payment options.
Etsy
While Etsy is a popular platform for selling handmade and vintage products, its product creation and customization options are comparatively limited.
- Storefront customization: Etsy does not allow full customization of your storefront to fit your branding. While you can add a banner and a logo to represent your shop, the overall design options are limited.
- Product listings: On Etsy, you are restricted to listing a maximum of 999 products. This limitation can be a drawback for print-on-demand businesses as they often have a large product catalog and plan to expand their offerings in the future.
- Domain: Etsy requires you to use their domain for your shop. Your web address will include “etsy.com” in the URL, which may not look as professional or unique as having your custom domain.
The Verdict
Shopify provides more comprehensive tools and options for POD entrepreneurs looking to create and customize their product listings and storefronts effectively.
Payment Options and Processing
Shopify
Shopify offers a comprehensive range of payment options and processing capabilities, making it a versatile platform for online sellers. Shopify has its own payment gateway – Shopify Payments integrated into the platform.
Additionally, the platform supports over 100 third-party payment gateways, including PayPal, Facebook Pay, Amazon Pay, and Apple Pay, and multiple payment methods such as credit/debit cards, bank transfers, gift cards, loyalty points, etc.
These widely recognized and trusted payment methods offer convenience and security, providing a seamless experience for both merchants and customers, which can help increase conversion rates.
Etsy
Etsy ensures a seamless transaction process through its in-house payment system, Etsy Payments, which offers sellers the ability to accept diverse payment methods based on the country in which they’re located
Besides conventional credit and debit card payments, Etsy caters to modern shopping preferences by accepting payments through Etsy Gift Cards, Etsy Credit, and Etsy Coupons. This provides an additional layer of convenience for customers operating within the Etsy platform.
Moreover, to ensure broad accessibility, Etsy Payments integrates with popular platforms like PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, affording customers further flexibility at the checkout stage.
The Verdict
Both Shopify and Etsy present robust payment processing capabilities to cater to a diverse range of customer preferences. Nevertheless, one notable advantage of Shopify and Shopify Payments is the free transaction fees, which makes Shopify a more financially appealing choice for print-on-demand sellers, particularly those looking to optimize their profit margins.
Shipping and Fulfillment
Shopify
- Customizable Shipping Rates: You have the flexibility to set your shipping rates. This allows you to tailor the shipping costs to your pricing strategy.
- Trusted Shipping and Fulfillment Supplier Integration: Shopify works with many trusted suppliers to fulfill orders and handle shipping. These suppliers are vetted and integrated with the Shopify platform, ensuring reliable and efficient order fulfillment.
- Shipping discounts: Shopify offers shipping discounts of up to 88% depending on your selected plans with carriers like DHL Express, UPS, and USPS. It also supports drop shipping and international shipping.
Etsy
- Manufacturing Partner Integration: Etsy allows sellers to connect with their POD manufacturing partners, such as Printful or Printify, when listing a product.
- Shipping Fees: Etsy charges a 6.5% fee on the total cost that customers pay for shipping.
- Seller-Controlled Shipping Rates: On Etsy, sellers have the autonomy to determine their shipping rates. This enables sellers to establish shipping costs that align with their business model and pricing structure.
The Verdict
Shopify holds a clear edge over Etsy as it doesn’t take a cut on shipping fees and even provides shipping discounts. This aspect is particularly advantageous for print-on-demand businesses.
Additionally, Shopify offers built-in shipping tools and integrations with major shipping carriers, making it easier to manage shipping processes. In comparison, Etsy primarily relies on sellers to handle order fulfillment and shipping independently.
Sales & Marketing
Shopify
Shopify is a comprehensive e-commerce platform that allows you to sell products across multiple channels. With Shopify, you can create your website, sell on various marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, leverage social media platforms for advertising, and more. This multi-channel approach allows you to reach a wider audience and maximize your sales potential.
Shopify also offers several sales and marketing tools to boost your print-on-demand business. It provides features like abandoned cart recovery, allowing you to send automated reminders to customers who left items in their carts without completing the purchase. Additionally, you can offer coupon codes and gift cards to incentivize customers and increase sales.
Shopify offers robust SEO tools to help improve your store’s visibility on search engines. By optimizing your product descriptions, titles, and metadata, you can increase the chances of your print-on-demand products appearing in relevant search results, driving more organic traffic to your store.
Furthermore, Shopify allows you to create and manage a blog on your store, enabling you to provide valuable content related to your print-on-demand products, engage with your audience, and establish yourself as an authority in your niche. Blogging can contribute to long-term success by attracting organic traffic and fostering customer loyalty.
Etsy
With Etsy Ads, you can promote your print-on-demand products within the Etsy platform to increase your product’s visibility and reach potential customers who are already browsing or searching for similar items. This targeted advertising approach can be advantageous, especially if your target audience aligns with Etsy’s user base.
Like Shopify, Etsy also offers abandoned cart recovery functionality to re-engage with potential buyers and encourage them to complete their orders.
Additionally, Etsy enables sellers to offer coupon codes and gift cards to attract customers and boost sales.
Etsy recognizes the power of social media in driving sales, and it allows sellers to share their products on various social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to reach a wider audience.
The verdict
When it comes to marketing tools, Shopify outshines Etsy with its SEO optimization capabilities, blogging features, and multi-channel selling options. Although Etsy does offer advertisement services, its marketplace is vast, which can make it more challenging for sellers to connect with their target audience.
Customer supports
Shopify
Shopify takes customer support seriously, offering various channels to assist their users promptly and effectively:
- 24/7 Availability
- Email Support
- Phone Support
- Live Chat
- Documentaries
- FAQ pages
- Community forum
Etsy
Etsy users can find solutions for their problems via
- Phone (need to fill in phone support register form)
- Documentaries
- FAQ pages
- Community forum
The Verdict
Shopify excels over Etsy in customer support, offering around-the-clock service with live chat. On the other hand, Etsy lacks a live chat option and requires sellers to fill out a form for support, which could lead to potential delays.
For Print-on-demand: Who should use Shopify and Etsy?
Shopify:
- Businesses with extensive product selection
- Those who want greater control over the design and functionality of their online store.
Etsy:
- Those who want to tap into Etsy’s loyal customer base
- Those who are looking for a more easy-to-use platform with built-in marketing and advertising features
Bottom Line
In summary, for print-on-demand businesses, Shopify appears to hold a more favorable position over Etsy. But fairly speaking, Shopify and Etsy choose a different approach to ecommerce. Therefore, Etsy remains a viable and attractive platform for artists and designers looking to display and sell their products.
Shopify vs. Etsy for Print on Demand: FAQs
