Etsy vs Printify: Honest Comparison
Two options, side by side, with the real costs and the honest downsides. No hype, just what I'd want my own family to know before they choose.
| Etsy | Printify | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4✓ | 3.5 |
| Monthly cost | $0 | $0 |
| Category | Online selling platform | Online selling platform |
| Pros | No monthly fee to open a shop; Huge built-in audience of shoppers; Great for crafts, art, vintage and digital downloads; Simple to set up and start listing | Free plan to get started; No inventory: products are printed when someone orders; Connects to stores like Shopify, Etsy and eBay; Large catalog of products and print partners |
| Cons | $0.20 listing fee per item, renewed every 4 months; 6.5% transaction fee on each sale, plus payment processing; Offsite Ads can take an extra 12% to 15% on some sales; Crowded marketplace with lots of competition | You need your own store and your own traffic; Product and shipping costs leave thin profit margins; Premium plan costs $39 a month for bigger discounts; Print quality can vary between print partners |
| Verdict | Etsy is one of the easiest ways to start selling creative products from home, with buyers already searching the site every day. Fees add up, so price your items with listing, transaction and processing fees in mind. | Printify lets you sell custom products without buying any stock. It pairs best with an Etsy or Shopify store and a clear plan for getting buyers. |
Choose Etsy if you make handmade, vintage or digital creative products. Choose Printify if you want custom printed products with no stock, sold through your own Etsy or Shopify store.
Etsy
An online marketplace, founded in 2005, where people sell handmade goods, vintage items, craft supplies and digital downloads.
Printify
A print on demand service that connects to your online store, prints your designs on products and ships them to your customers.
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