Etsy takes up to 25% of every sale. Your own site changes that.
We build beautiful online stores for makers, crafters, and artisans — so you keep your profit, own your customers, and build a brand that lasts.
Where Your Money Actually Goes on Etsy
Etsy charges four separate fees on every sale. Most sellers know about one or two. Here's the full stack:
| Fee | What You Pay |
|---|---|
| Listing fee | $0.20 per item |
| Transaction fee | 6.5% of total including shipping |
| Payment processing | 3% + $0.25 per sale |
| Offsite ads fee | 12–15% (mandatory over $10K/year) |
That transaction fee hits your shipping charges too. And once your shop crosses $10,000 in annual sales, Etsy forces you into their offsite ads program — you cannot opt out. If someone clicks an Etsy ad for your product and buys within 30 days, you owe an extra 12% even if they would have found you anyway.
On a $50 item with shipping, that's up to $14.42 in fees — over 25% of the sale gone before you count materials, packaging, or your time.
What Etsy Costs You Per Year
Here's a side-by-side comparison of what you pay Etsy versus what you'd pay running your own Shopify store at different revenue levels:
At $25,000 / year in sales
Etsy fees
$2,600 – $3,450
Your own site
~$1,150
You save $1,450 – $2,300 per year
At $50,000 / year in sales
Etsy fees
$5,200 – $6,600
Your own site
~$1,950
You save $3,250 – $4,650 per year
At $100,000 / year in sales
Etsy fees
~$12,800
Your own site
~$4,150
You save ~$8,650 per year
Those savings cover the cost of your entire website — and then some.
What Etsy Costs You Beyond Fees
Fees are the obvious problem. The structural ones are worse:
- ✕ You can't email your own customers. Etsy doesn't share buyer email addresses. You can't send "new collection" announcements, holiday promotions, or restock alerts. Every repeat purchase depends on the customer remembering your shop name and finding you again through Etsy's search — where they'll see your competitors first.
- ✕ The algorithm controls your visibility. Etsy's search ranking is a black box that favors high-volume sellers. One algorithm update can tank your traffic overnight with no explanation and no recourse. You're competing against 45+ million listings from 5+ million sellers — including dropshippers gaming the system with volume.
- ✕ You're building Etsy's brand, not yours. When someone loves what they bought, they say "I found it on Etsy." Your shop lives at etsy.com/shop/yourname — every visit, every Google ranking builds Etsy's domain authority, not yours.
- ✕ Your business can disappear overnight. Etsy can suspend your shop for policy disputes, IP claims, or reasons they never clearly explain. No shop means no revenue, no reviews, no history. One platform decision wipes out everything you built.
What Your Own Website Gives You
A website isn't just a cheaper storefront. It's a set of growth tools Etsy will never give you:
Your Customer Email List
Every buyer becomes a marketable contact. Send new collection announcements, seasonal promotions, and restock alerts. Email marketing generates $36–$40 for every $1 spent.
Google SEO You Own
Rank for niche searches like "hand-thrown stoneware mug" on your own domain. Every blog post, product page, and gift guide builds authority that compounds over time.
Google Shopping (Free)
List your products in Google Shopping results at no cost. Your items appear with photos, prices, and ratings when shoppers search — driving purchase-ready traffic directly to your store.
Your Brand, Not Etsy's
Customers buy from yourbrand.com — not "from Etsy." Branded packaging, follow-up emails, and a cohesive experience create loyalty no marketplace can match.
Repeat Customer Revenue
80% of future profits come from existing customers. Abandoned cart emails, post-purchase follow-ups, and loyalty programs turn one-time buyers into lifelong fans.
You Control Everything
No surprise fee increases. No algorithm changes. No account suspensions. Your site, your rules, your business — built on a foundation you own.
We've helped makers and small business owners launch stores that actually drive revenue — not just sit there looking pretty.
You Don't Have to Quit Etsy
The smartest makers run both. Etsy is your discovery channel. Your own site is home base. Here's how it works:
- Keep Etsy for new customer acquisition — people searching Etsy are already looking for handmade goods. Let them find you there.
- Drive repeat purchases to your site — include a branded card in every Etsy order with your website URL and a discount code for their next purchase.
- Send social media traffic to your site — when someone finds you on Instagram, Pinterest, or TikTok, send them where you keep the margin.
- Build your email list from day one — every website customer becomes someone you can reach directly, forever. That list is the most valuable asset in your business.
Over time, your own site's revenue grows while your Etsy dependency shrinks. You never burn the bridge — you build a better one.
What We Build for You
We don't hand you a template and wish you luck. We build a complete, ready-to-sell online store tailored to your craft:
Store Design & Setup
A beautiful, mobile-responsive storefront that matches your brand. Product pages, collections, and a checkout flow optimized for conversion.
Product Migration
We move your product listings, photos, and descriptions from Etsy to your new store — you don't have to re-enter everything manually.
SEO & Google Shopping
Product schema markup, meta tags, and Google Merchant Center submission so your products appear in Google search and Shopping results.
Email Marketing Setup
Subscriber capture, welcome series, abandoned cart recovery, and post-purchase follow-ups — all automated so they run while you focus on making.
Payment & Shipping
Stripe or Square integration, shipping rate configuration, tax calculations, and order management — the same operational basics Etsy handles, without the Etsy fees.
Launch & Training
We don't disappear after go-live. You get a walkthrough of your store's admin, a guide to adding new products, and support to make sure you're comfortable running it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Etsy actually take from each sale?
Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee, a 6.5% transaction fee on the total sale including shipping, and a 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee. If Etsy's offsite ads drive the sale, you pay an additional 12–15% fee. Total fees range from about 10% to over 25% of each sale depending on whether offsite ads are involved. Etsy's transaction fee was 3.5% before 2018 — it has nearly doubled since.
Do I need to quit Etsy to have my own website?
No. The smartest approach is to run both. Keep Etsy for discovery and new customer acquisition while driving repeat purchases, social media traffic, and email marketing to your own site where fees are lower and you own the customer relationship. Over time, your own site becomes your primary revenue channel.
How long does it take to set up my own store?
We can have your store live in 1–2 weeks, depending on your product catalog size and customization needs. This includes store design, product migration, payment processing setup, SEO optimization, email marketing integration, and Google Shopping submission.
Will customers actually find my site?
Yes — through multiple channels. Your own site can rank in Google for niche product searches, appear in Google Shopping results for free, capture traffic from Pinterest and Instagram, and reach past customers through email marketing. We set up all of these channels as part of your store launch so you're not starting from zero.
What does it cost to run my own online store?
A Shopify store costs $29/month plus payment processing (2.9% + $0.30 per sale). A domain name is $10–15/year. Total annual cost for a store doing $50,000 in sales is roughly $1,950 — compared to $5,200–$6,600 on Etsy. Your own site saves you $3,250–$4,650 per year at that revenue level.
Let's Get Your Store Live
Discovery Call
A 30-minute chat about your shop, your products, and your goals. We'll tell you if your own site makes sense and answer any questions.
Free
30 minutes. No commitment.
Most Popular
Strategy Session
A 60-minute deep dive into your Etsy shop. We calculate your real fee costs, analyze your product catalog, recommend the right platform, and build a step-by-step migration roadmap tailored to your business.
Done-for-You Store
We build your complete online store: design, product migration, SEO, email marketing, Google Shopping, and launch support. Everything you need to start selling independently.
Ready to Keep More of What You Earn?
Start with a free discovery call or go straight to a full strategy session — we'll calculate your real Etsy costs and map out exactly what your own store looks like.