Faire vs IndieMe — Which Wholesale Marketplace is Better for Makers?

Updated April 2026. This post was originally written comparing Faire and Tundra — but Tundra closed in 2022. We’ve updated it to compare Faire with IndieMe, a wholesale marketplace built specifically for handmade creators in North America.

When you’re ready to move your handmade products into wholesale, the first decision usually isn’t “which retailer should I approach?” It’s “which platform do I use to reach them?”

For years, Faire dominated the conversation. Then a few things shifted: Tundra shut down in 2022, and Shopify Handshake was quietly retired in 2023 after Shopify threw its weight behind Faire. The field has narrowed — but it hasn’t disappeared.

IndieMe (formerly Wholesale Crafts) is one of the longest-running wholesale platforms built specifically for handmade and artisan creators in North America. It takes a fundamentally different approach from Faire. And depending on how your margins work, that difference matters quite a bit.

At a Glance — Faire vs IndieMe

What is Faire?

Faire launched in 2017 and has grown into the dominant wholesale marketplace for independent brands and boutique retailers. Over 100,000 brands and 700,000+ retailers use it globally, with buyers across the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

Faire is curated — brands must apply and be approved before they can sell. Once in, you list products, set wholesale prices, and retailers discover you through search and browse. Faire handles payment collection and offers Net 60 terms to qualifying buyers. First orders from new retailers come with free 60-day returns, which removes a lot of the risk for boutiques trying a new brand.

The trade-off? Faire takes a 15% commission on all marketplace orders, plus a $10 new-customer fee on the first order from each new retailer it sources. If a retailer finds you through your own Faire Direct link — someone you brought to the platform yourself — the commission drops to 0%.

👉 Use our free Faire fee calculator to see exactly what you’ll net on any order size.

There’s also a Craftybase integration for Faire that pulls orders directly into your inventory system, so your materials usage and COGS calculations stay current as orders come in.

What is IndieMe?

IndieMe is a wholesale marketplace built exclusively for handmade, artisan, and craft-produced goods from North American creators. It’s been running in various forms since 1998 — one of the oldest platforms in this space.

The business model is different from Faire at its core. You pay a monthly or annual subscription (starting at $59/month, or $489 for the first year) and list as many products as you want. No commissions. No percentage taken from your orders. The platform connects you with retailers specifically seeking handmade and artisan goods — boutiques, gift shops, museum stores, and specialty retailers.

IndieMe’s buyer base is smaller than Faire’s. But those retailers are on the platform precisely because they want handmade products. That’s a different kind of traffic.

Application process

Faire requires a full application. You submit your brand, products, and pricing, and Faire’s team reviews whether you’re a fit. Not every brand gets approved on the first attempt, and the process takes time.

IndieMe has a much lower barrier. You create an account, choose a subscription plan, and start listing. There’s no lengthy gatekeeping for most handmade categories. If you make things by hand and you’re based in North America, you can be visible to buyers quickly.

For makers just starting out in wholesale who want to test the waters before committing to Faire’s application process, IndieMe is a faster on-ramp.

Commissions and fees

This is the biggest structural difference between the two.

Faire charges a 15% commission on all marketplace orders plus a $10 flat fee on the first order from each new retailer Faire sources for you. Payment processing adds another 1.9–3.5% depending on how quickly you want your money. If you’ve done the math on your margins — and you should before going wholesale — those fees can eat significantly into what you keep.

IndieMe charges no commission at all. Every dollar from your wholesale orders goes directly to you (minus standard payment processing). For makers with high labor content or materials costs, a flat subscription fee instead of a percentage can make a real difference to the numbers.

The flip side: IndieMe’s subscription costs money every month regardless of whether you make any sales. Faire only costs you when you earn. Early on, before you’ve built a buyer base, the Faire model carries less financial risk. As volume grows, the maths shifts.

Buyer audience

Faire has a massive retail network — over 700,000 buyers. Its buyer base includes everything from small boutiques to regional chains. The depth of categories is huge, but you’re competing for attention alongside much larger brands, many of which aren’t handmade.

IndieMe has a narrower buyer pool. But those buyers are on the platform specifically because they want handmade and artisan products. Museum gift shops, specialty boutiques, and independent toy stores make up a significant portion of IndieMe’s retail base. If that audience matches your products, you’re a better natural fit.

Neither platform guarantees sales. Both require strong photography, clear product descriptions, and pricing that makes wholesale work for you. But the intent of the buyers is different.

Returns policies

Faire offers free returns on all first orders from new retailers, within 60 days. This is one of Faire’s strongest buyer-side features — it removes risk for a boutique trying a new brand for the first time. Faire absorbs the return cost, not you.

IndieMe doesn’t have a platform-wide returns policy. Returns are negotiated between brands and retailers directly, as is standard in traditional wholesale. This gives you more control, but it also means buyers don’t have the same safety net when placing that first order.

Minimum order requirements

Both platforms let you set your own minimum order quantities. Neither enforces a platform-wide minimum — that’s entirely up to you.

Faire tends to attract retailers comfortable with boutique-level opening orders (typically $100–$300). IndieMe’s buyer base is similar. The key is setting MOQs that make wholesale actually profitable, accounting for your production costs, packaging, and time. Our guide to selling handmade products wholesale covers pricing mechanics in detail.

Payment terms

Faire offers Net 60 payment terms for qualifying buyers — retailers can pay up to 60 days after ordering. Faire fronts the payment to you earlier if you choose faster payout (next day at 3.5%, 30-day at 2.4%, or 60-day at 1.9% of the transaction). For larger orders, this is a big incentive for retailers who manage their cash flow carefully.

IndieMe processes payments at the time of order. Simpler, but some retailers specifically seek out net terms when placing larger wholesale orders — and Faire’s model accommodates that better.

Tracking wholesale inventory

Wholesale orders add complexity to your materials tracking whether you use Faire, IndieMe, or both. Each order draws down your stock, triggers production needs, and affects your cost of goods sold. Managing that in a spreadsheet gets unwieldy fast once you’re running at any real volume.

Craftybase connects with Faire directly — orders sync automatically, the system calculates materials consumed, and your COGS records stay current. For IndieMe orders (or any wholesale channel without a direct integration), you can log orders manually in Craftybase to keep everything in one place across all your channels.

Which should I use?

There’s no universal answer, but a few patterns hold.

Start with Faire if:

• You want access to the largest pool of independent retail buyers without paying upfront
• You’re ready to price wholesale with Faire’s 15% commission built into your margins
• Net 60 terms would help attract larger retail accounts
• You want platform-handled returns to reduce buyer friction on first orders

Consider IndieMe if:

• Your buyers are specifically seeking handmade, artisan-made goods
• You’re already doing decent wholesale volume and the commission math favours a flat subscription
• You’re North American and want to reach museum stores, specialty boutiques, and craft-focused retailers
• You want to list a large catalog without per-sale fees eating into every order

Use both if:

• You want to spread risk across more than one platform
• Your products suit Faire’s broad audience and IndieMe’s craft-focused buyer segment
• You have a system for tracking orders and inventory across channels — without that, managing two wholesale platforms doubles your admin

Some makers do run both. The overhead becomes much more manageable once orders flow automatically into a single system. That’s the point where juggling channels stops feeling like chaos and starts feeling like a real distribution strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to keep your wholesale inventory under control across every channel? Start a free Craftybase trial — it connects with Faire directly and gives you a clear picture of your material costs, COGS, and stock levels as orders come in.