Where to Sell Handmade Products Online in 2026 — 10 Best Marketplaces
Compare the 10 best platforms for selling handmade products online in 2026 — Etsy, Shopify, Amazon Handmade, Faire, TikTok Shop, and more. Real fees, pros, cons, and maker fit ratings.
There are more places to sell handmade products online in 2026 than there have ever been — and that’s both exciting and overwhelming. Etsy, Shopify, Amazon Handmade, TikTok Shop, Faire, WooCommerce… the list keeps growing, and each platform has its own fee structure, audience, and learning curve.
The question isn’t really “where can I sell?” It’s “where should I sell, given what I make, how much I charge, and how much time I have?”
This guide breaks down the 10 best platforms for handmade sellers in 2026 — with honest pros and cons, current fee estimates, and a plain-English maker-fit rating for each one. We’ve also included a section on managing inventory once you’re selling in more than one place, because that’s where things get complicated fast.
Quick Comparison: 10 Platforms at a Glance
| Platform | Type | Listing Fee | Transaction Fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etsy | Marketplace | $0.20/item | 6.5% + payment processing | New makers, discoverability |
| Shopify | Hosted store | None | 0% (with Shopify Payments) | Growing brands wanting full control |
| Amazon Handmade | Marketplace | None | 15% referral fee | High-volume, broad audience reach |
| Faire | Wholesale marketplace | None | 15% new / 0% reorders | Adding a wholesale channel |
| TikTok Shop | Social commerce | None | 2–8% referral fee | Younger audience, viral products |
| WooCommerce | Self-hosted store | None | Payment gateway fees only | Tech-comfortable, budget-conscious |
| Wix | Hosted store | None | Payment gateway fees only | Simple setup, visual stores |
| eBay | General marketplace | Variable | ~12.9% final value fee | High-price items, niche products |
| Squarespace | Hosted store | None | 0% (Business plan) | Design-focused stores |
| Craft fairs/markets | In-person | Stall fee | None | Local communities, impulse buys |
Fees are estimates as of early 2026 and subject to change. Always check each platform’s current fee schedule before signing up.
1. Etsy
Etsy is still the default starting point for most handmade sellers, and for good reason. It’s the largest dedicated marketplace for handmade, vintage, and craft supply products — and that built-in audience is genuinely valuable when you’re just getting started.
How it works: You create a seller account, list your products, and pay $0.20 per listing. When you sell, Etsy takes a 6.5% transaction fee on the sale price (including shipping) plus a payment processing fee (3% + $0.25 in the US). Listings renew automatically every four months at $0.20 each.
Offsite Ads: If you have over 10,000 sales in a 12-month period, Etsy automatically enrolls you in Offsite Ads and takes an additional 12% on sales from those ads. Below that threshold, it’s optional. Our Complete Guide to Etsy Fees covers all the details so you can price your products to stay profitable.
Maker fit: High for new sellers. Etsy handles discovery — you don’t need to drive your own traffic. The trade-off is you’re competing alongside millions of other sellers and have limited control over how your shop looks or how Etsy’s algorithm treats you.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Large built-in audience of buyers looking for handmade | High fee stack (listing + transaction + payment) |
| Trusted brand — buyers feel safe purchasing | Limited store customisation |
| Low upfront cost to start | Etsy controls your customer relationship |
| Strong seller community and resources | Algorithm changes can tank traffic overnight |
| Integrates with Craftybase for automatic order import | Increasingly crowded with mass-produced items |
Craftybase integration:Etsy connects directly with Craftybase — orders import automatically, material stock is deducted with each manufacture, and your COGS are tracked in real time.
2. Shopify
Shopify is what most Etsy sellers graduate to once they want more control. It’s a hosted e-commerce platform that gives you your own store, your own domain, and a direct relationship with your customers — without the noise of a marketplace.
How it works: You pay a monthly subscription (Basic starts at $39/month, billed annually). With Shopify Payments, there are no additional transaction fees. You drive your own traffic through social media, email, and SEO.
Maker fit: High for growing makers who have an existing audience or are willing to invest in building one. Shopify is more powerful than Etsy but also more work — you’re responsible for your own marketing.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| No transaction fees (with Shopify Payments) | Monthly fee regardless of sales |
| Full control over branding and customer experience | You drive your own traffic — no built-in audience |
| Huge app ecosystem (shipping, email, reviews) | Can get expensive with paid apps added |
| Your customer data belongs to you | Learning curve for non-technical makers |
| Integrates with Craftybase for inventory sync |
Craftybase integration:Shopify integrates with Craftybase to keep your raw material inventory accurate as orders flow in. Our guide on managing inventory on Shopify walks through exactly how this works.
3. Amazon Handmade
Amazon Handmade launched in 2015 as Amazon’s answer to Etsy — a curated section of the Amazon marketplace dedicated to handmade goods. It’s not for everyone, but if you can get accepted and your products fit, the reach is extraordinary.
How it works: You apply to sell (Amazon reviews applications manually to verify products are genuinely handmade). There are no listing fees, but Amazon charges a 15% referral fee on every sale. Amazon Prime eligibility is a significant advantage — Prime members represent a huge portion of Amazon’s buying base.
Maker fit: Medium-high for makers who produce at volume and can handle the operational requirements. Amazon customers expect fast shipping, seamless returns, and competitive pricing. If your margins are thin, the 15% fee can be painful.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Access to Amazon’s enormous customer base | 15% referral fee is steep |
| Prime eligibility can dramatically boost sales | Strict approval process |
| No monthly seller fee for Handmade sellers | Fast shipping expectations |
| Built-in trust and buyer protection | Less brand identity — you’re “a seller on Amazon” |
| Integrates with Craftybase for order tracking | Customer data belongs to Amazon, not you |
Read our guide on how to apply for Amazon Handmade if you’d like to explore this channel.
Craftybase integration:Amazon Handmade connects with Craftybase so orders automatically flow into your inventory system.
4. Faire
Faire is wholesale — it’s a different channel entirely from the consumer marketplaces above, but it’s worth understanding if you’re thinking about adding a wholesale income stream to your business.
How it works: Faire connects independent brands with independent retailers (boutiques, gift shops, florists, toy stores). Retailers browse the platform and place wholesale orders. Faire charges you 15% commission on new retailer orders and 0% on reorders from the same retailer. Net 60 payment terms are standard — Faire pays you within 60 days.
Maker fit: High for makers who want to add wholesale without cold-emailing buyers. Faire removes the most painful part of wholesale: finding stockists. The trade-off is a significant commission on first orders and the financial management required for net 60 terms.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Access to 700,000+ independent retailers | 15% commission on new retailer orders |
| 0% commission on reorders | Net 60 payment terms require cash flow management |
| Removes cold-calling/emailing for wholesale leads | Requires competitive wholesale pricing |
| Handles payment, insurance, and returns | Products need to photograph well at wholesale scale |
| Integrates with Craftybase for wholesale order tracking |
Craftybase integration:Faire connects with Craftybase to automatically import wholesale orders and deduct materials as you manufacture for those orders.
5. TikTok Shop
TikTok Shop is the fastest-growing commerce channel for handmade sellers in 2026. If your products have any visual appeal and you’re willing to make short videos, TikTok Shop can drive sales at a speed that’s genuinely hard to match through traditional SEO or marketplace discovery.
How it works: TikTok Shop lets you tag products in your videos and Live sessions. Viewers can buy directly without leaving the app. Referral fees are 2–8% depending on category — significantly lower than Etsy or Amazon. TikTok also runs a Shop Ads system for paid promotion.
Maker fit: High for makers with photogenic or process-demonstrable products (candle-making, resin, embroidery, baking). Lower fit for products that require detailed specification or complex purchasing decisions. Requires content creation investment.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Low referral fees (2–8%) | Requires regular video content creation |
| Algorithm can send viral traffic instantly | Unpredictable — a single video can overwhelm capacity |
| Direct product tagging in videos and Lives | Platform risk (regulatory uncertainty in some markets) |
| Growing dedicated buyer base for handmade | Less trust signal than Etsy or Amazon for some buyers |
| Younger audience with strong purchase intent |
Craftybase integration:TikTok Shop integrates with Craftybase for automatic order import and inventory management.
6. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin for WordPress that turns your website into a full e-commerce store. If you already have a WordPress site, it’s worth knowing about.
How it works: WooCommerce itself is free — you pay for hosting (typically $5–30/month), a domain, and any premium plugins you choose. The main ongoing cost is payment processing fees (Stripe, PayPal, etc.).
Maker fit: Medium. Best for makers who are comfortable with technology and want maximum flexibility without a monthly SaaS fee. Requires more technical maintenance than Shopify or Squarespace.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| No platform subscription fee | Requires technical confidence (updates, security, hosting) |
| Maximum customisation | No built-in audience |
| Huge plugin ecosystem | Support is community-driven, not dedicated |
| You own your data and customer relationships | Setup time can be significant |
7. Wix
Wix is a website builder with strong e-commerce capabilities — and one that’s grown considerably in popularity among handmade sellers who want a professional-looking store without coding.
How it works: Wix offers drag-and-drop website building with built-in e-commerce from their Business plans (from ~$29/month). Templates are polished and genuinely easy to customise.
Maker fit: High for design-conscious makers who want a standalone store with minimal technical requirements. Lower fee exposure than Etsy, but you drive your own traffic.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Beautiful templates, very visual | No built-in marketplace audience |
| Low technical barrier | Monthly fee applies regardless of sales |
| Integrates with Craftybase for inventory tracking | Less powerful than Shopify for complex stores |
| Lower transaction fees than marketplace models | SEO capabilities are decent but not best-in-class |
8. eBay
eBay is one of the oldest online marketplaces and still worth considering for certain types of handmade products — particularly unique, collectible, or higher-price-point items where buyers actively search.
How it works: Creating an account is free. You pay insertion fees when listing (some free listings available per month) and a final value fee (approximately 12.9% for most categories) when you sell.
Maker fit: Medium-low for most handmade sellers. eBay’s audience is accustomed to auction-style or heavily discounted pricing, which can work against handmade premium pricing. Works better for vintage, collectible, or supply-selling use cases.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Large existing buyer base | Audience expectation of low prices |
| Strong for unique/vintage/collectible items | High final value fees |
| Auction format can generate competitive pricing | Less aligned with “handmade” branding |
| Global reach | Less community support for makers |
9. Squarespace
Squarespace is known for its design quality — it’s the platform many creative professionals reach for when they want a visually impressive online store.
How it works: Squarespace e-commerce is available on the Business plan and above (~$36/month billed annually). No transaction fees are charged by Squarespace itself on Business and higher plans.
Maker fit: High for makers whose brand identity and visual presentation are central to their positioning. Lower fit if you need complex inventory management or a large app ecosystem.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Best-in-class design templates | Limited third-party app integrations |
| No transaction fees on Business plan | No built-in marketplace audience |
| Clean, intuitive interface | Less flexible than Shopify for complex requirements |
| Good built-in SEO tools | Monthly subscription |
10. Local Markets and Craft Fairs
It’s worth remembering that selling handmade products online isn’t the only option — and for many makers, local markets and craft fairs remain an important income stream alongside digital channels.
In-person selling has real advantages: instant feedback on pricing and packaging, direct customer relationships, cash in hand, and no platform fees eating into your margins. The overhead is a stall fee rather than a percentage of every sale.
Maker fit: High for makers with products that benefit from being seen and touched in person — textiles, ceramics, food, jewellery. Pairs well with an online presence that captures buyers who want to order again after finding you at a market.
How to Choose the Right Platform (Or Platforms)
Most successful handmade sellers end up on more than one channel. A common starting combination:
- Just starting out: Etsy alone — low upfront cost, built-in audience, fastest path to first sale
- Ready to grow: Etsy + Shopify — keep the Etsy traffic coming in while building your own brand and customer base
- Adding wholesale: Etsy/Shopify + Faire — reach independent retailers without cold-calling
- Content creator: Any store + TikTok Shop — let your videos drive direct purchases
The key variable is pricing. Every platform you add has fees that affect your margins. Before committing to a channel, run your numbers: can you still make a profit after the platform takes its cut?
Managing Inventory Across Multiple Channels
Here’s the part nobody talks about enough: once you’re selling in more than one place, inventory management gets complicated fast.
Every order — whether it comes in from Etsy at 11pm, a TikTok Shop Live session at lunch, or a Faire wholesale restock in the morning — pulls from the same pool of raw materials. If you’re tracking that in a spreadsheet, you’re one busy week away from a stockout, an over-order, or a tax-time disaster.
Craftybase connects with Etsy, Shopify, Amazon Handmade, TikTok Shop, Faire, Wix, WooCommerce, and more. Every order automatically imports into one place. Materials are deducted as you manufacture. Your COGS are calculated in real time. And at tax time, your Schedule C numbers are already there.
If you’re serious about selling handmade products — not just as a hobby, but as a real business — the moment you add a second sales channel is the right moment to put a proper inventory system in place. Try Craftybase free for 14 days and see how much cleaner multi-channel selling feels when everything is tracked in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best platform to sell handmade products online?
For most makers starting out, Etsy is the best first platform — it has a built-in audience of buyers actively looking for handmade goods, low upfront cost, and a straightforward setup. As you grow, adding Shopify gives you your own branded store and direct customer relationships. The "best" platform ultimately depends on your product, pricing, and how much marketing effort you're able to invest.
How much does it cost to sell handmade products on Etsy?
Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee per item (renewable every four months), a 6.5% transaction fee on the sale price including shipping, and a payment processing fee of approximately 3% + $0.25 per transaction. There's no monthly subscription fee for a standard Etsy shop. These fees can add up quickly, so it's important to factor all of them into your pricing from the start.
Should I sell on multiple platforms at once?
Yes — most established handmade sellers sell on more than one platform. The most common combination is Etsy for discovery and Shopify for direct sales. The key risk to manage is inventory across channels: if the same raw materials feed multiple platforms, you need a system to track what's been used before you oversell or run out mid-order. Tools like Craftybase automatically sync orders from all channels and deduct materials in real time, which prevents the spreadsheet chaos that multi-channel selling otherwise creates.
Is Amazon Handmade worth it for small makers?
Amazon Handmade can be worthwhile if you have strong margins (the 15% referral fee is significant), can meet fast shipping expectations, and produce at consistent volume. For lower-price-point items or makers who value brand identity, the economics often don't work. It's generally better suited as a growth channel after you've established your pricing on Etsy or your own store — not as a starting point for most handmade sellers.
What alternatives are there to selling on Etsy?
The main alternatives to Etsy for handmade sellers are: Shopify (your own standalone store, no transaction fees), Amazon Handmade (huge reach, 15% fee), TikTok Shop (low fees, social commerce), Faire (wholesale to independent retailers), WooCommerce (self-hosted, free platform), and Squarespace or Wix (hosted stores with strong design). Many makers combine Etsy with one or more of these channels rather than abandoning Etsy entirely. See our guide on [alternatives to selling on Etsy](/blog/alternatives-to-selling-on-etsy) for a deeper comparison.
