For independent makers, artisans, and small business owners tired of Etsy’s fees, branding limits, or saturated marketplace, the 2025 landscape offers many alternatives. These platforms often offer lower fees, greater control over your brand, stronger mobile management tools, and more flexible seller features. Below are 10 apps like Etsy that give you more power and independence while still letting your creations shine.
1. Shopify
- Build a fully branded store; use Shopify’s mobile app to manage products, orders, inventory, and marketing from your phone.
- No listing fees; you control branding, domain, packaging, and customer communications.
- Lots of apps and integrations: social media sales, email marketing, multi-channel selling.
- Best if you want control and scalability. Requires more effort than just listing on a marketplace.
2. Amazon Handmade
- Dedicated section for handcrafted goods within Amazon; gets exposure to Amazon’s huge customer base.
- Simplifies fulfillment if you use FBA, and leverages Amazon’s trust and logistics.
- Fees: higher transaction/commission fees; less control over branding than an independent store.
3. eBay
- Allows both fixed-price and auction style sales; caters to vintage, collectible, handmade, and unique products.
- Large audience; easy to manage listings via mobile; many tools for seller performance and shipping.
- Downside: high competition; more general marketplace than niche artisan-only ones.
4. Depop
- Fashion and art-oriented marketplace with a younger, trend-driven user base.
- Mobile-first interface: easy uploading of photos, descriptions, plus social drag like following other sellers or buyer chat.
- Best for those who want trend-based or fashion’s resale; fees and discoverability vary.
5. Mercari
- A simple, low-fee marketplace; very mobile friendly.
- Good for casual or part-time sellers who want minimal setup and effort.
- Not as strong for branding or building a premium storefront image.
6. Wix
- Website builder with ecommerce; you can create a store with templates, customize, and manage everything yourself.
- Allows good design control, domain ownership, custom pages and look & feel; better branding than a marketplace.
- Some features cost more, and performance depends on your design decisions.
7. Squarespace
- Focuses on aesthetics: beautiful templates, strong visuals — good for creators who care about design.
- Mobile tools for inventory, order management, etc.; works well when your brand impression matters.
- Less flexible for very large catalogs or super custom marketplace-like features.
8. Bonanza
- Low fees, simpler listing tools, tools to import listings from Etsy or other platforms.
- Marketplace plus small store features; decent discovery; less traffic than Etsy or Amazon.
- Good stepping stone for sellers wanting some marketplace visibility without big fees.
9. Big Cartel
- Designed for makers, artists, creatives with small product ranges.
- Free or low-cost plans available; simple setup; you own your storefront and data.
- Limited features if you scale up a lot or need advanced tools, but excellent for starting out.
10. Storenvy
- Combines marketplace exposure + ability to build custom store fronts.
- Great community aspects and creative product focus.
- Commission on marketplace sales; custom store side gives more control.
Comparative Overview
| Platform | Fees / Costs | Branding Control | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Monthly fee + processing fees; no listing fees | Full control over look, domain, layout | Sellers wanting independent stores & scalability |
| Amazon Handmade | Referral commission; possibly monthly fee | Limited storefront customization | Reach & logistics leverage |
| eBay | Listing / handling / final value fees | Moderate branding control | Vintage, collectibles, diverse items |
| Bonanza | Low transaction fees; free listings mostly | Moderate storefront control | New sellers, multichannel experimentation |
How to Choose the Right Platform
- Understand your product niche: handmade, vintage, art, digital — some platforms focus better on certain types.
- Calculate all fees: listing, transaction, shipping, commissions, subscription fees.
- Branding & customer experience: how important is your brand identity? If crucial, independent storefronts (Shopify, Wix, Squarespace) tend to win.
- Discoverability / audience size: marketplaces give built-in traffic; standalone stores need marketing effort.
- Mobile management: being able to handle orders, uploads, inventory from mobile helps if you’re not full-time seller.
Conclusion
If Etsy isn’t giving what you want — whether that’s lower fees, more branding freedom, or better mobile tools — there are many alternatives in 2025. Each platform has trade-offs, so the best one depends on what matters most: branding, cost, audience, or simplicity. Take advantage of free trials, test a couple, and grow where you feel in control.