Shopify vs Etsy: when the $39 subscription starts paying for itself
On every single order, Shopify is cheaper than Etsy — often by a wide margin. The catch is that Shopify charges you $39 a month before you sell anything, and it brings no buyers. The whole decision reduces to one number: how many orders a month you actually get.
Per-order economics
Shopify has no marketplace commission. You pay card processing at 2.9% + 30¢ on the Basic plan, plus $39 a month for the platform. Etsy takes 6.5% transaction, 3% + $0.25 processing and $0.20 listing — around 10.9% all-in on a $48 item, before Offsite Ads.
On a $48 sale the difference is roughly $3.30 in Shopify's favour. At 12 orders a month that is $39.60 — almost exactly the subscription. At 30 orders a month it is $99, and the subscription is no longer the question.
| Platform | Fees | Fee rate | Net per sale | vs best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | $1.69 | 3.5% | $21.11 | — |
| Etsy | $5.01 | 10.4% | $17.79 | -$3.32 |
Worked at a $48.00 sale, $19.00 unit cost and $6.20 of shipping you pay, general merchandise. Change any of those and the order can flip — that is what the calculator above is for.
The break-even is twelve orders, but that is the easy part
Twelve orders a month is a low bar. The hard part is that Etsy supplies those orders and Shopify does not. A store with no traffic has a 0% conversion rate on an infinite number of visitors, and the honest comparison is not fee versus fee — it is fee versus customer acquisition cost.
If you spend $0.60 per click and convert at 2%, a customer costs $30 to acquire on Shopify. The same customer on Etsy arrives through a search results page you did not pay for. That is why sellers stay on Etsy well past the point where the fee maths says to leave.
What actually pushes sellers off Etsy
Three things, in order: Offsite Ads taking 15% of orders you thought were yours, account suspension risk with no appeal path, and the inability to email your own customers. None of those are fee problems. Shopify solves all three at a price, and that is the case to make — not the three dollars per order.
The pattern that works: run both. Etsy as the acquisition channel, Shopify as the place repeat customers land. Put a card in every parcel pointing at the Shopify store with a discount that beats Etsy's fees, and let the second order migrate. The subscription pays for itself the month your repeat rate passes about 20%.
Shopify vs Etsy — FAQ
Is Shopify cheaper than Etsy?
Per order, yes: Shopify's 2.9% + 30¢ is about 3.5% of a $48 sale, against Etsy's roughly 10.9% including transaction, processing and listing fees. Per month, no — Shopify adds a $39 Basic subscription that Etsy does not charge. The crossover is around twelve orders a month, provided you can generate the traffic yourself.
How many orders do I need for Shopify to pay for itself?
About twelve orders a month at a $48 average order value, because the fee saving is roughly $3.30 per order against a $39 subscription. That assumes you use Shopify Payments and run no paid apps. With realistic app and theme costs of $80–$150 a month, the real break-even is closer to 40–60 orders.
Does Shopify take a commission on sales?
No. Shopify is your own store, so there is no marketplace commission. You pay the subscription plus payment processing at 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic, 2.7% + 30¢ on Shopify and 2.5% + 30¢ on Advanced. If you use a payment gateway other than Shopify Payments, Shopify adds a transaction fee of 2%, 1% or 0.5% depending on your plan.
Can I sell on both Etsy and Shopify?
Yes, and it is the most common setup for growing craft businesses. Etsy brings the traffic, Shopify owns the customer relationship and takes no commission on repeat orders. The friction is inventory: keep one source of truth for stock so you do not oversell, and expect to pay Etsy's listing and transaction fees on every sale that starts there.
What does Etsy charge that Shopify does not?
Etsy charges a 6.5% transaction fee, 3% + $0.25 payment processing, a $0.20 listing fee per item, and Offsite Ads at 15% (12% above $10,000 a year) on orders it attributes to external advertising. Shopify charges only processing plus the subscription — but you pay for traffic separately, and that usually costs more than the fees.
Sources & last checked. Rates reflect Shopify's 2026 US Basic plan ($39/month, 2.9% + 30¢ online card rate, no marketplace commission) and Etsy's 2026 US seller schedule (6.5% transaction, 3% + $0.25 processing, $0.20 listing, Offsite Ads 15%/12%). Last reviewed October 2026.
Shopify Fee Calculator →
Plan fee, processing, gateway surcharge and break-even orders.
Etsy Fee Calculator →
Every Etsy charge on its own line, Offsite Ads included.