Shopify vs Etsy 2019 — Which is better for your Ecommerce business?

Let’s dive deep and compare everything about both platform options for your Ecommerce business.

Etsy

Etsy is a good place to start for new makers/product businesses. It’s easy to get up and running and start your own store for cheap.

It’s currently 20 cents to list your product on Etsy. Because of the extremely low cost to entry, it can be a good testing ground for your products. You only pay transaction fees if your product sells.

Etsy Pros:

Super cheap to begin
People are used to shopping on Etsy, there’s a built-in trust factor with their brand and platform
Etsy has built in search functionalities, increasing your chances of getting found
User-friendly, no web design skills needed
Potential to be featured by Etsy

Etsy Cons:

Etsy fees can get expensive with higher volume of products
Limited on design
Limited brand recognition
Lots of competition on Etsy
Not able to save emails of customers, harder to get repeat customers
Doesn’t always feel “legit” enough for some purposes

Shopify

Shopify (affiliate link) is an all-in-one Ecommerce platform. It’s flexible, able to scale, and has so many features, it’s hard to even contain them in a list. It’s a seriously well-built platform.

With Shopify, you can have a fully professional multi-page Ecommerce website. You have the control to create a unique customer experience that aligns with your own brand.

Shopify Pros:

24/7 support, including phone support
Minimal to no downtime
Shopify’s POS lets you sell online and in person, with one inventory
Easy to understand analytics
Easily manage large inventory
SEO friendly (add SEO content just about everywhere on your site)
Super easy checkout process (Shopify Pay, Apple Pay and/or Google Pay make it even more seamless)
Shoppable Instagram posts and Buyable pins on Pinterest
An app store that enables you to expand the features of your store. You can add features that can increase the profits of your store with cross-selling, customizable recommendations, favorites, customized emails, and so much more
Blogging platform

Shopify Cons:

No built-in searchable engine — you need to create and drive your own traffic
Monthly fees, may cost more than Etsy depending on volume
Higher up-front cost — typically requires a designer to set up your shop

Shopify Costs:

Shopify’s plans start at $29/month and go up to $299/month.

Want to try Shopify?

Which one should you choose?

For most new businesses, Etsy is a low-risk, low-cost way to validate your product and make sure you’re making/selling something that people want to buy.

Once you’ve established that, consider switching to Shopify. If sales are picking up and you want to grow them more, Shopify is where you want to be. There’s a higher up-front cost, but much more potential to expand and grow your revenue, and truly build your own brand.

If you already have a retail location or are selling at in-person occasionally, starting on Shopify is a good bet. Their sales channels makes it seamless to manage multiple inventories, which will save a lot of time and headache.

We can help.

At Launch Party, we design and build Shopify websites for our clients in just 4 weeks. Within a month, you could be up and running your own Shopify store. If you’re looking to increase your online sales, let’s chat! Start by reading more about the Launch Party process and when you’re ready, send a message here.