Selling handmade items online gives you access to global buyers, but choosing the wrong platform can cost you in fees, visibility, or audience mismatch. Etsy dominates the handmade market, but alternatives like Amazon Handmade, Folksy, and Big Cartel offer different fee structures, buyer demographics, and seller requirements.
This guide compares the best platforms for selling handmade goods in 2026, including fees, traffic, and which types of products perform best on each.
Best Platforms to Sell Handmade Items Online
Etsy
Etsy is the largest marketplace for handmade, vintage, and craft supplies. It has over 90 million active buyers worldwide. Sellers pay €0.20 per listing, a 6.5% transaction fee, and payment processing fees around 3% + €0.25 per sale.
Best for: jewelry, home decor, ceramics, prints, personalized gifts, vintage
Fees: €0.20 listing + 6.5% transaction + ~3% payment processing
Total fees: ~9.5–10% of sale price + €0.45 per item
Audience: global, buyers specifically searching for handmade
Etsy’s strength is its search traffic—buyers arrive already looking for handmade goods. Competition is high, so SEO (tags, titles, descriptions) matters. Photos and reviews drive sales.
Related: [internal link placeholder: How to Sell on Etsy in the UK]
Amazon Handmade
Amazon Handmade is a curated section within Amazon for artisan-made products. Sellers must apply and prove items are genuinely handmade. There’s no monthly fee for individuals, but Amazon charges a 15% referral fee on each sale.
Best for: home goods, jewelry, kitchen items, toys, accessible price points
Fees: 15% referral fee (no listing fee)
Total fees: 15% of sale price
Audience: Amazon’s massive buyer base, not specifically seeking handmade
Amazon Handmade gives you access to Prime shipping and Amazon’s infrastructure. Buyers expect fast shipping and low prices, which can pressure margins. Best for higher-volume, lower-margin items.
Related: [internal link placeholder: How to Sell on Amazon in Germany]
Folksy (UK)
Folksy is a UK-based marketplace exclusively for handmade items by UK-based makers. It charges a 6% + VAT commission on sales, plus a 3% + 20p payment processing fee. No listing fees.
Best for: UK makers selling to UK buyers, crafts, textiles, jewelry
Fees: 6% + VAT commission + 3% + 20p payment processing
Total fees: ~9–10% of sale price + 20p
Audience: UK-focused, smaller than Etsy but less competitive
Folksy has a tighter community feel and fewer listings to compete with. Traffic is lower than Etsy, but buyers tend to value supporting UK makers specifically.
Big Cartel
Big Cartel is a standalone shop builder, not a marketplace. You build your own store and drive your own traffic. Plans start free (5 products) and scale to €9.99/month (50 products) or €19.99/month (500 products). No transaction fees on paid plans.
Best for: artists, small brands, makers with existing audiences
Fees: €0–€19.99/month (no transaction fees on paid plans)
Total fees: fixed monthly cost, no per-sale fee
Audience: you bring your own (Instagram, email list, word of mouth)
Big Cartel works if you already have followers or can drive traffic through social media. It doesn’t provide built-in buyers like Etsy or Amazon.
Not On The High Street (UK)
Not On The High Street is a curated UK marketplace for unique and personalized gifts. Sellers must apply and meet quality standards. Commission is 25% on first sales, dropping to 20% after revenue thresholds.
Best for: personalized gifts, home decor, high-quality handmade goods
Fees: 20–25% commission
Total fees: 20–25% of sale price
Audience: UK buyers looking for premium, unique gifts
Not On The High Street charges higher fees but offers strong brand recognition and buyer trust. Best for makers who can maintain margins despite the commission.
Shopify
Shopify is a full e-commerce platform where you build your own store. Plans start at €27/month. You pay payment processing fees (around 2.9% + €0.30 per transaction) but no transaction fees if using Shopify Payments.
Best for: established makers, higher-volume sellers, those building a brand
Fees: €27+/month + ~2.9% + €0.30 payment processing
Total fees: fixed monthly + ~3% per sale
Audience: you drive your own traffic
Shopify makes sense when you’re selling consistently and want full control. It’s overkill if you’re testing products or selling occasionally.
Facebook Marketplace / Instagram Shopping
Facebook and Instagram allow direct selling to local or online buyers. Facebook Marketplace is free for local sales. Instagram Shopping integrates with Facebook Pay or external checkout, charging 5% per transaction for on-platform checkout.
Best for: local sales, social media-driven brands, visual products
Fees: 0% (local) or 5% (checkout)
Total fees: 0–5% depending on method
Audience: your followers + local discovery
Works well if you have an active social media presence. Requires consistent posting and engagement to drive sales.
Related: [internal link placeholder: How to Sell on Facebook Marketplace in Canada]
Platform Fee Comparison (€50 Handmade Item)
| Platform | Fees | You Keep | % Kept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook Marketplace (local) | €0 | €50.00 | 100% |
| Big Cartel (paid plan) | €9.99/month | €50.00 | 100% per item |
| Shopify | €1.75 (~3.5%) | €48.25 | 96.5% |
| Etsy | €5.20 (~10.4%) | €44.80 | 89.6% |
| Folksy | €5.00 (~10%) | €45.00 | 90% |
| Amazon Handmade | €7.50 (15%) | €42.50 | 85% |
| Not On The High Street | €10–€12.50 (20–25%) | €37.50–€40 | 75–80% |
Which Platform Is Best for Handmade Items?
For beginners with no audience, Etsy offers the best balance of built-in traffic, reasonable fees, and handmade-focused buyers. If you’re in the UK and targeting UK buyers, Folksy is a lower-competition alternative.
For makers with existing audiences (Instagram, email list, repeat customers), Big Cartel or Shopify give you full control and lower per-sale fees—but you must drive your own traffic.
Amazon Handmade works if you can handle higher volume at lower margins. Not On The High Street works for premium goods where the 25% fee is justified by brand trust.
Tips for Selling Handmade Items Online
- Invest in product photography: natural light, clean backgrounds, multiple angles showing scale and detail
- Write detailed descriptions: materials, dimensions, care instructions, customization options
- Price to cover fees and time: factor in listing fees, transaction fees, materials, and labor
- Use keywords strategically: think about what buyers search for, not just what you call your product
- Offer variations where possible: colors, sizes, personalization options increase appeal
- Ship reliably and on time: late shipping kills reviews and repeat business
- Build an email list: even on marketplaces, capture emails for repeat customers
Related: [internal link placeholder: How to Take Photos of Items to Sell Online], [internal link placeholder: How to Ship Items Sold Online]
Can You Sell on Multiple Platforms?
Yes. Many makers list on Etsy for traffic, maintain a Shopify store for repeat customers, and use Instagram for discovery. Managing inventory across platforms requires tracking, but tools like Vela or Craftybase can sync listings.
Start with one platform, learn what sells, then expand. Running three stores poorly is worse than running one well.
Final Thoughts
Etsy is the default choice for most handmade sellers because it delivers buyers actively searching for handmade goods. The fees are reasonable, and the platform handles payments, shipping labels, and buyer disputes.
If you’re UK-based, Folksy offers lower competition. If you have an existing audience, Big Cartel or Shopify give you more control. If you can handle volume and fast shipping, Amazon Handmade opens access to millions of Prime buyers.
Choose based on where your buyers are and how much traffic you can drive yourself. For most makers starting out, Etsy is the best first step.