This page is part of our complete guide to selling handmade products on multiple platforms. If you are still deciding where to sell, start there for the full picture.
Amazon Handmade vs Etsy at a glance
Amazon Handmade and Etsy are both online marketplaces where you can sell handmade goods. That is where the similarities end. They attract different buyers, charge different fees, impose different rules, and reward different seller behaviors.
Amazon Handmade
- Access to 200M+ Prime members
- Prime shipping badge builds buyer trust
- 15% referral fee, no listing fee
- Application required (artisan verification)
- Stricter product and category rules
- FBA available for faster fulfillment
Etsy
- 90M+ active buyers seeking handmade goods
- Craft-focused audience with buying intent
- 6.5% transaction + 3% processing + $0.20 listing
- No application. Open a shop in minutes
- More seller control over shop branding
- Star Seller program rewards consistency
Amazon Handmade gives you massive reach through the Amazon ecosystem. Etsy gives you a dedicated handmade audience and lower barriers to entry. Neither is objectively better. They serve different purposes, and the right choice depends on what you sell and where you are in your business. For more on getting started on Amazon or opening your first Etsy shop, we have dedicated guides for each.
Fee comparison: what you actually pay per sale
Fee structures are the first thing most makers compare. The numbers look simple on the surface but behave differently in practice. Here is what each platform actually charges on a $50 handmade item. For deeper breakdowns, see our guides on Amazon seller fees and Etsy fees.
| Fee Type | Amazon Handmade | Etsy |
|---|---|---|
| Listing fee | $0.00 | $0.20 per listing |
| Transaction/referral fee | 15% ($7.50) | 6.5% ($3.25) |
| Payment processing | Included in referral fee | 3% + $0.25 ($1.75) |
| Monthly subscription | $0 (Professional plan waived for Handmade) | $0 (optional Etsy Plus at $10/mo) |
| Total fees on a $50 sale | $7.50 (15.0%) | $5.20 (10.4%) |
Etsy is cheaper per transaction at every price point. On a $50 item, you keep about $4.70 more on Etsy than on Amazon Handmade. On a $100 item, the gap widens to roughly $9.50. That adds up over hundreds of sales.
But fees are not the whole story. Amazon Handmade sellers consistently report higher average order values and more organic traffic per listing. A 15% fee on a $75 average order can generate more profit than a 10% fee on a $40 average order. The marketplace that costs more per sale might still put more money in your pocket at the end of the month.
Etsy Ads and Offsite Ads are technically optional, but many sellers find them necessary to maintain search visibility. Etsy's Offsite Ads program charges an additional 12-15% on sales that come through their external advertising. If you are enrolled (automatic above $10K/year in revenue), your effective Etsy fee on those orders can exceed Amazon Handmade's 15%.
Selling experience compared
Fees matter, but the day-to-day experience of running a shop on each platform is just as important. Here is how Amazon Handmade and Etsy compare across the things that affect your daily workflow.
Getting started
Etsy lets anyone open a shop in under 10 minutes. No approval required. You can have listings live the same day you decide to sell. Amazon Handmade requires an artisan application. You describe your process, submit photos of your workspace or products, and wait for approval. This can take a few days to a few weeks. The barrier is intentional. Amazon uses it to keep mass-produced items off the Handmade marketplace.
Search and discovery
Etsy's search algorithm heavily weights listing quality, tags, recency, and seller performance. Ranking well on Etsy requires active SEO effort. Amazon's search (A9/A10) is driven by sales velocity, conversion rate, and relevance. Products that sell well rank higher, which drives more sales. It is a momentum-based system. Both platforms reward sellers who optimize their listings, but the optimization strategies are completely different.
Audience and buyer behavior
Etsy buyers are specifically looking for handmade, vintage, and unique items. They expect the handmade context. They read shop stories, look at maker photos, and value the human connection. Amazon buyers are shopping for products. They care about Prime shipping, reviews, and price. Many Amazon Handmade customers may not even realize they are buying handmade. This is not a bad thing. It means your product competes on its own merits against a massive audience.
Brand building
Etsy gives you a customizable shop page with your banner, story, policies, and product sections. It feels like your own storefront within the marketplace. Amazon Handmade gives you an artisan profile, but your listings live in the broader Amazon catalog. Brand building on Amazon is harder. Customers remember "I bought it on Amazon" more than they remember your shop name.
Rules and restrictions
Amazon has stricter product policies. Certain categories require additional approval. Returns are governed by Amazon's customer-friendly policies, which sometimes favor buyers over sellers. Etsy gives sellers more control over return policies and shop rules. Etsy's enforcement is generally lighter, though they have cracked down on resellers in recent years.
International selling
Amazon Handmade operates across multiple Amazon marketplaces (US, UK, EU, etc.), each with its own seller account requirements. Expanding internationally on Amazon means registering in each marketplace. Etsy is global by default. Your listings are visible to buyers worldwide, and Etsy handles currency conversion. For makers who want international sales with minimal setup, Etsy is simpler.
Which platform is better for which products
Some product categories perform consistently better on one platform than the other. This is not a universal rule, but it reflects patterns across thousands of handmade sellers.
| Category | Stronger Platform | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Jewelry | Etsy | Massive handmade jewelry audience. Etsy buyers expect and seek artisan jewelry specifically. |
| Candles and home fragrance | Amazon | Candles sell well as gifts on Amazon. Prime shipping and gift wrapping drive impulse purchases. |
| Art prints and wall art | Etsy | Etsy buyers browse art intentionally. The visual shopping experience favors discovery. |
| Clothing and accessories | Amazon | Larger audience searching for specific items. Prime shipping reduces purchase hesitation. |
| Personalized gifts | Etsy | Etsy's customization tools are built for personalization. Buyers associate Etsy with custom gifts. |
| Skincare and bath products | Amazon | Repeat purchase category. Subscribe and Save and Prime work in your favor. |
| Pottery and ceramics | Etsy | Fragile shipping is easier to manage with Etsy's flexible fulfillment. Buyers value the maker story. |
| Woodworking and furniture | Both | Functional items sell well on Amazon. Artistic or custom pieces do better on Etsy. Depends on the product. |
Notice the pattern. Products where the maker story matters tend to do better on Etsy. Products where convenience and fast shipping matter tend to do better on Amazon. Products that are both functional and handmade can perform well on either.
Sell on Amazon Handmade and Etsy from one dashboard
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Start FreeThe real answer: sell on both
The question "should I sell on Amazon Handmade or Etsy?" assumes you have to pick one. You do not. The most successful handmade sellers use both platforms because they reach fundamentally different customers.
Your Etsy shop reaches craft-focused buyers who value the handmade story. Your Amazon Handmade listings reach Prime members who are searching for products and might never visit Etsy. These two audiences barely overlap. Together, they represent the widest possible reach for a handmade business. Our complete guide to selling handmade products on multiple platforms covers the full strategy in depth.
The challenge of selling on both is operational. Two platforms means two sets of listings, two order streams, and inventory that needs to stay synchronized. If you sell the last unit of a product on Amazon but forget to update Etsy, you get a cancellation. Cancellations on Etsy hurt your search ranking. Cancellations on Amazon can threaten your seller account.
This is exactly what multichannel inventory software solves. Commerce Kitty connects your Amazon Handmade and Etsy accounts into one shared inventory. When a product sells on either platform, the stock count updates everywhere within seconds. You list once, sell everywhere, and never oversell.
Start where you are
If you already sell on Etsy, add Amazon Handmade. If you already sell on Amazon, add Etsy. The second platform expands your reach without cannibalizing the first.
Tailor your listings to each platform
Your Etsy titles should be keyword-rich for Etsy search. Your Amazon titles should follow Amazon's style guidelines. Same product, different presentation. Each platform has its own optimization rules.
Sync your inventory from day one
Connect both platforms to Commerce Kitty. Your inventory stays accurate across Amazon Handmade and Etsy in real time. Add Shopify or other channels later without starting over.
Let each platform do what it does best
Etsy drives handmade-focused discovery and repeat buyers who love the maker connection. Amazon drives high-volume, Prime-eligible purchases from the world's largest e-commerce audience. You get both revenue streams instead of choosing one.
Selling on more platforms than just these two? Read our guide on where to sell handmade products online for the full landscape, or learn how to add Shopify alongside Etsy for direct-to-consumer sales.
Sell on Amazon Handmade and Etsy from one place
Real-time inventory sync across both platforms. No overselling. No double-entry. Free to start, no credit card required.
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