ADVERTORIAL
Etsy is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms for selling handmade crafts. It was launched in 2005, and since then, the platform has become a go-to place for crafters and shoppers alike.
While Etsy is an excellent platform for selling manufactured items, it may not be the right fit for everyone.
Best Websites To Sell Handmade Items
1. Bonanza
Bonanza has functionality and features similar to Etsy, except for its emphasis on unique products. Bonanza offers a central hub to sell your stuff, and unlike Etsy, Bonanza doesn’t purport to be an all-crafts-only platform.
It is more of a general marketplace; here, you’ll find items like clothing, cosmetics, furniture, and more.
Bonanza can help expand your business reach and presence using their automated listings on reputable platforms like Google Shopping and eBay. With Bonanza, you’ll also get built-in marketing and analytics tools to facilitate your marketing efforts.
This platform also allows potential buyers to negotiate prices, so make sure you leave some room while setting up prices on your products.
Bonanza will charge you $25 per month to host your website. With this, you can market, sell, and list on the platform for free. Bonanza charges a $3.50 commission, which only applies to the Final Offer Value (FOV).
2. Aftcra
Aftcra is a limited eCommerce platform dedicated to serving artisans in America. Unlike with Etsy, where you can sell all kinds of manufactured goods, on Aftcra, you can only advocate for the “made in America” tag.
The good thing with this platform is that it doesn’t have upfront fees; you will only be charged once you are ready to upload your products.
Aftcra is one of the most popular Etsy alternatives that are worth investing in. It does not allow mass-produced items or internationally sourced products, so you don’t have to be worried about being outdone by low-quality products.
However, it would be best if you had additional marketing strategies to succeed on the platform. Unlike Etsy, few buyers frequent Aftcra, so you need to work to attract traffic from Facebook, Google Shopping, and other marketing and advertising platforms.
You can set up a branded Aftcra shop and list your products for free. The platform only charges you when you make a sale, and the charge is 7% of the total sale price. Once you list your product on the forum, it stays live on Aftcra.com for six months, after which you have to relist your products for free.
3. iCraft
iCraft is an eCommerce platform that only allows sellers who hand-make crafts, art, and fashion items. The platform is based in Ontario, Canada, and only sells new handmade products from independent artists and crafters worldwide.
iCraft allows buyers to make custom project requests. It is easy to set up a store on this platform, and once the setup is done, you can access small business marketing services, art and crafts events, and message boards.
The platform does not have listing or transaction fees, but it strictly reviews all submitted work to ensure that everything meets its mission and values. As an iCraft seller, you’ll have an online store with the iCraft URL (icraftgifts.com) at a small one-time registration fee and a monthly fee.
You must register with a one-time non-refundable fee of $25 and a monthly subscription of $15.
4. Storenvy
Storenvy is an exciting Etsy alternative that boasts over 67,000 indie brands selling their goods on the
platform. It is a marketplace that supports small independent brands and prides itself on providing high-quality products.
Storenvy also describes itself as a social marketplace. It allows buyers to like listings, message sellers directly, and add items to their collections. It regularly promotes sellers’ offerings on social media, giving your listings more mileage than a paid promotion on Etsy.
Aside from allowing you to sell your creations on the platform, Storenvy also will enable you to build a fully-customized online store with a ton of advanced features that can be hosted on their unique domain.
5. Indie Cart
Indie Cart started as a sister site to Hyena Cart. Hyena Cart was a destination for high-demand and unique items. With time, Hyena Cart and Indie Cart merged, and all of the active Hyena stores were transferred to Indie Cart.
Indie Cart is one of the best Etsy alternatives that does not charge listing fees or commission per sale. The platform has been around for a while though its popularity is a bit scanty.
Indie Cart allows buyers to choose the sale type (reserve with a deposit, regular sale, and auction), select the currency to sell in, and integrate with Facebook to add more products to their page.
Indie Cart allows you to list your handmade products as many as you like for free and also allows you to blacklist buyers you don’t want to sell to. Unlike Etsy, Indie Cart has a calendar that showcases products that will be in stock at a particular time and is available for buyers to see.