Comparisons

Etsy vs Amazon Handmade for makers

Question: Etsy vs Amazon Handmade for makers?

Short answer

Etsy lets you open a shop and start listing handmade, designed, vintage or craft-supply items, paying per listing and per sale. Amazon Handmade requires you to apply as a maker and only accepts genuinely handcrafted products, but approved makers sell on Amazon with the Professional plan's monthly fee waived and pay referral fees on sales.

Etsy is the simpler start for most makers; Amazon Handmade can add reach once you're approved.

What each accepts

Etsy accepts items made, designed, handpicked or sourced by the seller, which includes print-on-demand designs with a disclosed production partner. Amazon Handmade is narrower: you classify each product as hand-altered, hand-designed, handcrafted, repurposed or upcycled, and its application and audit processes are there to keep the store to genuine handcrafted goods.

Getting started

Etsy: open a shop from the Sell on Etsy page; a one-time set-up fee may apply and is shown before you finish.
Amazon Handmade: register as a Professional seller, confirm you'll follow the Handmade guidelines, apply and wait for approval, then add the Handmade classification to your products and create a maker profile.

Fees at time of review

On October 28, 2026, Etsy's fees page listed a $0.20 USD listing fee, a 6.5% transaction fee on item price plus shipping and gift wrapping, payment processing fees and Offsite Ads fees on attributed orders. Amazon's Handmade page said the monthly Professional selling fee is waived for approved Handmade sellers (after a one-time first-month payment) and that you pay referral fees when you sell. Check both pages for current figures.

Day to day

Etsy: shop page, listings, messaging and reviews all inside Etsy.
Amazon Handmade: listings use Amazon's standard listing tools with a Handmade classification, plus a maker profile page.
Both: you're measured on shipping and customer service, so realistic processing times matter.

Example: a jewelry maker deciding

A maker of hand-stamped bracelets can sell on Etsy as made by a seller. To join Amazon Handmade, they'd register as a Professional seller, apply, and classify the bracelets as handcrafted. If they also sell printed designs made by a production partner, those fit Etsy's rules but would need checking against Handmade's guidelines.

Is this a good fit for you?

Likely a good fit if

Etsy: you want to start quickly, or you sell designed, vintage or craft-supply items.
Amazon Handmade: every product is genuinely handcrafted and you're ready for an application.

Think twice if

Amazon Handmade if your products rely on production partners or light customization.
Either, if you can't keep processing times you promise.

Common pitfalls

Applying to Amazon Handmade with products that are only lightly customized.
Comparing fees without including payment processing and ads.
Copying the same listing text to both without adapting it.
Overcommitting production capacity across two channels.

Choose your maker channel

Read Etsy's Creativity Standards and Amazon's Handmade guidelines.
Classify your products honestly under each.
Estimate fees per order on both with current figures.
Check you can keep up with orders from two channels.
Start with one; add the second when your process is steady.

Official sources

Fee and policy details on this page were checked against these official pages on October 28, 2026. They change, so confirm current terms before you rely on them.

Shopmation is an emerging AI seller-workflow product. The platforms named here are independent companies; mentioning them doesn't mean they are Shopmation integrations or partners. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.