Platform math
Shopify vs Etsy for print-on-demand
The honest version: this isn't really a fee comparison, it's a traffic comparison. Here's the math for both, and how to decide.
By Tee Verdict · Updated July 2026
TL;DR
Starting from zero audience? Etsy — you're paying its higher fees to borrow its buyers. Already have an audience, or clearing ~20 orders a month? Your own store (Shopify or WooCommerce) is cheaper per sale and owns the customer relationship. Most sellers who last end up running both.
Etsy vs Shopify fees, side by side
| Etsy | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $0 (Etsy Plus optional, $10) | $39/mo (or $29/mo billed annually) |
| Listing fee | $0.20 per listing / 4 months | None |
| Transaction fee | 6.5% of item + shipping | None with Shopify Payments |
| Payment processing | 3% + $0.25 (US) | 2.9% + 30¢ (US, Basic plan) |
| Mandatory ad fee | Offsite Ads: 12–15% on attributed orders | None |
| Traffic included | Yes — Etsy search & buyers | No — you bring every visitor |
US rates, checked July 2026. Run your own numbers in the Etsy fee calculator.
The break-even math
On a $24.99 tee with $4.99 shipping, Etsy takes about $3.30 (11% — listing, transaction, and processing), while Shopify Payments takes $1.17. That's a $2.13-per-order difference, so Shopify's $39 subscription pays for itself at roughly 18 orders a month. Below that, Etsy is cheaper in total even though its rate is higher. One big asterisk: if your Etsy sales lean on Offsite Ads, a 15% fee on those orders moves the break-even dramatically in Shopify's favor.
What the fee table doesn't show: traffic
Etsy's 11% buys placement in a marketplace where buyers already search with wallets out. Shopify's 3% buys checkout infrastructure — and zero visitors. The real cost of an own store is customer acquisition: ads, content, social, email. If you don't have a plan (or budget) for traffic, a cheap store is an empty store, and Etsy's "expensive" fees are the better deal. This is the piece most fee-comparison posts skip.
When Etsy is the right call
You're validating designs and want sales without building an audience first; you sell in niches people browse on marketplaces (gifts, occasions, personalization); or you want a second discovery channel that costs nothing until it sells. Etsy is also the faster feedback loop — which designs get clicks and favorites is market data you can act on within weeks.
When your own store wins
You already have an audience — social following, email list, a niche community; you're past ~20 orders a month and the per-sale savings are real money; or you want what Etsy never gives you: the customer email, remarketing, bundles, and a brand that isn't one search result among thousands. Against "just use my own website" the same logic applies — ownership and margin, in exchange for doing your own marketing.
What about WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is the own-store route without the subscription: free software on your own WordPress hosting (~$10–30/month), standard processing rates, and full control. The trade is setup and maintenance — it's the cheapest option at volume and the most work. If you go that way, Tee Verdict's free WooCommerce plugin scores your catalog the same way the Shopify app does.
The common endgame: both
Sellers who stick around usually stop treating this as either/or. Etsy is the discovery engine and the proving ground; the own store is where proven designs earn full margin and repeat customers. Test on the marketplace, graduate winners to the store — and only print designs worth testing in the first place.
Shopify vs Etsy, answered
Is it cheaper to sell on Shopify or Etsy?
Per order, Shopify: roughly 3% payment processing versus Etsy's ~11% all-in. But Shopify charges a subscription whether you sell or not, and brings no traffic. Below roughly 18 orders a month the subscription outweighs the fee savings; above it, Shopify is cheaper per sale — before you pay to acquire your own traffic.
Does Etsy or Shopify get you more sales?
For a new seller with no audience, Etsy — its search brings buyers to you, which is the entire value of its higher fees. A Shopify store starts at zero visitors; every sale comes from traffic you generate through ads, content, or an existing audience.
Can you sell on both Etsy and Shopify?
Yes, and established POD sellers commonly do: Etsy for discovery and marketplace trust, an own store for repeat buyers, better margins, and an email list. Keep designs and pricing consistent, and use the marketplace to fund the store's growth.
Is WooCommerce cheaper than Etsy?
Usually, at volume. WooCommerce itself is free — you pay for hosting (roughly $10–30/month) and standard payment processing (~2.9% + 30¢). Like Shopify, it starts with zero traffic; unlike Shopify, there's no subscription, at the cost of more setup and maintenance yourself.
Whichever platform you pick, the design decides.
Fees decide a dollar or two per order; whether a design sells at all decides everything else. Tee Verdict scores designs against live market data before you print — on Shopify or on WooCommerce.