Etsy vs Shopify - Is Shopify the Future?

[@alisha_afroz]

I love how you bring your honest views in a calm manner without dramatizing the events. I've been following your videos for sometime and I must say, I've found a mentor in you. I'm trying to gather my courage to open up my store soon 🤞🏼😁. Thank you for being amazing and I always look forward to your videos ✨🙌🏼🌼

[@basillovetarot7605]

I love Shopify platform. Used it in the past, but yes, the lack of traffic can be an issue if you don't already have a customer base. NOTE: If you do tarot, crystals, astrology, or anything in this line of selling, you are restricted in form of payment on Shopify to PayPal and perhaps a few others. Not the standard payment gateway of all credit cards because one or more credit companies don't allow customers to buy "pseudoscience" with their credit cards. Yes in 2022. There is a list of what you can and can't sell so check it out before you sign up, I found out by selling well on Shopify and got closed off to payments, which is why I ended up on Etsy who takes many more forms of payment. Read the fine print!

[@marfred2510]

very informative, thank you.

[@AnnEckhart]

How are you collecting and remitting sales tax for all of the states that require it?

[@cjwsk12]

i don't know why but you seem like one of the most genuine youtubers i've seen who do reviews like this. With others, it feels inauthentic and almost like sponspored in a way?? Idk it doesn't feel right. That's why I come back to your channel

[@TimKoa]

Thank you! I appreciate that :)

[@porter4856]

You should do a video talking about shipping. Lightweight packages, most economical way of doing that stuff. Also productivity and creating a repeatable workflow is important to be able to scale and figure out how to optimize the production and order shipping process.

[@izzychan5408]

I literally came here to ask for a video about shipping as well! @Tim, I love and appreciate your videos! They've really been helping me work on starting my own business and would love to hear about your experiences figuring out shipping

[@ivyaubry]

I second this request for a video about shipping! Especially when you use first class mail (we’re also a sticker company), as well as addressing the shipping with tracking topic.

[@Dr_GraysGhost_420]

@@ivyaubryDid you figure it out? Cuz I just paid $13 to ship an envelope 🤣

[@ThomasKnip]

I use Etsy, and I skipped Shopify because of the monthly costs (for now). But be honest with yourself (and myself, actually) - if you truly want to be your own business(wo)man and you can't afford 29 dollars a month for a business, you'd actually have to ask yourself if you do have a working business model. Overall, a very solid and profound analysis and comparison of both platforms! 👍

[@mikebell1031]

I started on etsy a month ago. Had 1 item that took of and immediately etsy put a 45 day reserve on the funds. This is something you should cover because it will hurt new people like me. I’m switching to Shopify because apparently anytime this happens they can place your funds in reserve for 120 days!! That can bankrupt a new company!

[@mirsey93]

Yes this is why I'm looking to switch. When you first start on Etsy, they put your funds on hold (as you've experienced already). And after that hold is over, they can re-establish it anytime. As a student I'm not always as busy on my shop in the fall/winter so it REALLY messes up my funds once I get busy in the spring/summer and they put my funds on hold. THAT kills me, especially when I need some extra cash for birthdays, groceries or materials for my business. So anyone out there looking to start up their business, Etsy is good to start but it's not long term.

[@KimberlyZimmer-x9f]

Please please can you both talk more about this? I am looking to open my Etsy shop- this is 😮

[@joannew4279]

I sell on both but 99.9% of sales from Etsy, I get free traffic from Etsy without promoting on social, and there’s no traffic through Google at all for the store on shopify, and it didn’t help even advertising on SEM, or constantly posting on social and boost through ad, that’s time consuming and expensive. So finally my website is for branding only but it actually drives no sales at all, I would suggest selling on Etsy if you have limited time to spend especially you work for a full time job at the same time.

[@ThomasKnip]

Offer the same products on both Etsy and your Shopify shop. But use incentives to convince your Etsy customers to switch over to your Shopify shop in the future, to build your very own customer base, many of whom may be Etsy customers.

[@wisewordsforlife2866]

How do you incentivize them to buy your products off Shopify rather? Since we’re not allowed to email Etsy customers and would probably get into trouble from Etsy

[@taylorh1945]

I appreciate the “borrowing customers” portion! No, I totally agree I’m thankful my customer base came from my social media; so when it’s time to own my own website I can just notify and let everyone know I’m switching platforms:)

[@Lilyscraftory]

I just switched to Shopify a few weeks ago and it has been the best decision I've made. I was able to save 50% off the one year plan which saved me $200+ definitely worth it. I love seeing the live map

[@TimKoa]

That's definitely worth it if you can get it! I was looking around for it and it looks like that offer is only for new stores for the first year :(

[@Lilyscraftory]

@@TimKoa To bad you couldn't take advantage of the discount. I'm loving Shopify so far. I don't get hundreds of sales but within the first week of me opening I had so many international orders of people waiting to for me to switch to worldwide shipping and that alone paid off the yearly fee.

[@TVseries-DTN]

@@Lilyscraftory Hi There. I read your comment and want to ask you how can you drive traffic to your shop? Hope you will share it for us. Thanks in advance

[@1Letter23Numbers.]

The one thing I never hear people talking about is sales tax. Etsy, Amazon, and Ebay are marketplace sellers, and they will collect and remit sales tax on your behalf. Shopify does not provide this service as they are not a marketplace seller. In Shopify, the seller has to determine if they are required to collect and remit sales tax to any given state. Do you know the tax laws applicable to your business in all 50 states? You'd be surprised how many businesses don't know the tax laws applicable to their business in their home state let alone all 50. Do you know if you meet the thresholds requiring a sales tax permit for states you do business in? Are you prepared to file 50 sales tax returns monthly, quartely, yearly depending on your sales volume? Can you afford an accountant to do it for you? That alone is reason enough to start on Etsy until you have growth to substantiate opening a storefront on Spotify. Granted, many sellers will not meet the thresholds requiring getting a sales tax permit in many states, but if the goal is to grow a successful business, at some point your business may need to be permitted.

[@LanceLaspina]

Thanks very much for this great comparison Tim and also for making very helpful content in general. I've been on Etsy now for about 5 years and have been wanting to open a Shopify store but there are several things that have so far prevented me from pulling the trigger. The main reason, and I'd love to hear your take on this as I've NEVER seen anyone mention it when they compare Etsy (or any other marketplace) to Shopify is that of sales tax. With Etsy, they completely handle all of the sales tax collection and payments which is a HUGE burden. Prior to the law taking effect a few years ago that mandated markeplaces collect and pay the sales tax on behalf of their clients, it was a total nightmare for me as I did it all myself. With all of the state, local and county taxes mixed in it was definitely the worst part about having an online store. With Shopify it's still necessary to report and pay your own sales tax and therefore most people end up paying yet another monthly subscription to a company like Tax Jar to handle it for them. Otherwise, it just takes up way too much time. Would love to know how you handle this problem and perhaps you could lessen my fears.

[@KimberlyZimmer-x9f]

I was wondering about this as well. Thank you

[@summertime11413]

My second comment is, I'd love to see a video on the Pros and Cons of having multiple online stores, as a lone proprietor.👍🏾Cheers Tom! 🇬🇧

[@glendabrown6659]

Its a good idea to be on multiple platforms just in case your account closed on a platform.

[@magikfrog2]

Hey Tim! Can you consider making a video showing how much you made with Etsy (while only selling on their platform) vs how much you made on Shopify? It would be interesting to see and I'm curious how they differ.

[@littleshopintheshed]

If someone prefers Shopify because it is more customizable, would it not be better to link your product to a small page built with Square. They charge almost nothing, and it can be linked right to a KZbin description.

[@vegetarianhunterable]

Another great video, Tim. Great insights. I see it as: Etsy= Hobby sales & Shopify= brand builder.

[@glendabrown6659]

Why does everyone compare etsy to shopify. Squarespace is very reasonable and less start up costs.

[@nickcharles152]

Hey Tim! Love your videos and have been binge watching them all for a while. I’ve watch every single video at least twice over at this point. I just wanted you to know that you’ve helped me start and grow my Etsy shop!

[@caraleighb]

You CAN turn off offsite ads, its in a different spot to the usual ads :)

[@SY-uh8vs]

Etsy customer support is really bad. They deactivated my account with out sending a reason or a warning. only way to contact is by email and they say response time is one to two weeks.

[@LoveLife390]

Your videos are so helpful and I love how you explain things! Would it be possible to do a step by step video about how you started investing? I know that you explained the benefits of index funds in a previous video, but I think understanding how to actually get started is a challenge for many people. Thank you so much!

[@TimKoa]

I'll add it to my idea list for videos :)

[@sasastories1]

How can that 12.5% possibly be bad. Its a win win, they are basically marketing your product for free and in return taking 12.5%. If they didn’t make this sale you would get nothing. Would you rather have 87.5% of the revenue for that sale or 0? Maybe im missing something.

[@daizyshah6133]

In today's era of influencers, it's really difficult to trust the big numbers and the curiosity that's created by the analysis of ever-surging figures. However, I found a real and genuine mentor in you who sets an example that there could be KZbin marketing without any drama and so-called "only figures works". With your honest views, I'm glad that I'm receiving proper direction with recent stats, and evidence for the same. On this basis, I'm soon going to start a new store. Is it possible to create the process video of How to view the email addresses of your customers and how to ask for consent to get them subscribed to our list?

[@Ambohouse]

Pretty new to etsy. I have had a total of 3 sales in the 2 weeks my decal shop has been up and 1 sale from offsite ads. So 1 out of 3 for me so far

[@TimKoa]

Hopefully that ratio looks different in the future, so you're not paying too much

[@CryptoBeer]

6:36 which plugin do you use for this text overlapping the image?

[@KawaiiStarz]

Thank you for another great video! I decided to look at my Etsy offsite sales stats after you mentioned it in your video and it looks like 13.7% of my sales are coming from offsite ads. I don't know if that's normal or not since you're the first one I've seen mention it specifically. However according to Etsy, they are charging me a discounted rate of 12% rather than 15% because I met certain criteria before May 31, 2021... I also have Shopify in addition to Etsy because as an artist I was also interested in building my own brand and customers. In addition, I sell at local conventions and markets so Shopify's robust POS system and stats gathering is great. I keep both because I don't have time to spend properly doing online marketing, Etsy helps with those online sales and Shopify is my go-to tool for in-person sales. However this holiday season I'm going to experiment actually doing a proper online marketing plan so we'll see if that increases those Shopify sales! :) Do you have a holiday marketing plan as well? I think your product is a wonderful gift for the holidays and I'm already thinking of some kiddos who could use it!

[@rondaschafer2656]

How do you actually get customers on Shopify?

[@FractalG07]

Where do you make more money? Etsy or Shopify? Btw you’re a great entrepreneur, soon you’ll make great money from your KZbin channel too! Keep it up bro

[@shaghayeghsavadkoohi8051]

Living in Iran, I can't use etsy because of the sanctions. I wonder if I can sell my digital art on shopify...

[@zakariae7913]

With Etsy your store can get suspended anytime and sometimes with no clear reasons. Plus you can't build a long term business because you always depend on Etsy.

[@derrieckslosson963]

U should add the fact that Etsy will ban or suspend u with out an email explains why. And they’re terrible with customer services too bc they don’t email back. I heard people spam them just to get it back up

[@JeanneKenna-k8i]

Hernandez Eric Lewis Carol Rodriguez George

[@francesel]

I've been following you for a while and I love how calm and unbiased you present information and your experiences. I just like to point out that it's okay to create an email campaign for etsy as long as you have consent from all the people on your email list. But yes, it's unfortunate that you can't automatically email all the people who already ordered from you before but you can message them asking them to sign up/"opt in" for emails. Lol I freaked out when I got to this part of the video because I was set to collect email addresses from an in person event for people who don't follow social media

[@jahfamily7]

Thank you for your genuine honest sharing. More videos

[@cattelia]

I love your content. It's so thorough and insightful. Thank you!

[@placefor16]

What a informative video! I appreciate your genuine perspective comparisons.

[@fox__fox]

I hate off site ads. In my case it brought me 1/4 of all orders in September (huge difference with you). I can't say I've lost this 12% because I raised in advance all my prices from 6 to 10% (depends on item cost) to compensate this fee. However raising prices always reduce orders amount so actually I lose money by getting less orders than I could. Together with it I feel really unfair to buyers who didn't come from outside: why they should pay more for people who came from outside?

[@Channelholder1]

thank you for your video!! this year alone i had 113 sales just from offsite ads so far 😅

[@TimKoa]

That's a lot! How does that compare with your on-site sales for the year?

[@byrabia]

Thank you so much for being honest and genuine. I’ve learned and been motivated alot from you!

[@jennywhisconier7777]

Great info -- Question -- so, are you selling any/some/all the same items on Etsy as you are on Shopify? Do either of these platforms require exclusivity? Or is that only for one of a kind items anymore? (returning Etsy seller - looks like a totally different animal than 5 years ago) - TY

[@vVulkan]

Etsy suspended my shop and as reason they didn't give me any clear answer 😒 😔

[@smithcopiedhimself]

Tim, do entrepreneurs open shops of both Etsy and Shopify?

[@SmoothAsWhippedButter]

Hey question could you go over insurance? or other business expenses regarding you eCommerce store?

[@aishakhan2962]

hi! thanks for the video! just wanted to ask, how would we transition from etsy to shopify? would we lose our customers and have to start from scratch for shopify?

[@bluebellbell3725]

Etsy gives you organic trafic (+ your own marketing). With annons shop it is Google seo and your own marketing.

[@kurababucosplay]

I will say as far as the emails go: idk if i actually agree that it’s the best way to communicate with customers. Having worked several retail jobs that make you ask for customer emails, the number one thing i heard was “i don’t want to because i get enough emails that i don’t read as it is.” I feel like the best ways as i as consumer have been reached has been by direct notifications from apps or ads online. Idk how statistically reality stacks up vs my anecdote and I’m definitely just speaking from my personal experiences and things discussed during my college marketing courses. It’d definitely be interesting to see how many people actually show up from email blasts vs how many are turned off by them.

[@adrianvanleeuwen]

Shopify is more expensive starting out, however Shopify also has a Shopify Lite program which costs less which can add cart features to your existing website. The only problem is to constantly get enough buyers to your website, unless you already have some regular traffic by your own ads or using social media sites to drive traffic there. Yet, Shopify and Etsy both have pros and cons. Thanks for a great review.

[@comedianchris3629]

Absolutely great video! Very informative!

[@ilker_ergan]

Perfect point there! Thanks a lot man. Very importand information! Instant subscribe :D

[@sle142]

Super valuable and comprehensive comparison. Thanks so much!

[@AimeeVenot]

Hi Tim! Which Shopify Theme do you use for dynamic text on images? the reason I'm asking, is because I have a small sewing business with text over the fabric and would love to streamline that process. I LOVE your videos and have really encouraged me to push harder on my side business. Thanks so much in advance!

[@summertime11413]

Great video! 2 things Tim ... So I'll make 2 separate comments. You say that you have a shop on Etsy and a shop on Shopify (presumably the same Business name) ... So are they taxed in Canada as '1' business or 2 separate businesses? If this is too personal, don't answer 🤭 ... I'm just curious because I have 2 business ideas and might put them on 2 different platforms in the future.🇬🇧👍🏾

[@TimKoa]

For me, they are taxed under the same business as they are just different sales channels

[@colinsanders5244]

Opening an account with Etsy is so frustrating, not easy at all. I've never had an account with them and never been able to sell anything with them. They just keep Emailing me with an auto response saying: "This is Gary from Etsy’s Trust & Safety team. After careful consideration, we've determined your account does not qualify for reinstatement. We've performed a comprehensive review of your account and the information you provided, and are unable to reconsider this decision. While we’re unable to disclose our internal review criteria or discuss your account status further, if you have questions related to fulfilling orders, your Payment Account, or your business history, please let us know. We appreciate the time you’ve invested on Etsy and wish you success in your future endeavors." It seems they don't what people to do business with them.

[@picktop134]

Any Shopify users on here? How do you market for dropshipping. Curious thinking about opening my Shopify store back up cause Etsy suspended my account. I decided to open a Ebay account will see how that workout.

[@artisie]

I started my Etsy shop but I haven’t had any traffic but I’ll keep trying different things. Thanks for all your insightful videos!

[@byrabia]

what do you sell?

[@artisie]

​@@byrabia personalized tumblers mostly

[@mrs.quills7061]

It’s because you have to do a lot of SEO and keyword stuff and drive your own marketing there now. It’s way too much work at times.

[@artisie]

@@mrs.quills7061 ok thank you!

[@althiphop8900]

etsy charged me a listing fee

[@ColdBrewBarbie]

I prefer etsy but like the branding of Shopify

[@GratefulOverlander]

Thank you x10 The timing of this video was absolutely perfect for me. Keep up the great work my friend

[@TimKoa]

Thanks for watching :)

[@MrGreenbudha]

Love your channel. Great information. I'm looking into starting my own online pattern sticker business incorporating my aboriginal background . Going to dig through your other videos for more information!

[@KueVue]

The only problem with etsy is their shipping fee. An art print cost $3.50 but shipping is $12+. Total came to be $16+ and I just have to empty my cart :(

[@dla64wallarts2]

The seller controls the shipping fee not Etsy they can charge you whatever they put in

[@jessicacopeland9066]

Yeah if the shipping is $12 they’re probably trying to make an extra couple dollars because their price is far too low (so they can compete with other sellers), and or it’s an international order.

[@dortheafreyamajborg3375]

Hey! I could really use some advice/help! My name is Dorthea Majborg, and I am starting my very first business with my friend. Our brand name is MaLone and we are selling our first clothing item: The - "Woman want me, fish fear me" cap. I am trying to figure out 1. What are some advices on trying to start your own first brand? And 2. What is the best website to start on? I have to say that we are a clothing brand and want to make future t-shirts, other caps, etc. We are both working a little tight on the money, so we can't effort too much, but we want to create a brand with Social Media potentially (Unless we should maybe wait with that?) No one knows us yet. I really enjoyed your video and thought maybe you would care to share some advice? Anyways! Thank you for your amazing work and video :)

[@Luxury-Royale]

This is really a nice, informative video. I also like you clear, calm, voice. I have subscribed to your channel.

[@ahthisisgood]

Also if you live in Japan or other countries because Etsy payments isn't allowed in those countries isn't allowed you're SOL. It's Shopify.

[@douglasradcliffe981]

Hi Tim. I really appreciate this video. Choosing between Etsy and Shopify has been my hardest decision in the last few months. With your experience using both systems you've helped me a lot to make my decision. I'm going to give Etsy 2 or 3 years whilst trying to make enough sales to cover branching out to Shopify over the long term. Thank you. Thumbs up and subscribed

[@TheWhimwhamTales]

If someone ops for Shopify, how do you get customers to find your store? The reason for me to use etsy would be mainly to have an audience looking for more 'homemade' style products. Thoughts? Thanks for your videos, your humility is very heartwarming!

[@mrs.quills7061]

Ugh etsys support is like nonexistent which is terrible for issues and glitches. Also with how marketing is how, I have to drive traffic to my shop, which it’s like okay I might as well make my own store. Sure Etsy has people that go there and do find my stuff through search, but you gotta generate your own sales now for the most part. I have Etsy, but am planning to open Shopify by the end of the month.

[@battlearenatoshinden]

Etsy charges for offsite up to 30 days after they click. So if they click, buy, receive and order another 10 items in that 30 days, it's 12 percent for all of it. Not just the first item/purchase.

[@KimberlyZimmer-x9f]

Great information Tim. Always very thought out videos. I have been watching your videos putting together my specific business. This video really helped- I have my own website not thru Shopify and it is hard with out social media being used to drive traffic. Even the Social medias are just rented space. Thank you for being a great mentor.

[@C-HQ]

true , Im now using shopify because Etsy is a bit weird when it comes to help you build an actual brand

[@onestooge]

Awesome thanks

[@markcandlin2635]

Tim. Iam a newbie selling on etsy, I have x100 in inventory for a product, when I sell one will Etsy take another 20c from me to relist it?

[@AffordaleVideo]

Etsy is involved with SVB bank and admit that payments would be late as a result. What does that mean for sellers going forward?

[@75mooner]

Wondering if you’d be able to share your thoughts as a CDN shop owner whether it’s better to list in CDN funds or US funds on Etsy. I’m on the verge of opening on Etsy, and as a CDN seller l’m at a loss as to which is the most advantageous, or less of a headache lol. Thx in advance for your input, and for the great content! 🙏😊

[@bheemalramlogan4737]

I live Trinidad and Tobago so I couldn’t finish setting up my Etsy account since I didn’t live in one of the countries they listed. Gonna try Shopify and hope I don’t encounter this. Any advice is appreciated in getting started

[@JuanEdgardo]

Hello I love your videos, I have a store in Spain and I am curious what customization plugin do you use in shopify? The one I have now is usually slow, when the names of the stickers are added it doesn't load well and affects the customer experience. Thank you I hope you can help me

[@harold7]

Sooo charming😍 My Etsy account got suspended just right now huhuhu.

[@felixkim1714]

Thank you so much for sharing your insight. It helped me making up my mind on what I want to do.

[@rosequartzjewelryllc]

thank you for the info! Esty in the us has a %15 ad fee, I'm guessing due to inflation and currency.

[@KuraSourTakanHour]

So I would say its best to start on Etsy then branch out to Shopify or other platforms

[@kyranicole6899]

I want to use Shopify but I genuinely don’t understand the tax paying part

[@MattPuccini]

Excellent breakdown of the two platforms. Thanks!

[@veronicav_]

Hi Tim, do you know if Etsy also advertise products on Pinterest?

[@hans-martinbasmoen9633]

Great videos! Can I as which app you use to make the text directly appear on the sticker as you put in the names? On the shopify product page. Been looking for something similar for months! 😊

[@JesseStanchfield]

Great point on long term thinking and how etsy limits contact. Thank you.

[@tinaurgo4005]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. It was a big help.

[@abigailbaham7952]

Thank you for your honest review! It was a nice video to watch! I never comment on videos so that’s says a lot!

[@krisssuarez9047]

But what if I can't use ETSY on my country?

[@itsalala]

very useful thank you ! ❤️

[@ACompassionateHeartSchool]

Thank you for your insight! 🌿

[@kathysparks4196]

Hi Tim, thank you for your content and videos. You do a great job and you bring a calm presence. What is the printer you use now? I see a Canon listed in an older video but wondering which model you upgraded to. Thank you!

[@financialfreedom2022]

Another great video! You really are helping us by giving such detailed and informative information on these shops!! Thanks so much

[@LennyYT]

I would love for your to research and make a video on how to get emails ethically on Etsy 🎉

[@theconsciousmultiverse]

You are super right! Thank you soo much.

[@pepperlin9474]

Hi Tim, did you hire someone to build your shopify store or you did it yourself?

[@nics4062]

Thank you sooooo much. This was super helpful.

[@Mr222Donovan]

Thank you very much for the information!

[@EggieBold]

Etsy is real sucks!

[@angelamerola4962]

in shopify dont you need to send mostly your own traffic?

[@audreyburm8143]

So very informative! Thanks!