sell on wareby 3

amazon handmade alternatives

amazon handmade takes 15% of every sale and doesn’t allow food. here are the other places to sell handmade, and what each costs.

by · 3 min read
two clay makers packing a handmade blue mug into a box of paper shred
in this post1why look elsewhere2the alternatives3questions4sources
the short answer

amazon handmade takes 15% of each sale, shipping included ($5.25 on $35), and doesn’t allow food or let you market to buyers. etsy costs less on an ordinary sale ($3.78) and has more handmade buyers. store builders like shopify and big cartel cost about $1.32 a sale in card processing, with or without a monthly plan, but bring no buyers. wareby is free to open and lists you for shoppers within 25 miles, food included.

why look beyond amazon handmade?

  • 15% of every sale, shipping included.
  • no food: home bakers can’t sell there at all.
  • no marketing to your buyers: messages only about the order.

the best amazon handmade alternatives, compared

in no particular order. we make wareby, so weigh our take on it with that in mind.

  1. etsy

    best for: handmade that ships, to buyers anywhere

    what it costs
    20¢ a listing + 6.5% + 3% + 25¢ a sale
    who finds you
    86.5 million active buyers
    what’s good
    • the biggest handmade audience
    watch out for
    • 15% offsite ad fee on sales its ads bring
    • no links that lead buyers off etsy
    wareby vs etsy

  2. shopify

    best for: sellers with their own audience who want full control

    what it costs
    $39 a month ($29 billed yearly) + 2.9% + 30¢ a sale
    who finds you
    people you send to your site
    what’s good
    • your own brand, design and web address
    • low per-sale fees as you grow
    • local pickup, local delivery and in-person selling included
    watch out for
    • you bring every visitor
    • a monthly fee from the start, plus paid themes and apps if you want them
    wareby vs shopify

  3. big cartel

    best for: artists and small shops with a handful of products

    what it costs
    free for up to 5 products. $15 a month for more
    who finds you
    people you send to your site
    what’s good
    • no transaction fee from big cartel, just card processing (2.9% + 30¢ with stripe)
    • simple, and made for artists
    watch out for
    • product limits on every plan
    • your own domain needs a paid plan
    • you bring every visitor

  4. square online

    best for: market vendors and cafes who already use a square card reader

    what it costs
    free plan: 3.3% + 30¢ a sale. plus: $49 a month
    who finds you
    people you send to your site
    what’s good
    • a real free plan, with pickup and local delivery
    • online and in-person sales in one account
    watch out for
    • the free plan shows square’s branding and can’t use your own domain
    • retail preorders need plus, at $49 a month
    wareby vs square online

  5. wareby

    best for: makers whose buyers live nearby

    what it costs
    free to open, no listing or ad fees. 10% + 3% + 30¢ a sale
    who finds you
    shoppers within 25 miles, plus your own link
    what’s good
    • no listing fees and no ad fees
    • your shop link and qr code are part of your shop. on loved, orders through them have no sale fee
    • pickup and local delivery, so no boxes or postage for local buyers
    watch out for
    • local reach only: shoppers within 25 miles
    • on an ordinary $35 sale, the free plan’s fees are about a dollar more than etsy’s
    wareby vs etsy

questions people ask

what is cheaper than amazon handmade?

etsy on an ordinary sale ($3.78 vs $5.25 on $35), and store builders like square online or big cartel ($1.32 to $1.46), though those don’t bring buyers.

where can i sell handmade food instead of amazon?

amazon handmade doesn’t allow food. home bakers can sell on wareby with a cottage food registration or licensed kitchen, or take orders with apps like hotplate.

sources

  1. amazon seller central: amazon handmade referral fees
  2. amazon seller central: amazon handmade
  3. etsy: fees & payments policy
  4. shopify: pricing
  5. big cartel: the gold plan
  6. square: online store plans
  7. wareby: seller plans

we checked every fee and fact about other companies on october 12, 2026, on their own pages. fees change, so check theirs before you decide. spot something out of date? email hello@shopwareby.com and we’ll fix it.

etsy, amazon handmade, ebay, shopify, square online, wix, squarespace, big cartel, hotplate, bakesy, castiron, instagram, facebook marketplace, nextdoor, doordash, uber eats and grubhub are trademarks of their owners. wareby isn’t affiliated with any of them, and we make wareby, so weigh our opinions with that in mind.

tommy and omar at their farmers market booth
written by tommy + omar

we started tandoco, a small bakery in minneapolis, and sold under a blue tent at farmers markets before we built wareby. our story

sell on wareby.

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