ByHand vs Etsy
Etsy is a marketplace: shoppers buy from you on Etsy, and Etsy takes fees on each sale. ByHand is a directory of handmade shops: we send shoppers to wherever you already sell, including your Etsy shop, and take nothing from the sale.
Side by side
Etsy's details were checked in October 2026. They change, so check Etsy's fees and payments policy for the latest.
What it is
ByHand
A directory of reviewed handmade shops, linking to where each maker sells.
Etsy
A marketplace with its own checkout, for handmade, vintage and craft supplies.
Cost to list
ByHand
Free to list, and free to stay listed.
Etsy
A listing fee for each item (US$0.20 at the time of writing), paid again when it renews or sells.
Cut of each sale
ByHand
None. Shoppers buy on your own site or shop, so we never see the sale.
Etsy
A transaction fee (6.5% at the time of writing) plus payment processing fees that vary by country.
Advertising
ByHand
Optional: a featured stall (always labelled sponsored) or a fast-track review. Neither changes your ranking or the review decision.
Etsy
Optional Etsy Ads in search, plus Offsite Ads: a fee on sales from Etsy's own ads elsewhere, which larger shops can't opt out of.
Who checks it's handmade
ByHand
A person looks through photos of your making before the shop goes up.
Etsy
Listings go up straight away. Etsy acts on its own checks and on reports.
What's allowed
ByHand
Things you, or a small team you work with, make yourselves. No reselling, drop-shipping or print-on-demand.
Etsy
Items made, designed, handpicked or sourced by the seller, including designs made by production partners.
Taking payment
ByHand
No checkout of our own. Each shop links to where you already sell.
Etsy
Etsy runs the checkout and pays you out.
Craft fairs
ByHand
Your craft fairs and markets go on your shop page and the markets calendar.
Etsy
No built-in way to tell shoppers where your stall will be.
Why makers list on ByHand
- Every shop is checked for handmade, so you aren't up against resellers.
- No listing fees and no cut of your sales, ever.
- Paying for a featured stall never moves you up the rankings, so nobody can buy their way past you.
- Your markets, monthly news and followers live on one page you can share.
Where Etsy is the better fit
- A very large audience already searching for things to buy.
- A checkout, payouts and order tools, so you don't need a shop of your own.
You don't have to choose
Plenty of makers do both. List on ByHand and point your shop at your Etsy shop: people find you here, and buy from you there. You can add your Etsy profile to your social links too.