11 Best Etsy Alternatives In Latin America To Sell Products
Etsy is one of the most important selling sites where artists and artisans can offer their products. It was launched in 2005 and currently has more than 2.5 million users. In this round-up, we gather some of the best Etsy alternatives in Latin America to sell products online and make a lot of money.
However, since there is a lot of competition and the American company does not fully enforce EU rules, many prefer to register with an Etsy-like store that offers better rewards. In this article, I will show you a list of the best alternatives to Etsy 2022 with their advantages and disadvantages.
What is Etsy and how does it work?
Etsy is a virtual marketplace, also known as DIY (do It Your Self), where you can buy and sell handmade products, collectibles, antiques, and other products.
Unlike stores like Amazon, all the products you will find on Etsy are made, selected, and sold by their own independent creators. So, the main idea is to connect artists and artisans with customers looking for something unique.
On this platform, artists not only make their products, but they must manage everything related to their orders and inventories. So Etsy works as an intermediary, giving these entrepreneurs the opportunity to have a platform where they can find and attract customers.
Creating a store on Etsy is completely free. However, each seller must pay a fee to publish and sell their items. The posting fee is $0.20 per item, plus a 5% transaction fee when selling the product.
This 5% is from the list price of the product plus shipping, customization, and gift wrapping added by the customer when purchasing the product.
Some of the categories you can find on Etsy are:
- Home & Decor
- Jewelry and Accessories
- Clothing and footwear
- Decoration
- Toys and Leisure
- Weddings and Parties
- Art and Collectibles
- Crafts
- Vintage
- Tools and Materials
Also see:
- 10 Best Tips To Sell On Instagram With Your Online Shop
- 15 Popular Types of Crafts to Sell on Instagram [and Make Money]
How does Etsy work?
This platform works in a very simple way. If you are a seller, all you have to do is create your account and then register your business, publish your products and start selling. You must remember that Etsy charges every time you publish a product, but you must publish in order to sell.
If you are a buyer, you just have to enter the platform and there you will find a great variety of handmade products. You choose the product you like and make the payment through the platform, then the product you bought will be delivered directly to your home, no matter where you are in the world.
Advantages
- Its market niche is specific, such as handmade products.
- It is a recognized site, so every day thousands of buyers come to look for a product.
- You can get sales faster since whoever enters generally knows what they are looking for.
- It is easy to create a store and start selling, with the step-by-step guides you can do the whole process.
- It has a large number of buyers available. People who enter this platform do so with the intention of getting something unique, rare or vintage.
- It is committed to the success of small businesses, the mission of this platform is to help small businesses sell their products successfully.
- It offers Marketing tools on the site, such as Etsy ads, through which you can showcase all their products. It also provides sales statistics.
- It offers opportunities for growth, sellers who are successful on the platform can subscribe to Etsy Plusque, which offers better customization tools, monthly credits for listings and ads, as well as access to exclusive discounts, business cards, and custom shipping boxes.
- They have low fees, commission costs are quite low compared to other platforms.
- It offers tools that will help them achieve success, such as their “Sell on Etsyque” app through which they can manage their store from their cell phone.
Disadvantages of Etsy
- You don’t build a brand, this is because the brand that always stands out is Etsy. Even if you have buyers, you do not generate long-term relationships with customers, which you could achieve in your own online store.
- There is a lot of price competition, especially among similar products or products in the same categories.
- You have different costs, in Etsy, there are three different costs; one per publication, one per sale, and one more per transaction. These costs would not exist if you had your own online store.
Etsy Latin America: Prohibited countries
As of April 26, 2021, Etsy announced that all countries that do not have the Etsy Payments system will not be able to register new accounts. Therefore, all countries in South America will not be able to use this platform.
In case you have an account or you have registered before this date, you can continue using Etsy without any problem and receive payments through Paypal.
At the moment, it is unknown when the registrations will be activated again; however, we hope that at some point this will be resolved and we will have access to activate Etsy Payments in Latin America. In the meantime, let’s get to know some of the best alternatives to Etsy to sell products from Latin America.
Best Etsy Alternatives to sell products online in Latin America
There are a variety of online selling platforms that can serve as an excellent alternative if you have problems with Etsy. Let’s get to know some of them:
1. Storenvy
It is a North American marketplace for art, crafts and home goods made up of independent sellers. This platform allows sellers to customize their storefront and use their own domain.
It differs from Etsy in the categorization, which is much more flexible, therefore, it is not necessary that your products fit into the already existing categories.
Advantages
- You have the possibility to send discounts directly to interested people.
- No monthly fees.
- It has very good analysis tools.
- The Storefront is customizable with CSS templates.
Disadvantages
- Products offered by small merchants are displayed next to industrial products.
- It has commissions of 15%.
- Customer service is very poor.
2. Amazon Handmade
This platform is considered one of the most complete alternatives to Etsy in the market since it allows you to sell your handmade products worldwide and with very low commissions.
Although with Amazon Handmade it is necessary to describe the products well so that they have better visibility, the platform has more than 103 million subscribers, so you can access a large number of potential customers.
Advantages
- It has excellent personalization.
- It has a good amount of potential customers.
- It offers a detailed description of each product.
- The product listing is totally free, without any monthly fee.
- It has a large number of categories.
Disadvantages
- Each Seller needs to make an application to register.
- Charges 15% interest plus selling expenses.
- Payments do not appear in the seller’s account until the items have been delivered.
- Limited analysis tools.
- No downloads or sales of digital products.
3. Zazzle
On Zazzle, you cannot offer products, but you can offer your own designs that can be used for a specific product. In order to join this platform as a seller, you must make an application and submit your best designs.
The designs you submit must be suitable to be printed on different items such as stationery, tableware, textiles, or posters. The platform gives a percentage of the income to the designer.
Advantages
- The designs can be sold on a wide range of products. Very attractive point for designers.
- There is the possibility, on the part of the buyers, to customize the products.
- Interest-free.
Disadvantages
- There is no possibility to sell own products.
- It has a somewhat complicated financial margin.
Also see:
- Sell On Amazon — A Complete Guide To Get Started!
- Top 10 Ideas to Start Your Online Business Immediately With Low Investments
4. Redbubble
Like the previous one, this platform allows artists to showcase their designs so that they can be printed on products such as clothing, bags, stationery, and home decor.
There are many artists from all over the world registered, so this could be one of the alternative platforms to Etsy. It is characterized by having a large young audience, so it is possible to find licensed fan arts from series, movies, and the like.
Advantages
- Registration is completely free.
- The creations, printing, packaging, shipping, payment, customer service, and returns are all handled by the platform.
- It offers users different payment methods.
- It has different offers and affiliation programs.
- It gives the possibility to artists to sell fan art with an official license, due to collaborations with different brands.
Disadvantages
- It does not allow the sale of its own products.
- It has a complicated financial margin.
5. Artesanum
This marketplace is based in Barcelona, Spain, and is a store similar to Etsy. It offers in its catalog a wide variety of products such as decorative items, jewelry, clothing and footwear, cosmetics, etc.
Advantages
- In the basic version of the platform, registration is completely free.
- It offers a good variety of categories.
- Charges 10% commission for each sale.
Disadvantages
- You will have to set your own shipping and handling fees.
- Artesanum charges a 10% commission on sales.
6. CoolMaison
This is an excellent alternative to Etsy created in Spain, where artisans can showcase their handmade products. It offers customers the possibility to place orders for the product they want, tailored to their needs. If you want to join this platform you must send a photographic sample of your products.
Advantages
- No shipping costs.
- Competition is limited.
Disadvantages
- You must make a request to enter the database of artisans.
7. Square Online
This is a service that allows the creation of an online store, in which it is not necessary to pay a hosting fee and the domain name for your store is free.
The only requirement is that they use the platform’s payment processing services for credit card acceptance. Although it is not a marketplace like Etsy, it offers excellent opportunities for entrepreneurs who want to expand.
This Marketplace for selling allows your products to be listed and sold only for the cost of credit card processing.
Advantages
- Free plan available.
- It is very easy to use.
- No transaction fees.
- Perfect for low-volume sellers.
- No technical skills are required.
Disadvantages
- Payment options are limited.
- Customization and features are also limited.
- It has no marketplace.
8. Shopify
This is one of the best alternatives to Etsy 2022, as anyone can get in and use its features, especially those who want to jump into selling on their own.
It’s a hosted and cloud-based platform, so it’s perfect for non-technical users who want to get their own eCommerce site without having to learn how to write code.
Although Shopify stores exist independently and not in a marketplace environment like Etsy, you may not notice the difference between them.
Advantages
- It is easy to use.
- It offers mobile responsiveness.
- No listing fees.
- Offers a free trial period.
- Gives you deep customization.
Disadvantages
- Has transaction fees.
- Requires a monthly subscription.
- They are stand-alone sites, i.e. they are not in a marketplace.
9. Wix
It is a very complete and easy-to-use website builder that allows you to track orders, accept credit card and PayPal payments, create promotional coupons and set up your own tax and shipping rules.
It offers fractional pricing plans, the blog supports 26 different languages, and has over 200 widgets to enhance the site and integrate third-party services. However, some services offer few templates.
You can use Wix as a standalone platform and if you have an Etsy account, you can associate it with this platform to enjoy its benefits and increase your sales possibilities.
Advantages
- It is a very simple editor, just drag and paste.
- It can be associated with the Etsy store.
- It offers free 1-year plans.
- It has an independent application marketplace.
Disadvantages
- Paid plans can be more expensive.
- When choosing the template you can’t change it without altering the page.
10. Big Cartel
It is one of the best alternatives to Etsy, as it focuses on small stores and unlike other platforms, you don’t have to pay additional fees.
Its mission and vision are similar to Etsy, with the difference that this platform offers more features and is much cheaper.
Advantages
- It is designed for artists and creators.
- It is very easy to use.
- It has a free plan.
- It is fully hosted.
- It has no transaction fees.
Disadvantages
- Listings are limited.
- Not recommended for large companies.
- It has limited functions.
11. Volusion
This is another excellent alternative to Etsy, since it is an e-commerce website builder that takes care of hosting the entire sales process. So, all you have to do is design your store, and add your products and the platform will take care of the rest.
It is ideal for creating and managing an independent store and, although it is not part of a marketplace like Etsy; you can get good profits and better control over your brand and sales.
I recommend it, especially for people who are starting out in e-commerce and don’t want a big bill at the end of the month. Ideal for those who have few products to offer and for those who don’t know how to start selling online.
Advantages
- It is very easy-to-use platform.
- It has a competitive price.
- It offers a free trial period.
Disadvantages
- It has limited functions.
- Has additional fees.
- Sales limits on plans.
Why should we look for an Etsy Alternative?
Etsy has always been a site for sellers of handmade products, but they have alienated many sellers by announcing some changes. For some, the worst is the site’s plans to push small entrepreneurs’ products as external ads, these are advertised on sites like Google, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Bing.
The seller pays for this type of advertising when the customer clicks on the ad for one of their items and makes a purchase from the store within 30 days. They must then pay advertising fees that are between 12% and 15% of the total sale. Although these types of external ads generate sales, not all sellers agree that these ads are mandatory.
This is not the first time Etsy has made this type of change that affects its users. In 2019, it prioritized sellers offering free shipping and in 2018 it increased its transaction fees from 3.5% to 5%.
It had previously changed its regulations where it allowed merchants to hire outside help for manufacturing, this caused some sellers to get nervous at the thought of factories managing to come in and take over the marketplace.f
Although Etsy is adamant that these policies are aimed at opening up opportunities for sellers, there are many who have already abandoned the platform and are looking for better alternatives to Etsy to make their sales.