Your Own Store Next to Etsy and Amazon: What Each Channel Does Well

Each channel has a job

Etsy, Amazon and your own website aren't rivals in a contest. They reach different shoppers in different ways, and each has costs you should know about.

Marketplaces: pros

Shoppers are already there, searching to buy.
The platform handles checkout, payments and much of the trust-building.
Getting started is quick. You can list products without building a site.
Tools for ads, shipping and fulfilment are built in. Amazon, for example, offers Multi-Channel Fulfillment in some markets.

Marketplaces: things to plan for

You pay fees on sales. Etsy lists a $0.20 listing fee, a 6.5% transaction fee and, in the US, 3% plus $0.25 for payment processing. Offsite Ads adds 15% or 12% on orders attributed to those ads. Amazon has its own fee structure, so check the current Seller Central pages.
Each platform has rules about what you can sell and how you talk to buyers. For example, Etsy doesn't allow moving a sale that started on Etsy to another site, and Amazon doesn't allow steering its customers to buy somewhere else.
Your brand sits inside the platform's design, and you share the page with other sellers.
Customer data and email permission follow platform policies. Etsy buyers can't be added to a marketing list without consent.

Your own store: pros

You control the design, message and policies.
You can build an audience of people who chose to hear from you, such as email sign-ups, with their consent.
Customers can find you by your brand name, not only through marketplace search.
Your products, photos and content stay in one place you own.

Your own store: things to plan for

You bring the visitors. A new site doesn't come with shoppers. That's the biggest difference, and the one most often underestimated.
Costs shift: a platform subscription, payment fees, apps, upkeep and your time. They are different from per-sale marketplace fees, not automatically smaller. A simple one-order comparison leaves out traffic, time and setup.
Sales tax, support, policies and accessibility become your job. Read the posts on sales tax and accessibility.

What sellers say

In an August 2026 r/EtsySellers thread, sellers talked about not depending on one platform, about brand and control, and about how much work two channels are. That's one discussion and reflects individual views. It doesn't show what most sellers do or whether it paid off.

How to add a brand site without breaking a rule

Keep selling where you sell. Shopify's own migration guide says you can keep your Etsy shop and sync stock with an app.
Treat your website as its own channel with its own visitors, from search, social media, email and word of mouth.
Don't use Etsy messages, listings or packages to send Etsy buyers to buy elsewhere. Read the off-platform rules post.
Don't add marketplace buyers to a newsletter without their consent.
Track each channel's orders, costs and time separately.

What to do next

Write down what each channel does for you today.
List what you'd want a brand site to do that none of them can.
Start with your ten best products, and compare after a few weeks.

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About the author: I'm Hakan Caba, an Etsy and e-commerce specialist with 12+ years of experience. I manage the Amazon, Etsy and Shopify channels of a US-based company, help Etsy sellers with shop management, ads and search, and co-founded siteupwell, a studio that builds and renovates websites. See how I can help with your shop.

Sources

Rules, numbers and dates change often. This page reflects the sources below as checked on Nov 9, 2026. Confirm current figures with the official source before you act.