Etsy vs Shopify for 3D Print Sellers: Which Keeps More of Your Money? (2026)
Etsy is the obvious starting point for 3D print sellers. But as your volume grows, its fees add up fast. This post does the exact maths: what you keep per £20/£25/£50 sale on Etsy vs Shopify, and when it makes sense to switch. Use the Etsy calculator and free cost calculator to model your own figures.
Quick Picks
Best for starting out: Etsy — built-in audience, no monthly fee on basic
Best for established sellers (50+ orders/mo): Shopify — lower per-transaction fee
Best for both: Etsy + Shopify (cross-list, own your customer data)
Lowest total fees at £25 sale: Shopify Basic — you keep ~£22.75 vs ~£20.20 on Etsy
Fee Structure Comparison
| Fee Type | Etsy | Shopify Basic | Shopify Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | £0 (free) / £15 (Plus) | £25/mo | £5/mo |
| Listing fee | £0.16 per item | None | None |
| Transaction fee | 6.5% of sale | None (own card) | 5% of sale |
| Payment processing | 4% + £0.20 (UK) | 2% + 25p (UK) | 5% + 25p |
| Offsite Ads (forced) | 12–15% if applicable | N/A | N/A |
What you keep per sale
| Sale Price | Etsy (incl. listing) | Shopify Basic | Shopify Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| £15 sale | £12.28 | £12.50 | £13.50 |
| £25 sale | £20.20 | £22.50 | £22.00 |
| £50 sale | £39.88 | £46.00 | £43.75 |
Shopify Basic assumes £25/mo cost amortised over 50 sales/month. Etsy assumes no Offsite Ads applied.
Etsy's hidden fees explained
Walk through all 4 fee layers: listing (£0.16), transaction (6.5%), payment processing (4% + £0.20), Offsite Ads (12–15% when triggered, mandatory if over £10k/yr). Most sellers only notice the transaction fee.
Shopify's real cost structure
Monthly fee is the headline, but transaction fees are much lower. At Shopify Basic (£25/mo), you pay 2% + 25p per sale. If you're doing 50 sales/month at £25 avg, the monthly fee works out to 2p/sale overhead.
The break-even calculation
At what volume does Shopify become cheaper than Etsy? At £25 average sale price: Etsy margin = 80.8%. Shopify Basic amortised at 50 sales = margin 90.0%. Break-even is roughly 25–30 sales/month at £25 average.
What Etsy gives you that Shopify doesn't
Traffic. Etsy's built-in audience is worth real money. A new Shopify store starts with zero traffic. For sellers under 50 orders/month, Etsy's audience typically outweighs the fee difference.
The hybrid strategy
Many successful 3D print sellers run both: Etsy for discovery, Shopify for repeat customers. Collect emails on Etsy orders, drive repeats to Shopify. This is the optimal setup once you're past 50 orders/month.
Don't leave Etsy just because Shopify looks cheaper on paper. Etsy's traffic is worth 10–15% easily to a new seller. Switch only when you have enough repeat customers to sustain Shopify traffic independently.
Related tools & guides
Etsy Fee Calculator for 3D Print Sellers
Calculate exactly what you keep per sale.
3D Print Cost Calculator
Includes platform fees in full cost breakdown.
How to Price 3D Prints on Etsy (2026)
Full fee breakdown and pricing formula.
How a UK Etsy Seller Makes £2,400/Month
Case study: real numbers from a successful seller.
Compare platform fees before you price
Pro calculator includes Etsy, Shopify, eBay, Amazon and custom platform fee profiles. See your exact margin per platform before committing to a price. 30-day free trial, no card required.