Etsy sync · Etsy alternative
The Etsy alternative that doesn't make you quit Etsy.
Every guide gives sellers the same advice: keep Etsy for discovery, build your own site for your brand. IndieMade is the only platform where that advice actually works, a true two-way sync keeps both shops matched, automatically.
| Every sale pays | Etsy | IndieMade |
|---|---|---|
| Listing fee | $0.20 per item | None |
| Transaction fee | 6.5%, including shipping | None |
| Payment processing | 3% + $0.25 | Your processor's rate* |
| Offsite Ads | 12-15%, mandatory over $10K/yr | None |
*IndieMade charges no payment fee. You take payments through your own Stripe, Square or PayPal account and they charge their standard rate, about 2.9% + 30¢ a sale. Etsy figures are Etsy's published US rates, 2026.
On a $50 sale, Etsy keeps about $5.20, before ads. At $15/month, an IndieMade store pays for itself in avoided fees after about three of those sales. Nobody else in this category can print a break-even that low.
"But Etsy is where my buyers are."
True, and that's exactly why we don't ask you to leave. Your Etsy shop keeps running, synced. Your own store is where the rest of your business grows:
Google can find you
Your Etsy shop can't rank for your name or your craft, your own domain can. Every product page gets real SEO: titles, descriptions, structured data, sitemap.
Your customers stay yours
On Etsy, buyers are Etsy's customers. On your store, you keep the relationship, repeat buyers, favorites, reviews and order history live with you.
Etsy pays you for your own traffic
Etsy's Share & Save program refunds 4% on orders you drive from your own links, running your own site alongside Etsy literally lowers your Etsy fees.
Craft fairs, business cards, bios
"Find me on Etsy" builds Etsy's brand. Your own domain on the booth banner builds yours.
What the sync actually does
Here is exactly what stays matched, and what does not:
Listings, two-way, create or edit in either shop; the other follows
Inventory, two-way, quantities re-verified against Etsy at the moment of sale, so one-of-a-kind pieces never sell twice
Variations and the options system, two-way, full integration with Etsy variations and Etsy personalized options. Per-variation prices, SKUs, stock and photos, reusable templates, custom options on the same listing
Photos, two-way, listing and per-variation images
Separate SEO per channel, keep different titles and descriptions for Etsy search vs Google, on purpose
Import straight from Etsy, pick the listings you want, and their photos, variations, personalization and reviews come with them
The straight answer: Etsy order history stays on Etsy, and review import is one-way (Etsy → your store). Everything your catalog needs to live in two places at once syncs both ways.
Variations built for handmade work
Handmade listings often need more than color and size. Glaze, length and finish can each have their own price, SKU, stock and photo. Variations and the options system work together on the same listing, with reusable templates and custom options (select, text, file upload). Full two-way with Etsy variations and Etsy personalized options.
Even if you never sell a thing on your own site
IndieMade pays for itself as a workbench for your Etsy shop. Bulk-edit listings with a preview of every change, apply a variation template across dozens of products, run search & replace on your descriptions, then push it all to Etsy through the sync. Changes that take hours in Etsy's editor take seconds here. Time is money; the website is the bonus.
Your whole shop, imported in minutes
Everywhere else this starts with a spreadsheet. You export a CSV from Etsy, upload it, and hope. Big Cartel fetches your photos from your live Etsy listings, so you cannot close that shop. Shopify's own migration app reads the same CSV, moves products only, and states that "products with more than 3 options won't have their options imported". On IndieMade you connect your Etsy account, choose the listings you want, and they arrive with their photos, variations, personalization and reviews, then the sync keeps them matched from that moment on.
More than a store, an artist's site
The part no Etsy-alternative page offers: galleries for the work you're not selling, a real blog for your process and shows, custom pages for your story, and the shop, all on your own domain. Etsy gives you a grid of listings. This is a website.
Questions sellers actually ask
Can I keep my Etsy shop open?
Yes, that's the whole point. The sync is designed for running both shops permanently, not for a farewell migration.
Will I lose my Etsy reviews?
No. Your reviews stay on Etsy, and you can import them into your IndieMade store so new visitors see your track record from day one.
How do I get traffic without Etsy's search?
You keep Etsy's search, your Etsy shop stays live. Your own store adds Google (real SEO on your own domain), your social links, your email customers, and your craft-fair traffic. Etsy's Share & Save program even refunds 4% on Etsy orders you drive yourself.
Is IndieMade cheaper than selling on Etsy?
IndieMade is $15/month with no listing, transaction or ad fees, only your card processor's standard rate. Etsy takes roughly 10% of every sale before ads, more after. Past a few sales a month, the flat plan wins.
Does IndieMade have limited product variants?
No. Handmade listings often need more than color and size. Variations and the options system work together: per-variation prices, SKUs, stock and photos, reusable templates, and custom options on the same listing. Full two-way with Etsy variations and Etsy personalized options.
How do I move my Etsy listings over?
Connect your Etsy account and run the one-click import, products, photos, variations, personalization and reviews. Most shops are done in minutes.
What the others call "Etsy integration"
| IndieMade | Two-way sync: listings, inventory, Etsy variations, Etsy personalized options, photos. Native, included. |
| Squarespace | "A one-time import, not a sync", their own help center's words. |
| Big Cartel | A CSV upload, with your photos fetched from your live Etsy listings. |
| Shopify | A CSV-fed migration app in early access, products only, three options maximum. Orders, customers and reviews need paid apps. |
| Wix | Native Etsy app removed; sync requires paid third-party tools. |
Competitor descriptions per their own published documentation, August 2026, details and sources on our comparison pages.
Keep Etsy. Add your own store.
Import your shop in minutes. They stay in sync from there.
30 days free. No credit card.