Last Updated on March 21, 2025 by Caesar
I remember the first time I heard a small business owner vent about Etsy. It was in a local coffee shop in Charlotte, North Carolina—where conversations about business often sound like a mix of hope, caffeine-induced enthusiasm, and occasional frustration. This particular entrepreneur, let’s call her Emily, had been selling handmade jewelry on Etsy for five years. She had built a loyal customer base, spent countless hours perfecting her listings, and even saw her designs featured in major lifestyle magazines. But despite all that, her profits were shrinking faster than an ice cube in a North Carolina summer.
The problem? Fees. Not just Etsy’s standard listing fees but the additional transaction fees, payment processing cuts, and the now-dreaded “Offsite Ads” that took a hefty commission on sales. Emily was effectively working for Etsy more than for herself. That’s when she started looking for a way out—and that’s where Shopify entered the conversation.
Why Are Small Businesses Jumping Ship from Etsy to Shopify?
Etsy was once the ultimate haven for artisans, crafters, and small creators who wanted an easy way to sell handmade goods without dealing with the complexities of running their own websites. And to be fair, Etsy still provides a massive built-in audience that independent sellers can tap into with little effort. But over the years, Etsy has transformed from a niche marketplace into something that, ironically, many sellers now see as a corporate monolith.
Etsy takes a 6.5% cut from every sale (up from 5% just a few years ago). Add in the listing fees, the unavoidable transaction fees, and the Offsite Ads fee—which can go as high as 15%—and suddenly, the dream of being an independent artist starts feeling more like being a contractor for a big-box retailer.
That’s why thousands of Etsy sellers are making the switch to Shopify. Shopify developers in Charlotte at Above Bits have helped many small businesses transition from marketplace dependence to full e-commerce ownership. Unlike Etsy, Shopify doesn’t take a percentage of sales. It charges a monthly subscription fee, but in return, sellers get a fully customizable storefront, their own branding, and complete control over marketing, pricing, and customer relationships.
Shopify vs. Etsy: The Hard Truth
While Shopify gives sellers freedom, the transition is not all sunshine and seamless transactions. One major challenge for new Shopify store owners is traffic—or the lack of it. Etsy provides sellers with built-in visibility. A well-optimized Etsy listing can appear in front of millions of potential buyers simply because they’re already searching for products on the platform. Shopify, on the other hand, is just a storefront. It doesn’t come with a pool of shoppers eager to buy.
This means former Etsy sellers must suddenly become marketing experts, investing in SEO, social media, email campaigns, and possibly even paid advertising. This can feel overwhelming for those who are used to Etsy handling customer acquisition.
That’s where Shopify developers in Charlotte come in handy. Instead of going in blind, many small business owners partner with e-commerce development agencies like Above Bits to create conversion-optimized Shopify stores that are structured for success from day one. These developers build stunning storefronts and integrate features like automated marketing tools, SEO-friendly architecture, and even AI-driven product recommendations.
The Shopify App Ecosystem: A Game-Changer for Small Brands
One of Shopify’s biggest strengths is its vast app ecosystem. Unlike Etsy, where customization is limited to whatever Etsy HQ decides, Shopify allows store owners to install thousands of apps that enhance functionality. Need an advanced email marketing system? There’s an app for that. Want AI-powered chat support? Covered. Are you looking for automated inventory management that syncs with Instagram, Facebook, and even physical retail locations? Done.
But, and this is a big but, the Shopify App Store can also be a rabbit hole of unnecessary expenses. Some Shopify apps have hefty monthly fees that can add up quickly, often costing as much as the original Etsy fees sellers tried to avoid. It’s easy to fall into the trap of overloading a Shopify store with flashy apps that aren’t actually needed.
That’s why experienced Shopify developers in Charlotte, like those at Above Bits, help business owners sift through the noise and choose only the most essential integrations. Rather than bloating a site with redundant plugins, a good developer will recommend the right mix of tools that enhance the shopping experience without causing slowdowns or unnecessary costs.
The SEO Challenge: Why Etsy Sellers Struggle on Shopify
Another major hurdle for Etsy-to-Shopify migrants is search engine optimization (SEO). Etsy’s search algorithm is relatively simple—use the right keywords in a listing, get enough engagement and boom, your product appears on the first page of search results. Shopify, however, operates in the wide world of Google, which is an entirely different beast.
Google rankings take time, backlinks, and technical SEO expertise to master. While some business owners attempt to handle this themselves, most eventually realize they need professional SEO help. Shopify developers in Charlotte with expertise in SEO, such as those at Above Bits, often assist clients in structuring their stores for search success. This includes everything from proper meta descriptions and URL structures to lightning-fast site speed and mobile optimization—because, let’s be honest, modern consumers are already gone if a store takes longer than three seconds to load.
That’s just the start of the Shopify migration journey. In the second half of this article, we’ll dive into some surprising stats about global Shopify growth, how big companies influence the platform, and what sellers should know about payment processing and international expansion.
Global Shopify Growth: Why the World is Moving Toward Independent E-Commerce
If you think Shopify is just for small businesses, think again. The platform powers over 4.4 million online stores globally and is one of the fastest-growing e-commerce platforms in the world. Some of the biggest brands, including Kylie Cosmetics, Gymshark, and Allbirds, use Shopify to manage their direct-to-consumer sales. What started as a way for small sellers to gain independence has now become a dominant force in global e-commerce.
And the numbers back it up. Shopify merchants generated over $197 billion in total sales in 2023, a staggering increase from just a few years ago. Meanwhile, Etsy’s gross merchandise sales (GMS) for the same period sat at $13.3 billion—a fraction of Shopify’s power. The writing on the wall is clear: more businesses are shifting to Shopify, even as platforms like Amazon and eBay continue to dominate in their respective categories.
The rise of Shopify is driven mainly by the same frustration that led Emily, our Charlotte-based jewelry maker, to migrate from Etsy. Business owners want control—over pricing, branding, customer relationships, and marketing. They no longer want to feel like they’re at the mercy of a platform that can change its policies overnight, introduce new fees, or prioritize paid promotions over organic sales.
The Cost Factor: Is Shopify Really Cheaper Than Etsy?
Now, let’s address one of the biggest misconceptions about Shopify: the idea that it’s automatically a cheaper alternative to Etsy. While it’s true that Shopify doesn’t take a cut of individual sales, it does come with subscription fees that can vary depending on the level of service.
- The Basic Shopify plan starts at $39/month, which gives merchants access to core e-commerce features but still charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction if they don’t use Shopify Payments.
- The Shopify plan ($105/month) lowers transaction fees and introduces advanced reports.
- The Advanced Shopify plan ($399/month) unlocks deeper analytics, reduced transaction costs, and more automation tools.
For comparison, Etsy’s fee structure can take anywhere from 15% to 20% of a seller’s revenue when factoring in listing, transaction, payment processing, and advertising commissions. The key difference? Shopify’s costs are predictable, whereas Etsy’s fees fluctuate based on sales volume.
For high-volume sellers, Shopify is often the more profitable choice in the long run. However, Shopify’s fixed monthly costs can feel like a burden for low-volume sellers just starting. This is where good planning—and working with experienced Shopify developers in Charlotte—makes all the difference. At Above Bits, we’ve helped businesses scale their Shopify stores in a way that makes financial sense, ensuring they don’t overspend on unnecessary features before they’re ready to handle higher sales volumes.
Shopify Payments vs. Third-Party Processors: What’s the Catch?
Another often-overlooked aspect of moving to Shopify is payment processing. Shopify strongly encourages store owners to use its native Shopify Payments system, simplifying transactions and removing additional processing fees. However, Shopify Payments is not available in every country, and some businesses prefer using third-party processors like PayPal, Stripe, or Authorize.net for various reasons.
The problem? Shopify imposes extra fees on businesses that use third-party payment gateways instead of Shopify Payments. Depending on the Shopify plan, these fees range from 0.5% to 2% per transaction.
This creates an interesting dilemma for businesses with established payment processing relationships. For example, some international sellers prefer using Payoneer for cross-border transactions because of its favorable currency exchange rates. Others rely on PayPal because of its buyer protection policies. But sticking with these providers means paying Shopify an extra fee, which can eat into profits over time.
The Role of Big Companies in Shopify’s Expansion
While Shopify was initially designed for small businesses, it has caught the attention of major global brands in recent years. Companies like Nestlé, Tesla, Red Bull, and Heinz now run Shopify-powered stores, proving that the platform is also scalable for enterprises. This trend has forced Shopify to introduce more enterprise-grade features, such as Shopify Plus—a premium solution tailored for high-volume sellers.
One of the most significant developments in Shopify’s evolution was its acquisition of Delivery in 2022. This move signaled Shopify’s ambition to compete with Amazon by offering merchants faster, more reliable fulfillment options. The Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN) is still in its early stages, but it represents a major shift in how Shopify plans to support merchants beyond just software—it’s moving into logistics, warehousing, and delivery speed optimization.
This is a game-changer for independent sellers making the switch from Etsy. One of Etsy’s biggest advantages was its ability to simplify shipping logistics for small businesses. Now, with Shopify expanding its fulfillment capabilities, merchants have access to Amazon-like delivery speeds without being tied to Amazon’s restrictive ecosystem.
The Marketing Puzzle: Why Some Etsy Sellers Struggle on Shopify
Of course, no platform is perfect, and Shopify is no exception. One of the biggest reasons Etsy sellers hesitate to migrate is the daunting task of marketing. Unlike Etsy, where customers can organically discover a store just by browsing, Shopify requires merchants to drive traffic through their own efforts.
That means mastering Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram marketing, influencer collaborations, and email campaigns—none particularly easy for beginners. While Shopify provides built-in SEO tools and integrations with social media platforms, sellers who aren’t familiar with digital marketing often spend hundreds (or thousands) on ads without seeing returns.
At Above Bits, we’ve seen this challenge firsthand. Many of the businesses we help transition from Etsy to Shopify come to us after months of struggling with low traffic. They assume that simply having a Shopify store will bring in customers, but that’s not how e-commerce works. That’s why experienced Shopify developers in Charlotte go beyond just building a store—they implement marketing automation tools, optimize search engines, and integrate advanced analytics to help sellers make data-driven decisions.
Is It Time to Make the Switch?
If you’re an Etsy seller frustrated by fees, limited customization, and policy changes, migrating to Shopify can be a smart long-term move—but only if done correctly. The most significant advantage of Shopify is ownership—you control your store, branding, and customer relationships. However, the challenges of marketing, payment processing, and setup costs mean that not every seller will thrive immediately.
For those considering the switch, working with Shopify developers in Charlotte at Above Bits can save many headaches. With nearly two decades of experience in e-commerce development, our team knows exactly how to set up Shopify stores for success from day one—ensuring that former Etsy sellers don’t just escape fees but actually sustainably grow their businesses.
The question isn’t whether Shopify is better than Etsy—it’s whether you’re ready to take full control of your e-commerce destiny. And if you are, we’re here to help.
