Updated 1 October 2026 · Pludor team · 3 sources
You can sell handmade products without Etsy by opening your own store, bringing buyers from social media, markets and word of mouth, and keeping their contact details for repeat sales. Many makers keep Etsy for discovery while sending their own followers to their own store, where they avoid the 6.5% transaction fee and listing fees (Etsy).
A handmade business is a brand built on your craft and story. Your own store lets you tell that story and keep the customer.
Materials plus your time at a fair hourly rate plus overheads and fees, then a margin.
Natural light, a clean background and lifestyle shots.
Share your process and bring every buyer back.
Weigh packed items and use real rates.
Run both and shift repeat buyers to your store.
Use a request form, a deposit and clear timelines.
It depends on your location and product; check local rules, especially for food and cosmetics.
A $0.20 listing fee, 6.5% transaction fee and payment processing (Etsy).
Your own store keeps the customer and avoids marketplace fees; Etsy brings searchers. Many use both.
Wholesale is commonly about half of retail, so your retail price must leave room.
Show your process, tell your story and keep a consistent style.
Yes; fairs bring sales and followers, and a QR code links them to your store.
Release pieces in small seasonal collections to create anticipation.
Local boutiques can bring steady orders.
Teach your craft in paid workshops.
Email past buyers about new pieces first.
Check monthly that your prices still pay you fairly.
AI helps makers with everything except the making.
Keep photos true to the real piece; handmade buyers expect what they see.
Many sellers pay for several tools to cover these jobs. Pludor includes them in one free store, with free amounts every month and pay-as-you-go past them (pricing).
| Job | Usual separate tool | On Pludor |
|---|---|---|
| Online store and checkout | Shopify Basic, $39 a month billed monthly (Shopify) | Included, $0 a month, no item limit |
| Website | Wix Core, $29.77 a month (Wix) | Included: store page and an AI-built website |
| Email marketing | Mailchimp Essentials, from $13 a month (Mailchimp) | Included; 500 marketing emails free each month |
| Bookings and deposits | Calendly Standard, $10 per seat a month billed yearly (Calendly) | Included; 30 bookings free each month, then pay as you go |
Monthly subscriptions in this table add up to about $91.77 a month before any per-sale fees; on Pludor the same jobs start at $0 a month plus 4.99% + 90¢ per paid order and card processing (pricing). Prices checked 1 October 2026 on each tool's pricing page.
Pludor gives makers a free store with no listing fees, custom-order forms, deposits, workshops as bookings and AI product photos.
Free to start - no card, no item limit. Pay only for what you use past the monthly free amounts.
Open my handmade storeChecked 1 October 2026. Fees and rules change; follow the links for the latest.