Platform Comparison

True Proper vs Etsy

Own your brand, your customers, and your profits. Move beyond the marketplace and build something that's truly yours.

Start Your Own StoreView Pricing
0%
transaction fees
vs 6.5%+ on Etsy
100%
brand ownership
your domain, your data
$0
listing fees
vs $0.20/listing on Etsy

Feature by Feature

Your own store vs a marketplace—different models with different trade-offs

Feature
True Proper
Etsy
Brand Ownership
Your own domainEtsy stores are etsy.com/shop/yourname
Own your customer dataEtsy controls the customer relationship
No competitor ads on your pagesEtsy shows competing products
Full brand customizationEtsy has strict template limitations
Fees & Costs
No listing feesEtsy charges $0.20 per listing
No transaction feesEtsy takes 6.5% of each sale
No offsite ads feeEtsy charges 12-15% for offsite ad sales
Predictable monthly costsEtsy fees vary with sales volume
Growth Tools
Built-in email marketingEtsy limits direct customer contact
Affiliate programNot available on Etsy
Wholesale portalNot available on Etsy
Subscription productsNot available on Etsy
Marketplace Benefits
Built-in trafficTrue Proper requires your own marketing
Buyer trust/recognitionEtsy brand is well-known
Easy to get startedBoth are beginner-friendly
Sell digital products

Our honest take: Etsy vs your own store

Etsy is great for: Testing product-market fit, getting initial sales, and tapping into built-in traffic. It's the easiest way to start selling.

True Proper is better when: You have repeat customers, you want to build a real brand, or you're tired of marketplace fees eating into your margins.

Many sellers do both: Use Etsy for discovery and to find new customers, but drive repeat buyers to your True Proper store where you keep more profit and own the relationship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about moving from Etsy to your own store

Should I leave Etsy for my own store?

It depends on your stage. Etsy is great for discovery and testing products. Once you have consistent sales and repeat customers, moving to your own store eliminates fees and lets you build a real brand. Many sellers do both—Etsy for discovery, True Proper for their main store.

How much can I save vs Etsy fees?

Etsy charges listing fees ($0.20), transaction fees (6.5%), payment processing (3% + $0.25), and potentially offsite ads fees (12-15%). On a $50 product, that's roughly $5-10 in fees per sale. With True Proper, you only pay payment processing (~2.9% + $0.30).

How do I get traffic without Etsy?

True Proper includes SEO tools, email marketing, affiliate programs, and social commerce features. Many successful sellers build audiences on Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest, then send traffic to their own store where they keep more profit.

Can I migrate my Etsy reviews to True Proper?

Etsy reviews cannot be directly transferred (they belong to Etsy). However, you can screenshot positive reviews for social proof, and True Proper has its own review system to collect fresh testimonials from customers.

Ready to own your brand?

Start your own store risk-free. Keep Etsy running while you build—transition at your own pace.

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