Migrate from Shopify to Etsy

Why You Should Migrate From Shopify to Etsy

Migrating from a Shopify store to the Etsy e-commerce platform is a strategic shift from an independent SaaS storefront to an established marketplace ecosystem. This move offers clear advantages for businesses and sellers whose products align with Etsy’s model. Etsy’s high traffic provides immediate access to a large customer base. However, migrating from Shopify to Etsy is not ideal for every business. Below is an overview of why you should consider making the switch:

Note: Our experts have also provided a comparison between Shopify vs. Etsy, please take the time to read it!

Difference in COST.

Etsy’s pay-as-you-go model offers lower fixed costs than Shopify’s monthly subscription model. The key differences are as follows:

Etsy: Operates with minimal initial investment. Variable costs and growth scale directly with the number of listings and sales. This model is often preferred by new sellers or those with inconsistent sales, and the convenience of a centralized product marketplace further reinforces the appeal of Etsy.

Shopify: Requires a fixed monthly subscription regardless of sales volume. Although per-transaction fees are lower, total costs must account for recurring platform fees as well as expenses for themes, apps, and services, which can be substantial for new sellers.

To make this easier to visualize, below is a detailed comparison table outlining the basic costs of Etsy and Shopify:

Etsy vs. Shopify Fee Comparison.

Example with $50 Sale:

• Etsy Cost: $0.20 (Listing) + $3.25 (6.5% Transaction) + $1.75 (3% + $0.25 Payment) = $5.20 total.
• Shopify Cost: $1.75 (2.9% + $0.30 Payment) + $39.00 Monthly Fee = $40.75 total.

Example with 100 orders per month (Average cost per $50 sale):

• Etsy Cost per Order: $0.20 (Listing) + $3.25 (6.5% Transaction) + $1.75 (3% + $0.25 Payment) = $5.20 per order
• Shopify Cost per Order: $1.75 (2.9% + $0.30 Payment) + $39.00 / 100 orders = $1.75 + $0.39 = $2.14 per order

Built-in Audience and Marketing.

The most significant difference is the shift from a “platform” to a “marketplace.”

Etsy: Operates as a high-traffic marketplace. As of Q4 2025, Etsy reported more than 95 million active buyers. These buyers come to the platform specifically for unique, niche, or handcrafted items. Etsy invests heavily in marketing its own brand, driving this targeted traffic directly to sellers’ listings.

Shopify: Provides the tools to build an online store, but sellers are entirely responsible for generating their own traffic. This requires separate and often expensive marketing efforts, including search engine optimization and paid advertising. In fact, many Shopify users report having no sales or receiving no orders for months, based on feedback from the Shopify Community. While the exact percentage cannot be calculated, it is reasonable to assume that many of these cases involve new sellers who have not had the time to optimize their Shopify stores.

In short, when customers search for products on Etsy, they see listings from many sellers, including you. In contrast, with Shopify, you own the website but must handle SEO, advertising, and brand marketing to make customers aware of your store.

Ease of Use and Setup.

The Etsy platform is designed for simplicity and efficiency, prioritizing the listing process over technical customization when compared to Shopify.

Etsy: Offers a streamlined, template-based system. Sellers follow a structured workflow for creating listings, completing predefined fields, and using suggested tags. This approach allows new sellers to set up a functional shop and publish products quickly without configuring a technical environment.

Shopify: Provides extensive customization capabilities, which introduces additional complexity. Sellers must manage interface design, page layouts, and app integrations to achieve the features they need. This flexibility demands more time, technical skills, and ongoing maintenance.

Therefore, if you prefer a platform that requires minimal setup and customization, Etsy is clearly the easier option.

Security and Support.

Both platforms are secure, but their support models differ.

Etsy: Provides marketplace-level security and support. This includes buyer and seller protection programs, mediation for transaction disputes, and a centralized system that manages payments and maintains platform integrity.

Shopify: Provides platform-level security, including enterprise-grade infrastructure, SSL certificates, and PCI-compliant payment processing. However, store owners are responsible for customer service and must handle disputes directly with buyers.

In summary, the responsibilities placed on sellers are more complex when using Shopify. With Etsy, the platform manages most security and dispute-related issues, making the process significantly easier for sellers.

TL;DR Why you should move from Shopify to Etsy:

• Lower upfront costs with a pay-as-you-go fee model.
• Built-in marketplace traffic with millions of active buyers.
• Faster, simpler shop setup with guided listing tools.
• Platform-managed security, payments, and dispute resolution.
• Better suited for new or low-volume sellers who struggle to generate traffic on Shopify.

How to Import Product data from Shopify to Etsy

To move products from Shopify into Etsy, you must export Shopify product data and then manually create corresponding Etsy listings.

There are three main steps to import Shopify product data to Etsy:

• Step 1: Export Your Shopify Products.
• Step 2: Prepare Data for Etsy Listings.
• Step 3: Import Your Products to Etsy.

Step 1: Export Your Shopify Products

First, you need export your Shopify products data to a CSV file.

To export products from Shopify:

• In your Shopify admin, navigate to Products → Export.
• Choose All products and a CSV format, then click Export products.

Shopify will email or download a CSV file with your product data. (If you have thousands of variants, you may need to filter and export in batches to avoid timeouts)

Note about product images on Shopify:

• Shopify’s CSV will contain image URLs.
• To get the actual image files, open each URL in a browser or use the Files section in Shopify admin.
• For example, in Shopify Settings → Files, find each product image, click Copy link, then paste that URL into your browser to download the image.
• Save images in a supported format (Etsy requires JPG or PNG).
• Organize them locally (Etsy lets you upload up to 10 photos per listing)

Review the CSV data:

• Locate key columns: Title, Description, Variant Price, Variant SKU, Option1 Name/Value, Option2/3 Name/Value, and Tags.
• For each product row, note the title, description, price, SKU, and option values.
• You need to clean up formatting to make it plain text suitable for Etsy.
• Also check Tags: Shopify tags are comma-separated in one field, you can split these into up to 13 separate Etsy tag slots later.

Step 2: Prepare Data for Etsy Listings

With your Shopify data ready, plan how it maps to Etsy’s listing form.

Key considerations:

• Title: Etsy titles can be up to 140 characters. Copy your Shopify product Title into Etsy’s title field, truncating if necessary. Use as many relevant keywords as possible (Etsy suggests <15 words), but keep within length limits.
• Description: Copy the Shopify Description text (plain text) into Etsy’s description box. Ensure it fully explains the product and includes keywords buyers might use. Remove any unsupported HTML or code; Etsy supports rich text but not raw HTML.
• Images: When creating the Etsy listing, upload the downloaded images. Etsy allows 10 images per listing. Make sure images meet Etsy’s requirements (.jpg or .png; min ~2000px for detail). Name or order them logically.
• Price and Currency: Enter the Shopify Variant Price as the listing’s price. Etsy will display the price in your shop’s currency. Ensure your Etsy shop’s currency matches or convert as needed. The CSV’s price is a number without symbol; enter it exactly in Etsy’s price field.
• Quantity: In Etsy’s Price & Inventory section, set the Quantity to your stock level for that product. If Shopify tracked inventory at one location, use that number; otherwise set as appropriate.
• SKU: Etsy allows an SKU for each listing (and for each variant). If you used SKUs in Shopify, enter the product’s SKU (or variant SKU) in Etsy’s SKU field to keep consistency.
• Tags: Etsy allows up to 13 tags. If your Shopify CSV had tags, use up to 13 of those or otherwise add keywords that describe the item. Enter them in the “Tags” section (comma-separated in CSV, but in Etsy’s UI you add each tag one by one)
• Materials: If applicable, fill the Materials field in Etsy’s Details tab with product materials. Shopify doesn’t have a standard “materials” column by default, but if you know what it’s made of (from product info), list it here.
• Category and Attributes: Etsy requires you to choose a category for each listing. In the Details → Category section, type a keyword and select the closest match. Once a category is set, Etsy will show relevant attributes (color, size, etc.); fill these if they apply. This information isn’t in your Shopify CSV, so assign it manually.

Step 3: Import Your Products to Etsy

Because Etsy has no bulk import, you must create or update each listing manually. Use the Shopify data as a guide or cheat sheet for each listing.

The basic steps on Etsy are:

• Sign in to Etsy Shop Manager: In Etsy, go to You > Shop Manager, then click Listings.
• Add a new listing: Click Add a listing. The listing form has several tabs (“About”, “Price & Inventory”, “Variations”, etc.). You will fill each tab using your Shopify data.
• About tab:
  • Photos: Click Add photos and upload your product images (saved from Shopify). Arrange them (first photo will be the thumbnail).
  • Title: Paste the product title (≤140 chars). Make it descriptive.
  • Description: Paste the product description. Be sure it reads well; Etsy suggests using buyer-search keywords.
  • Category: Use the search box to select the best category.
  • Personalization: Leave blank unless offering custom text.
• Price & Inventory tab:
  • Price: Enter the price from Shopify.
  • Quantity: Enter available stock.
  • SKU: Enter the Shopify SKU if you tracked one. (Optional for Etsy)
• Variations tab (if applicable): If the Shopify product had variants (e.g. Size, Color), replicate them here. Click Add variations. You can add up to two attributes. Then enter each option value. Toggle on “Price” or “Quantity” if you need different prices or inventory by variant. For example, if each color has a different price, turn on the price toggle and enter each variant’s price. Etsy will then display fields to input prices/quantities per variant.
• Details tab: Fill in any category-specific details that apply. This includes gender, primary color, secondary color, etc. These are selected from dropdowns once you’ve set a category. Also add Tags (up to 13) copied from Shopify or relevant keywords, and Materials if used.
• Shipping (Processing) tab: Etsy will require shipping profiles or processing times. Shopify’s CSV doesn’t include shipping info, so you’ll set this up in Etsy as appropriate for the product.
• Publish listing: When all fields are complete, click Publish. Your listing is now live. Etsy notes it may take up to 48 hours to appear in search.

If you have many similar products, you can speed up the process by copying listings: create one product listing fully, publish it, then on the Listings page use the gear icon to Copy that listing. This makes a duplicate listing with all fields filled; then just change the title, description, price, images, etc., for the new product. This is not a true bulk import, but it saves time since Etsy does not allow uploading a CSV of new listings.

By following these steps, you can transfer your product catalog. It’s a manual process, but using the CSV for reference and Etsy’s “copy listing” feature can save time. Throughout, rely on the official documentation for guidance: Shopify’s product CSV guide for field names, and Etsy’s seller Help articles on creating listings. The key is careful data mapping and attention to Etsy’s field limits and requirements.

For a faster solution when migrating data from Shopify to Etsy, use our AIO Shopify to Etsy Migration. Our team of migration experts will help you migrate from Shopify to Etsy quickly and accurately based on your requirements → All-in-One Migration Package