Migrate Shopify to Etsy

Benefits of Migrating from Shopify to Etsy

Migrating from a standalone Shopify store to the Etsy marketplace is a strategic shift from managing an independent platform to joining an established ecosystem. This move offers distinct advantages for businesses that align with Etsy’s model, particularly those focused on handmade goods, vintage items, and craft supplies.

This section outlines the primary benefits of migrating to Etsy.

Cost Structure

Etsy’s model is based on pay-as-you-go fees, offering lower fixed costs compared to Shopify’s monthly subscription model:

• Etsy: Operates with minimal upfront investment. Costs are variable and scale directly with listings and sales. This model is often preferable for new sellers or those with inconsistent sales volume.
• Shopify: Requires a fixed monthly subscription, regardless of sales. While its per-transaction (payment processing) fees may be slightly lower, the total cost must account for the recurring platform fee.

Etsy vs. Shopify Fee Comparison

Example:

• $50 Sale Etsy Cost: $0.20 (Listing) + $3.25 (6.5% Transaction) + $1.75 (3% + $0.25 Payment) = $5.20
• Shopify Cost: $1.75 (2.9% + $0.30 Payment) + $39.00 Monthly Fee

Built-in Audience and Marketing

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

• Etsy: Functions as a high-traffic marketplace. As of Q2 2023, Etsy reported over 96 million active buyers. These buyers are specifically visiting the platform to find unique, non-commodity items. Etsy invests heavily in marketing its own brand, driving this high-intent traffic directly to sellers’ listings.
• Shopify: Provides the tools to build a store, but the seller is 100% responsible for generating traffic. This requires a separate and often costly strategy for marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and paid advertising.

Ease of Use and Setup

Etsy’s platform is designed for simplicity and efficiency, prioritizing the listing process over technical customization.

• Etsy: Offers a streamlined, template-based system. Sellers are guided through a structured process to create listings, fill in specific fields, and use suggested tags. This allows a new seller to set up a functional shop and list products quickly.
• Shopify: Offers extensive customization, which also creates complexity. Sellers must manage theme design, page layout, and app integrations for specific features. This flexibility requires more time, technical knowledge, and ongoing maintenance.

Security and Support

Both platforms are secure, but their support models are different.

• Etsy: Provides marketplace-level support and security. This includes buyer and seller protection programs, mediation for transaction disputes, and a centralized system for managing payments and platform integrity.
• Shopify: Provides platform-level security. This includes enterprise-grade infrastructure, SSL certificates, and PCI compliance for payments. However, the store owner is responsible for managing customer service and resolving disputes directly.

If you’re moving from Shopify to Etsy, following the right process is essential to ensure a smooth transition. A proper migration helps protect your data, maintain your website traffic, and get your new Shopify store running fast.

There are two main ways to transfer your store: using a professional migration service like LitExtension or migrating manually.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to migrate from Shopify to Etsy step by step using LitExtension service. Plus, if you prefer a hands-on approach, we’ll also cover how to manually export and import your data between the two platforms.

How to Migrate from Shopify to Etsy with LitExtension

Looking for a fast and reliable Shopify to Etsy migration? With over 13 years of experience, LitExtension has helped thousands of merchants move their online stores with zero data loss and minimal downtime.

Our migration process combines advanced automation with expert support to ensure every product, customer, order, URL, and SEO element is transferred accurately and securely.

Here’s an overview of our 7-step migration process:

• Technical Consultation with LitExtension Experts
• Pre-Migration Customization
• Run Demo Migration
• Perform the Full Migration
• Migration Results Testing
• Post-Migration Tasks
• Post-Migration Customer Support

In the next section, we’ll walk you through each step in detail, showing how we make your Shopify to Etsy migration smooth, safe, and completely stress-free.

Step 1. Technical Consultation with LitExtension Experts

Your Shopify to Etsy migration begins with a personalized technical consultation with our expert team. This step ensures we fully understand your store and design the most efficient, risk-free migration plan.

We start by analyzing your Shopify store’s size, structure, and complexity. This early assessment helps us identify potential challenges and develop clear solutions before the migration begins. We also determine exactly which data will be transferred including products, customers, orders, blog posts, and other essential content. By defining the full scope upfront, we can accurately estimate timelines and resources to keep your project running smoothly.

Next, we review any custom elements such as unique fields, layouts, or workflows. This allows us to create a tailored migration strategy that preserves your data structure and ensures everything moves to Etsy cleanly and accurately.

With our experts guiding you from the start, you can move forward with confidence and peace of mind, knowing your migration is carefully planned and professionally managed.

Step 2. Pre-Migration Customization

Once the initial consultation is complete, we prepare your store for a seamless Shopify to Etsy migration. This stage focuses on setting up both platforms correctly to ensure your data transfers accurately, securely, and without downtime.

We begin by inspecting your Shopify store (Source Cart) and Etsy store (Target Cart) to confirm they’re fully ready for migration. This includes verifying store URLs, access credentials, and configurations to make sure your Shopify setup can send data smoothly and your Etsy store can receive it properly.

Next, we perform data mapping, a crucial step to ensure every piece of information from Shopify matches Etsy’s format. If your Shopify store includes custom fields or unique data types, we carefully align them with Etsy’s structure to preserve accuracy and consistency.

By the end of this stage, both platforms will be perfectly configured and fully synchronized, setting the foundation for a fast, reliable, and error-free migration to Etsy.

Step 3. Run Demo Migration

Before transferring your complete store data, we start with a demo migration to give you a clear preview of how your Shopify content will look and function on Etsy. This important step helps confirm that everything is properly configured and ready for a smooth full migration.

During the demo, we transfer a small sample of your data such as products, customers, and orders from Shopify to Etsy. This allows us to test how your information appears, verify that it matches Etsy’s structure, and identify any areas that may need adjustment.

If your store contains fewer than 2,000 entities, the demo migration may be skipped unless you specifically request it. For larger stores, we run the demo using our automated system, then carefully review and validate the results to ensure every detail is accurate.

If anything requires fine-tuning, we make the necessary adjustments before proceeding. This step gives you confidence and transparency, ensuring that your full Shopify to Etsy migration will be seamless, precise, and fully aligned with your expectations.

Step 4. Perform the Full Migration

After you approve the demo results, we move on to the full Shopify to Etsy migration, the stage where all your selected data is securely and accurately transferred to your new Etsy store.

Using the custom settings and mapping defined earlier, our team executes a detailed migration plan to ensure every piece of data is correctly placed and functions as intended. We also preserve important data relationships, such as product-to-collection links, to maintain your store’s original structure and consistency.

One major advantage of using LitExtension is that your store stays live throughout the entire process. Our migration runs automatically in the cloud, so you can continue managing your Shopify store without interruption or downtime.

Once the migration is complete, we’ll notify you immediately so you can start reviewing and testing your new Etsy store with full confidence that your data has been transferred safely and accurately.

Step 5. Migration Results Testing

Once the full Shopify to Etsy migration is complete, we move on to a thorough testing and verification phase to ensure everything has transferred accurately and your new Etsy store is functioning perfectly.

During this step, our team conducts multiple rounds of quality checks to confirm the accuracy and completeness of your migrated data. We carefully review all key elements like products, customers, orders, categories, and other content to make sure they appear correctly and align with your original Shopify setup.

After verifying that all data is intact and performing as expected, we provide you with a project completion confirmation. This final validation gives you complete confidence that your new Etsy store is ready to go live fully functional, error-free, and perfectly aligned with your business needs.

Step 6. Post-Migration Tasks

During the Shopify to Etsy migration, your Shopify store remains live, which means new data such as orders, products, or customer information may continue to appear. To keep your new Etsy store fully up to date, LitExtension offers a range of post-migration services designed to sync and maintain your data seamlessly.

Here’s what’s included:

• Unlimited Recent Data Migration: If your new data volume is less than 5% of the original migration, we’ll transfer it free of charge within 30 days after your migration is completed.
• Free & Unlimited Re-Migration: Need to redo your migration? You can re-run the entire process for free within 30 days after completion.
• Free & Unlimited Smart Update: Keep your Etsy store in sync with your Shopify data for up to 90 days post-migration, ensuring all new or modified records are updated automatically.

These post-migration services ensure your new Etsy store remains fully synchronized, accurate, and up to date even as your Shopify store continues operating.

Step 7. Post-Migration Customer Support

Even after your Shopify to Etsy migration is complete, LitExtension continues to support you to ensure your new Etsy store runs smoothly and without interruptions.

If you have questions or encounter any issues, our dedicated Customer Support Team is always available to help. You can contact us anytime within 30 days after your migration, and our experts will quickly resolve any technical concerns or guide you through your new setup.

Whether it’s troubleshooting, fine-tuning, or simply getting familiar with your Etsy store, we’re here to make the transition effortless. With LitExtension’s ongoing support, you can focus on growing your business confidently, knowing your store is in expert hands.

How to Manually Export from Shopify and Import to Etsy

If you prefer to migrate from Shopify to Etsy manually instead of using LitExtension service, you can transfer your products and other data by exporting CSV files from Shopify and importing them into Etsy. While this method takes more time and requires attention to detail, it’s a practical solution for smaller stores.

Step 1: Export Your Data from Shopify

Shopify allows you to export different types of store data like products, customers, and orders into CSV files.

Here’s how to export your data from Shopify:

1. Go to your Shopify Admin → Products.
2. Click Export in the top-right corner.
3. Choose the export options:
   • All products
   • Current page
   • Selected products
4. Select the file format: CSV for Excel, Numbers, or other spreadsheet programs.
5. Click Export products.

Once the export finishes, Shopify will either download the CSV file directly or email it to you (depending on file size).

Step 2: Prepare Your Data for Etsy

Etsy’s system uses a specific CSV format for bulk uploads, so your Shopify export will likely need adjustments before importing.

Here’s what to do:

1. Open your Shopify CSV in Excel or Google Sheets.
2. Compare it with Etsy’s CSV template for product uploads.
3. Reformat or rename columns so that Etsy recognizes them. Key fields include:
   • Title
   • Description
   • Price
   • Quantity
   • SKU
   • Image URLs
   • Tags and materials
   • Shipping profile
4. Remove any columns that Etsy doesn’t use, such as internal Shopify fields or custom metafields.

Note: Etsy does not import customer or order data via CSV, only product listings can be bulk imported.

Step 3: Import Your Products to Etsy

Once your CSV is formatted correctly, you can upload it to Etsy.

1. Log in to your Etsy Shop Manager.
2. Go to Listings → click the Import button.
3. Choose Import from CSV.
4. Upload your prepared CSV file.
5. Review the imported listings to ensure titles, images, and prices appear correctly.
6. Click Publish to make your products live.

Step 4: Verify and Adjust Listings

After import:

• Check images, descriptions, and tags for formatting issues.
• Ensure variations (size, color, etc.) display correctly.
• Update shipping profiles and inventory counts as Etsy doesn’t always map these perfectly from Shopify.