Etsy vs Amazon Handmade: Which Is Better for Pakistani Artisans?

Pakistan has a long tradition of craftsmanship: leather from Sialkot and Lahore, Multani blue pottery, hand-embroidered textiles, truck art, onyx, wood and brass work, and handmade jewellery. Selling these internationally used to require an exporter. Today, Etsy and Amazon Handmade let makers reach buyers directly.

The two platforms work very differently. This guide compares them so you can choose where to start.

Who shops there

Etsy is built around handmade, vintage and craft supplies. Buyers come looking for something unique, personalised or gift-worthy, and many are happy to wait for made-to-order items. Search on Etsy rewards listings that match what buyers type and that convert well. See our Etsy SEO guide for Pakistani sellers.

Amazon Handmade is a section of Amazon for artisan-made goods. It benefits from Amazon's huge traffic, but its buyers are Amazon shoppers: they compare quickly, expect clear information and are used to fast delivery.

Fees

Fees change, so check current rates before you price. At the time of writing:

Etsy

• Listing fee: $0.20 per listing, renewed every four months or when an item sells.
• Transaction fee: 6.5% of the order total, including delivery charges and gift wrapping.
• Payment processing fee: depends on the country of your payment account.
• Offsite Ads: if a sale comes from Etsy's ads on other sites, Etsy charges an extra fee on that order (participation is mandatory for shops above a sales threshold).
• Currency conversion if your payout currency differs from your listing currency.

Amazon Handmade

• Referral fee: 15% per sale, with a minimum fee per item.
• The Professional selling plan's monthly fee is waived for approved Handmade sellers who sell only handmade items (check current terms).
• FBA fees if you use Amazon fulfilment.

Etsy's percentage fees are lower, but extras such as Offsite Ads and Etsy Ads can add up. Amazon's single referral fee is simpler to calculate.

Getting accepted

Etsy: open to anyone in a supported country, but items must be made or designed by you. Etsy has tightened its rules on production partners and resold items, and sellers must disclose who makes the products. Check that Etsy currently supports shops and payouts for your country and setup.

Amazon Handmade: requires an application. You must show the items are genuinely handmade, by hand, with hand tools or light machinery, by you or a small team. Factory-made goods are not accepted. Approval can take time, but it limits competition from mass-produced items.

Shipping and delivery

Shipping from Pakistan to the US or UK takes longer and costs more than domestic shipping. This matters more on Amazon.

• Etsy: state realistic processing and delivery times. Made-to-order items with clear production times are normal.
• Amazon Handmade: you can ship from Pakistan, but long delivery times reduce conversion. Sending stock to FBA makes listings Prime-eligible, which suits products you make in batches.

Competition

Etsy has many sellers, including in categories where Pakistani makers are strong, such as leather and textiles. Standing out depends on photography, personalisation and search optimisation. Amazon Handmade has fewer sellers per category, but you compete with all of Amazon in search results.

Which should you choose?

Start with Etsy if:

• your products are personalised or made to order
• you make small quantities of many designs
• you want a simpler start without shipping stock abroad

Start with Amazon Handmade if:

• you make products in batches and can hold stock in FBA
• your products have clear search demand on Amazon
• you can meet Amazon's expectations for photos, information and delivery

Many artisans eventually sell on both, using Etsy for custom work and Amazon for best-selling designs.

Tips for Pakistani makers on either platform

• Photograph products in natural light on a clean background, plus lifestyle images.
• Tell the story of how and where items are made. Buyers value it.
• Price for the full cost: materials, your time, packaging, international shipping, fees and returns.
• Use tracked shipping, and set honest delivery times.
• Make sure your shop and payout details are in your own name.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell on Etsy from Pakistan?

Etsy's supported countries for shops and payouts change from time to time. Check Etsy's current list. Some sellers sell through a business registered in a supported country that they genuinely own.

Is Amazon Handmade free?

There is no listing fee and the monthly plan fee is waived for approved Handmade-only sellers, but Amazon charges a referral fee on each sale.

Can Markify manage our handmade shop?

Yes. See our Etsy store management service, which covers listings, Etsy SEO and ads.

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Work with Markify Ecommerce

Markify Ecommerce (listed on Google Maps as Markify Ecommerce - Unicored Technologies) is an ecommerce marketplace management agency in Bahria Orchard, Lahore. We manage Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Shopify, Etsy and TikTok Shop accounts, and we set up US LLCs and UK Ltd companies for Pakistani sellers.

• Office: Central Block, Bahria Orchard, Raiwind Road, Lahore 55150, Punjab, Pakistan
• Phone & WhatsApp: +92 321 3131641
• Free account audit: Send us your store or account details and we will reply with the first fixes we would make.