Why I Prefer Artfire Over Etsy

In my last Artfire vs. Etsy article, I tried to avoid plugging in my own opinion. The focus was on general costs in a variety of situations and nothing more. Many have commented and contacted me, stating why they prefer Artfire over Etsy. Having used both over the last several years, I would have to agree.

In your average situation, a crafter is looking for an easy way to manage their storefront. You want the easiest, cheapest way to drive the most traffic in and make the most sales. Everyone wants to make a profit, right?

Comparing Costs

Let me give you a real rundown of actual costs and profits. After six months of using Artfire, with zero promotion of the store, we grossed about $200. The cost of our Artfire store was $59.70.

How much would it have cost us had we used Etsy in exactly the same way? Let's find out .

- On Artfire, we have more than 100 items in quantities of five (candles, to be exact, which we've found people do like to buy multiples of same scents). The cost for adding 500 items to Etsy would have been $100.

- After four months, all those listings would have expired. We would have needed to spend another $100 to make them active again.

- The cost for selling $200 in products would have cost us an additional $7 in Etsy fees.

- Relisting the 27 items sold on Artfire would have cost us $5.40 to relist on Etsy.

The total cost, had we been using Etsy, would have been $212.40, instead of the actual $59.70 spent with Artfire. That's a pretty big difference! We would have ended up losing money if we would have used Etsy. We made a profit selling on Artfire.

Other Benefits of Artfire

While both Etsy and Artfire offer automatic submission to Google Base, currently Artfire offers more payment options than Etsy. PayPal, Google Checkout and Amazon Payments are all accepted on Artfire. Etsy only offers PayPal.

Even though traffic and outside promotional materials may be slightly better on Etsy, Artfire stresses SEO and bringing in quality traffic over quantity. The result is more qualified visitors who are more likely to buy. Also, community support and promotion among crafters is much friendlier at Artfire (in our opinion).

Which Is Better?

Obviously for our business, Artfire is clearly the better choice. I realize that every business is different, but this article, like the first, was written to make costs and differences publicly known. Make sure you are constantly evaluating your costs and profits to ensure you succeed.

Happy crafting!