cartt.io vs Etsy: Marketplace traffic or your own checkout?
Etsy gives you marketplace traffic and takes ~20%+ in stacked fees. cartt.io gives you a branded checkout page and takes 0% platform fee but no marketplace traffic. The right answer depends on whether you have your own audience.
Last reviewed:
Feature comparison
| Feature | cartt.io | Etsy |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 0% | ~20%+ stacked (listing + transaction + payment + ads)[1] |
| Marketplace traffic | ||
| Branded checkout page | Etsy template | |
| Custom domain | Pro / Business | No (Etsy URL) |
| Built-in urgency tools | Limited | |
| Order bumps / upsells | ||
| Shipping rates (25 countries) | ||
| Tax collection | Stripe Tax | Built-in |
| Customer relationship | Yours | Etsy's |
| Listing limit | 1–10 (plan) | Unlimited |
Use cartt.io when
- You have your own audience (newsletter, social, repeat customers)
- Etsy's ~20%+ stacked fees are eating your margin
- You want repeat buyers to come back to your URL, not Etsy's search
- You want a branded checkout that doesn't look like every other Etsy listing
Use Etsy when
- You have no audience and depend on marketplace search traffic to find buyers
- You're testing whether a product line has demand before investing in your own store
- Etsy's specific buyer demographics (handmade, vintage, craft) match your product
- You sell hundreds of SKUs and need marketplace browsing infrastructure