Etsy and Shopify solve different problems for a Canadian maker. Etsy is a marketplace: buyers already search there, and you pay a set of fees on every sale. Shopify is your own store: the fees per sale are lower, but you pay a monthly plan and bring every customer yourself. This comparison covers what each one costs a seller based in Canada, who handles GST/HST, PST and QST, and when it makes sense to run both.

Shopify bills Canadian stores in CAD. Etsy mixes currencies: some fees are set in USD and converted, and others are set in CAD. We say which currency each figure is in.

How we evaluated

This is a research-based comparison. We did not open an Etsy shop or a Shopify store to write it. Every fee, limit, and rule below comes from Etsy's Canadian sell page, its Fees and Payments Policy and Etsy Payments Policy, the Etsy Help Center, Shopify's Canadian pricing page, the Shopify Help Center, and the Canada Revenue Agency. All are listed under Sources.

We compared the two on:

  • Cost per sale: every fee that applies to a typical order, in CAD where the platform publishes it
  • Fixed costs: monthly plans, listing fees, and optional subscriptions
  • Getting buyers: whether the platform brings traffic or you have to
  • Sales tax: who charges, collects, and remits GST/HST, PST, and QST
  • Shipping and payouts: Canada Post labels, payout timing, and currency
  • Control: branding, customer data, and rules on what you can sell

Prices were checked September 2026 and are before sales tax. The worked example is our own arithmetic from published rates, not a quote.

The short answer

  • Start on Etsy if you make handmade, vintage, or craft-supply items and do not have an audience yet. You pay nothing monthly, and Etsy's buyers can find you. Expect about 11% of each order in fees, and much more on orders that come from Offsite Ads.
  • Pick Shopify if you already have customers coming from Instagram, markets, or email, or you sell things Etsy does not allow. The card fee is 2.8% + 30¢ on Basic, but you pay CAD $49 a month and do your own marketing.
  • Run both once your Etsy shop sells steadily and you want a branded store for repeat buyers. Keep the two separate, because Etsy prohibits steering its buyers elsewhere.
FeatureEtsyShopify (Basic)
Monthly feeNone (Etsy Plus optional, USD $10/mo)CAD $49/mo, or $37/mo billed yearly
Listing feeUSD $0.20 per listing, every 4 monthsNone
Platform transaction fee6.5% of item price + shippingNone with Shopify Payments
Card processing (domestic buyer)3% + CA$0.252.8% + 30¢ CAD
Card processing (international buyer)4% + CA$0.253.5% + 30¢ CAD
Other per-order fees0.5% Regulatory Operating fee; 12-15% Offsite Ads fee on ad-driven orders2% if you use another payment provider
Marketplace traffic
Collects and remits GST/HST for youOnly if you have not added a GST/HST number
Canada Post labels in the platform
Rules on what you can sellMade, designed, handpicked, or sourced by youNo handmade or vintage rule; Shopify's Acceptable Use Policy applies
Etsy vs Shopify Basic for a seller based in Canada with a Canadian bank account. Rates from Etsy's Canadian sell page, Etsy's Fees and Payments Policy and Etsy Payments Policy, and shopify.com/ca/pricing, checked September 2026, before sales tax.

What Etsy charges Canadian sellers

Etsy has no monthly fee, but it charges several fees on each listing and each sale. Some are set in USD and converted to your payment account currency, and some are set in CAD.

  • Listing fee: USD $0.20. Charged when you publish or renew a listing, whether or not it sells. Listings last four months. Etsy's Canadian sell page shows this as CA$0.28 and notes that the CAD amount changes with the exchange rate. If you list several of the same item, each extra unit sold triggers another USD $0.20.
  • Transaction fee: 6.5%. Charged on the item price plus the shipping and gift wrap you charge. For sellers outside the US, Etsy's policy says the fee applies to the listing price, which should include any taxes you are responsible for.
  • Payment processing fee: 3% + CA$0.25 on domestic orders and orders from the US, or 4% + CA$0.25 on other international orders. Etsy's Payments Policy says the fee is charged on the gross order amount, including shipping and tax. Etsy lists no deposit fee for Canada.
  • Regulatory Operating fee: 0.5% for sellers in Canada, on the item price plus shipping and gift wrap, excluding tax Etsy collects. Etsy says it charges this fee in countries where regulation has raised its costs.
  • Offsite Ads fee: 15% or 12%. Covered in its own section below.
  • Currency conversion fee: 2.5%. Only if you list in a currency other than your payment account's. List in CAD with a CAD bank account and you avoid it.
  • Set-up fee. Etsy says you may be charged a one-time, non-refundable fee to open a shop, that the cost varies by location, and that you will see the amount before you finish setup. It does not publish the Canadian amount.

Optional extras:

  • Etsy Ads: you set a daily budget, with bids in USD.
  • Etsy Plus: USD $10 a month. It includes 15 listing credits and USD $5 in Etsy Ads credits each month, which expire if unused.
  • Pattern: USD $15 a month after a 30-day free trial. Pattern is Etsy's website builder: it creates a separate site that syncs your Etsy listings. Listings you add only to Pattern have no listing fee.

Offsite Ads: when it is mandatory

Etsy buys ads on sites such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest that can feature your listings. If a buyer clicks one and orders from your shop within 30 days, you pay a fee on that order:

  • 15% of the order total if your shop made less than USD $10,000 in sales over the prior 365 days. At this level you can opt out.
  • 12% once your shop reaches USD $10,000 over 365 days. From then on, Etsy's policy says participation is required for the lifetime of the shop, even if your sales later fall, and any earlier opt-out stops applying.
  • The fee on a single order is capped at USD $100.

The order total includes shipping, and for sellers outside the US it includes any tax built into your listing price. On a low-margin item, a 15% fee is a large share of the profit, so decide early whether to opt out.

Payouts and Canada Post labels

Etsy deposits your funds to a Canadian bank account in CAD. You can choose daily deposits (when your balance is at least CA$25), or weekly, every two weeks, or monthly deposits on Mondays. Etsy says deposits generally arrive within five business days of the request. New shops can have reserves or deposit delays placed on them, based on Etsy's risk review.

Since September 8, 2025, Canadian sellers also contract with Etsy Canada Limited for payment services, and Etsy says it holds your available funds in trust in a segregated account.

Canadian sellers who use Etsy Payments can buy Canada Post labels from Etsy at Canada Post's Solutions for Small Business Level 4 rates. Note that Etsy has temporarily suspended Canada Post labels on Etsy for US-bound parcels, citing changes to US trade policy, so US orders need labels bought elsewhere.

What Shopify charges Canadian stores

Shopify charges a monthly plan in CAD and a card rate on each payment. There is no listing fee and no per-sale commission when you use Shopify Payments.

  • Basic: CAD $49/month, or CAD $37/month billed yearly. Online card rate 2.8% + 30¢ CAD.
  • Grow: CAD $132/month, or $99 yearly. Online card rate 2.6% + 30¢, up to 5 staff accounts.
  • Advanced: CAD $517/month, or $389 yearly. Online card rate 2.4% + 30¢.
  • Amex and international cards cost 3.5% + 30¢ on Basic.
  • In person, Basic charges 2.6% per card payment with no fixed fee, and a flat 15¢ per Interac debit payment. Every plan includes casual in-person selling through the Shopify POS app, which suits craft fairs and markets.
  • Another payment provider costs an extra 2% per order on Basic, on top of that provider's fees.

Shopify Payments in Canada pays out in CAD. Shopify says the minimum settlement time is 3 days (longer for new stores), banks usually take another 24 to 72 hours, and there is no minimum payout amount.

Shopify was advertising 3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months, when we checked. That is a promotion, so we use the regular prices. Apps, paid themes, and a domain cost extra, and many apps bill in USD. For every Shopify fee, see our Shopify fees guide and our Shopify review.

Worked example: a $40 item with $10 shipping

Here is what each platform takes from one order. Assumptions:

  • A seller based in Canada with a CAD bank account, listing in CAD
  • One $40 item with $10 shipping charged to a buyer in Canada, so a $50 order
  • The buyer pays by Visa or Mastercard
  • Sales tax left out on both sides, so the comparison is like for like (see the note below)
  • Etsy listing fee at CA$0.28, the amount Etsy's Canadian sell page showed; it moves with the exchange rate

Etsy, order not from Offsite Ads:

  • Listing fee: $0.28
  • Transaction fee: 6.5% × $50 = $3.25
  • Payment processing: 3% × $50 = $1.50, plus $0.25 = $1.75
  • Regulatory Operating fee: 0.5% × $50 = $0.25
  • Total: $5.53, or about 11.1% of the order. You keep $44.47.

Etsy, order from an Offsite Ad (shop under USD $10,000 in sales):

  • Same fees as above: $5.53
  • Offsite Ads fee: 15% × $50 = $7.50
  • Total: $13.03, or about 26.1%. You keep $36.97. At the 12% rate, the ad fee is $6.00 and the total is $11.53.

Shopify Basic, with Shopify Payments:

  • Card fee: 2.8% × $50 = $1.40, plus $0.30 = $1.70, or 3.4% of the order. You keep $48.30.
  • Plus the plan: CAD $49 a month on monthly billing, or $37 a month billed yearly.

Where the lines cross. Shopify's per-order fee is $3.83 lower than Etsy's in this example ($5.53 minus $1.70). The Basic plan pays for itself at $49 ÷ $3.83 = about 13 orders a month on monthly billing, or $37 ÷ $3.83 = about 10 orders a month billed yearly. Below that, Etsy costs less in fees. That is before Offsite Ads, which make Etsy more expensive, and before the cost of getting your own traffic to Shopify, which can make Shopify more expensive.

What changes the numbers:

  • International buyers raise Etsy's processing fee to 4% + CA$0.25 ($2.25 on this order) and Shopify's card fee to 3.5% + 30¢ ($2.05).
  • Sales tax. If Etsy adds GST/HST at checkout, its 3% processing fee also applies to that tax: on a $50 order shipped to Alberta, 5% GST is $2.50 and adds about 8¢ in fees. If you are registered and build GST/HST into your Etsy prices, the 6.5% transaction fee and 0.5% Regulatory Operating fee also apply to that tax. On Shopify, the card fee applies to whatever the buyer pays, tax included.
  • Tax on Etsy's fees. Etsy charges GST/HST (and PST in BC, or QST in Quebec in some cases) on its seller fees, as explained below. If you are registered, you can generally claim it back as an input tax credit.
  • Selling multiple items per order spreads Etsy's 25¢ and Shopify's 30¢ fixed fees, but Etsy's percentage fees stay the same.

Who collects GST/HST, PST, and QST

This is one of the biggest practical differences. Etsy collects some Canadian sales taxes for you. Shopify never does.

On Etsy

Since July 1, 2021, the CRA's rules for digital-economy businesses require a distribution platform operator to "charge and collect the GST/HST on the supply of qualifying goods that you facilitate through your platform and that are made by vendors who are not registered for the GST/HST." Registered vendors charge and collect it themselves, including on sales through a platform.

Etsy's help centre says it began collecting GST/HST on eligible orders from Canadian buyers on July 1, 2022, and explains how this works for Canadian sellers:

  • No GST/HST number added to your Etsy account: Etsy charges GST/HST at checkout on physical items you ship from Canada to a buyer in Canada, and remits it.
  • GST/HST number added: you include GST/HST in your listing prices and remit it through your own GST/HST returns. QST in Quebec works the same way, based on whether you have added a QST number.
  • BC PST, Saskatchewan PST, and Manitoba RST: Etsy collects these at checkout on taxable items delivered to buyers in those provinces, and Etsy says it does so "regardless of whether you have a registered tax ID from these provinces."
  • Tax on Etsy's fees: Etsy charges GST/HST on its seller fees. If you are not registered and Etsy already charged GST/HST on the order, the payment processing and transaction fees on that order are exempt, but listing fees, ad fees, and Pattern still carry GST/HST. Sellers in BC pay PST on all seller fees.

Etsy also reports Canadian sellers' details and sales to the CRA. Under the CRA's Reporting Rules for Digital Platform Operators, in force since January 1, 2024, a seller is generally excluded only if the platform facilitated fewer than 30 sales of goods totalling no more than CAD $2,800 in the year.

On Shopify

Shopify Tax can calculate GST/HST, PST, and QST at checkout, and it is free until a Canadian store reaches CAD $100,000 in sales. After that it costs 0.25% per taxed order on Basic, Grow, and Advanced, capped at CAD $0.99 per order. Shopify's help centre says it "doesn't remit or file your taxes for you." You charge the tax, register with the CRA and any provincial authority, and file returns yourself. Our Shopify tax setup guide for Canada covers the settings.

The registration rule is the same on both

The CRA requires you to register for GST/HST once your taxable sales pass $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive calendar quarters. Selling on Etsy does not change that. Our GST/HST registration guide explains the steps, and the rates by province guide lists what to charge where. This is general information, not tax advice; an accountant can confirm what applies to you.

Can you do both?

Yes. A common path is to start on Etsy, where buyers can find you, and add a Shopify store once you have repeat customers or a following elsewhere. Three things to know first:

  • Do not steer Etsy buyers to Shopify. Etsy's Fees and Payments Policy prohibits moving a transaction off Etsy, including "directing buyers to another venue via a QR code." Promote your own store through your own channels, not through Etsy messages or packaging inserts on Etsy orders.
  • There is no official sync right now. Shopify's help centre says new connections to Etsy can't be made at this time with its Marketplace Connect app. Existing connections keep working, but a new seller has to keep inventory in step by hand or with another tool. Etsy's Pattern is the other route, since it syncs with your Etsy listings, but it is a separate website builder, not Shopify.
  • Track taxes on both. Once you are GST/HST registered, you collect tax on your Etsy sales yourself, in your listing prices, and on Shopify through Shopify Tax. Keep records of both.

1. Shopify: best if you can bring your own customers

Shopify costs less per sale once you pass about 10 to 13 orders a month in our example, and it gives you your own brand, your own customer list, and no rules about what counts as handmade. Basic at CAD $49 a month (or $37 billed yearly) is enough for a solo maker, and the same plan covers in-person sales at markets through Shopify POS.

The trade-off is traffic. A Shopify store has no marketplace search behind it, so every sale comes from your own marketing. You also handle all sales tax yourself, with Shopify Tax doing the calculation.

Shopify

Strengths

  • Lower per-order cost: 2.8% + 30¢ CAD on Basic, no commission
  • Plans billed in CAD
  • Your own brand, domain, and customer list
  • In-person selling with Interac at 15¢ per payment
  • No rules limiting products to handmade or vintage

Good to know

  • Plans start at CAD $49 a month, or $37 billed yearly
  • Traffic comes from your own marketing rather than a marketplace
  • You collect, remit, and file sales tax yourself, with Shopify Tax doing the calculation
  • Using another payment provider adds 2% per order on Basic
  • Marketplace Connect is not taking new Etsy connections for now

Shopify

4.5
Visit Shopify (affiliate link, opens NorthVetted redirect)

2. Etsy: best for makers starting without an audience

Etsy has no monthly fee, a CA$0.28 listing fee, and a marketplace of buyers already searching for handmade, vintage, and craft items. For a new maker testing whether a product sells, that is a low-risk start.

The cost is per order. In our example Etsy took about 11% of a $50 order, and about 26% when the order came from Offsite Ads, which becomes mandatory once your shop passes USD $10,000 in yearly sales. Etsy's policies also govern the buyer relationship: you cannot steer buyers to your own site, and listings must follow its Creativity Standards. In return, it collects GST/HST for unregistered sellers and PST in BC and Saskatchewan and RST in Manitoba, which takes work off a small seller.

Etsy

Strengths

  • No monthly fee: pay mainly when you sell
  • Buyers already search Etsy for handmade and vintage items
  • Collects GST/HST for sellers without a GST/HST number, and BC, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba sales taxes
  • Canada Post labels at Small Business Level 4 rates
  • Deposits in CAD to a Canadian bank account

Good to know

  • Fees of about 11% of a typical order, plus the Offsite Ads fee on ad-driven orders
  • Offsite Ads participation is required from USD $10,000 in yearly sales
  • Some fees set in USD, so costs move with the exchange rate
  • US-bound parcels need Canada Post labels bought outside Etsy for now
  • Etsy sales stay on Etsy: its policy prohibits directing buyers to your own store

Etsy

4.0

If you are setting up from scratch, start with how to start an online store in Canada. If you choose Shopify and wonder about the alternatives, see Shopify vs WooCommerce. For your own domain, see how to register a .ca domain, and for the business behind the shop, sole proprietorship vs corporation.

Our verdict

4.5

For a Canadian maker with no audience yet, start on Etsy: there is no monthly fee, buyers can find you, and Etsy collects GST/HST for you until you register. Expect about 11% of each order in fees, and decide early on Offsite Ads. Move to Shopify, or add it alongside Etsy, once you can bring your own customers. In our example Shopify Basic costs less from about 10 to 13 orders a month, and it gives you your own brand and customer list. If you run both, keep them separate and count both towards your GST/HST threshold.

Frequently asked questions

Is Etsy or Shopify cheaper for a Canadian seller?

It depends on volume. In our example, Etsy's per-order fees on a $50 order (a $40 item plus $10 shipping) came to about CAD $5.53, against $1.70 in card fees on Shopify Basic. Shopify also charges CAD $49 a month ($37 billed yearly), so Shopify costs less once you sell roughly 13 such orders a month on monthly billing, or 10 on yearly billing. Etsy brings buyers to your listings; on Shopify you find them yourself.

Does Etsy charge Canadian sellers in USD or CAD?

Both. Listing fees, Etsy Plus, and Pattern are priced in USD and converted to your payment account currency at the market rate, so Etsy's Canadian sell page shows the USD $0.20 listing fee as about CA$0.28. The payment processing fee is set in CAD (3% + CA$0.25 for domestic and US orders), and percentage fees are taken in your listing currency. If you list in a currency other than your payment account currency, Etsy adds a 2.5% currency conversion fee.

Can I opt out of Etsy Offsite Ads?

Only while your shop is under USD $10,000 in sales over the prior 365 days. Once you reach USD $10,000, Etsy's Fees and Payments Policy says you must take part, at a 12% fee on orders from its ads, for the lifetime of the shop, even if your sales later drop.

Does Etsy collect GST/HST for Canadian sellers?

Sometimes. Etsy's help centre says that if you have not added a GST/HST number, Etsy charges GST/HST at checkout on physical items shipped from you in Canada to a buyer in Canada and remits it. If you have added a number, you include GST/HST in your listing prices and remit it yourself. Etsy always collects PST in British Columbia and Saskatchewan and RST in Manitoba on taxable items, whether or not you are registered there.

Can I sell on both Etsy and Shopify?

Yes, many makers do, but keep them separate. Etsy's Fees and Payments Policy prohibits steering Etsy buyers to another venue, including by QR code, so do not push Etsy customers to your Shopify site. Shopify's Marketplace Connect app cannot make new connections to Etsy at the moment, so plan to manage inventory across the two by hand or with another tool.

Do I need to register for GST/HST to sell on Etsy or Shopify?

The platform does not change the rule. The CRA requires you to register once your taxable sales pass $30,000 over four consecutive calendar quarters, or in a single calendar quarter. Below that you can register voluntarily. Etsy also reports seller and sales details to the CRA under the Reporting Rules for Digital Platform Operators, so keep records either way.

Sources