Depop vs Etsy: How Do They Stack Up Against One Another?
After reading this blog post, you can:
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- Know what Depop and Etsy are & how they work
- Tell apart the two platform’s main differences
- Pick the platform that better aligns with your product focus, pricing, audience demographics, etc.
Let’s dive in, shall we?
An overview of Depop vs Etsy
First thing first, let’s spend a few minutes to get to know more about Depop and Etsy before we discuss the two platforms in greater detail.
What is Depop and how does it work?
Basically, Depop’s concept is pretty much like a social media platform like Instagram but for people to sell and buy secondhand clothing items only. Specifically, buyers on Depop can follow shops they like and get suggestions based on Depop’s algorithm.
Since it was launched in 2011, the British secondhand resale app has gone all the rage in the US-UK as a pioneer in the fashion resale marketplace. As of the time being, Depop has over 30 million buyers and sellers, most are Gen-Z.
💡A fact you might not know yet: Recognizing the shifting trend toward secondhand fashion and Depop’s potential, Etsy acquired Depop in 2021 for around $1.625 billion.
What is Etsy and how does it work?
Etsy is a US-based eCommerce marketplace with a primary focus on handmade, vintage, custom gifts– all sorts of those things. It’s the specialized product niche that sets Etsy apart from marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, which are for mass-manufactured items.
Etsy is similar to an open craft fair where sellers (largely small businesses or local artisans) set up stores and sell their handmade items to buyers who actively seek those kinds of stuff.
>> Relevant reading: Etsy vs other platforms
Depop vs Etsy comparison: Is Etsy or Depop better?
Now that you have a better understanding of each platform’s core concept and main differences, let’s see how Depop vs Etsy stack up against each other under six main aspects.
#1. Product focus
🔎 Key takeaways: Etsy has a broader product focus than Depop While Depop defines itself as a fashion resale app for Gen-Z, Etsy positions itself as a specialized marketplace for handmade crafts, vintage stuff, and custom gifts. |
Depop’s product focus
At its core, Depop is a social peer-to-peer marketplace for secondhand fashion items. This means anyone can download the Depop app and start selling their pre-loved clothes and accessories.
As long as what you sell isn’t something Depop prohibits (e.g. drugs, animals, dangerous goods, etc.,) you can list and sell anything you want on this social commerce app. However, with the app’s reputation as a fashion resale platform, the products that sell well on Depop largely fall under three main categories: menswear, womenswear, and jewelry.
To name a few, here are some product ideas that are proven working on Depop:
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- Anything from your wardrobe (whether they are new, unworn, or preloved)
- Vintage clothing items
- Thrifted clothing items
- Items that are upcycled
- Clothes sourced via wholesale channels
- Authentic designer products
- Footwear items
Etsy’s product focus
As a specialized marketplace for handmade items, Etsy allows businesses and artisans to sell any kind of custom products that meet Etsy’s Creative Standards.
If you plan to craft your own stuff and sell it on your Etsy store, here’s a list of winning products on the Etsy marketplace:
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- Vintage clothing
- Pet products
- Home decors
- Handmade jewelry pieces
- Personalized gifts
- Accessories
- Craft supplies
- Craft kits
And unlike Depop, your product option is not limited to just physical merch. The marketplace also enables creators to sell digital products on their Etsy stores such as social media banner templates, birthday party printables, etc.
>> Relevant reading: How to sell digital downloads on Etsy
Plus, with a qualified Production Partner, you can even launch a print-on-demand store on Etsy and start selling without having to handle production, order fulfillment, or shipping.
#2. Demographics
🔎 Key takeaways: Depop vs Etsy have slightly different demographics. Both Depop and Etsy’s audience leans toward the female group. However, while over 90% of Depop users are under 26, Etsy’s users are in the range of 18 to 35 years old. |
Depop’s demographics
According to data brought by Business of Apps, there are currently around 4.2 million active buyers and 1.9 million active sellers on Depop. An interesting thing is that many sellers on Depop are also buyers, and vice versa, which shouldn’t come as a surprise since Depop acts like a peer-to-peer social marketplace.
Since Depop mainly targets the Gen-Z audience, Depop confirmed that 90% of the platform’s active users are under 26. Also, most Depop users are female (60%), which truly reflects the secondhand apparel market consumer distribution in the U.S., where there are approximately 10 percent more female shoppers than male.
Etsy’s demographics
Similar to Depopm Etsy’s audience is skewed toward the female group with over 60% of Etsy buyers being females. However, per data by Statista, Etsy has a much larger community of over 96 million active buyers and 9 million sellers worldwide.
Plus, another difference between Depop vs Etsy’s demographics is that Etsy buyers come from a more diverse age group, which ranges from 18 to 35 years old according to Similarweb.
#3. Pricing and fees
🔎 Key takeaways: Comparing Etsy vs Depop selling fees, Etsy costs sellers less. If you’re a Depop seller living in the US or UK, you only have to pay for payment processing fees. Otherwise, you’ll be charged a 10% Depop’s selling fee, which is much higher than Etsy’s. |
Depop’s pricing and fees
Depop has different cost structures, fees, and pricing for sellers in the US, and UK, and sellers residing in other countries.
For sellers living in the US, or the UK:
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- Depop doesn’t charge you any selling fee (previously it charged all sellers a 10% commission fee).
- All you have to pay is a fee for accepting payment from buyers, which is 2.9% + £0.30 in the UK and 3.3% + $0.45 in the US.
For sellers living elsewhere:
If you aren’t living in either the United States or the United Kingdom, you will be charged the so-called Depop selling fees at 10% of your product sale prices, plus payment processing fees depending on your location.
✍️ Author’s note: As of the time being, Depop has a so-called marketplace fee, which applies to buyers with a valid shipping address in the United States. This fee can be up to 5% of the item sale price, plus a fixed amount of up to $1.
Depop claims that the removal of Depop selling fees and the introduction of the marketplace fee in the US is the company’s attempt to “empower our US sellers to list more, sell more and earn more”. However, this could make customers less willing to buy on Depop, potentially reducing the platform’s competitiveness in the secondhand market.
Well, that’s probably why the Depop team hasn’t launched the new pricing structure to all countries yet.
Etsy’s pricing and fees
If you plan to sell online with Etsy, there are three main, mandatory costs you need to be aware of. Here is a summary:
Fee type | Definition | How much is it? |
Listing fees | These are the fees Etsy charges sellers for listing products on their marketplace. | + Base: $0.20 per listing + Auto-renewal: $0.20 per listing + Multi-variant: $0.20 per listing + Private listing: $0.20 per private listing |
Transaction fees | Similar to Depop’s selling fees, this is the fee Etsy charges sellers as a commission. | 6.5% of the total amount in your product listing currency |
Payment processing fees | These fees are charged for each transaction you process with Etsy Payments. | It varies by country. For example, the fee is 3% + $0.25 in the US. |
Clearly, if you are weighing the cost to sell on Etsy vs Depop, Etsy offers sellers more affordable selling fees (6.5% instead of 10%).
#4. Shop customization
🔎 Key takeaways: Etsy gives you more customization options than Depop. Depop’s shop layout looks very much like your friend’s Instagram profile. So technically it gives you less control over your shop layout’s visual aspect compared to Etsy. |
Depop’s shop customization
As we mentioned earlier, Depop’s user interface is very similar to Instagram. The same goes for shop design customization.
A typical shop on Depop will look something like this:
So, this means your shop would have a fixed structure with these elements:
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- Shop’s logo or your avatar
- Rating if you have any
- Follower and following list
- Shop bio (where you can feature any link you wish)
Etsy’s shop customization
On the other hand, Etsy provides you with many more optimization options for your shop layout. Though it’s not fully customizable as a standalone website, we believe Etsy’s standard shop layout is quite visually appealing and optimized for conversion.
To be more specific, an Etsy shop layout would primarily consist of:
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- Banner: This is the site-width image at the top of your Etsy shop. The cool thing is that Etsy allows you to feature your banner as a static image or multiple images at one with a carousel-style banner
- Shop icon: Your store’s logo
- Announcement: This is where you let people know more about your store. Ideally, most stores on the platform would feature their current deals or social media accounts to grow their follower list.
>> Relevant reading: How to sell on Etsy for beginners
#5. Shipping and fulfillment
🔎 Key takeaways: Between Depop vs Etsy, shipping with Etsy might cost you less. Both platforms don’t offer you shipping and order fulfillment services. However, thanks to Etsy’s partnership with popular couriers, you can save up to 30% when buying shipping labels. |
Depop’s shipping and fulfillment
As a Depop seller, you are responsible for handling your own shipping and order fulfillment parts. So, basically, you have to work with shipping couriers and sort your arrangements with them on packaging, labeling, and shipping items to your buyers.
Though Depop offers sellers to “Ship with Depop” option, this is, unfortunately, only available for sellers residing in the mainland United States.
Etsy’s shipping and fulfillment
Similar to Deop, you will need to handle your shipping and order fulfillment process as an Etsy seller. However, what Etsy does better than Depop is that you can buy Etsy Shipping Labels for big discounts of up to 30% with major shipping couriers like USPS, FedEx, and Canada Post.
#6. Store promotion
🔎 Key takeaways: Etsy gives sellers much more tools to promote their shops. Etsy gives you tons of promotion tools from SEO to paid ad campaigns and social media integration. Meanwhile, the only way to promote your Depop shop is constantly engaging with your buyers, which can take much more time and effort. |
Depop’s store promotion
Long story short: Depop doesn’t offer paid ad functionalities on both their website and mobile app yet. This means your success on Depop will largely depend on your diligent and consistent interaction with your potential buyers.
For instance, you will need to regularly refresh or “bump” your listings and actively follow others and buyers in order to get their attention.
Though you can promote your Depop store outside the Depop app, we don’t think it will be as effective because audiences on other platforms are typically at the early stages of the purchasing journey. So, they surely don’t have as high buying intention as Depop’s active users.
Etsy’s store promotion
On the other hand, comparing Depop vs Etsy’s store promotion, Etsy wins convincingly. The giant handmade marketplace indeed offers sellers various promotion tools to drive sales.
Here are some handy marketing tools that Etsy provides you with:
Frequently asked questions
Is Depop owned by Etsy?
Yes, Etsy completed its acquisition of Depop in 2021 for approximately $1.635 billion, which we believe to be a big bet in the growth of the clothing secondhand sector.
Can you sell handmade on Depop?
Yes, you can sell any handmade item you want on Depop as long as it’s not in the list of their prohibited items. However, it’s more recommended to sell your handmade stuff on Etsy because it’s more well-established for people to look for one-of-a-kind products.
Is Etsy bigger than Depop?
Yes, Etsy is bigger than Depop. While Etsy currently has over 96 million buyers and 9 million sellers, Depop only has around 30 million buyers and sellers combined.
Who pays for shipping on Depop?
Whether you choose to ship with Depop (only available for the United States mainland) or sort out your own arrangements, the shipping fee is either on you or your customers.
-
- Etsy marketplace ads: With Etsy’s targeted advertising system, you can showcase your products to potential buyers in relevant search results or category pages.
-
- Etsy’s offsite ads: Apart from on-site ads, Etsy also allows you to promote your handmade items beyond its marketplace, including on search engines and social media sites like Facebook or Instagram.
- Coupons: Etsy’s built-in discount feature lets you create special promotions to attract new customers and encourage repeat purchases. You can set up percentage or fixed-amount discounts for specific items or your entire shop.
- Social media integration: Etsy makes it easy to share your shop updates, sales, and products on major social platforms. With integrated tools for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, you can quickly spread the word about your offerings to your social media followers.
Pros and cons of selling on Etsy vs Depop
Just like any eCommerce platform, both Etsy vs Depop have their own strengths and setbacks.
Pros and cons of selling on Depop
Pros | Cons |
+ Depop is a reputed platform for fashion resale + The platform has a steady growth rate |
– Selling on Depop costs more than on Etsy – You have little control over your store design – Promoting your products on Depop would take more effort because it doesn’t have paid ads functionality yet |
Pros and cons of selling on Etsy
Pros | Cons |
+ Etsy has an extensive built-in audience of over 96 million active buyers + You have tons of promotion tools to drive sales on Etsy + Etsy’s partnership with popular couriers gives you subsidized shipping labels of up to 30% |
– The competition on Etsy can be high for some saturated categories – Like Depop, Etsy doesn’t offer fulfillment services like Amazon FBA |
Our buying guide: Is Etsy better than Depop?
When to choose Depop over Etsy?
Depop would be a no-brainer choice if you:
-
- Are living in the US or UK (you won’t be charged a 10% selling fee like sellers in other countries)
- Currently have a thrift store or know where to source secondhand items at good prices
- Are an ordinary person who wants to clear your wardrobe and hopefully get some money from your pre-loved items
When to choose Etsy over Depop?
Meanwhile, Etsy would make perfect sense if you:
-
- Are an artisan who loves to create and sell your own stuff
- Want to open a scalable online store on a popular marketplace with a huge existing audience base
- Want to sell other product options that Depop doesn’t support like POD or digital products
Wrapping up!
So, would you choose to sell on Depop– a rising star in the fashion resale sector, or Etsy- a globally famous handmade marketplace? Masstic team hopes after reading our Depop vs Etsy comparison, you can have a confident answer for yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Is Depop owned by Etsy?
Yes, Etsy completed its acquisition of Depop in 2021 for approximately $1.635 billion, which we believe to be a big bet in the growth of the clothing secondhand sector.
Can you sell handmade on Depop?
Yes, you can sell any handmade item you want on Depop as long as it’s not in the list of their prohibited items. However, it’s more recommended to sell your handmade stuff on Etsy because it’s more well-established for people to look for one-of-a-kind products.
Is Etsy bigger than Depop?
Yes, Etsy is bigger than Depop. While Etsy currently has over 96 million buyers and 9 million sellers, Depop only has around 30 million buyers and sellers combined.
Who pays for shipping on Depop?
Whether you choose to ship with Depop (only available for the United States mainland) or sort out your own arrangements, the shipping fee is either on you or your customers.
-
- Etsy marketplace ads: With Etsy’s targeted advertising system, you can showcase your products to potential buyers in relevant search results or category pages.
-
- Etsy’s offsite ads: Apart from on-site ads, Etsy also allows you to promote your handmade items beyond its marketplace, including on search engines and social media sites like Facebook or Instagram.
- Coupons: Etsy’s built-in discount feature lets you create special promotions to attract new customers and encourage repeat purchases. You can set up percentage or fixed-amount discounts for specific items or your entire shop.
- Social media integration: Etsy makes it easy to share your shop updates, sales, and products on major social platforms. With integrated tools for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, you can quickly spread the word about your offerings to your social media followers.
Pros and cons of selling on Etsy vs Depop
Just like any eCommerce platform, both Etsy vs Depop have their own strengths and setbacks.
Pros and cons of selling on Depop
Pros | Cons |
+ Depop is a reputed platform for fashion resale + The platform has a steady growth rate |
– Selling on Depop costs more than on Etsy – You have little control over your store design – Promoting your products on Depop would take more effort because it doesn’t have paid ads functionality yet |
Pros and cons of selling on Etsy
Pros | Cons |
+ Etsy has an extensive built-in audience of over 96 million active buyers + You have tons of promotion tools to drive sales on Etsy + Etsy’s partnership with popular couriers gives you subsidized shipping labels of up to 30% |
– The competition on Etsy can be high for some saturated categories – Like Depop, Etsy doesn’t offer fulfillment services like Amazon FBA |
Our buying guide: Is Etsy better than Depop?
When to choose Depop over Etsy?
Depop would be a no-brainer choice if you:
-
- Are living in the US or UK (you won’t be charged a 10% selling fee like sellers in other countries)
- Currently have a thrift store or know where to source secondhand items at good prices
- Are an ordinary person who wants to clear your wardrobe and hopefully get some money from your pre-loved items
When to choose Etsy over Depop?
Meanwhile, Etsy would make perfect sense if you:
-
- Are an artisan who loves to create and sell your own stuff
- Want to open a scalable online store on a popular marketplace with a huge existing audience base
- Want to sell other product options that Depop doesn’t support like POD or digital products
Wrapping up!
So, would you choose to sell on Depop– a rising star in the fashion resale sector, or Etsy- a globally famous handmade marketplace? Masstic team hopes after reading our Depop vs Etsy comparison, you can have a confident answer for yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Is Depop owned by Etsy?
Yes, Etsy completed its acquisition of Depop in 2021 for approximately $1.635 billion, which we believe to be a big bet in the growth of the clothing secondhand sector.
Can you sell handmade on Depop?
Yes, you can sell any handmade item you want on Depop as long as it’s not in the list of their prohibited items. However, it’s more recommended to sell your handmade stuff on Etsy because it’s more well-established for people to look for one-of-a-kind products.
Is Etsy bigger than Depop?
Yes, Etsy is bigger than Depop. While Etsy currently has over 96 million buyers and 9 million sellers, Depop only has around 30 million buyers and sellers combined.
Who pays for shipping on Depop?
Whether you choose to ship with Depop (only available for the United States mainland) or sort out your own arrangements, the shipping fee is either on you or your customers.