Last Updated on November 21, 2020 by Stiletto Socialite

At first glance you might think Etsy and Depop are really not that different they both push vintage clothing, however they are key differences that make each platforms tick and understanding the differences is key to you getting the desired return that you are looking for, because you got to make that money until it starts making itself.

Do you get more customers on Depop or Etsy?

It was three months after I opened my Etsy shop before I put up my first five listings and my first sale followed a week later.  I was so excited selling that fast as a new shop especially since I had no identifiable header, logo, and straight up my shop look kind of sketchy when I think about it.  So I tested about 25 more items and those items set for a while and then I realized Etsy was no different than other reselling apps they have good days and bad days ups and downs. 

I do only post certain items to Etsy because they have a listing fee, however, I can tell you that at 50 items listed on Etsy vs. 50 items listed on Depop I had sold more on Depop.  It appears that the more I sold with Etsy the more they trusted me and according to research this is the case.

Etsy will send more customers to your shop once you have proven the ability to sell. What I do love about Etsy is that the traffic comes to you and you do not have to bump items. Etsy is like its own search engine and sends traffic to your shop.  You typically will not get negotiations unless you open the doors for that.

Sellers will just review your item and decide if they want it, so for that reason, your pricing has to be right or they will just not purchase.  On the other hand, having the ability to negotiate on Depop takes more work at times.

Definetly the “bumping” on Depop is something I can live without but bumping does give you more control of who sees your item vs. the Etsy algorithm. With the Etsy algorithim, the system picks to some degree who comes to your shop.

On the other hand, Depop allows you to be your own algorithm pushing items to the top of the feed yourself.  Also, Etsy SEO is more complicated than Depop, all you have to do with Depop is put the right tags and bump your items. There are two Etsy gurus that are worth checking out Kara and Tara for further digging into the Etsy SEO rabbit hole, and Marmalead is also an important tool for Etsy members and their SEO strategies. 

There is a free portion of Marmalead and a paid portion most YouTube SEO strategist will list in their description box a code wherein you can get a 14 day trial of Marmalead, when I used my 14 day trial I didn’t have to put a credit card on file, I just got it for 14 days and I didn’t do this immediately.  At first, I was using the free version then several months later I tried the 14-day trial.   After using it and watching a plethora of videos and doing research the cost benefit was not proven to me so I did not purchase Marmalead.

I know a lot of people rave about Marmalead and perhaps more time spent with it might have changed my mind but I sell such a unique niche product that the tags suggested were no different than what I already knew going in. On Marmalead, I would get a rating for a listing for a “C” and that item would go onto sell then the item I had listed that had a “A” rating would just sit there.

 

Depop vs. Etsy Listing Fees

Depop doesn’t have a listing fee, whereas Etsy does.

This is how I choose to look at Etsy and the .20 listing fee to make it easier to swallow.  With Etsy, I don’t have to bump…I repeat you don’t have to bump….so yeah I consider that .20 of the cost of me not having to bump my items.

The bumping is not free on Depop because I am spending my time and time is money. For the times that I have cross-listed on Etsy that I have spent .20 on the listing I just replace it with something else if I still have time on my listing.

For example, I have a vintage band tee that sells on Depop and my Etsy listing for that vintage band tee doesn’t expire for three more months then I will just update the Etsy listing with a new item.

Depop or Etsy Selling Fees

Depop fees are pretty straight forward you pay 10% of the sale price (not including shipping) for domestic sales and then you have the PayPal fee which is 2.9% + .30.

Here is the Depop fee breakdown:

DEPOP FEE BREAKDOWN

The Depop fees are 10% + Paypal fees

Paypal fees are ‎2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (US)

Doing the math, if you sell an item for $25.00

Shipping (paid by the customer is $9.00

Total Cost                                           $34.00

The depop fee is 2.50 (10% of 25.00)

Paypal fees are Total Cost $34.00 (2.9%)=.986 +.30=1.29

Etsy has a listing fee and 5% transaction fees for shipping and the transaction, so there are two transaction fees.

Etsy vs Depop Pricing

Depop is a negotiation platform, a lot of users are used to negotiating and even if you state “final sale” or “prices firm” they will still try to negotiate with you.

Etsy customers are more like a shop in a mall.  The prices you see, are what you get.  Just like you wouldn’t go into “Nordstroms” and start negotiating back and forth, Etsy customers for the most part do not engage in negotiations with you. 

I don’t mind negotiation on Depop, outside of the occasional low ball offer it doesn’t bother me.  However, it is nice, to sometimes get that sale notification on Etsy instead of just another message asking for the “lowest you will go?”

I love the sound notification of the register ring on my phone when I get a sale on Etsy it puts a smile on my face every time!

Depop or Etsy for Payments

Depop definitely pays faster than Etsy. Depop money goes into your Paypal account immediately.  Etsy on the other hand, you can choose a deposit schedule of (payment once per month, every two weeks, once per week, and every day). The money is deposited in your bank account, so there typically is like a day delay for the money to actually get to my account.

Depop vs Etsy Shipping

Both Depop and Etsy have international shipping options.

Depop does not provide any assistance regarding pre-paid shipping labels internationally you are all on your own for shipping internationally with Depop. With Etsy international shipping you can calculate your shipping with calculated profiles, this is the best way to get accurate shipping when the customer checks out because it will look at your location vs. the buyer’s location and the weight to calculate shipping.

On Etsy, I decided to do a set shipping price and used a shipping profile that has a flat rate, just because calculated shipping tends to be higher. At the time of which I did this I read that a good shipping rate is apart of what Etsy was looking for when deciding which items to promote. 

Recently, there has been a push for free shipping so in order to remain competitive offering free shipping has become a must for traffic unless you are building traffic organically on a platform like Pinterest, etc.

Reviews on Depop vs Etsy

Depop definitely wins in this category.  Perhaps its because the user base is young and are digital natives that grew up in an Amazon universe and doing reviews online are apart of the millenial/Gen Z psyche.

Moreso with Depop vs Etsy, reviews are apart of the selling experience, as long as you provide good customer service and ship fast you will have NO PROBLEM getting reviews on Depop.

On the other hand, it has been a struggle for me to get reviews on Etsy ultimately the more I sell the more review potential. However, at the same rate of selling on Depop I had already received several reviews vs. Etsy so Depop is definitely winning in this category.

Etsy vs Depop Promotions

The marketing opportunities are limited on Depop to what you do for the most part. Shop owners place ads in their closet offering discounts like bundles, percentage off sales (i.e 15% off), and BOGO deals, however, there are really no robust methods wherein you can streamline your marketing efforts with Depop like Etsy.  

For example, Etsy offers an option to offer your customers coupons who have left something in their cart.  Additionally, Etsy has shop engine ads that have the potential for your item to be pushed out into the shopping engines like Google Shopping, Bing, Shopstyle, and Polyvore at no cost. 

If you want to run your own personal campaign you can do paid advertising with Google Shopping Ads. I have never paid for advertising on Etsy but I have experienced my item coming into a top keyword search and being high on google searches. 

I can always tell when this occurs on Etsy when I check my stats and see a high number of searches.  Usually, these items that show up high on Google image search typically sell.

Depop vs Etsy Trends

Trendwise, Etsy is a fraternal twin to Depop, a lot of likes, but some definite differences. There is definitely some crossover however you can tell on Etsy that the customer’s age range differs.

• Both Etsy and Depop’s customers appreciate vintage, but the market is different
• Depop core market is hip and young, Gen Z and younger Millennials
• Etsy core market appears to be older Millennials +
• Depop has a cool, cutting-edge vibe with a focus on streetwear, 90s, Y2K, alt-fashion, etc

Etsy has a more sophisticated vibe for all things vintage ranging from your grandma’s vintage to current trends, so because of this it can yield some solid sales with good profit margins

Pricing on Etsy vs Depop

Pricing right is important on Etsy, because it is not a negotiating platform. Customers will either want to buy or not, and they will not generally ask for a price that is different as listed so its important to try to price right to not leave any money on the table with Etsy but not one that customers will walk away from.

I try to price the same throughout platforms because people do shop different platforms and may see your item priced lower somewhere. There are times when I will have specials specific to one shop however all else remaining equal I try to keep consistent pricing. With Depop, you will get some lowball offers, as there are people who want the vintage because it is cool and in vogue but doesn’t realize that a vintage band tee with distressing and piling can be more than a reproduced copy at Urban Outfitters.

Etsy vs Depop Sales

In the great debate of which is better for sales Etsy vs Depop, Etsy is a great complimentary for Depop. I would say try both at the same time. Don’t see it as one vs. the other. 

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket kind of person, you’ve already taken the pictures you already got the listing why not add to a site that appreciates your vintage items. There are times when I want to be in love with Etsy I have been slow to fully merge onto Etsy.

I feel like Etsy postings take a little more time to do especially when strategizing for what tags to use for the almighty Etsy SEO algorithm.  It has been a slow build for selling for me. Depop has more of  a community feel vs. Etsy which feels more transactional.

Also, with Etsy the algorithm controls who sees your shop while you build your sales but Depop you hold the power to keep bumping your items to get to the top of the feed and your customers eyes, the control freak in me likes Depop over Etsy for that reason alone. For me hands down I get more continuous sales on Depop.

<<If you want to take your journey on Etsy to the next level, make sure to check out 3dcart!>>