Ordering.co vs Etsy
Etsy is a marketplace: sellers list inside Etsy's catalog, pay a listing fee and a transaction fee on every sale, and may not exchange contact information to move a sale off Etsy. Ordering.co gives makers and local food and goods businesses their own branded storefront and apps, with delivery zones, pickup, and customer accounts on channels they operate — or lets an operator build a local marketplace of their own.
| Capability | Ordering.co | Etsy |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery zones, fees, pickup, and ASAP or scheduled orders | Included | Not listed |
| Self-ordering kiosk | Included | Not listed |
| Call center console | Included | Not listed |
| AI ordering by WhatsApp and voice | Included | Not listed |
| Driver app and dispatch for your own fleet | Included | Not listed |
| MCP for AI tools | Included | Not listed |
| Frontend source code license | Eligible plans | Not listed |
Ordering.co at a glance
- years building ordering technology
- 12+
- of orders a month, on auto-scaling infrastructure
- Millions
- products across ordering channels, operations, and delivery
- 20+
- features, from catalog to dispatch
- 1,500+
Enterprise brands running on Ordering.co technology
Why local makers and shops choose Ordering.co over Etsy
The same reasons come up whenever a maker or a local food or goods business plans to sell on channels they operate.
Enterprise-proven
Technology proven with enterprise brands
Ordering.co runs ordering for enterprise groups such as Alsea, which operates Domino's, Starbucks, Burger King, and seven more brands on one platform across more than 4,000 locations. A maker or a local shop starts on the same infrastructure, not a listing inside someone else's marketplace.
20+ products, 1,500+ features
A full local commerce platform, not a listing
Ordering.co brings more than 20 products and more than 1,500 features on one catalog and order flow: menus and product options, delivery zones with per-store fees, pickup, curbside, and ASAP or scheduled orders. Etsy's own help center states it does not have a built-in tool for local pickup or delivery.
Your own storefront, your own customer relationship
Ordering Web and branded iOS and Android apps run on your domain and developer accounts, with customer accounts and order history in the setup you run. Etsy's Seller Policy prohibits sharing contact information to complete a sale off Etsy and limits buyer information to Etsy-related communications.
Marketplace Platform
Or build your own local marketplace
An operator who wants to bring other local makers or food and goods businesses onto one storefront can launch a multi-vendor marketplace under their own brand, with commission, delivery, and payout rules they set, instead of listing inside Etsy's marketplace.
API, MCP, source code
An open platform your team can build on
Connect any system through the Ordering.co API and webhooks, plug AI tools in through MCP, and, on eligible plans, build on the frontend source code of the storefront and apps. Etsy's Open API v3 manages listings, orders, and shop data on Etsy's own marketplace; it is not a general commerce API for an independent storefront.
12+ years
Twelve years of ordering technology behind you
Ordering.co has been building ordering technology for more than 12 years, and the platform reflects the operating lessons of every maker, restaurant, and local marketplace on it.
Side by side
Etsy is a marketplace listing product. Every row is something you can run on Ordering.co next to it.
| Capability | Ordering.co | Etsy |
|---|---|---|
| Storefront and customer channels | ||
| Own branded website and apps | Ordering Web and branded iOS and Android apps on your domain and developer accounts, with the source code on eligible plans. | A shop page inside Etsy's marketplace. A separate website with a seller's own domain is available through Pattern by Etsy, a $15 monthly subscription after a trial of 30 days. |
| Delivery zones, fees, pickup, and ASAP or scheduled orders | Delivery zones with per-store fees, pickup, curbside, ASAP orders, and scheduled orders, with prep times for each store. | Not listed |
| Self-ordering kiosk | Ordering Kiosk: customers order and pay from tablets or large screens in the store, managed from the dashboard. | Not listed |
| Call center console | Agents find customers by phone number, take orders, and reorder from one screen. | Not listed |
| AI ordering by WhatsApp and voice | AI Ordering Agents take orders through voice, WhatsApp, chat, and web conversations on your catalog. | Not listed |
| Loyalty levels and gift cards | Tiered loyalty programs that reward repeat customers, alongside points, wallets, and shop-specific gift cards. | Etsy sells its own platform-wide gift cards, redeemable at any Etsy shop. Its Seller Policy pages list no seller-specific loyalty program or points. |
| Customer accounts, data, and direct messaging | Customer accounts, order history, and contact information sit in the Ordering.co setup you run. | Etsy's Seller Policy prohibits exchanging contact information to complete a transaction off Etsy, and limits buyer information from Etsy orders to Etsy-related communications. |
| Store and delivery operations | ||
| Driver app and dispatch for your own fleet | Driver App and delivery dashboard: automatic assignment, order batching, a live map, and proof of delivery. | Not listed |
| Delivery partners | Connected delivery partners, including Uber Direct and DoorDash Drive, with per-store selection and fallback rules. | Not listed |
| Merchant app and dashboard | Ordering Merchant on web, iOS, and Android, plus a dashboard for stores, menus, users, orders, and reports. | The Sell on Etsy app manages listings, messages, and orders for a single shop. |
| Multi-vendor marketplace for other local sellers | Marketplace Platform: a multi-store storefront, merchant portal, and delivery operations under your brand, with commission, fees, and payout rules you set. | Etsy is itself a marketplace; it does not offer its platform for an operator to run a separate branded marketplace of other local sellers. |
| Build and extend | ||
| API and webhooks | The Ordering.co API and webhooks, included on every plan, to connect any system or build a custom experience. | The Etsy Open API v3 covers listing, order, and shop management for shops on Etsy's own marketplace, not a general commerce API for an independent storefront. |
| MCP for AI tools | Connect compatible AI tools to your Ordering.co account through MCP. | Not listed |
| Frontend source code license | On eligible plans, source code for the web storefront, customer apps, Merchant App, and Driver App. | Not listed |
| White-label reseller program | Agencies resell Ordering.co products under their own brand. | Not listed |
| Custom features | Build them yourself on the API and source code, or with a dedicated Ordering.co team. | Etsy's marketplace features, fees, and policies apply platform-wide and are set by Etsy for every shop. |
“Not listed” means the capability does not appear in Etsy's product lineup. Confirm scope and terms with each provider.
Where selling on Etsy stops
What a maker or local shop runs into on Etsy.
A fee to list, and a fee on every sale
Etsy charges $0.20 to publish each listing, which renews every four months or after each sale, plus a 6.5% transaction fee on the order total, including shipping and gift wrap.
Payment processing on top of those fees
Etsy Payments, mandatory for sellers in most countries, adds its own processing fee on top of the listing and transaction fees, 3% plus $0.25 per order in the United States.
An advertising fee that can become permanent
Etsy's Offsite Ads charge 15% of an attributed sale while a shop has never made $10,000 in any 365-day period, or 12% once it has, capped at $100 per order. From then on, participation is mandatory for the life of the shop.
No built-in local pickup or delivery
Etsy's own help center states it does not have a built-in tool for local pickup or delivery. Sellers arrange it with each buyer, remove the shipping charge, and reserve the listing by hand.
Etsy owns the customer relationship
Etsy's Seller Policy prohibits exchanging contact information to complete a transaction off Etsy, and limits buyer information from Etsy orders to Etsy-related communications.
Proven with enterprise brands.
The platform you would run on already runs ordering for Alsea, a multi-brand restaurant group with more than 4,000 locations.
Alsea runs WOW+ and ten restaurant brands on one ordering platform.Domino's, Starbucks, Burger King, Vips, and six more brands share one app, one website, call centers, and a delivery operation that assigns drivers automatically.10 brands on WOW+4,262 locationsMexico and ColombiaRead the Alsea storyHow to move from Etsy to Ordering.co
Leaving Etsy is a catalog decision first. Rebuild products, images, prices, and fulfillment on an Ordering.co storefront you run, then attach the website, apps, and operational tools that belong in the project.
What moves
Products, categories, and variants
List the items, collections, and variants that should exist on the Ordering.co catalog after you leave the marketplace listing.
Images and descriptions
Carry over the photography and copy the storefront needs so each product is shoppable on your own website and apps.
Prices and promotions
Set prices, promo codes, and offer rules on the catalog you operate, instead of only inside a marketplace listing.
Fulfillment rules
Decide pickup, shipping, or delivery windows, fees, and zones for the products you will sell on Ordering.co.
How the move runs
Export your Etsy shop
Etsy's Shop Manager downloads your active listings as a CSV (title, description, price, quantity, tags, materials, image URLs, and SKUs) plus order and payment history. Keep that export as your own backup, and gather anything it does not include yourself.
Rebuild the catalog with fulfillment rules
Recreate products, categories, and variants, then set pickup, shipping, or delivery zones, fees, and prep windows for the products you will sell.
Choose your channels
Attach the owned website, native apps, and any kiosk or call center the project needs, or scope a marketplace if you are bringing other local makers or food and goods businesses onto one storefront.
Reconnect payments and promotions
Configure payment processing against your provider accounts and set promo codes and offer rules on the catalog you operate.
Test and launch
Run real orders end to end, train your team, then point your domain to the new storefront. Tell your customers directly where to find you, since Etsy does not carry contact details off its platform.
Duration depends on catalog size, fulfillment complexity, and whether the project is a single storefront or a marketplace for other sellers, so the scope, responsibilities, and timing are set in your project plan.
Questions from Etsy sellers
Why choose Ordering.co over Etsy?
Ordering.co gives a maker or a local food or goods business its own branded storefront and apps, with delivery zones, pickup, and customer accounts on channels they operate, instead of a listing inside Etsy's shared marketplace where Etsy owns checkout and messaging.
Does leaving Etsy mean losing my product photos and descriptions?
No. Etsy's Shop Manager exports your active listings, including titles, descriptions, prices, tags, and image URLs, as a CSV you keep as your own backup and bring into your new catalog.
Can I offer local pickup and delivery from my own storefront?
Yes. Delivery zones with per-store fees, pickup, curbside, and ASAP or scheduled orders run natively on Ordering.co. Etsy's own help center describes no built-in tool for local pickup or delivery.
What happens to the fees I pay today?
Etsy's $0.20 listing fee, 6.5% transaction fee, payment processing, and Offsite Ads charges are Etsy's fees for selling inside its marketplace. Ordering.co's plans and any usage-based services are reviewed on current pricing for the storefront you run.
Can I keep in touch with my customers directly?
Yes. Customer accounts, order history, and contact information sit in the Ordering.co setup you run. Etsy's Seller Policy limits buyer information to Etsy-related communications and prohibits exchanging contact information to complete a sale off Etsy.
Can I build a marketplace instead of a single storefront?
Yes. An operator bringing other local makers or food and goods businesses onto one storefront can launch a multi-vendor marketplace under their own brand on the Marketplace Platform, with the commission, delivery, and payout rules they choose.
Can my developers extend the storefront?
Yes. The Ordering.co API and webhooks are included on every plan, MCP connects compatible AI tools, and eligible plans include the frontend source code of the storefront and apps. Etsy's Open API v3 manages listings and orders on Etsy's own marketplace, not an independent storefront.
How long does a move from Etsy take?
It depends on catalog size, fulfillment complexity, and whether the project is a single storefront or a marketplace for other sellers. There is no standard timeline; the plan for your project sets the sequence, responsibilities, and dates.
Etsy and every other product name on this page are trademarks of their respective owners. Ordering.co is not affiliated with Etsy.
Bring your catalog to a storefront you own.
Tell us how many products you sell, whether you need delivery zones and pickup, and whether the project is a single storefront or a marketplace for other local makers. We'll show you the Ordering.co setup in a live demo.