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Where to sell artisan food online: marketplaces compared

The main channels for small food makers and farms, what each is best for and what to watch. Your own store has the highest margin and the lowest built-in traffic, so pair it with at least one marketplace.

Get a plan and a priceSee the picks

The short answer

Sell from your own store for margin and pair it with at least one marketplace for traffic: Madeline's for specialty food shipped by the maker, Faire for wholesale to independent stores, and a local platform if you sell within a few hours' drive.

The channels

  1. Madeline's

    Best for specialty food, farm and garden goods shipped by the maker

    Commission only. You keep your brand on the product page and ship your own boxes. Apply on the makers page.

  2. Faire

    Best for wholesale to independent stores

    Net 60 terms to retailers, and you get paid on shipment. Strong for shelf-stable gifts.

  3. Mable and Abound

    Best for wholesale to grocers and specialty stores

    Smaller than Faire, more food-focused.

  4. Etsy

    Best for shelf-stable food, seeds and soap

    Large audience, fees per listing and sale, heavy competition.

  5. Goldbelly

    Best for iconic regional foods and large gift orders

    Application-based and selective. They handle marketing, you ship.

  6. Market Wagon, LocalHarvest and Barn2Door

    Best for local and regional food delivery

    Good for farms selling within a few hours' drive.

  7. Amazon Handmade and Amazon Grocery

    Best for volume and shelf-stable goods

    Fees and compliance are heavy; most small makers skip it.

  8. Your own store

    Best for everything

    Highest margin, lowest built-in traffic. Pair it with at least one marketplace.

Where to go next

  • Sell on Madeline's

    List your products on the marketplace. Commission only, and you ship your own boxes.

    Apply on the makers page

  • Have your own store built

    A store with your catalog loaded, perishable shipping rules, and one catalog synced to Faire, Etsy and Madeline's.

    See the solution

Want one of these set up for you?

Tell us what you make. We send back a short plan and a price.

Get a plan and a price

How it works

  1. Tell us what you make

    What you make and what you use now. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer.

  2. Get a short plan

    Keep this, replace that, connect these, and the cost.

  3. We set it up

    Setup and migration done for you. You approve before anything goes live.

  4. Run it or hand it off

    Take it from there yourself or keep us on for the upkeep.

Questions

Where can I sell small-batch food online?

Your own store, plus marketplaces such as Madeline's, Faire, Mable, Abound, Etsy and Goldbelly, and local platforms such as Market Wagon, LocalHarvest and Barn2Door if you sell within a few hours' drive.

Is Faire good for food makers?

Faire is for wholesale to independent stores, with net 60 terms for retailers and payment to you on shipment. It is strong for shelf-stable gifts.

Should a small food maker sell on Amazon?

Fees and compliance are heavy, and most small makers skip it.

Do I need my own online store?

Your own store has the highest margin and the lowest built-in traffic, so pair it with at least one marketplace.

Get a plan and a price

Tell us what you make and what you use today. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer. We reply by email with what we would keep, what we would change and what it costs.

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