How BladeOS compares
Built for makers, not just merchants
Most smiths run their business on a patchwork: a website builder here, a payment app there, a spreadsheet for the numbers, and DMs for commissions. BladeOS replaces that stack with one place built for people who forge custom work and sell one-off pieces.
We never touch your money
Connect your own payment method and keep your full price. BladeOS charges one flat subscription and takes zero percent of a sale.
Built for custom work
Commissions, deposits and milestones, a work pool, and a knife designer that turns an idea into a quote. The things a maker actually does.
Proof buyers can verify
Issue a Certificate of Authenticity that lives on a public page anyone can check, backed by your verified maker reputation.
One place, not five
A website, a shop, commissions, auctions, certificates, and your numbers in one system, instead of a builder plus a payment app plus a spreadsheet.
Feature by feature
built in· limited or add-on·— not really
| BladeOS | Shopify | Square | Wix / Squarespace | Etsy | Spreadsheets & DMs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selling & getting paid | ||||||
| Your own public storefront or website | — | — | ||||
| Sell finished pieces online | — | |||||
| In-person & market sales (POS or printable QR tags) | — | |||||
| Timed auctions with proxy (max-bid) bidding | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Scheduled drops | — | — | — | — | ||
| Keeps 100% of your sale priceYou connect your own payment method; BladeOS takes no cut of a sale. The others charge platform, listing, or per-transaction fees. | — | — | — | — | ||
| Custom & commissioned work | ||||||
| Commission workflow (requests, deposits, milestones) | — | — | — | |||
| Work Pool: buyers post a request, you quote it | — | — | — | — | — | |
| In-browser knife designer that becomes a quote | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Build journals: the story behind each piece | — | |||||
| Trust & authenticity | ||||||
| Certificates of Authenticity with public verification | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Trust score, verification badges & peer vouching | — | — | — | — | ||
| Maker directory so buyers can find a smith near them | — | — | — | — | ||
| Running the shop | ||||||
| Per-blade job costing (cash vs. true margin) | — | |||||
| Events & classes with QR tickets and door check-in | — | — | — | — | ||
| Built specifically for bladesmiths & blacksmiths | — | — | — | — | — | |
A fair word: Shopify, Square, Wix and Squarespace are excellent at general online selling, Etsy brings a built-in audience, and a spreadsheet is free. None of them were built for a maker who forges one-off pieces, takes commissions, and needs buyers to trust the work. Marks reflect each tool’s core product; third-party apps can add some of these. Not affiliated with any of these companies.
Trade the patchwork for one forge
Start free, no card needed. Bring your own payment method and keep your full price.