SuanSupplyThe short version
- Etsy brings the buyers: about 87 million active buyers search it, which a brand-new store of your own does not have.
- It costs about 9.5% of each order plus $0.45 in a US shop ($1.40 on a $10 download), and 15% more on sales that come from Offsite Ads.
- The hard part is not the fees, it is standing out: general ideas have huge numbers of near-identical listings.
- Your own store starts to win at roughly 14 to 18 orders a month, and only if those buyers find it without Etsy.
What do digital sellers get from Etsy?
- Buyers who are already searching. Etsy has about 87 million active buyers. A new seller with no following gets in front of people typing "invoice template" or "budget planner" on day one.
- No fixed cost. No monthly fee unless you choose Etsy Plus. You pay when you list (US$0.20) and when you sell.
- Free delivery. A digital file has no stock, packaging or label, so every extra copy costs nothing to deliver.
What does Etsy cost a digital seller?
On a US sale, Etsy charges a 6.5% transaction fee, 3% + $0.25 payment processing and a $0.20 listing renewal: $1.40 on a $10 download, so you keep $8.60. If the buyer came through an Offsite Ad, Etsy adds 15% of the order (12% once your shop makes US$10,000 a year), capped at US$100. New shops may also pay a one-time set-up fee. Our cost breakdown has the full numbers.
What are the real downsides?
- Competition. General ideas such as invoice templates or social media planners have tens of thousands of similar listings. Specific versions for one kind of buyer, or in another language, often have far fewer.
- Offsite Ads become mandatory. Below US$10,000 a year you can opt out. Above it, every ad sale pays 12% for the life of the shop, so prices need room for it.
- Etsy's rules. Etsy's Creativity Standards ask sellers to make or design what they sell, which rules out reselling bundles you did not create.
- You rent the shelf. Etsy sets the fees and the search rules and can change both. Your buyers are Etsy's customers first.
When does your own store beat Etsy?
On a US$30 order, Etsy costs about US$2.13 more per sale than Shopify Basic. The Basic plan is US$29 a month billed yearly or US$39 monthly, so it pays for itself at about 14 to 18 orders a month, if those buyers find your store without Etsy. Below that, Etsy is cheaper. Our Etsy vs Shopify guide works through the numbers.
| Choose Etsy if | Consider your own store if |
|---|---|
| You are starting out and have no audience yet | You already have followers or an email list |
| You sell original digital products Etsy allows | You sell things Etsy does not allow |
| You sell fewer than about 14 orders a month | Your per-sale Etsy fees cost more than a store plan |
What do we do ourselves?
We sell our tools on Etsy, because that is where buyers already look. At the same time we build this site, our free calculators and our email list, so the people who find us are not only Etsy's customers. Etsy is the shelf; your own audience is what you keep.
Check what Etsy takes on your own price, with and without Offsite Ads.
Open the Etsy fee calculatorFee change alerts
Know when a marketplace changes its seller fees
When Etsy, Amazon, eBay or a resale app changes what it charges sellers, we email you what changed and what it does to a $25 sale. One short email per change, nothing else.
Almost done: check your inbox. Click the confirm link and you're on the list (check spam too).
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy
Frequently asked questions
Is it still worth selling digital products on Etsy in 2026?
For most new sellers, yes: Etsy brings buyers who are already searching and charges no monthly fee. Expect about 9.5% + $0.45 per US order, plus 15% on Offsite Ads sales.
Is Etsy or Shopify better for digital products?
Etsy, until you sell roughly 14 to 18 orders a month from your own audience. Above that, a Shopify Basic plan can cost less than Etsy's per-sale fees.
Is Etsy too saturated for digital products?
General ideas are crowded. Specific versions for one kind of buyer, or in another language, often have far fewer competing listings. Check search and competition numbers before you build.
Free PDF cheat sheet
Etsy Seller Cheat Sheet 2026
Every Etsy fee with a worked example, the pricing formula, a listing SEO checklist and a 13-tag worksheet. Five pages, sent to your inbox.
Free. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. Privacy
Fees are Etsy's published US seller fees as of the dates in our guides and change from time to time. General information, not financial or tax advice. SuanSupply is not affiliated with Etsy, Inc.