Etsy
Marketplace to sell handmade goods, digital downloads, and print-on-demand — with built-in buyer traffic.
About Etsy
Etsy is a global marketplace where you make money selling handmade products, digital downloads (printables, templates, SVGs), vintage items and print-on-demand merch — with millions of built-in buyers actively searching to purchase. Digital downloads are especially popular for passive income: create a printable or template once and sell it unlimited times with no inventory. Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee per item, a 6.5% transaction fee on the sale total (including shipping), and payment processing of about 3% + $0.25; optional Offsite Ads cost 12–15% only when they make a sale. Because Etsy brings its own traffic, you can make sales without ads, though the marketplace is competitive and SEO matters. Common searches: how to make money on Etsy, Etsy fees, sell on Etsy and Etsy printables. Best for makers, designers and print-on-demand sellers who want a marketplace with ready buyers rather than building a store from scratch.
Curious what this could actually earn you?
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What you can do with it
- Selling handmade products
- digital downloads & printables (passive income)
- print-on-demand merch
- vintage goods
- reaching built-in marketplace buyers.
Pros
- Millions of built-in buyers — make sales without running ads
- Digital downloads/printables sell unlimited times for passive income
- Low barrier: cheap to list, no monthly fee required
- Works for handmade, POD and digital products
Cons
- Stacked fees (6.5% + listing + processing + Offsite Ads) add up
- Very competitive
- SEO and reviews decide visibility
- You don't own the customer relationship
- Policy/algorithm changes can hit sales overnight
Frequently asked questions
Quick info
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