Etsy is an online marketplace known for unique, handmade, and vintage items. Whether you’re a crafter, artist, or vintage collector, Etsy offers an accessible platform to sell your creations and make money on them! This guide will walk you through the essentials of how to make money on Etsy, including setting up a shop with no budget, understanding Etsy’s fee structure, top-selling product categories, and potential earnings.
What You’ll Find:
- Is Etsy Still Worth It in 2025?
- How Does Etsy Work?
- How to Start an Etsy Shop With No Money
- Calculate the Numbers
- How Much Does the Average Etsy Seller Make?
- What Sells Best on Etsy?
- Tips for Boosting Etsy Sales
- Collect Data, Analyze, & Adjust
- Final Thoughts
Is Etsy Still Worth It in 2025?
With a huge customer base and one of the most popular marketplaces, Etsy is a great platform for artists, crafters, POD sellers, freelancers, and more. On the other hand, the competition is fierce with 9 billion active sellers!
What really will change the game for you is doing your market research, working on your listings, using the right Etsy SEO, and of course showing quality products! But let’s get right into it!
How Does Etsy Work?
Etsy works as a platform that connects buyers with sellers of unique, often handmade or vintage items. Here’s a breakdown of how it operates:
Etsy’s Product Categories
Etsy specializes in handmade goods, vintage items, and craft supplies. Sellers can list products across various categories, from jewelry and art to home decor and digital downloads.
Selling Process
After creating a shop, you can start listing your products. Include high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and relevant keywords to make your listing searchable.
Buyers
Etsy provides you with a platform where potential customers can discover your products. Etsy’s search algorithm favors listings with good reviews, frequent updates, and clear keywords, so optimizing your listings is essential.
Payment Processing
Etsy handles the payment processing for you, accepting various payment methods like credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay. You can set up your Etsy Payment account, and Etsy will deposit funds directly to your bank account.
Shipping
Once an item is purchased, you’ll receive the order information to prepare for shipping. Etsy offers a shipping label option that integrates with USPS and other carriers, making it easier to manage shipping within Etsy’s platform.
Customer Support & Feedback
After purchase, customers can leave reviews that are visible to other buyers. Positive reviews boost your shop’s credibility and visibility in Etsy search results.
How to Start an Etsy Shop With No Money
So, how to sell things on Etsy? It all starts with a store. Add a search bar, product categories, and an About Us page to boost your credibility. Once that’s done, link your store page with your Printify account for easy integrations and product listings.
Here’s how to start an Etsy shop with minimal or no budget is possible with a few strategies:
1. Setting up Your Etsy Account
Head to Etsy.com, click on “Sell on Etsy,” and set up a new account. You’ll need basic information, including your email and a shop name. Etsy guides you through this initial setup process.
2. Choosing a Name & Niche
Think carefully about a shop name that reflects your products or brand. Your shop name should be unique, memorable, and give buyers an idea of what you sell.
Remember to do your research and pick a profitable niche. Research current trends, keywords, and market preferences. You can use tools like Google Trends, Ahrefs, and Quora to understand the current market needs.
3. Setting Your Shop
Add a shop name, description, and all the necessary information regarding your business. Create a well-thought-out store page that customers can easily navigate.
✨ Customize your shop with personalized Etsy banners
4. Optimize Your Product Listings
Since each listing costs $0.20 to publish, listing without any fees may seem challenging, but you can use a free listing link. Some existing Etsy sellers offer free listings as part of their referral program, so look for these links online or join Etsy-related communities on social media where sellers share links to get you started for free.
Calculate the Numbers
To make money from your Etsy stores you must consider your numbers! Calculate all your expenses and fees and consider your profit margin from each of your products.
Etsy’s Fees & Fulfillment Costs:
- Listing fee
- Transaction fee
- Payment processing fee
- Shipping costs
Although customers often cover shipping fees, keep these in mind for your pricing strategy. Offering free shipping can be a powerful tool for success, most shoppers actually expect it.
- Production costs
While there’s no seller membership cost, except for the Etsy Plus plan, you’ll be charged 20 cents for each item you list and a transaction fee of 6.5% for each product you sell.
Although there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to setting prices, it’s essential to account for all costs involved in creating, marketing, and selling your products.
How Much Does Etsy Take From a $100 Sale?
Etsy’s fee structure consists of several charges, including a listing fee, transaction fee, payment processing fee, and potential advertising fees. Here’s a breakdown based on a hypothetical $100 sale:
- Listing fee: $0.20 per item. This fee is charged upfront for each listing and renews every four months.
- Transaction fee: 6.5% of the sale price, excluding tax. For a $100 item, Etsy’s transaction fee would be $6.50.
- Payment processing fee: This fee varies by country. In the U.S., it’s 3% plus $0.25 per order. For a $100 sale, this fee would be $3.25.
- Optional offsite ads fee: Etsy runs offsite ads for some listings and charges a 15% fee only if the ad leads to a sale. This fee can go as low as 12% for sellers who make over $10,000 annually on Etsy. Total fees without ads: $9.95
So, from a $100 sale, Etsy would take around $9.95, leaving you with $90.05 (excluding potential shipping costs).
How Much Does the Average Etsy Seller Make?
Etsy seller earnings can vary widely depending on factors like product category, shop visibility, and marketing efforts. Here’s a general overview:
- New or Casual Sellers: Part-time sellers, hobbyists, or those new to Etsy typically earn around $100 to $500 per month.
- Experienced Sellers: Established shops that regularly update listings, receive positive reviews, and engage in effective marketing efforts can earn between $1,000 and $5,000 monthly.
- Top Sellers: Etsy’s top sellers, often running their shops full-time with established customer bases, can make $10,000+ per month. These shops usually have high-demand products and extensive marketing strategies in place.
The average Etsy seller’s annual income is around $2,000-$10,000, though many use Etsy as a side business rather than a full-time endeavor.
What Sells Best on Etsy?
Success on Etsy often depends on selling products in popular categories. Here are some top-selling types of items and categories to consider:
Personalized clothing, such as custom T-shirts, baby onesies, or embroidered items, sells well on Etsy. Customization options make clothing an attractive gift option for birthdays, holidays, and events.
- Digital Downloads
A budget-friendly way to begin is by selling digital products like printables, planners, or artwork, which require no shipping or materials. Digital products allow you to avoid production costs, needing only graphic design software, tools like Placeit by Envato can be especially useful.
Digital downloads, such as printable art, planners, wedding invitations, and digital templates, are a booming market on Etsy.
- Jewelry
Jewelry has been one of Etsy’s top categories, with a wide range of styles and customization options, from minimalist rings to intricate necklaces. Handmade, personalized jewelry (like engraved pieces) appeals to Etsy’s audience looking for unique, personal gifts.
Selling wall art on Etsy can be a lucrative business, especially if you have a strong sense of style and know what types of artwork appeal to shoppers. Whether you’re a digital artist, a photographer, or work with physical media like watercolors or acrylics.
Selling stickers on Etsy can be a fun and profitable venture, especially if you have a creative eye and are good at designing! Stickers are popular because they’re relatively low-cost, easy to ship, and appeal to a wide audience.
- Craft Supplies & Tools
Craft supplies are always in demand, as many Etsy buyers are also crafters themselves. Selling supplies like yarn, beads, and other DIY materials has become a popular niche, especially when offering unique, high-quality items.
Etsy’s home decor category has grown as buyers seek unique, handmade items for their homes. Popular items include wall art, throw pillows, and ceramic pieces. Boho and minimalist designs are especially trendy right now.
- Vintage Items
If you have access to vintage items (anything over 20 years old), selling them on Etsy can be profitable. Popular vintage categories include clothing, home decor, and collectibles.
Etsy is a go-to marketplace for wedding-related products, from invitation templates to personalized favors. Many brides-to-be and wedding planners turn to Etsy for unique, handcrafted items to make their event memorable.
Tips for Boosting Etsy Sales
- Focus on high-quality images: Invest time in photographing your products with good lighting, multiple angles, and lifestyle images when possible. This is especially important as photos are often the first impression buyers get. You can also save time, money, and effort using professional mockups to display your products.
- Optimize product listings: Use the right Etsy Search Engine Optimization to enhance your listings with high-ranking keywords, meta tags, titles, and backlinks to rank high on search engines. Help people find your store and products when they search for them directly or for something similar.
- Offer excellent customer service: Promptly respond to customer inquiries and handle complaints professionally. Positive interactions lead to good reviews, which impact your shop’s visibility and credibility.
- Leverage social media marketing: Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are excellent for promoting visually appealing products. Use these channels to engage with potential buyers and drive traffic to your Etsy shop. Advertise your products and features on social media channels like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. Use current trends to create attention-grabbing reels, posts, and videos. Don’t forget to attach hashtags so people can find you.
- Implement email marketing: Develop an engaging email marketing campaign to capture the interest of both current and potential customers. Build an email list and share promotions, special offers, upcoming sales, new product launches, and content that encourages clicks.
- Try online advertising: Use display advertising, like banners and pop-ups, to send people to your store page with one simple click. Come up with captivating titles and texts to advertise your store as something too good to skip.
- Pump up your brand with influencer marketing: Connect with influencers who align with your target audience and have them spread the word about your brand. Use reviews, affiliates, sponsored posts, and giveaways to send traffic to your store from other pages and profiles. Partnering with other sellers is a great way to reach new audiences through cross-promotion. By showcasing your products to a fresh, possibly well-established customer base, you’ll increase your store’s visibility.
- Consider seasonal products & trends: Capitalize on seasonal trends by offering holiday-themed products or trending items in your niche. Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and wedding seasons are particularly active on Etsy.
Collect Data, Analyze, & Adjust
Analyze your Etsy store performance, collect data and insights, and adjust the listings to make the most profit.
You can use tools like Etsy Stats to collect data about your store visits, clicks, orders, and statistics of your store’s performance. This information helps you improve products, listings, and strategies to make the most income.
Final Thoughts
Making money on Etsy is entirely achievable with dedication, creativity, and a good understanding of the platform’s dynamics. From choosing the right products and understanding Etsy’s fees to leveraging social media, there are multiple ways to optimize your shop’s performance. Whether you’re looking for a side income or a full-time business, Etsy offers a valuable opportunity to turn your creativity into cash.
Good luck, and happy selling!
