Since its inception in 2005, Etsy has earned a reputation for being one of the largest markets for crafts, art supplies, and vintage finds. But did you know, in recent years, it’s become a bustling marketplace for digital products as well?
From crocheting patterns to website templates to photo-editing presets, creators are now selling all kinds of digital products on the platform — and customers are flocking to purchase them. With the platform’s digital media market exploding, now’s the time to cash in.
Want to get in on Etsy’s digital products market but don’t know where to start? Read on as we unpack 34 of Etsy’s best-selling digital products, along with examples from creators who are raking it in.
Why sell digital products on Etsy?
Today, Etsy is one of the best platforms for selling digital products online. And there are a number of reasons why.
First and foremost is the platform’s marketplace functionality. Etsy is a digital marketplace with over 96 million active buyers. That’s 96 million potential customers for your products. Once you’ve set up your Etsy shop and uploaded your products, the platform’s powerful search engine will connect your products with potential paying customers.
Etsy’s also a great place to sell digital downloads because it supports a plethora of different file formats. This means creators can use the platform to sell virtually any digital product their heart desires, including printables like greeting cards and wall art, digital tools like planner templates and Lightroom presets, and much more.
While Etsy is a great place for all types of creators to sell digital products, it’s best utilized by creators within the arts and crafts, design, and wellness niches, as these are where much of its user base lies.
Read: The best Etsy alternatives for selling digital products
34 profitable digital products ideas to sell on Etsy
From crafty products like sewing patterns to design-oriented tools like templates, there are a plethora of digital products to sell on Etsy. Here are some of the most lucrative and best-selling digital products to create and sell on the popular online marketplace.
Looking to become an Etsy seller? Here’s a beginner’s guide on how to sell digital downloads on the platform.
1. Sewing patterns
Etsy is the digital marketplace for crafters. So it’s really no surprise that printable sewing patterns are some of the best-selling digital products on the platform.
A sewing pattern shows users to how to sew fabric into soft goods, like a pillow or a pair of pants. These patterns typically include sewing instructions, visual guides, and pattern-cutting templates. As their name suggests, printable sewing patterns can be created in design programs like Adobe Illustrator, and are intended to be printed off for use at home.
Sewing patterns exist for a wide variety of categories, from T-shirts and tote bags to dresses and dolls. However, patterns for clothing tend to be the most sought-after on Etsy. When it comes to stylish sewing patterns, Kiana Bonollo Designs is one of Etsy’s star sellers. From cute party dresses to casual walking shorts, Kiana’s patterns range from $6 to $15 dollars a pop. To date, she’s made over 51K sales.
2. Knitting and crochet patterns
Sewing patterns are just the tip of the digital patterns iceberg. Printable knitting and crochet patterns are also some of Etsy’s best-selling digital products.
Like sewing patterns, these digital products include step-by-step and instructions that help users create specific needlework crafts. They’re also typically sold as PDFs for customers to download and print off at home.
From scarves and sweaters to housewares, knitting and crocheting patterns exist for a wide variety of categories. For example, Dot Pebbles Knits sells knitting patterns for animal plushies and had made over 148K sales on the platform. With each pattern priced between $1 to $6.50, that’s hundreds of thousands of dollars in digital knitting patterns alone.
3. Embroidery patterns
Beyond sewing and knitting patterns, Etsy also boasts a massive market for digital embroidery patterns.
Embroidery patterns typically include instructions and visual templates that show the user how to embroider a specific design. Like sewing and knitting patterns, these digital products can be delivered to your customer via PDF to print at home.
Get Stitch Done Designs specializes in embroidery patterns and, to date, has made over 18K sales on Etsy. This floral embroidery pattern helps customers transform their jeans into a flower garden and includes helpful video instructions. Unique, ultra-cute, and priced at $11.29, it’s no wonder the pattern has become an Etsy best-seller.
4. Printable cards
From birthdays to anniversaries, there’s a card for almost every occasion. And that means there’s a big market for them — especially on Etsy.
Printable cards make the act of card-giving easy, allowing customers to download and print out cards at home, on demand.
Etsy’s printable card market is massive, encompassing greeting cards, “thank you” cards, birthday cards, Christmas cards, and beyond. It’s also incredibly lucrative. This “thank you” card by Willow Lane Paperie sells for $5.50 a pop. With over 306K sales, the stationery boutique has made hundreds of thousands in profits.
5. Printable invitations
Weddings, birthday parties, baby showers, and beyond: all of these events warrant invitations. For busy individuals and event planners, printable invitations make the invite process a breeze. And that’s precisely why there’s a big market for this kind of digital product on Etsy.
Willow Lane Paperie is one of the platform’s most popular printables boutiques, with over 306K printable stationery sales. One of its best-selling designs is this floral wedding invitation suite, which is priced at $16.
6. Printable labels
Printables is one of Etsy’s most lucrative digital product markets. In addition to being hugely popular, the category is large and wide-ranging, encompassing cards, invitations, and even printable labels.
Labels are a handy organizational tool and have tons of uses, including labels for kitchen items, office supplies, paperwork, and more.
Bellamy Stone corners the market for printable houseware labels on Etsy. The shop sells labels for pantry items and cosmetic labels at $1.30 per label and up to $16.50 for bundles. To date, the boutique has had made over 60K sales. That’s a lot of dough — in more ways than one!
7. Printable gift tags
Etsy’s the place for savvy shoppers looking to up their gift-giving game. Why? Because it’s one of the biggest markets for custom printable gift tags.
To date, there are over 184K printable gift tags being sold on the platform, including tags for birthdays, baby showers, and seasonal holidays like this gift tag from Minty Paperie Shop. This customizable gift card allows customers to add their giftee’s name and a custom message, among other specifications. Minty Paperie Shop prices its printable gift tags around $6 each and, to date, has sold over 388K units of printable stationery.
8. Planner templates
In recent years, Etsy’s become a go-to marketplace for digital organizational tools. And when it comes to organization, we all know trusty planners are #1.
Etsy has large markets for both digital planners and printable planners. Digital planners are made to be used on PDF annotation apps like Goodnotes on Notability, while printable planners are designed to be printed out and marked up with a pen. Whether digital or printable, planner templates typically include calendar pages, daily to-do lists, and goal trackers.
Priced at $10, this all-inclusive planner by Creative Dreamers Co is kitted out with a meal planner, an expenses tracker, and a revenue tracker, in addition to the standard calendar pages. With that said, it’s really no wonder it’s one of Etsy’s best-selling planner templates.
9. Journal templates
With the recent boom in the wellness industry, journaling is fast becoming a massive market both IRL and online.
On Etsy, creators can choose to sell either digital journal templates or printable journals depending on their audience’s needs. Whether digital or printable, journaling templates come in many different forms, including lined and grid pages for long-form journaling, bullet journal for short-form, or journals for specific purposes like gratitude and mindfulness.
In addition to daily journal pages, this printable gratitude journal includes helpful writing prompts, a goal tracker, and a space for monthly reflections. Creative Jam Co sells this journal bundle for $3.70. To date, the shop has made over 261K total sales on Etsy.
10. Stickers
As we’ve seen, digital and printable stationery is a massive market on Etsy. And what’s a stationery set without some cute stickers?
As with most stationery items sold on Etsy, creators can sell digital stickers and/or printable stickers depending on their audiences’ needs. As their names suggest, the former are used to decorate digital stationery on platforms like Goodnotes, while the latter are made to embellish IRL items like journals, smartphones, and laptops.
From Halloween-themed stickers to functional notepad stickers, there’s virtually no limit to the different kinds of stickers you can sell on Etsy. For example, Happy Downloads corners the market on seasonal stickers, like this cute summertime sticker bundle. The shop prices its digital sticker bundles (which range from 10 to 25,000 stickers) from $2.50 to $17, and has sold over 175K units to date.
11. Printable wall art
If you think Etsy’s lucrative printables market begins and ends with stationery, you better think again. Today, consumers are also using the platform to buy — and print out — their next piece of wall art.
Digital art is one of Etsy’s best-selling categories. Want proof? An Etsy search for “printable wall art” yields over 2.5 million results, ranging from illustrated posters to vibrant original photographs. Customers simply download their artwork, print it off, and hang it up at home. It’s that simple!
Creators in the realm of visual arts, graphic design, and photography can cash in on this massive market by selling their existing artworks as downloadable files on Etsy. Take it from Emilie Muggleton. The Vancouver-based illustrator sells a range of digital prints — including her best-selling zodiac series — starting at $12.30 each. To date, she’s made over 7K sales and counting.
12. Lightroom presets
Etsy is a marketplace for makers of all kinds, from knitters to photographers and graphic designers. So it’s no surprise that the platform has spawned a large market for digital design assets. And some of its most lucrative are definitely Lightroom presets.
A Lightroom preset is a downloadable file that can be plugged into Adobe Lightroom to automatically edit a photograph according to predefined settings. These digital tools take the grunt work out of photo editing and allow customers to easily achieve the look they want.
For example, this Lightroom preset bundle, created by The Wayfarer Shoppe, allows users to transform their digital photos into vintage-looking photographs in just a few clicks. The 25-preset bundle is priced at $9.9. To date, the boutique has made over 67K sales. If you’re a photo-editing whiz, those are the kind of profits you’ll want to get in on.
13. Procreate brushes
Procreate brushes are the digital tools used to create paintings in graphics-editing app Procreate. As the app has risen in popularity in the last few years, creating and selling custom Procreate brushes has become an incredibly lucrative business for creators — especially on platforms like Etsy.
Illustrator Sadie Lew uses Etsy to sell Procreate brushes designed to give digital artworks the look of pastel and oil-painted masterpieces. Sadie sells her brush packs for $6 a pop and, to date, has made over 6K sales through the platform.
14. Website templates and themes
Website templates and themes allow anyone to create beautifully designed, custom websites in no time. With tons of businesses and individuals looking to create websites for their new online enterprises, the website template market has become incredibly lucrative in recent years.
E-commerce platforms like Shopify and Squarespace provide users with a range of free (and premium) website themes to customize their site. However, creators can also join the website theme game, creating and selling these templates to their audience through platforms like Etsy.
Blog Pixie uses Etsy to sell over 55 website templates for popular e-commerce platforms Shopify and Wix. Each template sells for $99 and, to date, the shop has made over 51K sales.
15. Social media templates
If you’re a graphic designer and creator, you’ll want to cash in on Etsy’s social media template market.
Social media templates are customizable files that allow virtually anyone to create aesthetically pleasing, professional-looking social media content in just a few clicks. Basically, they save businesses and creators time and effort in their social media marketing endeavors.
There’s demand for social media post templates for practically every platform out there. However, Etsy’s Instagram template market seems to be the largest and most lucrative. For example, this boho-themed Instagram template bundle by Switzer Templates is one of the platform’s best-selling digital products. Priced at $15, the set includes 100 Reels, Stories, and Post templates, as well as various Highlight covers and Stories stickers.
16. Invoice templates
Want to make a living helping your followers rake it in? You might want to consider leveraging your design skills to create and sell invoice templates.
Invoice templates take the tedium out of the invoicing process, all while helping freelancers and businesses elevate their brand. With the recent boom in self-employment and side hustle culture, beautifully designed, professional-looking invoice templates are in high demand. And this is especially true on design-driven marketplaces like Etsy.
For example, this minimalist invoice template by A Wild Bloom Designs is one of the platform’s best-selling digital products. The boutique prices its invoice templates at $9.99, and has made nearly 350K sales.
17. Résumé templates
Everyone knows how stressful résumé-writing is. Whether you’re a CareerTok creator or graphic designer, you can solve for this pain point — and cash in — by selling résumé templates on Etsy.
Résumé templates make résumé-writing a breeze, guiding users through the process while providing them with the professional-looking layouts that help them stand out.
Professional résumé-writer and designer Liisa Maloney makes a living selling her job-winning résumé templates on Etsy. She sells each of her résumé templates — like this best-selling minimalist design — for $8 to $9. To date, she has made over 94K sales. That’s over $750K in profits!
18. Fonts
In today’s competitive digital market, unique branding helps companies and creators stand out from the crowd. There’s a ton of money to be made in the digital branding game, and one of the most lucrative ways to cash in is by creating and selling fonts on Etsy.
Design-oriented creators looking to corner this market can increase their earnings by creating a large offering of fonts that cater to a variety of different niches. From there, Etsy’s powerful search engine will connect each of your fonts with potential customers.
KA Font Designs uses the platform to sell its offering of 630 unique fonts, including minimalist and boho designs, and its best-selling “Wild Mango” font. Each font is priced between $12 and $1.50 and, to date, the boutique has made over 216K sales.
19. Clip art
Are you an artist, illustrator, or graphic designer? Then you can earn money by selling your art as clip art on Etsy.
To maximize earnings, most creators sell their clip art in batches and bundles. For example, illustrator Isabelle Salem sells her popular floral borders in packs of 6 for $10. To date, she’s made over 95K sales of her clip art creations on Etsy.
20. Wrapping paper patterns
Did you know that Etsy has a bustling printable wrapping paper market? That’s right! To date, there are over 32K wrapping paper patterns being sold on the platform.
Like printable cards and gift tags, wrapping paper patterns are made to be purchased and printed off at home, where customers can then use them for all their gift-wrapping needs.
On Etsy, Past Paper Pretties Co corners the market on vintage-inspired holiday wrapping paper, like this printable Christmas pattern. The boutique has made over 7.3K sales of its printable paper creations.
21. Coloring pages and coloring books
Coloring books aren’t just for kids. They’re for everyone, as evidenced by the massive market for printable coloring pages on Etsy. (Currently, an Etsy search for “coloring pages” boasts over 243K results.) Artists, take note!
On Etsy, most creators sell digital coloring pages in bundles (also known as digital coloring books). The idea is that customers can print off individual coloring sheets or package them into a physical “book” if they choose to.
Illustrator Becka Seashols transforms her cutesy doodles into coloring pages and books, like her best-selling “Big Book of Doodles,” which she then sells on Etsy. Becka prices individual coloring pages at $2.99 and 12-page bundles at $5.99. To date, she’s made over 18K sales of her adorable digital doodles.
22. Zoom backgrounds
Calling all digital artists! Want to turn your art into cold hard cash? Consider selling Zoom backgrounds on Etsy.
With the recent rise in remote work, Zoom backgrounds have become a fast-growing and incredibly lucrative Etsy market. And one that’s not limited to Zoom users. Beyond Zoom, creators can sell their virtual backgrounds to users of other video conferencing platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Facebook, and more.
Virtual Backdrops Co is one of the many boutiques cornering Etsy’s virtual background market. From cozy cabins to winter wonderlands, the boutique’s stunning backdrops are priced at $3.95 each and have sold over 180 times.
23. Wallpapers
The ubiquity of smartphones and personal computers has ushered in a huge demand for digital wallpapers as users look to personalize their devices with unique and aesthetically-pleasing backgrounds. If you’re an artist or graphic designer, this means you can earn cash by transforming your art into digital wallpapers, or even creating custom backgrounds for customers.
On Etsy, creator Jayme of Sleepy Daze Shop has made over 11K sales of her soothing, pastel wallpapers for smartphones and computers. Among her best-selling designs is this “cozy bedroom” phone wallpaper pack, which is priced at $3.67 and includes two different backgrounds.
24. To-do lists
If you’re looking to cash in on Etsy’s booming template market, the most lucrative (and easiest) place to start is by creating and selling to-do lists.
To-do lists are some of the best-selling templates because they can be used by anyone and everyone. To increase sales, we suggest tailoring the look and feel of your to-do lists towards a specific niche (or niches!). Customers typically choose to purchase to-do list templates for their look as much as their functionality, so don’t be afraid to flex those design skills.
On Etsy, there are markets for both digital and printable to-do lists, but whichever type you decide to sell depends on your audience’s needs. One of My Life Plans‘ best-selling templates is a printable to-do list designed to look like a classic notebook. The template sells for $1.59 and includes two different to-do lists in four different sizes. Currently, the popular design is in 20+ Etsy users’ shopping carts!
25. Budget trackers
Are you a FinTok creator or graphic designer? Then you’ll definitely want to cash in on Etsy’s budget tracker market.
These popular templates help users track and manage their income, expenses, and savings so they can reach their financial goals.
Etsy’s best-selling budget trackers balance both functionality and design, so you’ll want to ensure your template is useful and visually appealing in order to max out those sales. This all-inclusive budget planner by The Weekly Crew is one of Etsy’s most popular budget tracker templates. Designed for Google Sheets and Excel, this minimalist template allows users to track and plan their finances on either a biweekly or monthly basis. It’s priced at $4.50 and, at the time of writing, had been sold over 47 times in the last 24 hours.
26. Meal planners
As its name suggests, meal planner templates help individuals manage all things food, providing them a space to plan meals, make grocery lists, manage their pantry inventory, and save their favorite recipes.
Etsy has booming markets for both digital and printable meal planners, with plenty of creators making versions that can be used both online and IRL. This best-selling meal planner by Phenix Printable is compatible with apps like GoodNotes and can also be printed off to use at home. This design is priced at $1.99 and, at the time of writing, had been purchased by two Etsy users within the last 24 hours.
27. Calendars
Want to cash in on Etsy’s bustling printables market? Consider selling printable calendars.
Calendar templates arrive in a variety of forms, from yearly to monthly to weekly. While all calendars serve the same purpose, not all printable calendars are created equally. Etsy customers tend to prefer calendars with aesthetically pleasing or playful designs — so get those creative juices flowing!
This printable calendar by The Productive Company is an Etsy best-seller for its simple, streamlined design. Made with sheets for all 12 months, this calendar is priced at $1.81 and, at the time of writing, had been purchased three times in the last 24 hours.
28. Business cards
The recent rise in self-employment has generated tons of demand for printable business cards. If you’re an entrepreneurial graphic designer looking to help other entrepreneurs, this is a market you’ll definitely want to corner.
This best-selling business card template by Trendy Fox Studio is a great example of the kind of modern-day business card consumers are looking for. This printable card can be customized via Canva with a business’ name, website, and social media handles, as well as a unique QR code. It sells for $6.99 and, at the time of writing, was in over 20 Etsy users’ shopping carts.
29. Recipe cards
Today, tons of consumers are digitizing their recipe collections, creating a digital recipe card market that design-savvy creators can cash in on.
This printable recipe card template by Minty Paperie Shop is one of Etsy’s best-sellers for its sweet-and-simple design. The downloadable file includes PDF, JPG, and PNG options that allow users to print their cards at home, at a photo lab, or a print shop if they so choose. The template costs $4.99 and, at the time of publishing, was in seven Etsy users’ shopping baskets.
30. Worksheets and workbooks
Hey, creator educators: Did you know you can earn money by selling worksheets and workbooks on Etsy? That’s right, the platform has a massive market for digital learning materials, from self-improvement ebooks to calligraphy practice sheets.
This printable happiness workbook by life coach Miri Campbell is one of Etsy’s best-selling digital products. It provides users with activities and exercises to help them boost their happiness and life satisfaction. Miri’s digital workbooks range from $13 to $26 dollars and, to date, she’s made over 26K sales on Etsy.
Hot tip: Want to get in on Etsy’s workbook niche? We’ve got the scoop on how to create your own ebook for free.
31. Children’s learning materials
Are you a creator educator specializing in children’s education? Then you can totally cash in on Etsy’s booming printables market. Recently, the platform has become savvy parents’ one-stop shop for children’s learning materials, including printable workbooks for phonics and math, flashcards, and more.
My Lama Moon is one of Etsy’s most popular boutiques in the children’s education niche, boasting over 23K in sales of printable flashcards and posters. Priced at $4.90, this colorful flashcards bundle teaches kids basic geometry and is one of the shop’s best-selling products.
32. Puzzles and games
Etsy caters to more than just crafters. The marketplace also has a robust community of game lovers. So if you’ve got a love of games and some design chops, you can earn money selling printable games and puzzles on the platform.
Etsy’s game market has a place for games of all kinds, from solitary pursuits like crosswords and sudokus to crowd-pleasers like scavenger hunts. Within the platform’s gaming market, some of the most lucrative niches are bridal and baby shower games. We Do Honey‘s baby shower games bundle is one of the niche’s best-selling digital products. The $15 bundle includes 37 printable games, and at the time of writing, had sold 22 times in the last 24 hours.
33. Event printables
Throwing a great event is tough stuff! That’s why today’s savvy event planners are turning to Etsy’s printable templates market to save time (and money) nailing the details. Creators can cash in on this niche by creating printables of all kinds, including menu templates, place cards, decorations, and more.
Weddings are definitely Etsy’s most lucrative event printables niche. However, depending on your audience, you might want to create products tailored to other events, like baby showers, birthdays, or corporate retreats. These minimalist place cards designed by Unmeasured Event can be used for a number of different occasions. And, priced at $8.99, they’re some of the boutique’s best-selling designs.
34. Cafe and restaurant printables
Like event planners, restaurant owners are also turning to Etsy for personalized, visually appealing printables. Of course, top among cafe and restaurant printables are menu templates. In addition to printable menus, design-oriented creators might want to consider creating a suite of printables (including opening hours signs and wine lists) suited to a number of different niches.
Etsy boutique Stone Hag Design has followed this formula and made over 12.8K sales on Etsy. The shop offers an array of different menus templates catered to rustic bakeries, elegant fine dining establishments, and more, each priced at $5.30.
Why it’s worth selling digital products on Etsy
So there you have it: 34 of Etsy’s best-selling digital products. From printables to templates, these digital products and their accompanying examples prove that Etsy’s digital downloads game is incredibly lucrative for creators of all kinds. Whether you’re an illustrator or CareerTok coach, you can earn money selling and creating digital products on Etsy. The first step? Get out there and start creating digital products!
Ready to start earning? Download the Leap’s free (that’s right, free!) Digital Product Launch Checklist for more useful tips on how to unlock your passive income potential.
FAQ
What is the best digital product to sell on Etsy?
There’s no single answer to this question. However, there are definitely digital product categories that are more lucrative than others on Etsy.
The most lucrative digital product categories on Etsy are printables (like sewing patterns, stationery, wall art, and coloring pages), templates (for websites, social media, meal-planning, invoices, résumés and more), and digital design assets (like Procreate brushes, Lightroom presets, and clip art.)
Is selling digital products on Etsy worth it?
Absolutely! Selling digital products on Etsy is worth it because it provides creators with a source of passive income.
When you sell digital products on Etsy, you’re not only saving time and money on producing your products (since you only need to produce them once before you can sell them ad infinitum), you’re also saving time and money on marketing efforts. This is because Etsy’s marketplace functionality and powerful search engine automatically connect your products with a market of over 96 million potential customers.
What are the best selling digital products on Etsy in 2023?
The best-selling digital products on Etsy in 2023 include:
- Digital sewing patterns
- Printable stationery items like cards, journals, and planners
- Printable wall art
- Templates for websites, social media, and résumés
- Digital wallpapers for smartphones and computers
- Digital design assets like Procreate brushes, Lightroom presets, and clip arts.
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