Most people think of Etsy as a place to buy and sell handmade goods and craft supplies, but it’s also a great place to sell digital downloads.
Most people make much more money when they sell digital downloads on Etsy. There are not many costs. And unlike physical products, you only have to make digital files once, but you can sell them repeatedly without worrying about inventory.
The only problem is finding things to sell on Etsy that are digital.
I’ve put together a list of the best digital products to sell on Etsy, along with examples of successful Etsy shops that already sell them, to help you decide.
Ready? Let’s get started!
Content Outline
Arts & crafts digital products to sell on Etsy
I have some suggestions for you, along with examples of successful businesses, if you want to sell digital products on Etsy in the arts & crafts category.
Crochet patterns
Etsy’s customers are mostly crafters and makers, so crochet patterns are among the most popular digital products. In case you didn’t know, crochet is a type of needlework in which fabrics are made with a hook and loops of yarn.
Crochet patterns are guides that tell you how to make certain designs. They usually include diagrams, step-by-step instructions, and photos.
HappyPattyCrochet’s wonderful collection of crochet hoop earring patterns shows how profitable it can be to sell crochet patterns. So far, they have sold almost 50,000 digital products. And at more than $12 per sale, that’s more than $500,000 in sales. There’s no doubt that the eye-catching photos and the fact that the seller is selling 6 different patterns in one bundle have helped with this.
Sewing patterns
Sewing patterns are digital downloads that show you how to sew fabric into clothes. They usually have layout templates, step-by-step guides, and pictures to show what to do. Customers can print out your sewing patterns at home if you send them in PDF form.
These Daphna trousers patterns are very popular, and it’s easy to see why: they look great and are very in style right now.
Coloring pages
You were wrong if you thought coloring books were only for kids. Adult coloring books are very popular right now, so it’s not surprising that this type of digital product sells really well on sites like Etsy, where customers are more likely to be creative.
There are more than 200 pages with geometric patterns in the set. The seller has added 9 Procreate brushes that look like crayons as a bonus for people who want to color them in digitally. It has sold a lot of copies.
Wrapping paper patterns
When it’s time for the holidays, people run out to buy wrapping paper. But wrapping paper in stores is usually too expensive, so many smart shoppers buy digital wrapping paper patterns and print them at home instead. Try to sell your own patterns for wrapping paper on Etsy. Holidays are a natural time for sales to increase, so that’s usually when they do.
If you want to sell digital products in the graphic design category on Etsy, here are some ideas and examples of businesses that have done well.
Lightroom presets
Lightroom presets are like custom filters you can add to your photos in Adobe Lightroom. Etsy is booming with high-quality lightroom presets thanks to Instagram influencers and amateur photographers.
Influencers, who are a key market for preset sellers, are the ones who are specifically targeted.
Procreate brushes
Procreate is a well-known app for the iPad that lets you edit graphics. There are a lot of default brushes, but many graphic designers don’t need all of them. Etsy is a great place to sell custom-made Procreate brushes because of this.
On Etsy, DrifterStudio has sold a lot of Procreate brushes. This product is all about watercolour brushes, which are in high demand, as you can see.
Printable wall art
One of the most popular things sold on Etsy is wall art. If you’re a good artist or designer, you can sell digital versions of your work that people can print at home as wall art.
Right now, stylish map prints are all the rage. And Etsy seller PaperEmporiumCo has taken advantage of the craze by selling custom wall art map prints for any location.
Photoshop actions
Photoshop actions are a set of editing tasks that have already been done. You can install them and play them on any file to make unique effects. It makes it easy for designers to put the same effects on any photo over and over again without having to edit it by hand. There are actions for pretty much everything. There are actions that make 2D drawings look like they are in 3D, and there are actions that turn photos into sketch art.
You can turn your photos into cartoons or vector art with this awesome action bundle from PrintableArtDigital.
Clip art
If you’re a good illustrator or graphic designer, why not make your own digital art and sell it as clip art? It’s better to sell your clip art in big groups than one at a time.
One of the most popular clip art sets on Etsy is this set of 15 PNG files with a rainbow theme. Tens of thousands of people have bought it.
Fonts
Fonts are another set of digital products that designers, makers, and crafters on Etsy are likely to buy. You can sell script fonts, serif fonts, sans-serif fonts, experimental fonts, etc. on the platform. But Cricut fonts, which are made for Cricut machines, are one of the most popular types of fonts.
Etsy Shop Banners
Another popular digital item to sell on Etsy is a banner for a shop. Banner makers can easily change banners to fit what customers want, which makes them more compatible. This kind of digital download from Etsy is easy for business owners to use and is an affordable way to help small and new businesses.
Depending on the design, quality, and quantity per deal, you can sell a single banner for $7 or a whole set of banners for $50.
Logos
If you’re good at designing logos, you could make a lot of money selling them on Etsy. It’s one of the most popular types of products on the platform, but there’s a lot of competition, so you’ll need to price your services fairly.
Logolane is one of the top-rated shops on Etsy that sells logos. They offer custom logo design services at reasonable prices, with unlimited changes, and deliver files digitally in different formats.
Video intros
Are you a skilled video editor who is familiar with Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro? Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could sell YouTubers custom video intros on Etsy?
Video Effects (VFX)
You could also sell collections of custom video effects (VFX) for the software you use most (like Premiere Pro, After Effects, Filmora, etc).
VFX effects range from energy effects to shockwave effects to smoke effects in this VFX collection from BrixGraphic. A lot of people have bought and sold it.
Photography
Photographers who work on their own can sell their prints on Etsy. You can sell prints of landscapes, portraits, and even pictures of your feet, which is a real niche. Also, photography is a competitive field, so if you want to make sales, you’ll need to be good and find a gap in the market.
This photography print of a mountain landscape by LotusPrintStudio is a great example of how to sell photos on Etsy.
Zoom backgrounds
In the last few years, a lot more people have started working from home, and many in-office meetings have been replaced by Zoom meetings that happen online. Because of this, people want stylish Zoom backgrounds more than ever. Try selling something you made on Etsy.
With this Etsy Zoom background, your real-life background is changed to a fancy office setting.
Custom portraits
Are you good at making art? As a result, you might be able to offer your services on Etsy and draw customer portraits they can download as digital files.
This seller makes watercolour wedding portraits that are made just for you.
Organizational digital products to sell on Etsy
These suggestions, along with examples of successful businesses on Etsy, will help you sell digital products to help people or businesses become more organized.
Planners
One of the most popular digital downloads on Etsy is a planner. They are made to help people stay on track with their goals and stay organised. Digital planners and printable planners are the two kinds of planners you can sell. Printable planners are PDF files that people can buy and print out at home. Apps such as Goodnotes and Notability can be used with digital planners.
On Etsy, this is one of the most popular digital planner sets. To make your planner perfect, you can choose from 192 different options and change the design.
Workbooks & worksheets
Etsy is another good place to sell educational products, such as worksheets or workbooks. Most people focus on one subject (like math) or age group (like preschoolers) and sell a large collection of worksheets as one product.
This set of printable worksheets for dealing with anxiety is one of the most popular.
Journal inserts
There is a growing trend of journaling these days. It’s often more economical to buy digital journal pages from websites like Etsy and print them off yourself instead of paying full retail price.
To-do lists
Some shoppers don’t want to write their to-do lists on a scrap of paper, so printable to-do lists are one of the most popular digital products on Etsy. Most of the best-selling books are about a certain type of task, like making a list of things to do for planning a vacation or a wedding.
PlanPrintLand has sold over 90 copies of this simple list of things to do.
Calendars
A calendar is a must-have for anyone who wants to stay on top of their schedule and stay organised. Why not make a calendar that you can sell in your Etsy shop? You can either make a digital calendar or sell a PDF that can be printed.
Budget trackers
Budget trackers help you keep track of your daily spending and income so you can stay on track with your savings goals. Through your Etsy store, you can sell templates for keeping track of a budget.
Digital products for sale on Etsy that are related to business
Here are some suggestions for you, along with examples of successful businesses, if you are planning to sell business-related digital products on Etsy.
Ebooks
Another type of item that sells well on Etsy is ebooks. You can sell any kind of ebook, from novels to guides and workbooks that aren’t stories. Etsy is for people who like to make things, so most of the best-selling ebooks are about arts and crafts.
It’s not too expensive and has more than 93 pages with step-by-step instructions, photos, and sketches. It’s no surprise that the seller has sold a lot of copies and gotten a lot of 5-star reviews.
Branding kits
Logos aren’t the only part of a brand that businesses want to buy. You could also offer other branding kits that go along with the ones you already have, like custom banners, icons, etc.
Learn about MBEPRINT’s brand identity kit. It has logos, pictures, banners, and icons for social media, as well as post templates, business cards, and more.
Business cards
Everyone seems to be an entrepreneur these days, which is why the market for business cards is doing so well. Business cards can be sold as digital downloads as unique, one-of-a-kind designs on Etsy.
Website templates
If you are a professional web designer, you could make a lot of money by selling website page templates and themes as digital downloads on Etsy. Focus on a specific niche to get the most sales. For instance, you could make templates for websites about photography or for a certain kind of online store.
You can also pay attention to different platforms for building websites. WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify and Wix are some of the most used.
Invoice templates
Bills don’t have to be boring and dull. You can make invoice templates that look professional and sell them to small business owners on Etsy.
The editable invoice template from DigitalTemplatePaper on Etsy comes in 5 colours that are already made, and it has been bought many times.
Social media templates
It seems like everyone wants to be an influencer on social media these days, so there is a lot of demand for social media templates. We’re talking about Instagram highlight covers, Facebook highlight covers, YouTube banners, LinkedIn cover templates, and thumbnails.
This set of social media templates from Lolapapercenter has been sold more than 120 times on Etsy. It’s made for real estate businesses in particular.
Etsy sellers can also sell other digital products
Lastly, here are some examples of successful businesses selling digital products on Etsy.
Stickers
Stickers are also a popular type of item on Etsy. We suggest making your sticker designs fit a certain theme, like animals, space, vehicles, etc., and selling digital downloads of them in big groups.
Selling digital stickers is a simple and easy way to make money that is easy to copy.
Labels & tags
A great place to sell personalised gift tags and product labels is Etsy, because it’s full of independent artists who sell handmade goods.
PinkFoxLabels is an Etsy store that sells ready-made labels that can be personalised. These labels are made for beauty and haircare products, but you can make labels for any product niche.
Greetings cards
Greeting cards can be sold on Etsy in many forms, such as birthday cards, get well cards, thank you cards, mother’s day cards, and father’s day cards.
People have bought the funny birthday card made by SweetWhispersStudio thousands of times. It just shows how funny things sell.
Flashcards
Since the pandemic, a lot more people are choosing to teach their kids at home. Because of this, the need for educational materials has gone through the roof. This includes flashcards and other digital products like decorations for the classroom, lesson plans, and so on. Flashcards that help you learn a new language are another popular type.
Thank-you cards
Having thank-you cards in your Etsy shop can bring in a lot of money.
Thank-you cards will always be useful. Businesses often send customers thank-you cards with the items they order. This is meant to show appreciation for the help and get good customer feedback. Having great designs for cards and envelopes will help you make a lot of money.
Also, selling your digital thank-you cards in sets at competitive prices may bring more people to your Etsy store. You should use a useful tool to help your business make more money when you list your digital products on Etsy.
Puzzles & trivia
Quizzes are always fun. On Etsy, you can sell puzzles and trivia questions you create. Choose a niche that will maximize your sales. It would be fun to do movie trivia or music trivia, for example.
Printable wedding invitations
Weddings are expensive, so many couples choose to save money by making their own invitations at home. Since this is the case, printable wedding invitations are another popular item on Etsy. But don’t stop at invitations—anything that has to do with weddings can be a good moneymaker. For example, you could sell templates for wedding menus, welcome signs that can be printed, bridal shower games, etc.
The best wedding package sold by EvoPrintables. It has more than 500 invitation templates that can be changed, as well as wedding planner templates and other goodies.
Creating digital products
If you want to sell digital products in your Etsy shop, you’ll need the right tools to make them. Even if you’ve never done it before, you can use a lot of online design tools even if you’re not a graphic designer.
You can use the following tools to make digital products:
Visme
Visme is an online tool for making graphics that you can use to make anything from templates for social media to digital prints.
It’s great for beginners because it has a drag-and-drop editor and a huge library of icons and graphics.
Visme also has a lot of templates that you can use for ideas or as a starting point to make your own branded templates to sell as digital products.
The free plan doesn’t have as many features as the paid plan, which costs money.
Canva
Canva is an online design tool with a great free plan that makes it a great choice for people on a budget.
It has more than 250,000 free templates that you can customise and brand, and on their paid plans, you can get an extra 100 million premium graphics like icons, stock photos, and videos.
With its drag-and-drop editor and easy-to-use interface, Canva makes it easy to make digital products.
There is a free plan for Canva, and paid plans start at $12.99/month.
Adobe
Adobe Creative Cloud has more than 16 tools for designing graphics, making videos, making PDFs, and making illustrations. Photoshop, Lightroom, and Illustrator are some of these tools.
If you want to sell digital products like Lightroom presets, Photoshop actions, and PDFs on Etsy, you’ll need these tools to make them.
To use Adobe’s tools, you have to pay for a subscription. To use all 16 or more tools, you have to pay $54.99 per month. However, you can use each tool on its own for $4.99 per month.
Conclusion
The digital part of Etsy is growing like never before! But this also means that there is more competition. Don’t forget to check out Retail Blog for the latest trends and tips for growing your business. LitCommerce has already told you everything you need to know about business.
Make sure you choose the right digital products to sell on Etsy, along with being creative, if you want to achieve the success you want. But it’s important to remember that consistent and good updates are the key to getting more sales. And that’s how you can use digital products on Etsy to make passive income!
