Find out in only 45 sec

Take the free quiz to reveal the perfect Showit website template for your business!

Which Showit Website Is Right For You?

Free Quiz

SHOP THE OFFERs NOW

USE CODE BLACKFRI2023 at checkout

Black Friday Sale

EVERYTHING

70% OFF

SAVE UP TO

Black Friday

Selling on Etsy vs. Creative Market

Business

Filed Under

$157 - PAYMENTS AS LOW AS $36.75/MO

Showit Website Template for Health Coach

$157 - PAYMENTS AS LOW AS $36.75/MO

Showit Website Template for Coaches

$157 - PAYMENTS AS LOW AS $36.75/MO

Showit Website Template for Virtual Assistant

$157 - Payments as low as $36.75/MO

Showit Website Template for Coaches

Business Tip

Save Time & Money With Templates

  1. Johnny says:

    Hi, there! Happy to read this post, I’m thinking about to sell my wordpress theme on CM and Etsy, do you know is there anyone probably to buy the theme on ETSY?

  2. Hi there. Great article & very helpful, so thank you for publishing it. I have a quick question, I have been led to believe that you can upload full size images for the customer to download directly from Etsy, but I have just checked out the Easy guidelines, & they are saying that only images of up to 1000 pixels wide are allowed? Well, if I’m selling hi res, full size stock imagery, 1000 pixels won’t be big enough. Do you have any ideas how I could get around this or point me in the right direction as to where I might find the answer?
    Many thanks. Louise

    • Casey says:

      Thanks Louise! You’re correct that Etsy has an instant download feature. I don’t believe there is a restriction in the height or width of the file however there is a restriction on the file size (20MB). You can upload up to 5 separate files that are max 20MB (so 100MB total). I think you’ll be fine with 1000px wide image. Good luck!

  3. britt nicole says:

    Hey there ~ Thank you so much for this. Super helpful, since I’m looking to start either an Etsy or Creative Market shop. After reading this, I think I’ll start with Etsy, get the hang of it, and then move into Creative Market later! 🙂

  4. sub says:

    thank u for the info, it helps me lot

  5. Jaywish says:

    will etsy allow putting your art on creativemarket and vice versa? or do they require exclusivity ?

  6. Giannis says:

    Thank you for this article. I am already a seller on etsy and I just found out about Clevermarket. I think I will start selling there too. But you should mention that Etsy has other fees too. Except from the 3,5% comm. and the 0.20 for listings, they charge the transaction fees $0.25 (from each order you sell, not for a total amount) plus the tax.
    As I red in CM support, they do not have transaction fees. Please correct me if I m wrong.

    Again, your article was so complete and to the point!
    Thank you.

  7. Josh says:

    Hey Casey, you mentioned that you often email large digital files to your Etsy customers after they purchase from you. Do you offer a smaller size file (under 20mb) for them to download initially? And then follow up with an email containing the larger file? What’s your process getting large files to customers and assuring them that the files will arrive in a timely manner?

    • Casey says:

      Hey Josh, That’s a good point to offer them an initial download but I would be afraid it could confuse my customers (you know how so many people never read the details before purchasing). I still occasionally send large files through Google Drive. I’ll mark the order as complete and then send them the link to download the file!

  8. Andraz says:

    Thanks for all useful infos. Right on point:

  9. nainsi says:

    Hi Casey,

    Thank you for sharing views.
    It is very helpful for new entrepreneur like me.

    Other than Etsy and CM, Which online marketplace you will suggest to sell pattern designs and graphics.

    Thank you

    • Casey says:

      You’re welcome! I’ve only used Etsy and CM. Design Bundles is another site you might want to check out!

      • blogtrovert says:

        Hi Casey, Thank you. I live in a country where we cannot use Etsy. I was only able to make $4.6 from a $23. it’s so disappointing that creatives do not make enough from their creations on CM. The best option for anyone not able to get on Etsy is to invest in their own website.

        • Casey says:

          You’re most welcome! Creative Market has changed a lot, I should update this post. They now offer a membership and I agree, the earnings from CM are not what they used to be. I’ve been exploring using other sites like AppSumo, Creative Fabrica, and Design Bundles. It cost’s nothing to add your work to these sites, just your time and effort so I believe it’s worth trying other sites that have a different audience.

  10. David says:

    Just hopped over to your blog from Google after spotting the headline. You have a lot of good information about Etsy vs. Creative Market. I am getting ready to launch a new store for my 4K digital wallpapers that I create as digital art, as well as some with my photography. As of this comment I have a website in mind, but haven’t started building it yet… but I’m working on it. I’ve already picked out the available domain. So it’s just a matter of time. I didn’t realize that Creative Market has such high fees, but if you think about it, if they are not charging you anything up front to list your items, and your items never expire (even after selling for digital work), then you are probably getting a bargain in regards to building a huge portfolio for your customers. It looks like they also automatically (I assume) watermark your uploaded images for protection. That is a big plus for a free listing. As I understand it, they do not limit how many items you can list, and I’ve seen some stores on that platform with hundreds, even thousands of listings. I couldn’t imagine paying a 20 cent listing fee for a 1,000 listings each month, or even each quarter lol. That’s crazy… unless you are just a really big dog in what you are selling. I believe based off of the information I read here, that probably my best bet is to launch my store on Creative Market, and use my website for promoting that store and my digital products. My wallpapers cost me nothing but my brain power and my time to create and produce. I can put my initial funds toward the purchase and set up of my website. Then if and when a time comes that one of my wallpapers sell, I’m not really losing anything. I just wouldn’t make as high a profit as I might have on Etsy. But like you said, both platforms have a lot of pros and cons and they are going to get you in fees one way or the other. I just know that for me, I feel like starting this new business would kill me in fees if I start on Etsy. So I’m pretty sure I’m gonna give Creative Market a try.

Leave a Reply

I'm a former corporate employee who decided to ditch the 9-5 and start my own business. Stick with me while I share my best business tips, design advice and website how-to's. 

Come sit with me

Let's Be Business Besties, Shall We?

Unlock Your Brand's Personality

LEARN HOW TO

free workbook