TpT vs Etsy for teacher sellers
Etsy keeps you more of every sale. TpT has the teachers. Here's the math, and when it's worth being on both.
What you keep per sale
| Fees | Keep on $5 | Keep on $1.50 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TpT Basic | 45% + $0.30 per resource | $2.45 | $0.53 |
| TpT Exclusive | 22.5% (+ $0.15 under $3) + $59.95/yr | $3.88 | $1.01 |
| Etsy | $0.20 listing + 6.5% + 3% and $0.25 processing | $4.08 | $0.91 |
Single-item US order. Exclusive's yearly fee isn't spread per sale. Etsy's offsite ads fee applies only to sales that come from those ads.
On a $5 resource Etsy beats both TpT tiers. On a $1.50 one, Etsy's fixed $0.45 eats most of the gap, and Exclusive comes out ahead.
Who brings the buyers
- TpT is where teachers go looking for classroom resources. That built-in traffic is what you pay the higher fee for.
- Etsy brings its own shoppers too, which Payhip, Shopify and Gumroad don't. But you compete with general printable shops, and far fewer of its shoppers are teachers.
So Etsy works best for resources that also appeal to parents and homeschoolers: printables, decor, planners, games.
Listing differences to plan for
- Etsy titles max out at 140 characters, and you get 13 tags of up to 20 characters. TpT titles and tags usually need trimming.
- Etsy has no import from TpT, and no bulk upload of its own. Sellers use a spreadsheet tool such as Shop Uploader.
- Each listing costs $0.20 and renews after a sale or after four months.
Should you be on both?
If you go Basic, yes for your best sellers above $3: Etsy keeps about $1.60 more per $5 sale than TpT Basic, and its shoppers find you on their own. If you go Exclusive, you can't sell paid digital resources on Etsy from January 1, 2027 (the rules). Run your own numbers in the Exclusive vs Basic calculator, or see all the alternatives.
Questions
Is Etsy better than TpT for teachers?
Etsy keeps you more per sale (about $4.08 of a $5 resource, against $2.45 on TpT Basic and $3.88 on Exclusive), but TpT has far more teachers searching for classroom resources. Most sellers use Etsy as a second store, not a replacement.
Can I sell on Etsy and TpT at the same time?
Only as a TpT Basic seller. From January 1, 2027, Exclusive sellers can't sell paid digital teaching resources anywhere else, Etsy included.
How much does Etsy charge for a digital download?
A $0.20 listing fee, a 6.5% transaction fee, and payment processing (3% + $0.25 in the US). On a $5 download you keep about $4.08. Sales from Etsy's offsite ads add a further fee.
Moving listings to Etsy?
LessonCrate turns your TpT store into an Etsy bulk sheet, titles trimmed and tags split. Free preview, from $19.