Abby B. Are you thinking of selling Etsy digital products but unsure how to make them? Wondering what options you have as an online business owner? Search no more, here are some of the best Canva alternatives out there.
I know you’re probably looking to build something on the side to make extra income – I was there myself. It took hours and hours of digesting all the knowledge I could find online before deciding on the best side hustle for me. This may not be easy for you but trust me, once you find something that truly speaks to you it is all super worth it. All you need is a little time and curiosity!
So, is selling digital products on Etsy something you’re looking at? Today, I’ll be sharing with you some of the best tools out there anyone can use to make Etsy digital products.
*This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission (at no cost to you) if you sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link!
What Digital Products Can I Sell On Etsy?
- eBook templates
- Menu templates
- Resume templates
- Coloring pages
- Business card templates
- Pinterest pin templates
- Social media templates
- Product label designs
- Invitation card designs
- Event itinerary template
- Signboard template
For a longer list of digital products with explanations and samples from Etsy, check out my full list HERE.
Can I Sell Canva Template Designs On Etsy?
Ready made templates in Canva’s library cannot be resold in its original form for commercial purposes. Users are advised to make their own designs from scratch using Canva’s blank canvas. Although generally, designs may look the same, creating your own Canva template puts you in a safer position.
14 Online Tools To Make Etsy Digital Products
1. Canva Pro
Why do I suggest Canva Pro against the normal free Canva? It’s because you get access to a ton more artwork, fonts, pictures and templates. You can download your creations to your computer in high resolution without any watermarks (main reason why I bought it). Users also get access to cool editing tools including some of Placeit’s mockups for FREE.
Best part about making your digital products with Canva Pro is that you can share your creation as a template for customers to use instantly. You can read how this works in my step by step guideline – how to upload a digital product to Etsy HERE.
| Canva Pro | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | Yes |
| Online based or software download | Online |
2. PDFelement
The essence of a digital product is it’s in the form of a PDF – of course this varies with what you’re selling but mostly it’s PDF. PDFelement by Wondershare works on Microsoft, Mac, mobile and web to let users create and edit PDF documents. Unless you get the Document Cloud version, it’s almost FREE to use and users can access all the features a digital product creator needs. Did you know you can add GIFs to PDFs?
There’s ample resources online to help you navigate PDFelement.
| PDFelement | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | Yes |
| Online based or software download | Both |
3. Designrr
If you already have your own online content and have been thinking of publishing a collection of them in one book, Designrr might just be your go-to tool. By just keying in the URL of a page or a post, all the info can be extracted and automatically added to your eBook on Designrr. You can also get YouTube videos, videos and audio files transcribed to be part of your eBook. Of course, the AI generated work needs to be reviewed but the hardest part is done!
Once all the information is in place, you can use Designrr’s ready templates to design your eBook and add copyright free images from within the dashboard. No further search needed.
| Designrr | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | No |
| Online based or software download | Online |
4. Microsoft Publisher
In college, when Canva wasn’t as popular as it is now, I did my creative poster assignments with Microsoft Publisher. People might think it’s uncool but it was the only editing tool I had installed on my laptop which didn’t take much space. So if you’re someone practical like I am, I’m sure you’ll love it too!
If you’re already a subscriber of Microsoft 365, I recommend you using Publisher too alongside all your other work. Some things that you can make using Publisher are posters, calendars, eBooks, product labels and thank you cards. Most people are unaware that Microsoft has a ton of free templates for us to use!
| Microsoft Publisher | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | No |
| Online based or software download | Download |
5. Fotor
A free online tool for editing photos, adding elements and designing cool graphics. Fotor is your next super easy to use alternative to Canva. They have helpful resources on how to create resumes, business cards, logos, book covers, flyers and labels. These products are some of the best selling Etsy digital products recommended by gurus.
Using the same tools, they also teach you ways to make your Etsy shop look nicer. Don’t you think another Etsy shop business owner would need the same services? Cha-ching!
| Fotor | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | Yes |
| Online based or software download | Online |
6. Stencil
I love using a great online tool because everything just works seamlessly. No one wants to scout the internet to find images, fonts and templates anymore. As a digital content creator, I prefer tools that make my life easier by offering everything in one view. Stencil fulfills this NEED without doubt.
If you use social media to promote your Etsy digital products, Stencil offers great social sharing features to make your promotional activities smoother. I know it seems a lot to do everything on your own as a solopreneur. So try to chill a little. Stencil works on various browsers including Chrome, Firefox and has a plugin within WordPress itself.
| Stencil | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | Yes |
| Online based or software download | Online |
7. Snappa
A cool graphic designing tool as another Canva alternative is Snappa. They have the right dimensions for social media uses which is actually another digital product category you can make sales with.
A lot of people want a more professional look for their Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or LinkedIn accounts nowadays and look to Etsy for the right template. What’s cooler is that you can automatically resize one design you’ve made to another sizing dimension without having to re-do everything. So make a design for Facebook then resize it easily to sell it for Twitter.
| Snappa | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | Yes |
| Online based or software download | Online |
8. Adobe Express
Previously known as Adobe Spark, Adobe Express is Adobe’s version of Canva. It does not require downloading unlike Photoshop and can be used on both mobile (iOS and Android) and the Web. Just like Canva, you can save color palettes and fonts for easy use without searching for them again every time. Elements and effects are free to use to further beautify your work.
Once done, you can download and share your digital products in PDF format – ready to be sold on Etsy passively!
| Adobe Express | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | Yes |
| Online based or software download | Online |
9. Vista Create
The Pro version lets you download an unlimited number of designs made with their creative assets. These include photos, videos, music, vectors and design templates. I recommend the Pro since you can add 10 team members to a team account. There’s also unlimited storage so you’ll never have another headache on where to save your files.
So if you’re looking to have a team and sell on Etsy as a business, you should really consider Vista Create. You can get started for FREE!
| Vista Create | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | Yes |
| Online based or software download | Online |
10. PicMonkey
Some of the best graphic design work can be made with PicMonkey. Using their cool features, you can make flyers templates, presentation templates, logos and invitation cards. These are some of the best selling digital products to sell on Etsy. Using PicMonkey’s editor, you can touch up graphics, remove backgrounds and change colors entirely. Explore their library of templates, graphics, fonts and textures before making a purchase.
There’s three pricing packages for you to choose from depending on your personal or business needs. Both the Basic and Pro package lets you run a free trial!
| PicMonkey | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | No |
| Online based or software download | Online |
11. Easil
Creating a free account on Easil is all it takes for you to see all the templates they offer – perfect to make your Etsy digital products. Easil’s templates are wide ranging from food menus, resumes, business cards to planners and postcards. Your digital product can be ready within minutes!
Did you know you can add images to text to create eye popping text effects like metallic, glitter or textures? There’s also tools to add drop shadow and glow to any text you want. Time to shine on Etsy!
| Easil | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | No |
| Online based or software download | Online |
12. Visme
If you’re into selling presentation slides, infographics and chart templates, Visme is your go-to tool. You can sign up for free and later choose between getting the personal, business or enterprise account. If you’re a solopreneur, I recommend going for the personal account which gives you more than twice the storage of a free account. Both the free and personal account lets you make an unlimited number of projects and collaborate with others.
With the same tool, you can make ebooks, flyers, reports and invoices. Time to learn how to diversify!
| Visme | |
| Free trial | No |
| Free option | Yes |
| Online based or software download | Online |
13. Adobe InDesign
I’m not a fan of using difficult tools as I find it hard to spend time and learn. But if you’re someone who’s willing to go all out, why not master Adobe’s editing tool? I’m sure it’ll put you far and you’re even able to offer freelance services on Fiverr or Upwork. You can get Adobe InDesign as a single app or get the Creative Cloud package with 20+ apps together.
It may not be pocket-friendly for most but it’s always good to keep your options open! You can use Adobe InDesign to create ebooks, food menus, brochures, posters and resumes – nothing too complicated.
| Adobe InDesign | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | No |
| Online based or software download | Download |
14. Design Wizard
Did you know that real estate is a niche for digital products on Etsy? That’s right! Design Wizard has ready templates just to make real estate videos. You can market these products to real estate agents and offer additional products such as real estate business cards or promotional flyers for homes.
Design Wizard also has great resources on their site for creators to learn how to use their tools and make revenue generating digital products. The storage space that comes with each package makes it a good deal to upgrade. All you need to do is choose a template and start!
| Design Wizard | |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Free option | Yes |
| Online based or software download | Online |
Summary Of Tools To Make Digital Products
| Application | Free trial | Free option | Online or Download |
| Canva Pro | Yes | Yes | Online |
| PDFelement | Yes | Yes | Both |
| Designrr | Yes | No | Online |
| Microsoft Publisher | Yes | No | Download |
| Fotor | Yes | Yes | Online |
| Stencil | Yes | Yes | Online |
| Snappa | Yes | Yes | Online |
| Adobe Express | Yes | Yes | Online |
| VistaCreate | Yes | Yes | Online |
| PicMonkey | Yes | No | Online |
| Easil | Yes | No | Online |
| Visme | No | Yes | Online |
| Adobe InDesign | Yes | No | Download |
| Design Wizard | Yes | Yes | Online |
Where To Get Creative Elements For My Etsy Digital Products?
The tools I’ve listed above are great for any newbie to make Etsy digital products. Most of them offer stock free photos, videos, graphics and fonts – you don’t have to look elsewhere. However, if you want to stand out and use premium graphics, below are some of the best sites to get them.
Where Can I Get Inspiration For My Etsy Digital Products?
I know as a newbie, you’re often clueless on where to start. For me, the easiest way to get an idea of what to make is by seeing what others have to offer. You can do this directly on Etsy by searching for the items you want to make. Alternatively, you can explore other sites that offer them.
It’s good to read a website’s terms of usage before using their products for commercial use i.e. selling on Etsy. Drawing inspiration does not equate to copying others’ designs – avoid copying at all cost(s).
Here are some of the best sites that let you create specific digital products, whether it’s for yourself or your business.
- Invoices
- Resume Builders
- Logo Making
- Label Making
Can I Hire To Make Digital Products For Myself?
If you want to make digital items for yourself instead of selling them, 99designs have the right services. They may be on the high side, but I would prefer paying once for a great purchase against purchasing multiple mediocre works to then be disappointed still.
Another option is to search for designers on Fiverr or Upwork. Choose a designer with a rate that matches your budget.
How To Sell Digital Products On Etsy
- Choose a niche or a specific product to focus on
- Define your target audience benefiting from product
- Create the digital product with free online designing tools
- Make an Etsy digital product listing within few minutes
- Publish the product to your Etsy shop
- Repeat the process until you have a collection of products
- Share the products to social media such as Pinterest
- Invest in Etsy advertisements for faster sales
- Collect reviews from customers to build shop reputation
Bottom Line
I know it seems very appealing to sell Etsy digital products when you’re seeing so much success from vloggers on YouTube or having friends around sharing their stories. To be honest, I felt the same, as if I was missing out on chasing this “easy” success. However, everyone’s journey is different and it’s not always easy. One thing for sure, if you take consistent steps starting today and treat your Etsy shop as a real business, success is inevitable.
If you’re still clueless on what digital products to make for your Etsy shop, check out my well crafted list HERE.
Want to sell a physical product instead, but don’t want to run the risk of no sales and piled up stock? Print on demand on Etsy might be the one for you. Below are some of my best print on demand guides to get you started.
- Tote bags for print on demand
- Tumblers for print on demand
- Phone cases for print on demand
- Posters for print on demand
- Leggings for print on demand
- Jewelry for print on demand
- Candles for print on demand
- Doormats for print on demand
- Hoodies for print on demand
- Pet products for print on demand
- Socks for print on demand
- Pajamas for print on demand
- Blankets for print on demand
- Baby clothes for print on demand
- Wrapping paper for print on demand
- Puzzles for print on demand
- Stickers for print on demand
- Athletic wear for print on demand
- Hats for print on demand
- Journals for print on demand
- Greeting cards for print on demand
- Mugs for print on demand
Photo by Malte Helmhold on Unsplash
