Is Etsy Plus worth it? When to upgrade (and when not to) | 2026

I've managed Etsy shops for years and tested Etsy Plus for selling vintage home decor. Here's how to determine whether the $10/month Etsy Plus subscription is actually worth it.

What is Etsy Plus? The 30-second answer

Etsy Plus is a $10/month subscription for sellers that adds advanced shop customization tools, discounts on listings and ads, and a few extra growth tools. If you’re active on Etsy, these perks can pay for themselves. Notably, Etsy Plus does not affect the algorithm or rankings. 

Etsy Plus features

Etsy Plus includes the following benefits: 

• 15 listing credits: Worth approximately $3 in listing fees, these credits let you post 15 items without paying the standard $0.20/listing.
• $5 monthly Etsy Ads credit: This monthly ad credit lets you promote listings. The number of clicks you’ll get from that credit depends on your cost-per-click, which varies by category, competition, and how your ads perform. 
• Improved banner and layout options: Get advanced customization tools for your shop’s header, product placement, and featured listings. You can create a polished and customized storefront that highlights bestsellers and guides buyers through your listings. 
• Restock request notifications: This feature automatically notifies interested buyers who sign up to receive alerts when you restock in-demand products. 
• Web address discounts: Etsy Plus provides discounts on a custom domain that you can point to your Etsy shop.
• Branded packaging discounts: The subscription offers discounts on select Etsy-branded packaging and promotional materials to support a more professional, cohesive presentation.
• Six months of Adobe Express Premium: In 2025, Etsy Plus included free access to Adobe Express Premium for six months, worth approximately $60 (depending on your region). The software lets you edit product photos, create marketing graphics, and design promotional materials. However, the promotion was valid until 31 December 2025. It’s not clear whether this promotion continue in 2026, but it’s worth looking out for. 

What Etsy Plus does not get you

Etsy Plus provides listing and advertising perks, but it comes with the following limitations:

• No transaction fee reduction: Etsy still charges the standard 6.5% transaction fee on every sale, regardless of your Plus membership. Payment processing fees of 3% plus $0.25 per order also remain unchanged. 
• No improved organic search ranking: Plus membership doesn't boost your products in Etsy's search algorithm or give you priority placement in buyer results. Your listings still compete based on relevance, keywords, and shop performance metrics such as reviews and sales history. You’ll still need a solid SEO reseller strategy.
• No waived off-site advertising fees: Once your shop exceeds $10,000 in annual revenue, Etsy requires a 12% fee on sales from off-site ads through Google and Facebook. Plus members pay this fee just like standard sellers.
• No additional seller protection: Plus doesn't offer extra fraud protection, expanded return policies, or stronger dispute-resolution tools. You're subject to the same seller policies, case outcomes, and refund requirements as free accounts.
• Credits don’t roll over to the next month: Listing and ad credits are only good from month to month. If you have unused credits at the end of the month, they expire. 

What real users say about Etsy Plus

After finding and analyzing reviews on sites like Reddit and YouTube, I’ve provided a general idea of what users say about their Etsy Plus experience: 

Etsy Plus pros

• Easy to justify the cost: An Etsy Plus seller highlighted that Etsy Plus offers value with ad and listing credits, making the remaining $2 cost easy to justify if you use discounts, extra layouts, or restock requests. (February 4th, 2025) 
• A small, worthwhile investment: One user shared that they’ve kept Etsy Plus for over a year and barely notice the monthly cost. It’s only not worth it if you make about one sale per month. (February 5th, 2025)
• Restock alerts are useful: A seller praised Etsy Plus for the restock notification feature, saying it helps manage demand when popular items sell out. They explained that the tool keeps shoppers engaged and informed. (July 25th, 2025) 

Etsy Plus cons

• Adds clutter: One user shared that they regretted subscribing to Etsy Plus almost immediately. They noted that the ad credit didn’t justify the cost, and the added customization made their storefront feel bulky and cluttered. (July 8th, 2025) 
• Not a guaranteed sales booster: A user pointed out that Etsy Plus offers cosmetic upgrades only and won’t meaningfully improve sales, since most shoppers buy directly from search results rather than visiting the storefront. (August 6th, 2025)
• Doesn’t deliver meaningful results: One reviewer reported that after keeping Etsy Plus for years, the features didn’t improve search placement or justify the cost. They said restock requests rarely converted, and the free credits felt insufficient. (July 7th, 2025) 

When does Etsy Plus make sense?

Etsy Plus pays off if you work on your shop daily. Here’s how to tell if Etsy Plus is right for you:

• You list products frequently: The Listing Credits cover about 15 items each month. If you rotate seasonal inventory, test new products regularly, or manage extensive catalogs, you'll see immediate savings since you’d pay those listing fees anyway.
• Your shop gets consistent traffic: Etsy Plus works best for stores with repeat visitors who’ll notice the improved layout and custom branding. These customers might also sign up for restock notifications, increasing the chances that they’ll buy when you restock in-demand items.
• Branding matters in your niche: A polished storefront with a branded domain pointing to your Etsy shop, professional banners, and cohesive design help you stand out in crowded categories.

When Etsy Plus might not be worth it

Not all Etsy sellers will benefit from a Plus subscription. Here’s who might want to consider avoiding it:

• Small shops with few listings: If you consistently add fewer than 10 to 15 items per month, some credits may go unused. Extra customization and restock tools often have less impact on low inventory levels. 
• Shops operating on tight margins: Every $10 matters when you’re bootstrapping a new shop or running narrow profit margins. Plus adds $120 to your fixed costs each year without guaranteeing increased sales or traffic.
• Folks relying purely on organic traffic: If you’re already getting the traffic and sales you want from organic SEO alone, the extra Etsy Ads credit may not add much. The Plus features might have a smaller impact compared with simply optimizing your existing listings, especially for simple, low-volume shops.

Etsy Plus alternatives 

These Etsy Plus alternatives mainly fit different seller types. For instance, eBay suits sellers offering vintage clothing, furniture, and decor. Depop, on the other hand, provides an active social media platform resale platform where buyers look for fashion items, including vintage clothing. 

Although eBay offers an excellent platform for handmade goods, Novica, Folksy, and Bonanza are viable alternatives for selling arts and crafts. Just beware that none of these platforms have a user base that matches Etsy’s 86 million active buyers.

My final verdict: Should you get Etsy Plus?

Etsy Plus works when you consistently list 15+ new items monthly, need professional branding tools, or sell products that restock frequently. But if you’re crosslisting on other platforms, you might want to consider a crosslisting tool with a more powerful photo editor, included with each subscription. 

If you run a small shop and list fewer than 5 items per month, the listing credits don’t make sense. Etsy Plus costs $120 annually, so these costs can cut into your bottom line. 

I recommend that folks on the fence calculate their average monthly listing additions before committing. If those 15 listing credits and other perks save you more time and money than the subscription costs, Plus pays for itself. 

If your number shows that you’d barely use half the listing credits Etsy offers each month, you’ll be leaving features unused. In this case, you should stick with a regular Etsy subscription. 

Sell more with Nifty

Now that you’ve learned if Etsy Plus is worth it for you, it’s time to explore tools that actually help you increase visibility and sales. If you’re looking for something that delivers more value than on Etsy and other marketplaces, try Nifty, a crosslisting, analytics, and automation tool. You can automate actions, list items, and manage listings from one central interface.

Here’s why Nifty works so well:

• AI listing: Snap a pic and let Nifty build a polished, high-converting listing with SEO-ready titles, descriptions, and hashtags.
• Crosslist now: With a couple of clicks, publish your item across Etsy, eBay, Depop, Mercari, and Poshmark (more coming soon!). No copy-paste, no extra tabs, and no juggling tools.
• Automatic delisting? Handled: When something sells, Nifty instantly pulls it down across marketplaces. No double-selling, no cancellations, and no “sorry, it’s sold” messages.
• Bulk tools = less busywork: Share, relist, mark down, and update dozens of items at once. Schedule listings to go live automatically while you’re sleeping.
• Analytics and profits are real: Track fees, sales, top performers, and slow movers in one clear dashboard. See your actual margins, spot trends, and make decisions based on data.

Nifty pays for itself after just a few weeks of use. So … what are you waiting for? Start your 7-day free trial today.

FAQs

1. Does Etsy Plus increase sales?

No, Etsy Plus doesn't directly increase sales since it doesn't improve your search ranking or guarantee more traffic. But the subscription provides branding tools, restock alerts, and layout customization that can help convert existing visitors into buyers. You'll still need strong SEO, quality products, and competitive pricing to increase actual sales growth.

2. Does Etsy Plus save money?

Yes, Etsy Plus can save money if you regularly use all the included credits and features each month. The 15 listing credits ($3 value) and $5 ad credit offset $8 of the $10 subscription, leaving only $2 in actual cost if you maximize everything. 

3. Can you cancel Etsy Plus anytime?

Yes, you can cancel Etsy Plus at any time through your shop manager settings, without penalties or cancellation fees. Your subscription remains active until the end of your current billing period, and you'll keep access to all Plus features until that date expires. However, any unused listing or ad credits are lost after cancellation and won't carry over or be refunded.