If you’re an Etsy seller, you may have heard of Etsy Plus, a subscription service that offers additional features and perks to help you grow your business on the platform. But with the constant changes in the eCommerce industry and on Etsy itself, you may be wondering: is Etsy Plus still worth it in 2024?

The Koalanda team receives questions about Etsy Plus all the time. This is why we decided to take a closer look at Etsy Plus and evaluate whether the benefits it offers justify the additional cost. We’ll examine the features of Etsy Plus, weigh the pros and cons, and discuss how it fits into the current state of the Etsy marketplace. By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of whether Etsy Plus is worth the investment for your Etsy shop in 2024.

What is Etsy Plus?

Etsy Plus is a subscription service offered by Etsy to its sellers. It provides additional features and perks that are not available to non-subscribers. These features are designed to help sellers stand out on the platform, increase sales, and potentially optimize some expenses.

Etsy Plus features

The full list of features that Etsy Plus provides can be found in the Etsy help pages. In this section we’ll provide a short summary of them.

Advanced shop customization options

Etsy Plus subscribers can access advanced shop customization options, such as the ability to add a carousel or collage of images instead of a static shop banner. Additionally, the shop layout can be changed to highlight some of the shop sections.

Listing credits

Subscribed sellers are provided with 15 listing credits each month. At a $0.20 fee for a new listing or listing renewal, this effectively saves you $3.00 of your monthly expenses.

It is worth noting that the credits are not transferable for the next month.

Advertising credits

Etsy Plus gives you $5.00 credit each month that can be used towards Etsy ads. They are also not transferable for the next month.

Restock requests

With Etsy Plus, you can enable restock requests for your products. This allows customers to sign up for an email notification when a product is restocked, which can help drive sales and improve customer satisfaction.

Custom web address

Etsy Plus subscribers can use a big discount on purchasing a custom web address for their shop. The custom domain makes it easier for customers to remember and find your shop.

Discounts for promotional materials

Etsy Plus subscribers receive a discount on custom packaging and promotional materials from Etsy’s partners. The partners and discounts might differ depending on your country.

It’s important to note that not all of these features may be useful for every seller. Before subscribing to Etsy Plus, it’s a good idea to evaluate your individual needs and goals as a seller to determine whether the cost is justified. Later in the post we’ll discuss the pros and cons of Etsy Plus to help you make an informed decision.

What Etsy Plus isn’t

While Etsy Plus offers several valuable features for sellers, it’s important to understand what the service isn’t. There are many myths about Etsy Plus floating around the internet and social media and we’ll try to debunk them. Here are a few things that Etsy Plus doesn’t offer:

Additional support

While Etsy Plus provides additional features and perks, it doesn’t come with additional support or customer service. If you need help with your Etsy shop, you’ll still need to contact Etsy’s support team or seek help from the community forums.

Better ranking in search

One common misconception about Etsy Plus is that it provides better ranking in Etsy’s search results. However, this isn’t the case. Etsy Plus doesn’t offer any advantage in Etsy’s search algorithm, and all sellers on the platform are subject to the same ranking factors.

Etsy Plus is only available for iPhone users

We are not quite sure how this myth came to be. In fact, Etsy Plus is available to all sellers on all platforms, no matter if they manage their shop from their mobile devices, tablets, or personal computers.

How Much Does Etsy Plus Cost?

The monthly cost of the Etsy Plus subscription is $10.00. The subscription is on a monthly basis and can be canceled at any time. Depending on the default currency of your shop, this price can slightly vary. However, the price is the same for all sellers around the world.

Benefits of Etsy Plus

Enhanced branding can make your shop more attractive

The advanced customization features can really make a difference in the perception of your shop by your visitors. They allow you to showcase your products better and, if used correctly, make your shop more memorable to the people who visit it. This might eventually lead to more visitors converting to actual customers.

Restock requests can get you more customers

Restock requests are a type of email marketing that can be highly effective in driving sales for your Etsy shop. By enabling restock requests, you are essentially building a list of interested customers who have already shown an interest in your products. Sending them an email notification when your product is restocked can be a highly effective way to bring them back to your shop and convert them into paying customers. Email marketing is widely considered to be one of the highest conversion types of marketing that exists, making restock requests a valuable tool for any seller looking to grow their business on Etsy.

Credits can offset your existing expenses

The listing credits and the Etsy ads credits amount to a total of $8.00. In case you have enough listings and you already use Etsy ads regularly, then these credits will be automatically deducted from your monthly fees. This way the extra Etsy Plus subscription cost effectively becomes as little as $2.00.

Discounts for promotional materials

At least in theory, the discount provided by the Etsy partners could reduce your expenses for packaging and marketing materials.

Overall, all features offered by Etsy Plus can be attractive benefits for some sellers. However, before subscribing to the service, it’s important to weigh these pros against the cons and consider whether the cost is justified. In the next section, we’ll discuss the cons of Etsy Plus to help you make an informed decision.

Drawbacks of Etsy Plus

While Etsy Plus offers several benefits, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider before subscribing. Here are some of the cons of Etsy Plus:

Additional costs can pile up with time

Etsy Plus comes with an additional monthly cost of $10.00 (or the equivalent in your local currency). For sellers on a tight budget, this extra expense may not be feasible or justifiable. This is valid especially for sellers that are just starting to use the platform and who plan to take their time with the onboarding. Paying $10.00 for a shop with just a few listings and no ads doesn’t make much sense.

Some features may not be available for all sellers

This is especially true for the packaging and marketing discounts. Etsy partners with companies from just a few countries (for example, the US and the UK). Sellers from smaller countries will most likely not have a local Etsy partner who they can work with.

Small discounts

While the discounts offered by Etsy Plus on promotional materials can be helpful, they are relatively small – often about 10%. Depending on your sales volume and budget, these discounts may not have a significant impact on your bottom line. Additionally, if your sales volume is relatively high you can easily negotiate at least a 10% discount with some of your local companies.

Uncertainty around long-term benefits

While Etsy Plus may offer benefits in the short term, it’s unclear whether the service will continue to provide long-term benefits to subscribers. As with any subscription service, there is some risk involved in committing to a recurring cost.

Conclusion

After evaluating the pros and cons of Etsy Plus, it’s clear that the service offers several benefits that can be valuable to sellers on the platform. The enhanced branding and customization options, the packaging and marketing discounts, the advertising credits, and the ability to set restock requests are all attractive features that can help sellers stand out from the competition and increase sales.

However, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider before subscribing to Etsy Plus. The additional cost, potential irrelevance of some features, small discounts, and uncertainty around long-term benefits are all factors that should be weighed against the benefits when making a decision.

Ultimately, whether Etsy Plus is worth it for your Etsy shop in 2024 will depend on your individual needs and goals as a seller. If you have enough listings to make use of the listing credits and you regularly use Etsy ads, then the service may be worth it to you. If you are selling items that often run out of stock the restock requests could be a game changer for your shop. If you are confident that you can make the most of the enhanced branding then Etsy Plus may be right for you. In most other cases, it’s probably not worth the cost.