Every Etsy Tool I Use (and What I’d Buy First as a Beginner)

 

I spend over $300 US a month on Etsy tools. I didn’t realise it was that much until I sat down and added it up. But if I was starting my shop again tomorrow, I’d only pay for two of them.

When I started on maternity leave, I had a newborn, no sales, and every dollar I spent felt like a risk. It’s surprisingly easy to end up paying for research tools, design subscriptions, AI software and automation before you’ve made a single sale. So this is every tool I use across my digital and print-on-demand shops, what it costs, the free alternative, and whether I’d start with it now or add it later.

The short answer: what I’d buy first

• Start free: Etsy search and Marketplace Insights, Canva, the free versions of ChatGPT or Claude, and Printify if you’re doing print-on-demand.
• First paid tool: a research tool, because it stops you making products nobody is searching for.
• Second paid tool: one design tool that matches what you make.
• Later: automation, assets and traffic tools, once you have products selling.

1. Research tools: start now

Research is the tool that saves you the most money, even though it doesn’t make anything. The most expensive mistake a new seller can make is spending weeks on products nobody is searching for.

EverBee is my main research tool, and if I could only keep one, it would be this. I use it to see what’s selling in a niche, how much competition there is, and whether an idea is worth my time before I make a single design. I’m on the Growth plan (about $30 a month), and there’s a free plan to try first.

ProfitTree is newer in my stack. It connects with Claude, which has made filtering my research much faster: I ask questions instead of clicking through results one by one. It has a free plan, and paid plans start at about $10 a month.

Free alternative: Etsy’s own search bar and Marketplace Insights. Slower, but free, and it teaches you a lot about what buyers search for.

2. Design tools: start free, upgrade later

Canva is where I’d start. The free version covers a lot of the basics, like simple graphics, PDF delivery files and quick mockups.

Midjourney is the AI art tool I’d point most beginners to, because the artwork looks good straight away, so you spend your time learning what sells instead of fighting the tool. It isn’t free: Basic is $10 a month and Standard is $30. Learn the parameters properly, like style references, because that’s how you make a whole collection look like it belongs together.

Kittl is my main design tool now. At one point I dropped my other design subscriptions and went all in on it, and it’s been the biggest turning point in my design work. There’s a free plan, and paid plans are about $15 to $35 a month (use code CAIT25). If you want one flexible, beginner-friendly tool from day one, this is the one I’d pick.

3. AI assistants: start with the free tiers

I use both ChatGPT and Claude, for different jobs. Both have free versions, and that’s where I’d start. The paid plans are about $20 a month each. Upgrade once you’re regularly hitting the limits, because that’s when you know it’s paying for itself.

4. Assets, fonts and PLR: when you need them

For fonts and design assets, I use Creative Fabrica. All Access is about $29 a month for a huge library. Always check the licence on anything you use in a product you’re selling.

PLR (private label rights) products come with the right to rebrand and resell them. One I’d point you to is Your Secret Weapon PLR. Two rules before you buy any bundle: make sure it fits your niche and there’s demand for it, and treat it as a starting point, not a finished product. You’re competing with everyone else who bought the same bundle, so customise it until it’s clearly yours.

5. Print-on-demand: free to start

Printify is free to start, and you only pay for a product when an order comes in, so you’re not holding stock. The optional Premium plan ($39 a month or $299 a year) gives up to 20% off most products. Only add it once the discount covers the cost.

AnywherePOD gives you access to Printify and other suppliers through one platform, so you can compare and choose from the same place. Plans start at about $10 a month, and connecting more than one supplier needs the Pro plan (about $25). Not day-one essential, but great once you have a few products selling, especially for automating personalisation and bulk listings.

6. Automation: add it later

These tools save me serious time, but if you’re only putting up a few listings a month, you don’t need them yet. Do it by hand first so you know what good looks like.

For AI art, I use Tempest Cloud, which comes with the AI Art Sellers Collective (around $97 a month). It resizes, upscales and creates mockups in bulk, then writes titles and tags and pushes the listing to Etsy.

For other digital products, I use Anywhere Digital. Customers can personalise a digital product themselves, without a Canva account, and it’s delivered through Etsy automatically. It was $29.99 when I recorded, and the price may go up as it’s newly launched.

7. Traffic and email: once your first listings are live

Alura creates and schedules Pinterest pins from my listings, so I’m not building every pin by hand. Pinterest scheduling is on the Growth plan: about $15 a month paid yearly, or $30 month to month.

Kit is what I use for email. Your email list is the one audience you own, so it’s worth starting early, and Kit’s free plan covers a lot before you need to pay.

The order I’d buy them in

1. Free tools first: Etsy search, Canva, ChatGPT or Claude (free), and Printify for POD.
2. A research tool, so you only make products people are searching for.
3. One design tool that makes your product: Midjourney for AI art, Canva for templates and printables, or Kittl if you want one tool for a bit of everything.
4. Automation once you’re listing at volume: Tempest Cloud for AI art, Anywhere Digital for digital products, AnywherePOD for print-on-demand.

Buying in that order means each tool is paying for itself by the time you add it.

Want the full breakdown of what it costs to start an AI art shop, including three budget levels? It’s in my AI Art Starter Guide. If you’re working out what to make first, read how I decide what to sell on Etsy. You’ll find every tool link on my tools page, and free guides on my free resources page.

FAQs

What’s the first tool I should pay for on Etsy?

A research tool. It stops you spending weeks making products nobody is searching for. If you’re not ready to pay, use Etsy search and Marketplace Insights.

Can I start an Etsy shop with free tools only?

Yes. Etsy search, Canva’s free plan, the free versions of ChatGPT or Claude, and Printify (for POD) are enough to get your first listings live.

When should I buy automation tools?

Once you’re listing at volume and the admin is eating your time. Do it by hand first so you know what a good listing looks like.

Is PLR allowed on Etsy?

Treat PLR as a starting point. Check Etsy’s current creativity standards, and customise anything you buy until it’s clearly your own design.

Do I need Midjourney, Canva and Kittl?

No. Pick the one that makes your product: Midjourney for AI art, Canva for templates and printables, or Kittl as one flexible tool.