If you’re ready to sell digital products like printables, templates, or planners—but you’re stuck choosing between Etsy and Stan Store—you’re not alone. Both platforms are beginner-friendly and popular with moms starting side hustles, but they work very differently.
Let’s break it down side by side so you can pick the one that fits your life, goals, and business style.
🛍️ DEFINITION: What Are Etsy and Stan Store?
Etsy is a global online marketplace known for handmade goods, vintage items, and digital downloads. It has a built-in audience of millions who are already shopping.
Stan Store is a sleek, mobile-friendly storefront designed for creators. It’s perfect for selling digital products, courses, services, and freebies—all in one place. It’s often used as a “link in bio” shop on Instagram and TikTok.
🆚 Etsy vs. Stan Store: The Key Differences
Let’s compare the two platforms on the things that matter most for busy moms launching digital side hustles.
1. Traffic and Visibility
- Etsy: Has built-in search traffic. People are already browsing Etsy for planners, printables, templates, and more.
- Stan Store: No built-in traffic. You’ll need to drive your own visitors from social media, email, or other channels.
WINNER: Etsy (if you don’t want to worry about promotion at first)
2. Ease of Use
- Etsy: Setup is easy, but the dashboard can feel a little outdated or overwhelming.
- Stan Store: Extremely clean and modern. Drag-and-drop simple.
WINNER: Stan Store (especially if you love intuitive tools)
3. Fees and Pricing
- Etsy: Low barrier to entry, but fees add up quickly (listing fee + transaction fee + payment processing fee).
- Stan Store: One flat monthly fee (around $29/month). No per-product fees. Unlimited listings.
WINNER: Stan Store (better long-term value if you’re selling multiple products)
4. Product Types You Can Sell
- Etsy: Mostly used for physical products and printables/digital downloads. Not ideal for selling services or courses.
- Stan Store: Perfect for digital products, ebooks, courses, coaching calls, and lead magnets—all in one place.
WINNER: Stan Store (more flexibility if you want to grow and diversify)
5. Branding and Control
- Etsy: You’re stuck inside Etsy’s branding. You get a shop name and banner, but customers see Etsy’s brand first.
- Stan Store: 100% your brand. You can customize your store and keep all the attention on you.
WINNER: Stan Store (especially if you’re building a personal brand or using Instagram/TikTok)
🎯 Which One Should You Choose?
Here’s a quick guide:
Choose Etsy if:
- You want to start fast and get exposure from search traffic
- You’re selling printables or planners only
- You want low startup cost and low tech
Choose Stan Store if:
- You plan to grow a personal brand on social media
- You want to sell courses, coaching, or multiple digital offers
- You want full control of your storefront and fewer hidden fees
Pro tip: You can do both! Start with Etsy to build confidence and make sales, then add Stan Store later to expand your offerings and drive traffic from Instagram or TikTok.
🎁 Need Help Getting Started?
Whether you choose Etsy or Stan Store, the first step is creating your product and knowing how to set it up to sell. That’s where my free guide comes in:
📥 Download: “Selling Digital Products from Home”
You’ll learn:
- What kinds of products to create
- Where to sell them based on your goals
- The tools and templates that make it easy to get started
👉 Click here to download it now
💬 Final Thoughts
There’s no perfect platform—just the one that works for you, your season of life, and how you want to grow.
Whether you choose the Etsy crowd or the Stan Store simplicity, your first step is just to start.
Make the product. Upload it. Share it once.
You’ve got this. 💛
