Etsy Plus: What You Get, What You Don’t, and Who Should Upgrade

Etsy Plus is an optional monthly subscription for Etsy sellers that bundles small credits with a few storefront upgrades, and it mainly matters if you’ll actually use those perks every billing cycle. The practical value comes from 15 listing credits and a $5 Etsy Ads credit, plus advanced shop customization like upgraded banners, featured layouts, and a color theme. It can also add restock requests, which lets shoppers ask to be emailed when a sold-out item is available again, helpful for fast-moving inventory. What it does not do is lower Etsy’s standard selling fees or magically lift search ranking, and the most common money-loser is paying for credits you forget to use before they expire.

Etsy Plus subscription basics and what it includes

Main features in one quick list

Etsy Plus is Etsy’s paid subscription tier for sellers who want a few extra shop tools bundled with monthly credits. Here’s what you typically get:

15 listing credits per month for creating or renewing listings.
$5 in Etsy Ads credit per month that applies to your Etsy Ads spend.
Advanced Shop Home customization, including extra banner layout options, a mixed featured grid, and shop color theme controls.
Restock requests, so shoppers can ask to be notified when an out-of-stock item is available again.
Partner perks, such as a discount on a custom domain through Etsy’s partner (details can change over time).

Two practical notes matter for most sellers: the monthly credits do not roll over, and they reset each billing cycle. If you forget to use them, that value is gone for the month.

Where Etsy Plus shows up in Shop Manager

Etsy Plus is managed inside Shop Manager, not as a separate app.

To find it, go to Shop Manager → Settings → Your subscription, where you can view your current plan and upgrade to Etsy Plus. Etsy bills the subscription fee monthly and deducts it from your Etsy payment account balance.

Once you’re subscribed, you’ll notice Etsy Plus benefits in a few places:

Your listing credits apply automatically when you create or renew listings.
Your Etsy Ads credit shows on your Etsy Ads page in Shop Manager.
Your shop customization options show up when you edit your Shop Home under Sales channels (look for banner, featured area, and color theme controls).

If you ever want the official breakdown of what’s included and where to manage it, Etsy keeps it updated in its Subscription packages (Etsy Plus) help article.

Etsy Plus pricing, monthly credits, and break-even math

$10 per month: what you pay

Etsy Plus costs $10 USD per month. It’s an auto-renewing subscription, and Etsy adds the charge to your Payment account each billing cycle. Depending on where you’re located, local taxes (like sales tax, VAT, or GST) may also apply, so your out-of-pocket cost can be a bit higher than $10.

If you cancel, you keep access until the end of your current subscription cycle, then your shop returns to Etsy Standard.

15 listing credits and $5 Etsy Ads credit

Etsy Plus includes two monthly credits that have a clear dollar value:

15 listing credits: Etsy’s standard listing fee is $0.20 per listing, so 15 credits equal $3.00 in listing fees.
$5 Etsy Ads credit: this offsets Etsy Ads spend (it’s not cash you can withdraw, and it doesn’t help if you do not run Etsy Ads).

Both credits expire if unused and do not roll over, so the “real” value depends on your habits that month.

When the credits cover the fee

The quick break-even math is straightforward:

Value of credits (if fully used) = $3 listing credits + $5 Ads credit = $8
Etsy Plus fee = $10
Net cost after credits = about $2/month (plus any applicable tax)

So, Etsy Plus “pays for itself” on paper only if you also place value on the non-credit perks (like shop customization and restock requests), or if you would otherwise miss those listing and Ads credits.

If you don’t run Etsy Ads, your credit value drops to $3, and Etsy Plus becomes a much harder sell.

For the official pricing and credit details in one place, Etsy spells it out in its Fees & Payments Policy.

Etsy Plus shop customization features for branding

Etsy Plus gives you more ways to use your Shop Home banner as a branding asset, not just a header image. In addition to the standard mini and big banner styles available to all shops, Etsy Plus adds two upgrade layouts:

Carousel banner: up to four images shoppers can scroll through. You can also link each banner image to a specific listing or a shop section, which is useful if you want to spotlight a new collection or a bestseller.
Collage banner: a multi-image banner built from 2, 3, or 4 images, so you can show product variety and visual style in one glance.

For most shops, the real win is consistency. If your product photos have different backgrounds or lighting, a collage or carousel can make the storefront feel more intentional without redesigning every listing image.

Featured listings and shop sections display

Etsy Plus also expands how you can stage your products at the top of your Shop Home. Standard shops can feature items in a uniform grid, but Etsy Plus adds a mixed grid option. That layout highlights one larger main listing or shop section alongside smaller supporting items.

This is a simple way to guide browsing. Put your “hero” product or seasonal collection in the large slot, then use the smaller slots for variations, add-ons, or related categories. You can also feature shop sections, not just individual listings, which helps when you want buyers to shop a collection instead of a single item.

Color and style theme controls

With Etsy Plus, you can choose a shop color theme that applies to parts of your Shop Home, including the shop info banner and About section. The color choices are generated from your banner and shop icon so the palette stays on-brand and meets accessibility needs. Theme editing is currently a desktop task, but the result shows to shoppers on desktop and mobile web.

If you want the most up-to-date list of these options and where to change them, Etsy outlines them in Etsy Plus: Advanced Shop Customization.

Design and domain perks: Adobe Express and Hover discount

Adobe Express Premium access details

Etsy Plus has included a partner perk for Adobe Express Premium that’s designed for fast marketing tasks: editing product photos, resizing images for social, and making simple promo graphics without starting from scratch.

The key detail is that it’s time-limited access, not a permanent add-on. Etsy’s current terms describe it as one-time, complimentary 6-month access that you redeem through Adobe. You can usually start without adding a credit card, and after the 6 months, continued use follows Adobe’s normal pricing.

Important timing note: Etsy has announced that new signups for the Adobe Express Premium offer close on February 21, 2026. If you enroll through Etsy Plus before that date, access continues for the full offer period under Adobe’s terms. You can confirm the current status directly in Etsy’s help article, What is Etsy Plus?.

Custom domain discount via Hover

Etsy Plus also includes a discount on a custom web address (domain) through Hover, which redirects visitors to your Etsy shop. This is mainly a branding play. It gives you something clean to print on packaging inserts, business cards, or craft fair signage.

For Etsy Plus subscribers, the Hover perk typically offers either a free “.store” domain or 50% off select domain extensions for the first year. After the first year, renewals are billed at Hover’s regular price. Also, if you already own a domain elsewhere, you generally cannot transfer it to Hover just to get the discount, but you can still point an existing domain to your Etsy shop through your current provider.

One more timing note: Etsy has also stated that new signups for the Hover discount close on February 21, 2026, even though other Etsy Plus benefits stay available.

Etsy Plus marketing perks and what they actually impact

Etsy Ads credit: what it can and cannot do

The $5 Etsy Ads credit in Etsy Plus is straightforward: it helps cover a small amount of your Etsy Ads charges each month, as long as you are actually running ads. Etsy Ads is pay-per-click, so you are charged when a shopper clicks your promoted listing, up to your daily budget.

What the credit can do:

Offset a portion of your Etsy Ads spend that month.
Make it cheaper to test Etsy Ads, especially if you are new or you only advertise a few listings.

What it cannot do:

It does not improve your organic ranking. Etsy is explicit that subscribing to Etsy Plus does not influence search placement, and Etsy Ads only affects visibility in designated ad placements, not regular search results. You can verify that in Etsy’s How Etsy Search Works article.
It does not cover other marketing fees like Offsite Ads, and it does not reduce any standard Etsy selling fees.
It does not help if you keep Etsy Ads turned off, since there is nothing for the credit to apply to.

Listing credits: when they help most

The 15 listing credits are most useful for shops that list or renew consistently. They tend to help most when you:

Add new products weekly and want to keep momentum without thinking about $0.20 charges.
Sell in categories where you renew listings often (for example, small batch items that sell out and need relisting).
Run seasonal drops, and you will publish a batch of listings in the same billing cycle.

If your inventory is stable and you rarely create new listings or renew, listing credits are easy to waste. In that case, Etsy Plus becomes more about the branding tools than the marketing perks.

Etsy Plus limitations: what you do not get

Perks that do not change search ranking

Etsy Plus can make your shop look more polished, but it does not give you a built-in boost in Etsy search.

Subscribing does not change the core factors that drive visibility, like listing relevance, customer experience signals, shipping price, and how well your photos and titles match what buyers type. Etsy Plus also does not unlock any “priority placement” for Standard search results.

If you want a clear picture of what actually affects ranking, Etsy’s How Etsy Search Works is the best baseline.

Fees and services not covered by credits

The monthly credits in Etsy Plus are limited to listing fees and Etsy Ads. They do not cover:

Transaction fees, payment processing fees, or shipping label costs.
Offsite Ads fees (if your shop is enrolled and a sale is attributed to an Offsite Ads click).
The cost of producing items, packaging, postage, or any third-party tools you use outside Etsy.

Also, the Etsy Ads credit is not cash. It only offsets Etsy Ads charges and only helps if you are actively running ads.

Availability, eligibility, and changing benefits

Etsy Plus is not identical for every seller forever. Benefits and partner perks can change, and some offers may be limited by:

Country availability and billing eligibility for subscriptions.
One-time redemption rules for partner perks.
Updates to what Etsy includes in the plan over time.

Before you upgrade, it’s smart to check the current benefit list inside Shop Manager and compare it to how you actually run your shop month to month.

Should you upgrade to Etsy Plus or stay on Standard?

Scenarios where upgrading makes sense

Upgrading to Etsy Plus usually makes sense when you will use the credits every month and you also care about a more branded storefront.

Consider Etsy Plus if you:

List or renew regularly, so the 15 listing credits don’t go to waste.
Already spend on Etsy Ads, even at a small level, so the $5 Ads credit reliably applies.
Want your Shop Home to feel more like a curated shop, using carousel or collage banners, a mixed featured grid, and theme colors.
Sell items that go in and out of stock, where restock requests can capture demand you would otherwise lose.

In other words, Etsy Plus fits best for active shops that treat Etsy like an ongoing channel, not a set-it-and-forget-it storefront.

Scenarios where it is not worth it

Staying on Standard is often the better call if Etsy Plus perks won’t change what you do week to week.

Etsy Plus is usually not worth it if you:

Rarely create new listings or renew, so listing credits pile up unused.
Do not run Etsy Ads and don’t plan to, making the $5 credit irrelevant.
Expect the subscription to improve search ranking or reduce fees (it won’t).
Prefer to invest the money in things that more directly impact sales, like better photography, clearer product descriptions, faster processing times, or samples for UGC.

If you’re unsure, remember the math: even when you use every credit, you’re still paying for the extra tools.

Quick decision rules based on usage

Use these simple rules to decide without overthinking it:

Upgrade now if you will use most or all listing credits and you already run Etsy Ads monthly.
Test for one billing cycle if you want the branding upgrades or restock requests, but you’re not sure you’ll keep using them. (Set a reminder to cancel before renewal if it doesn’t help.)
Stay on Standard if you don’t run Etsy Ads and you list only occasionally.

If your goal is more traffic from Etsy search, put your energy into listings and customer experience first. Etsy Plus is best viewed as a convenience and branding bundle, not a growth shortcut.