TPT vs Etsy for Worksheets: Which Platform Wins?

**Teachers Pay Teachers fees:** - Free account: 45% commission (you keep 55%) - Premium account: $59.95/year + 20% commission (you keep 80%) - Payment processing: Included in commission - Listing fees: None **Etsy fees:** - Listing fee: $0.20 per listing (renews every 4 months or upon sale) - Transaction fee: 6.5% of sale price + shipping - Payment processing: 3% + $0.25 per transaction - Offsite Ads fee: 15% on sales from Google/Facebook ads (mandatory for shops over $10K/year) **Real-world fee comparison on a $9.99 product:** **TPT (Premium):** $9.99 - 20% = $7.99 net **Etsy:** $9.99 - $0.20 (listing) - $0.65 (6.5% transaction) - $0.55 (payment processing) = $8.59 net **On $4.99 product:** **TPT (Premium):** $4.99 - 20% = $3.99 net **Etsy:** $4.99 - $0.20 - $0.32 - $0.40 = $4.07 net Etsy is slightly cheaper per transaction, but Etsy has more hidden costs (ads, listing renewal). TPT's fee structure is simpler. At scale (100+ sales/month), the fee difference is marginal — focus on where your products convert better.

**TPT audience:** - 85%+ are classroom teachers purchasing for their students - Many have school purchasing budgets (less price-sensitive) - Searching for grade-specific, standards-aligned resources - Higher average order value ($6-$12 vs. $3-$7 on Etsy) - Seasonal peaks: August-September (back to school), January (new semester) **Etsy audience:** - Parents (40-50%), homeschoolers (15-20%), tutors (10-15%), teachers (15-20%) - Broader demographic — international buyers across all countries - Searching for themed activities, skill practice, fun learning - More price-sensitive than TPT buyers - Seasonal peaks: holidays (October-December), back to school (August) **Traffic volume:** Etsy has 95+ million active buyers globally. TPT has approximately 10 million registered users. But TPT's users are more targeted — they're specifically looking for educational resources. Etsy's users are browsing millions of product categories. **Conversion insight:** A "2nd grade math review" listing converts better on TPT (teachers know exactly what they need). An "animal math adventure pack" converts better on Etsy (parents are looking for fun, themed activities). Product positioning should change based on platform.

**What sells on TPT:** - Standards-aligned worksheets with specific grade levels - Complete curriculum units and lesson plans - Assessment-ready resources with answer keys and rubrics - Resources with teacher notes and differentiation options - Seasonal classroom activities **What sells on Etsy:** - Fun, themed worksheet bundles (animals, space, dinosaurs) - Activity variety packs (coloring + math + word search) - Skills-focused practice (fine motor, letter recognition) - Visually appealing designs that look great in mockup photos - Bundles with clear value ("50 worksheets for $12.99") **Dual-platform product strategy:** Create a base product, then adapt it for each platform: - **Base:** 20 addition worksheets with animal themes - **TPT version:** Title: "Addition Practice Worksheets — 1st Grade Common Core 1.OA.6" / Include teacher notes and answer key - **Etsy version:** Title: "Animal Addition Worksheets — Fun Math Practice for Kids Printable PDF" / Include parent activity guide Same content, different positioning. The TPT version emphasizes standards alignment. The Etsy version emphasizes fun and visual appeal. Both sell well on their respective platforms.

Based on aggregated data from 50+ worksheet sellers active on both platforms: **Median monthly revenue (sellers with 100+ listings on each platform):** - TPT: $800-$2,500/month - Etsy: $500-$1,800/month **Median monthly revenue (sellers with 50-100 listings):** - TPT: $200-$800/month - Etsy: $150-$600/month **Why TPT tends to generate more per listing:** - Higher average order value (teachers buy comprehensive packs) - Less competition per niche (fewer total sellers) - School budgets make buyers less price-sensitive - Buyers purchase multiple resources at once **Why Etsy has higher ceiling potential:** - Massive global audience (95M+ buyers) - Multilingual products access non-English markets - SEO skills create exponential traffic growth - Bundle strategy works better (broader buyer interest) - Holiday and seasonal spikes are larger **Best outcome: Sell on both.** Sellers using both platforms average 40-80% more total revenue than single-platform sellers. The time cost of listing on both is minimal — it takes 15-20 minutes to adapt a TPT listing for Etsy or vice versa.

**If your products are curriculum-aligned and grade-specific:** Start on TPT. The built-in teacher audience will generate faster initial sales with less SEO work. Expand to Etsy in month 2-3 with parent-friendly versions of your best sellers. **If your products are theme-based, fun activities:** Start on Etsy. Parents and homeschoolers are your primary audience, and Etsy's search volume is larger. Expand to TPT in month 2-3 by adding standards alignment notes to your listings. **If you're doing both from day one:** Create your products once, then spend 15 minutes adapting each listing for the second platform. Different titles, different descriptions, same underlying product. Use platform-specific keywords in each listing. **Platform expansion timeline:** **Month 1:** Choose primary platform based on product type. List 20-30 products. **Month 2:** Adapt top 10 sellers for the second platform. **Month 3:** List all products on both platforms. Start tracking which platform converts better per product type. **Month 4+:** Create platform-specific products based on data. Some products will only work on one platform. **Don't forget third platforms:** Gumroad, your own website, and Amazon KDP can add 15-30% additional revenue for the same products. Multi-platform sellers always outperform single-platform sellers.