I tried selling digital art for $1 on 3 platforms — here's how many people actually bought
I tried selling digital art for $1 on 3 platforms — here's how many people actually bought
The problem I wanted to solve:
Everyone says "sell digital art" as an easy side hustle. But I can't draw. I have no following. I didn't want to spend weeks learning design software.
So I asked myself: can a complete beginner make anything by selling simple, cheap digital art for $1?
I tested three platforms for 7 days. Same art. Same price. Zero promotion. Just posted and waited.
The setup
What I made: 5 simple black and white line drawings. Things like a coffee cup, a cat, a plant, a smiley face, a star. Made them on a free phone app called Ibis Paint. Took me about 10 minutes each. Not good art. Just... fine.
The price: $1 for each design. Buyers can print it or use it digitally.
The platforms I tested:
· Etsy (the giant marketplace)
· Creative Market (more design-focused)
· Ko-fi (simple shop for creators)
Same listing text on all three: "Simple line art digital download. $1. Instant download after purchase."
Platform 1: Etsy (7 days)
What I did: Created a shop. Listed all 5 designs. Paid $0.20 per listing ($1 total to list). Etsy takes a fee from every sale.
Day 1–2: Zero views. I felt invisible.
Day 3: 12 views total across all 5 listings. No sales.
Day 4: Watched a YouTube video about Etsy SEO. Changed my titles from "Cat line art" to "Cat line art digital download printable simple animal drawing $1." Got 8 more views. Still no sales.
Day 5–7: Total views reached 47. Zero sales.
Result on Etsy: $0 earned. $1 spent on listing fees. Net: -$1.
Biggest problem: Too much competition. Thousands of better artists selling for $1 or even free.
Platform 2: Creative Market (7 days)
What I did: Applied for a shop. Got approved in 2 days (surprisingly fast). Listed the same 5 designs. No upfront listing fee, but they take a bigger cut of each sale.
Day 1–2: Waiting for approval. Nothing.
Day 3: Listings went live. Got 6 views on my shop page.
Day 4: Zero views. Felt like a ghost town.
Day 5–7: Total views across all 7 days: 18. Zero sales.
Result on Creative Market: $0 earned. $0 spent on fees. Net: $0.
Biggest problem: Creative Market buyers want professional design assets. My simple line art looked out of place. One design got a comment: "is this a joke?" Ouch.
Platform 3: Ko-fi (7 days)
What I did: Created a free Ko-fi shop. No listing fees. No approval process. Just uploaded the 5 designs and set the price to $1 each.
Day 1: Shared my Ko-fi link once on my personal Instagram story (I have 200 followers, mostly friends). Got 3 clicks.
Day 2: Woke up to a notification. Someone bought the cat drawing for $1. My first sale. I almost screamed.
Day 3: No sales. But 11 people visited my shop.
Day 4: Someone bought the plant drawing for $1. Second sale.
Day 5–7: Three more views. No more sales.
Result on Ko-fi: $2 earned. $0 spent on fees (Ko-fi takes 0% for $1 sales under their "light" plan). Net: $2.
Biggest surprise: Both buyers were people I don't know. Neither was a friend or family. They found my shop through Ko-fi's "recent listings" feed.
The winner (ranked best to worst)
1st place: Ko-fi — $2 earned. Zero fees. Easy setup. Actually got sales.
2nd place: Creative Market — $0 earned. Zero fees. But no sales and felt unwelcoming for beginners.
3rd place: Etsy -$1 earned. Paid to list. Got views but no sales. Not worth it for $1 art.
The one thing I learned (that nobody told me)
On Etsy and Creative Market, people are shopping for quality. On Ko-fi, people are supporting creators. The vibe is different.
A stranger on Ko-fi will spend $1 on a beginner's drawing because it feels like encouragement. The same stranger on Etsy will scroll past because they want value for their money.
The tip: If you're a beginner selling cheap digital art, start on Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee. Not Etsy. Not Creative Market. Save those for when you're actually good.
Also — that one Instagram story I posted? It didn't directly make sales. But it put my Ko-fi link in front of people who then visited my shop. Without that, I might have gotten zero sales everywhere.
What I'm keeping and what I'm deleting
✅ Keep: Ko-fi — easy, free, beginner-friendly. Will list more $1 designs.
❌ Delete: Etsy — not worth the listing fees for cheap art.
❌ Delete: Creative Market — too professional for my skill level right now.
Your vote (this is where you help me)
I'm testing selling physical items for $1 next (cheap stuff from around my house). Which platform should I try first?
Comment with a number:
1 for Facebook Marketplace
2 for OfferUp
3 for a garage sale (old school)
4 for "try a platform I've never heard of"
The most voted one wins. I'll post results next.
Productive takeaway for you
If you want to sell digital art as a complete beginner:
· Don't start on Etsy. You'll pay fees and get lost.
· Start on Ko-fi or similar free shops.
· Make your art dead simple. Black and white. One color. Easy shapes.
· Price at $1 or $2. No one pays $10 for beginner art.
· Post your shop link somewhere once. One Instagram story. One tweet. One Reddit post. It might do nothing. Or it might bring your first stranger-buyer.
Your art doesn't have to be good. It just has to exist in the right place.