Quick answer: The top digital products that sell on Amazon are Kindle eBooks (KDP), low-content books like planners and journals, print-on-demand designs via Merch by Amazon, and digital templates sold through your own KDP storefront. You don’t need a warehouse or a supplier — just files, a free account, and designs you can start building today.
You’re sitting there with a list of ideas — Etsy, Amazon, Gumroad — and Amazon keeps coming up because it’s the one everyone already trusts.
I wasn’t looking at Amazon specifically when I started. I was mostly exploring Etsy. But then I kept seeing people mention KDP and Merch by Amazon in the same breath as digital products, and I thought — wait, does Amazon actually do this too?
It does. And the entry point is lower than most people realise.
What Does Amazon Actually Support for Digital Products?
This is the part that confuses people. Amazon isn’t one thing. There are three separate programs that let you sell digital products, and they work very differently:
- Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) — eBooks and print-on-demand books. Royalties between 35% and 70% depending on price. Completely free to join.
- Merch by Amazon — you upload a design, Amazon prints it on t-shirts, hoodies, phone cases. You earn a royalty per sale. No inventory.
- Amazon Handmade digital — this one is limited; Amazon Handmade is mostly physical, but some digital downloads are possible via third-party apps or listing workarounds. Not the main route.
KDP and Merch are the two real paths. The rest is noise.
Which Digital Products Work Best on Amazon?
The templates I build digital products from
The Canva and design assets I actually use to make sellable files — checked for licence before they go in a shop listing.
Not everything converts equally. Here’s what’s actually worth making:
Low-Content Books: Planners, Journals, Notebooks
These are the workhorse of KDP digital products. A lined notebook with a solid cover design sells well and costs nothing to produce. The interior is a repeating template — ruled lines, dot grid, or calendar blocks. The cover is where design matters.
I tried a generic cover first. Barely moved. The ones with clean typographic layouts and a single strong visual — those did better.
eBooks and Guides (Non-Fiction, Niche Topics)
Short, practical eBooks on specific topics perform well on KDP. Think: “How to start a side hustle selling digital products” or “30-day budget tracker for freelancers.” Under 50 pages. Priced at the low end of the range.
The 70% royalty tier starts low, which is why most KDP sellers price there. Below that, you drop to 35%.
Merch by Amazon: T-Shirt and Apparel Designs
You upload a PNG, Amazon handles printing, shipping, returns. Your job: design. That’s it.
The catch — Merch has a tiered system. You start at 10 design slots and earn more by making sales. New sellers get rejected more often than they expect. The designs that do work: clean graphics with simple text, retro styles, niche humour.
Activity Books and Coloring Books
Kids’ activity books, coloring pages compiled into a book format, word searches, puzzle collections — all of these list on KDP as print-on-demand paperbacks. They sell on the same traffic as everything else on Amazon, which is a big deal.
The interior files need to be 300 DPI, black-and-white for standard printing. Color interiors cost more per print and cut your royalty. Most sellers stick to black-and-white.
What Nobody Tells You About Selling Digital Products on Amazon
Amazon’s search algorithm doesn’t work like Google. It rewards sales velocity, not just keywords. Your first few sales — often from friends or family — matter more than you’d think.
A few things I wish I’d known earlier:
- KDP books don’t automatically show up in Amazon search — you have to pick the right categories and keywords during setup. There are 10 keyword slots. Fill all of them. If writing those keywords feels like a bottleneck, our guide on using AI for digital products covers how to use AI to generate better tags and listing copy in minutes.
- Merch by Amazon has an approval process. Apply, wait, sometimes reapply. It’s not instant.
- Your cover is your product page thumbnail — on mobile, it’s tiny. Design for tiny.
- Amazon takes a larger cut than Etsy for most product types. KDP at 70% is good. Merch royalties are lower than most POD platforms. Run the numbers first.
None of this is a reason not to try. It’s just what the process actually looks like.
Amazon vs Etsy for Digital Products: Which One to Start With?
Short answer: start with Etsy if you want to sell direct digital downloads — PDFs, Canva templates, SVG files. Amazon (KDP) is the better path if you want print-on-demand books or Merch designs.
They’re not really competing. A lot of sellers run both.
Looking to understand how digital product analytics help you figure out what’s actually selling? Our guide to digital products analytics walks through exactly which numbers to track and what they mean for your shop growth.
Where to Get the Design Files You Need
The templates I build digital products from
The Canva and design assets I actually use to make sellable files — checked for licence before they go in a shop listing.
Whether you’re building KDP interiors, Merch designs, or activity book content — you need commercial-licence files. Creative Fabrica has planners, journal templates, coloring page sets, and PNG graphics you can use in your Amazon products.
The All Access plan is billed annually. Unlimited downloads, commercial licence included. There’s also a free trial with 10 premium downloads to test it first.
Key Takeaways
- Creative Fabrica’s All Access plan is billed annually — includes commercial licence for Amazon KDP and Merch products
- KDP gives 70% royalties on eBooks in the mid price band — the best rate Amazon offers for digital
- Low-content books (planners, journals, notebooks) are the fastest way to start with KDP — no writing required
- Merch by Amazon has a tiered approval system — expect to wait and start small before scaling
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you sell digital downloads directly on Amazon?
Not the way you can on Etsy — Amazon doesn’t support instant digital file downloads for most categories. The main routes are KDP (eBooks and print books) and Merch (apparel). If you want to sell PDFs or templates as direct downloads, Etsy is the more natural fit.
How much does it cost to list on Amazon KDP?
Nothing. KDP is free to join and free to publish. Amazon takes their cut when a sale happens — the royalty rate depends on the product type and price.
Do I need a commercial licence for designs used in KDP or Merch?
Yes. Any design, font, or graphic you didn’t create yourself needs a commercial licence that covers resale and print-on-demand. Creative Fabrica’s All Access subscription covers this — all files come with a commercial licence on the All Access plan.
Is Merch by Amazon or Etsy better for digital products?
Different products, different platforms. Merch is for apparel POD — you can’t sell PDFs there. Etsy handles digital downloads directly. KDP is the Amazon route for books and planners. Most serious digital sellers run Etsy and KDP together rather than choosing one. For blank file to live listing, see blank file to live listing.
