15 Best Platforms to Sell Digital Products Online 2023
Are you looking to sell digital products without using a website? We have covered you by reviewing and comparing the best platforms to sell digital & downloadable products.
Starting an online business has never been easier. It’s not about starting the company but knowing what you wish to sell and how you want to sell it. Services like writing, marketing, design, and development work are among the most popular among freelancers. But then, things like eBooks, books, all physical items, and digital goods can be sold and purposed online through a specific sales page.
Selling digital products is a great way to secure extra cash inflow. Webmasters, bloggers, writers, and anyone with a website can become digital product sellers. And even though digital selling presents a much more relaxed selling environment, we should still remind ourselves that things like presentation and support management count.
If you wish to sell online, one of the few things you will want to make sure you have is a reliable hosting account that’s both secure and well-managed. You can get on top quickly if there are any problems with your website. You will also want to make sure that your website looks good. The digital selling platform you will use can be integrated natively into your website management platform, or you have the specifications to host your own version on your website. Many of the platforms on our list are working externally, meaning that you will often get links and widgets that you can use on your website.
TL;DR – Best Overall
Sellfy is the simplest eCommerce platform for selling downloads. We recommend it to beginners looking to launch their product as fast as possible.
Shopify is the most flexible and advanced platform for selling physical and digital products. It offers unmatched customizability, but it comes at a price.
Podia is the best platform for selling online courses alongside digital downloads. It is the best platform for content creators looking to sell courses, subscriptions, downloads, webinars, and more.
Which is the best platform for selling digital products?
Without further ado, let’s have a look at the best platforms to sell digital products and downloads:
1. Sellfy
Best platform for beginners looking to sell downloads
Sellfy provides simple and extremely easy solutions to sell digital products on your website. In addition to the eCommerce platform, it offers smart and agile tools to enhance sales and promote products via social media. The platform is home to more than 32,000+ creative artists selling products and making money all this time you have not! Amongst the most popular items sold through Sellfy, you will find eBooks and comic books, video, and music content, though the most popular one is design items that can be found in a range of 150,000+ unique items for sale.
Sellfy is the #1 platform to sell digital products without a website. However, you can combine it with your website to have more control over design and brand presence.
Pricing: Sellfy prices for selling digital downloads start at $19/month with a 14-day free trial.
2. Podia
Best platform for selling online courses, memberships, and downloads
Right now is always the best time to start your business. Or at least turn your passion into income. With Podia, you can quick-start your project without the need to undergo the tedious task of starting everything from scratch. It is a nifty and easy-to-use platform that works ideally for online courses, downloads, memberships, and webinars. Podia also includes email marketing, website builder, and customer interaction via messaging. You can start a blog, too, and introduce content marketing to take your business to new heights.
We recommend using Podia to sell online courses, downloads, webinars, and other memberships based on subscriptions.
Pricing: You can start using Podia for free without any limits. However, free plan comes with 8% transaction fees for every payment your receive. Regular pricing starts at $33/month, including all the necessary features to sell your online course or downloads.
3. Shopify
Best platform for big eCommerce stores
Shopify has expanded to support eCommerce, social eCommerce, and straightforward shopping options with single click-to-buy buttons. It is the leader in modern eCommerce and allows its customers to create eCommerce stores for digital and physical goods. The best part is that you can experience the full potential of Shopify’s platform by signing up for a free trial and seeing the results yourself. An extensive directory of styles and themes (with full customization options) and a directory of paid and free plugins will let you create an online store that resembles the works of Amazon and Newegg regarding product selling.
Pricing: Shopify comes with a 14-day free trial. The Basic plan starts at $29/month but you will end up with higher payment processing fees. Once your store grows, upgrading to a higher pricing tier would make sense to save some money on commissions.
4. Gumroad
Best platform for digital creators selling via social media.
Gumroad bridges the gap between a product and the customer. It’s one of the most popular digital selling platforms thanks to its simplicity, a record of security, and ease of use. Upload your albums, books, games, films, online courses and more to the Gumroad servers; set a price and let everything unfold naturally. The embeddable Gumroad widget makes it incredibly easy to integrate Gumroad into your website, giving you peace of mind over how you sell and promote your digital products.
While you can integrate Gumrod into your website, it is widely used as a standalone platform to sell digital products by promoting them on social media. It is comparable to Sellfy for selling digital products without a website.
Price: You can start selling for free with 9% transaction fees + an additional $0.3 for every transaction. As your sales grow your commission will decline to 2.9% + $0.3 for every transaction.
5. EasyDigitalDownloads
Best platform for WordPress developers. (Technical knowledge required for a proper setup)
WordPress is the most popular blogging platform on the planet. It’s only right that someone took the initiative to build a natively built selling platform for WordPress. They call it EasyDigitalDownloads. It’s a full-fledged eCommerce selling platform where you can easily sell your digital downloads through your WordPress blog. It’s a complete e-commerce solution selling digital products in a light, easy-to-use plugin. Rather than attempting to provide every feature under the sun, EasyDigitalDownloads makes digital selling simple and complete by providing just the features you need.
Here you can find more information on how to sell software online using various platforms, including EDD.
Price: Free with basic functionality. After that, prices start at $99.50/year (only yearly billing is available). If you need to sell subscriptions, it will set you back $199.50/year and licensed software $299.50/year, but that doesn’t include many valuable extensions that will set you back $499.50/year. EDD is one of the priciest ways to sell your downloads but the best for software developers.
6. Thinkific
Best platform for selling online courses
It does not matter what niche or industry you are in; with Thinkific, you can build online courses quickly with as little effort as necessary. Thinkific is an all-in-one platform that takes care of anything and everything. From kicking things off, building your first online course, to distribution and sales, you manage and maintain everything from one location. Many professionals are already successfully utilizing the powerful platform that Thinkific is, so there is no reason you would not want to join. You can even start for free to keep the hype at an all-time high.
Want to sell online courses but don’t know how to get started? Here is a detailed guide on how to create and sell online courses.
Price: You can start selling online courses for free with a limited amount of courses. The basic plan is $39/month (billed yearly) with unlimited students and courses.
7. E-junkie
Affordable way of selling digital products
E-junkie has grown on such a large scale over the last decade, thanks to its pledge not to charge any fees, other than the flat monthly fee you must pay to use services. It’s popular among creative artists who create books, digital items like themes, and other graphics work, and those who want to sell services for marketing and business. Everything is managed within the platform itself; once a user finishes a purchase and the platform verifies its validity, the user will download the given files instantly.
There is also an affiliate platform available. That means you can earn more sales for your products through the help of customers who run websites and blogs. Manage inventory, learn more about your sales through analytics, and many other great features that will set you on a path of success in digital selling.
Price: E-junkie starts at $5/month for selling up to 10 digital products. An unlimited plan is $40/month with no file size or product limit.
8. Teachable
Best platform for online knowledge business.
Teachable is a dope platform for selling online digital products related to knowledge and education. It does not matter what you specialize in; Teachable is for everyone. On the other hand, just like you can create your courses, students can join the platform and learn from you. Teachable also has a must-see webinar on creating your first course using the platform. You have the freedom to create an outcome exactly to your liking. Teachable even takes care of EU VAT – how cool is that? Start with any of the three plans and make an immediate difference.
Price: Free plan has $1 + 10% transaction fees on all sales and only 1 course is included. The basic plan is $29/month (billed yearly) with 5% transaction fees with unlimited courses you can sell.
9. FastSpring
Best platform for SaaS eCommerce platforms
If you are a software company looking for an alternative to help with online sales, consider FastSpring. It is a compelling platform that gets you moving in the right direction. It is a full-blown solution that takes care of the selling part. The features include global payments, subscriptions, branded checkout, global taxes, 3rd-party integrations, etc. For instance, you can use FastSpring with WordPress, Facebook, impact, you name it. Before fully committing, you can also request a demo and see how FastSpring can grow your software business to the next level.
Price: Price depends on the scale of your business. Custom quotes are available on request.
10. DPD
Best for selling eBooks, software and downloads
DPD is a multi-purpose platform for selling downloads, like software, eBooks, themes, music, graphics, well, you get the gist of it. You upload your files to DPD and let it do all the heavy lifting instead of you. You can copy and paste the “add to cart” button almost anywhere. DPD works on websites, blogs, and Facebook and integrates with over five hundred marketing tools. With secure and responsive checkout, customers easily and quickly complete the purchase, and all the funds get directly to your account. Finally, DPD delivers the files without needing you to do anything else. Start with the right foot forward and go with DPD.
Price: Price starts at $10/month for up to 20 products with payment processing fees.
11. ClickBank
Best platform for attracting affiliate marketers
ClickBank is a household name amongst those who have been into internet marketing for the past few years. It’s the most well-known platform for selling and buying digital goods. It’s the perfect marketplace for anyone who wants to reach out to a base of customers who are always looking to learn something new and unique about their specific market. The affiliate program is known for driving hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue for those who want to use the full potential of ClickBank’s promotional tools. Many of the products on ClickBank are all about teaching others how to use internet marketing to its full potential, lately going in-depth about email marketing and organic promotion techniques.
Price: $49.95 product initial listing fee followed with 7.5% + $1.00 per sale. Seems pricy but you get good exposure through their marketplace and affiliate partners.
12. SendOwl
Most affordable way of selling digital goods for beginners.
SendOwl is happy to work with experienced and inexperienced clients in selling digital products. The platform is much like eCommerce software; the only difference is that everything is happening within the cloud, not on your server. Thus, you can sell and promote your products without extra worries. Enjoy features like a progressive affiliate system, an upsell system that will help you increase your revenue, offer discount codes. Track their performance to see which ones attract the most customers. You can even integrate a “Pay What You Want” pricing module that could break the bank for your digital products. SendOwl promises security and safety.
Price: You can start selling for free with no account limits. However, the free plan has a 5% transaction fee. The regular plan is $19/month with no transaction fees.
13. PayLoadz
Best for those looking to start their business for free.
PayLoadz has been around for more than a decade. It’s home to some 600,000+ sellers who are selling 3,500,000+ items. PayLoadz can help you launch up your own sales page within minutes. This can range from a photograph, a logo concept, an eBook, or a video game. PayLoadz can convert and naturally help you make sales. The vast experience over the years gives PayLoadz the advantage of understanding how the digital goods market works. It can provide invaluable advice and insights to those who seek it.
Price: You can start selling for free without limits but must pay a 30% transaction fee. The regular price is $29 which offers unlimited flexibility at no extra cost.
14. Creative Market
Best for designers selling graphics
Creative Market is home to more than 10,000+ artists. This involves designers and developers who share and sell their most unique and beautiful work on the marketplace. The great thing is that anyone can become a seller, although there is a thorough approval process. Also, they must expose themselves to hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors. They come to find things like unique photography for their projects, graphics like objects and textures, templates of all kinds. They also visit for content management system themes and more.
Price: 0 initial setup fees but you have to pay 40% transaction fees and your account must be approved before you can start selling.
15. ThemeForest by Envato
Best for selling WordPress themes and website templates
Envato is home to eight huge digital marketplaces that have sold millions of dollars in total revenue. Marketplaces like ThemeForest and Codecanyon are household names for purchasing digital artwork and digital code-work. Envato’s database comprises over 5,000,000 unique products that allow customers to build their dreams and ideas within minutes. They can build rather hire individuals separately for all the custom work. This also means those who wish to sell on Envato will be pleasantly surprised. They will learn that millions of people visit Envato’s marketplace every month. Everyone is guaranteed to make at least a few sales, given the product is up to the latest standards. Not to mention that there is a very popular affiliate program you can find every blogger advertising these days.
Price
No initial setup fee but all your products must be approved before selling them.
Non-Exclusive Author Fee (products are sold on Themeforest and elsewhere): 55%
Exclusive Author Fee(items are sold only on ThemeForest): 12.5% – 37.5%. The more you sell the lower are fees. Themeforest is costly but you get unmatched exposure via their marketplace.
Platforms for selling digital products: Frequently Asked Questions
1. Decide what you want to sell
2. Create your digital product
3. Build an online store
4. Market your digital or downloadable product
5. Cash in
Here you can find more information on how to sell digital products online.
The best platforms to sell digital products depend on your business. Sellfy is the best platform for beginners, but you might want to consider Shopify as your business grows.
The best place to sell your digital products is your own website. That way you will get the most flexibility regardless of the platform your choose for payment processing. You will have the most control over SEO, PPC and other marketing efforts with an option to always switch to a new platform when needed.
– Online courses and webinars
– eBooks
– Email templates
– Audio files
– Recipes
– Stock Photos
– Lightroom presets
– Video
– PDF files
– Audiobooks
– Software programs
– Web elements like WordPress themes or website templates
– Printables
– Membership sites
– Workbooks
– PowerPoint templates
– Educational products like online courses
– Exclusive membership communities
– Digital templates and tools such as WordPress themes
– Audio and video files
– Stock images
– Productized services like a logo or graphic design
– Licensed software and apps
Here you can find more information about the digital products that are in high demand.
The best platforms for hosting digital downloads are Sellfy, Gumroad and SendOwl
Best platforms to sell digital products without a website
– Sellfy
– Gumroad
– SendOwl
– Sellz
– Podia
The best-selling digital products include online courses, stock images, Adobe Lightroom presets, audio and video files, ebooks, templates, graphic designs, and PDF files.
Wrapping it up
I hope this article helped you to find the best platform for selling downloadable digital products. Additionally, you might want to look into fully-fledged online store builders.
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Thank you for the List.
I have Tons of Digital products to sell and was really looking around for a place that didnt have Monthly Charges.
hi Michael,
tons of digital products???
like what?
thanks
I sell some of my digital e-books and GFX work through rocketr.net. They don’t take any paypal fees and also offer stripe and other payment options. Also, they have the same features as Gumroad or sellfy: rocketr.net/features.
Michael you should look at SendOwl. They have a very low monthly charge, but they don’t charge you anything per transaction. No percentage of sale fee. No cost per transaction fee. It’s really straightforward and you can sell as much as you want, which I think would be important for someone who is selling tons of digital products.
All the best.
Hey, soon we are starting market place where in user can buy and sell their PRODUCTS for Crypto Currencies, in which no monthly fee will be there.
Michael,
I have lots of Digital products as well. I do like selling free of fees. Let me know what kind of list you come across.
I would like learn more for the product, I Have a ecommerce store and need of products to sell
I have several “IM” software’s and training products. I would like to sell on several platforms. Which would you recommend?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Gil
Gil,
Any of above listed ones will get the job done for you.
We would like to sell our daily rafting videos online. Since there will be a continuous job uploading the videos, we are looking for something that will make this process run smoothly and fast. And it should be easy for the customer to download as well. Any recommendation?
I available, and interested to that
I would like to apply for the role
I use Adobe Muse and there is a widget for Sellfy-its very easy to use and have my client sing up for -however, they can only sell one product at a time since they have no cart feature–so client cant sign in and have cart or buying history–any suggestions?
I have reviewed the 17 sites. Have no experience with websites, so most of this information is Greek to me. I have developed a small business financial modeling system written in Microsoft Excel. The Model has 3 files independent of each other approximately 2.1 MB each. Would like a website to sell this Model. Would like customers to be able to see some of the Worksheets as examples Want customers to be able to download Excel Files from the website and pay by credit card. Microsoft Excel is not included. Would appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks,
David
David,
My suggestions would be to create a website using WordPress like described here. You can list and describe your items there and use Easy Digital Downloads plugin for purchases. If you don’t like Easy Digital Downloads which might be slightly more complex, you can use Sellfy or Gumroad and sell items via their platform.
I also want to sell my excel files. What is the best way to go about it.
Hey,
There isn’t a major difference in how to go about selling ebooks, PDFs, Word Documents, Excel files or any other files. It all comes down to how many items you have and where you want them to be sold, either on your website or via social media and you just need a payment processor. If you just want to sell one or few Excel files I would suggest Podia, or Sellfy. Both has a similar functionality and will get the job down for you.
If you need a full website and dozens and dozens of files then Shopify, EDD or WooCommerce are the right bets for you. Shopify is going to be the easiest one to setup and maintain. WooCommerce and EDD are the most flexible options but also the most complex and I would recommend those only for WordPress veterans that have already used WordPres in the past and want to take their skills to the next level. Otherwise, just go with Shopify and avoid all the headache.
I’m looking to sell a pdf ebook and would like an online service to manage the download. Are there any that stamp the purchasers’ details and or unique purchaser code onto their downloaded pdf ebook?
Unfortunately, I’m not aware of any this kind of service. I’m almost certain that it doesn’t exist.
Al,
What you are describing is Amazon. I have published 10 books on Amazon and they all start out as a Word Doc then saved as a .PDF. The .Pdf is uploaded as an ebook for the Kindle and then Amazon manages the entire thing from there. All FREE to publish. Let me know if you want more details.
I believe that getdpd does that.
I have just come across this page and then started to look at Sellfy.
On their feature list they say, PDF stamping – Automatically add buyer’s email address to every page of your pdf, so each customer gets a uniquely marked file.
Hope this helps.
I have accounts with a bunch of the above sites, the only one I saw that has something like that is Gumroad. There is a setting to generate a unique product key for every sale. https://help.gumroad.com/article/76-license-keys
Hi there,
Thanks for sharing this amazing informative article. I already use sellfy.com
I have lots of video lectures I would like to sell online but I want a mobile App that can allow students to view video offline without being able to copy or transfer video. In other words I want a platform with a good security measure against piracy. Which would you suggest?
You need to look for a 3rd party video hosting solutions that have a strict security measures against piracy. None of the themes or plugins will help you with that. All paid video sites such as RedBull, GoPro and others uses 3rd party services for hosting their videos that makes it very hard to download them. That’s your only option to be sure that your videos remain safe. In most cases you can combine any of these services with themes listed above.
Really nice article. Easy digital download was best for me. I will recommend this article for anyone who wants to start online digital business. Thanks a lot!
Hello,
I have an online site that customers can design their digital business card. I receive many requests from prospective customers to assist them in the design, where they would provide all the information and our team would create the profile – then send the customer back login credentials. I see that most of these digital commerce sites are geared to have the customer download a digital product. Is there a site, or a way that I can use these sites to deliver a designed digital business card profile / account?
Hi thanks for your review and amazing information about sites that sell digital products.
I would like to sell photos of car shows (vintage, hot rods etc) and be able to upload about 300-400 photos that customers can search and place multiple orders (hopefully) then email them the images once they have paid. Which of these websites would you recommend as the most suitable for this type of activity.
I also make and sell laser cut products such as coasters, name tags etc, would the same site be suitable for the order taking – delivery process.
Thanks for your advice
Les
With this amount of products the best option is going to be Shopify. This platform will take care of all the payment processing and can be configured to for shipping cost calculations and order tracking.
I’ve never heard of FetchApp however that looks like just what we need. Thanks for writing such an informative article.
Thank you very much for providing us with the site, actually, I am a book writer and recently I published a book related to YouTube shorts, and now I want to publish on a better platform.