Where to Sell Digital Products: 15 Platforms Compared (Fees & Features)

Last updated: March 2026

Selling digital products — ebooks, courses, templates, software, printables — has never been easier, but choosing the right platform can mean the difference between keeping 90% of your revenue or losing nearly half to fees and commissions. The digital products market hit $331 billion in 2025, and dozens of platforms now compete for creators’ attention with wildly different pricing models, feature sets, and target audiences. This guide compares 15 platforms side-by-side so you can pick the one that fits your product type, audience, and budget.

Digital Product Platform Comparison (2026)

Platform	Transaction Fee	Monthly Fee	Free Plan	Best For
Gumroad	10% flat	$0	Yes	Creators & indie makers
Payhip	5% (free plan)	$0 – $99	Yes	Ebooks & courses
Shopify	2.9% + 30¢ (payment processing)	$39 – $399	No (3-day trial)	Full ecommerce store
Lemon Squeezy	5% + 50¢	$0	Yes	SaaS & software
Stan Store	0%	$29	No	Link-in-bio creators
Podia	0% (paid plans)	$39 – $89	No	Courses + community
Teachable	0% (paid plans)	$39 – $199	Yes (limited)	Online courses
Sellfy	0%	$29 – $159	No (14-day trial)	Print-on-demand + digital
Ko-fi	0%	$0 (Gold: $6/mo)	Yes	Small creators
Etsy	6.5% + $0.20 listing	$0	Yes	Digital art & printables
Creative Market	50% commission	$0	Yes	Design assets
WooCommerce	0% (self-hosted)	$0 (hosting costs apply)	Yes	WordPress users
SendOwl	0%	$9 – $39	No	Delivery automation
Whop	3%	$0	Yes	Communities & memberships
Kajabi	0%	$149 – $399	No (14-day trial)	Premium course creators

1. Gumroad

Gumroad is the go-to platform for indie creators who want to start selling digital products in minutes without paying monthly fees. After restructuring its pricing in 2023, Gumroad charges a flat 10% fee on every sale — no monthly subscription, no setup costs. You create a product page, set your price, and share the link. That simplicity is both its greatest strength and its limitation.

The platform supports ebooks, music, software, courses, memberships, and physical products. It handles VAT collection for EU sales, provides basic email marketing tools, and offers customizable product pages. Gumroad processes over $200 million in creator sales annually and has paid out more than $1 billion total since launch. The 10% fee is higher than alternatives like Payhip or Lemon Squeezy, but the zero monthly cost means you never pay when you are not selling.

Where Gumroad falls short is in advanced features. There is no built-in course builder, limited storefront customization, and the analytics are basic compared to platforms like Kajabi or Podia. If you are selling a single ebook or template and want the fastest path to your first sale, Gumroad remains hard to beat. If you are building a brand with multiple product lines, you will likely outgrow it.

2. Payhip

Payhip positions itself as the affordable alternative to Gumroad, and the numbers back it up. The free plan charges just 5% per transaction — half of what Gumroad takes. Upgrade to the Plus plan at $29/month and that drops to 2%. The Pro plan at $99/month eliminates transaction fees entirely. For sellers doing consistent volume, the math favors Payhip heavily.

The platform supports digital downloads, online courses, coaching sessions, and memberships. It includes built-in EU VAT handling, affiliate programs, discount codes, and basic email marketing. The course builder is surprisingly capable for a platform at this price point, offering drip content, quizzes, and completion certificates. You can embed Payhip’s checkout directly on your own website, which keeps the buying experience seamless.

Payhip’s main drawback is visibility. Unlike Etsy or Creative Market, there is no built-in marketplace — you need to drive all your own traffic. The storefront templates are functional but limited in design flexibility. For creators selling ebooks, templates, or small courses who want low fees without the complexity of WooCommerce, Payhip hits a sweet spot that few competitors match.

3. Shopify

Shopify is not a digital-products-first platform, but its sheer scale and flexibility make it a strong contender. With over 4.8 million active stores and a $8.9 billion revenue run rate, Shopify has built an ecosystem that can handle virtually any selling scenario. Digital products work through the free Digital Downloads app or third-party apps like Sky Pilot, which add features like PDF stamping, license keys, and streaming video.

The Basic plan starts at $39/month with payment processing at 2.9% + 30 cents. You get a full-featured online store with custom domains, abandoned cart recovery, discount codes, and access to thousands of apps. Shopify’s checkout is one of the highest-converting in ecommerce, and its built-in Shopify analytics provide deep insights into customer behavior.

The downside for digital-only sellers is that you are paying for physical product features you may never use — shipping settings, inventory management, and warehouse integrations. If digital products are your sole business, platforms like Gumroad or Payhip are more cost-effective. But if you sell both physical and digital products, or plan to scale into a full ecommerce brand, Shopify is the most battle-tested option available.

4. Lemon Squeezy

Lemon Squeezy solves the single biggest headache for software and SaaS sellers: global sales tax compliance. As a merchant of record, Lemon Squeezy handles VAT, GST, and sales tax collection and remittance in every country automatically. You do not need to register for tax IDs in the EU, UK, or anywhere else. For solo developers and small SaaS companies, this alone can save thousands in accounting and compliance costs.

The platform charges 5% + 50 cents per transaction with no monthly fees. It supports software licenses, subscriptions, one-time purchases, pay-what-you-want pricing, and lead magnets. The checkout experience is modern and fast, with support for credit cards, PayPal, and local payment methods. Lemon Squeezy also provides built-in affiliate management, email marketing, and a no-code storefront builder.

The 5% + 50-cent fee adds up on lower-priced items — a $5 product loses $0.75 (15%) to fees. For higher-priced software, SaaS subscriptions, and digital tools, the economics work well and the merchant-of-record feature pays for itself. Lemon Squeezy has grown rapidly since launch, processing over $100 million in transactions, and is now the default choice for many indie hackers and bootstrapped SaaS founders.

5. Stan Store

Stan Store is built for social media creators who sell directly from their bio link. For $29/month with zero transaction fees, you get a link-in-bio page that doubles as a storefront. Followers tap your Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube bio link and can immediately purchase courses, digital downloads, coaching sessions, or memberships — all without leaving a mobile-optimized experience.

The platform includes a course builder, email collection, calendar booking for coaching, and basic analytics. It integrates with Stripe for payments and supports one-time purchases, subscriptions, and bundles. The setup is deliberately simple — you can go from signup to first product listed in under 15 minutes. Stan Store also offers an affiliate program where creators can promote each other’s products.

Stan Store’s limitation is its scope. It is designed for a specific workflow — social media to bio link to purchase — and does not try to be a full ecommerce platform. There are no advanced storefront customization options, limited integrations compared to Shopify, and the $29/month feels expensive if you are only making a few sales. But for creators with active social followings who want to monetize without building a separate website, it is purpose-built and effective.

6. Podia

Podia combines digital downloads, online courses, webinars, and community features into a single platform starting at $39/month with zero transaction fees. The pitch is consolidation — instead of paying for a course platform, a community tool, an email provider, and a website builder separately, Podia bundles everything together. For creators who sell knowledge products, this can simplify operations significantly.

The course builder supports video, text, quizzes, and drip scheduling. The community feature lets you create discussion spaces tied to your courses or available as standalone paid memberships. Podia also includes email marketing, affiliate tracking, and custom website pages. The interface is clean and modern, and the learning curve is shallow compared to more complex platforms like Kajabi.

Where Podia struggles is at scale. The analytics are basic, the email marketing tools lack advanced segmentation, and the website builder is limited compared to dedicated tools. Podia works best for solo creators or small teams selling a handful of courses and community memberships. Once you need advanced automation, detailed reporting, or deep integrations, you may find yourself outgrowing what Podia offers.

7. Teachable

Teachable is one of the original online course platforms and remains a strong choice for creators focused primarily on educational content. Plans start at $39/month (Basic) with zero transaction fees, scaling to $199/month (Pro) for advanced features like graded quizzes, custom completion certificates, and priority support. There is also a free plan, though it charges $1 + 10% per transaction.

The course builder is Teachable’s strength. It supports video, text, PDF, and audio lectures with drip scheduling, prerequisite course requirements, and built-in student discussions. Teachable also handles coaching products with milestone tracking and integrated booking. The platform processes payments through its own gateway (Teachable Payments), which simplifies payouts but means you are locked into their payment infrastructure.

Teachable’s weaknesses show outside of course delivery. The website builder is minimal, there is no built-in community feature (you need third-party integrations), and email marketing capabilities are limited compared to Podia or Kajabi. If courses are your core product and you plan to use separate tools for email and community, Teachable’s focused approach and solid course-building tools make it a reliable choice.

8. Sellfy

Sellfy stands out by combining digital product sales with print-on-demand in a single platform. Starting at $29/month with zero transaction fees, you can sell ebooks, music, videos, and subscriptions alongside custom t-shirts, mugs, and phone cases — all fulfilled automatically. This hybrid model is unique among digital product platforms and appeals to creators who want to monetize both digital content and merchandise.

The storefront builder creates a clean, mobile-responsive store in minutes. Sellfy includes built-in email marketing, discount codes, upselling features, and basic analytics. Products can be embedded on existing websites or sold through a standalone Sellfy store. The print-on-demand integration handles production, shipping, and customer service for physical products, so you focus on design and marketing.

The trade-off is that Sellfy’s tools are broad but not deep. The email marketing is basic, the course builder is absent, and the storefront customization is limited compared to Shopify. Sellfy works best for creators who want a simple, all-in-one solution for selling a mix of digital and print-on-demand products without juggling multiple platforms. For digital-only sellers, other options on this list offer more for less.

9. Ko-fi

Ko-fi has evolved from a simple tip jar into a legitimate digital product platform with the lowest fees on this list: 0% on all sales, even on the free plan. You keep everything except payment processor fees (Stripe or PayPal). The optional Gold membership at $6/month adds features like shop customization, membership tiers, and advanced analytics — but the core selling functionality is completely free.

You can sell digital downloads, commissions, memberships, and physical products on Ko-fi. The platform also supports donations, goal tracking, and a feed that functions like a mini blog. Ko-fi’s built-in audience discovery helps new creators get found, and the community-oriented design encourages repeat support. Over 1 million creators use Ko-fi, and the platform has processed hundreds of millions in creator earnings.

Ko-fi’s limitations are its simplicity. There is no course builder, no advanced email marketing, and the storefront design options are constrained. Product pages are functional but basic. Ko-fi works best for independent artists, writers, musicians, and small creators selling a few digital products while building a direct relationship with their audience. If you need zero fees and minimal complexity, Ko-fi is unmatched.

10. Etsy

Etsy provides something most digital product platforms cannot: a massive built-in audience. With over 96 million active buyers, Etsy is where millions of people search for printables, digital planners, SVG files, Canva templates, Lightroom presets, and digital art. The platform charges 6.5% per transaction plus a $0.20 listing fee, and listings last four months before requiring renewal.

For digital product sellers, Etsy handles instant delivery automatically. Buyers purchase, and the file is available for immediate download. Etsy’s search algorithm rewards products with good reviews, competitive pricing, and optimized titles and tags, which means success on Etsy requires understanding its SEO system. Top digital product sellers on Etsy report six-figure annual revenues from printables and templates alone.

The drawbacks are the fees (which have increased over the years), the competitive marketplace, and limited branding control. Your shop exists within Etsy’s ecosystem — you cannot fully customize the experience or own the customer relationship the way you can on your own platform. Many successful sellers use Etsy as a discovery channel while building a presence on their own site through Shopify or WooCommerce for repeat customers.

11. Creative Market

Creative Market is the premier marketplace for design assets — fonts, templates, graphics, themes, photos, and add-ons. The platform takes a 50% commission on all sales, which is the highest on this list by a wide margin. That steep cut pays for access to a highly targeted audience of designers, developers, and creative professionals who come to the platform specifically looking for premium design resources.

Top sellers on Creative Market earn six figures annually, with some font and template creators surpassing $1 million in total earnings. The platform handles marketing, payment processing, and customer support. Your products appear in category pages, search results, and curated collections. Creative Market also runs a weekly Free Goods bundle that drives massive traffic and can significantly boost a new seller’s visibility.

The 50% commission means you need to price accordingly or accept lower margins. Creative Market is best used as a distribution channel alongside your own website — sell through Creative Market for discovery and through your own store (using Gumroad, Payhip, or WooCommerce) for direct sales at full margin. For design assets specifically, no other marketplace matches Creative Market’s buyer intent and traffic quality.

12. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the only fully self-hosted, open-source option on this list. The plugin is free, charges zero transaction fees, and gives you complete control over your store’s design, functionality, and customer data. It powers over 6.5 million online stores and holds a 36% share of the global ecommerce market. For WordPress users, WooCommerce is the natural choice for selling digital products.

Setting up digital product sales in WooCommerce is straightforward — create a product, mark it as “Virtual” and “Downloadable,” upload your files, and set a price. WooCommerce handles secure file delivery, download limits, and link expiration out of the box. The ecosystem of extensions is enormous: subscription plugins, licensing systems, course add-ons, membership gates, and hundreds of payment gateways. Learn more in our WooCommerce statistics roundup.

The trade-off is technical responsibility. You need hosting (typically $10-30/month), you manage updates and security, and troubleshooting plugin conflicts falls on you. WooCommerce also lacks the built-in marketing and community tools that platforms like Podia or Kajabi include. For technically comfortable users who want maximum control and zero platform fees, WooCommerce remains the most flexible and cost-effective solution at scale.

13. SendOwl

SendOwl focuses on one thing — delivering digital products reliably — and does it exceptionally well. Starting at $9/month with zero transaction fees, SendOwl handles secure file hosting, time-limited download links, PDF stamping (to discourage piracy), software license key generation, and drip delivery for multi-file products. It is not a storefront or marketplace; it is a delivery and checkout engine.

SendOwl integrates with your existing website — embed a buy button on any page, and SendOwl handles the rest. It supports subscriptions, upsells, discount codes, and affiliate tracking. The checkout is fast and conversion-optimized. SendOwl also supports pay-what-you-want pricing and product bundles, making it flexible for different selling strategies.

The limitation is that SendOwl provides no discovery or marketing tools. There is no storefront, no SEO, no email marketing, and no course builder. You need your own website, your own traffic, and your own marketing stack. SendOwl is best for sellers who already have an audience and a website and need robust, affordable delivery infrastructure without switching to a full ecommerce platform.

14. Whop

Whop has emerged as the leading platform for selling communities, memberships, and access-based digital products. Launched in 2021 and growing rapidly, Whop charges just 3% per transaction with no monthly fees. The platform supports Discord and Telegram community access, software tools, courses, digital downloads, and SaaS-style subscriptions — all through a unified dashboard.

What sets Whop apart is its built-in marketplace. Buyers can discover and purchase products directly on Whop’s platform, which provides organic traffic that most alternatives lack. The platform has processed over $500 million in sales and hosts thousands of active sellers. Whop also offers affiliate tools, analytics, and a review system that builds trust with potential buyers.

Whop is most popular in the crypto, trading, and tech communities, though it is expanding into broader niches. The platform is less suited for traditional digital products like ebooks or printables — it is built for access and community. If you sell Discord memberships, software access, trading signals, or any subscription-based digital product, Whop’s low fees and built-in audience make it a strong contender.

15. Kajabi

Kajabi is the premium all-in-one platform for course creators and knowledge entrepreneurs. Starting at $149/month, it is the most expensive option on this list — but it replaces your website builder, course platform, email marketing tool, community platform, and sales funnel builder in a single integrated system. For serious course businesses generating consistent revenue, the consolidation can justify the cost.

The platform includes a drag-and-drop website builder, advanced course builder with multiple content types, email marketing with automation sequences, community features, podcast hosting, and detailed analytics. Kajabi charges zero transaction fees on all plans, and its checkout pages are among the highest-converting in the industry. The platform reports that its creators have collectively earned over $8 billion in sales.

Kajabi’s price is its main barrier. At $149/month ($1,788/year), you need to be earning consistently before it makes financial sense. The platform also has a learning curve — the sheer number of features means setup takes longer than simpler tools like Gumroad or Podia. For established course creators and coaches building a six-figure knowledge business, Kajabi provides everything in one place. For beginners or sellers testing their first product, start with a lower-cost option and graduate to Kajabi when revenue supports it.

How to Choose the Right Platform

The best platform depends on what you sell, your budget, and your technical comfort level. Here is a quick decision framework:

If You Sell…	Start With	Why
Ebooks, templates, printables	Payhip or Gumroad	Low fees, instant setup
Online courses	Teachable or Podia	Purpose-built course tools
Software or SaaS	Lemon Squeezy	Merchant of record, tax handled
Design assets	Creative Market + own site	Built-in buyer audience
Physical + digital mix	Shopify or Sellfy	Handles both product types
Memberships & communities	Whop	Low fees, built-in discovery
Premium courses + coaching	Kajabi	All-in-one, highest converting
Any digital product on WordPress	WooCommerce	Free, full control, no platform fees

FAQ

What is the best free platform to sell digital products?

Ko-fi is the best truly free option with 0% transaction fees on all sales. You only pay the payment processor (Stripe or PayPal). Gumroad and Payhip also have free plans, but they charge 10% and 5% per transaction respectively. If you are comfortable with WordPress, WooCommerce is free to install and charges no platform fees — though you need to pay for web hosting.

Which platform has the lowest fees for selling digital products?

Ko-fi charges 0% even on its free plan. Among paid platforms, Stan Store ($29/mo), Podia ($39/mo), Teachable ($39/mo), and Sellfy ($29/mo) all charge 0% transaction fees on their paid plans. The cheapest paid option with zero transaction fees is Ko-fi Gold at just $6/month. For self-hosted solutions, WooCommerce charges nothing beyond your hosting costs.

What is the best platform for beginners selling digital products?

Gumroad is the easiest platform for beginners. You can create a product page, upload your files, set a price, and start selling within 10 minutes — no technical knowledge required. There are no monthly fees, so you only pay when you make a sale. Payhip is a close second with lower fees (5% vs. 10%) and a similarly simple setup process.

What is the best platform for selling online courses?

For dedicated course creation, Teachable offers the most robust course-building tools at its price point ($39/mo). Podia is better if you want courses plus community features in one platform. Kajabi ($149/mo) is the premium choice for established course creators who want an all-in-one system with email marketing, website builder, and advanced analytics included.

Key Takeaways

1. Ko-fi offers the lowest fees at 0% on all sales, making it the best choice for creators who want to keep every dollar after payment processing.
2. Lemon Squeezy is the clear winner for software and SaaS sellers thanks to its merchant-of-record model that handles global tax compliance automatically.
3. Marketplace platforms like Etsy and Creative Market charge higher fees but provide built-in audiences that can drive sales without your own marketing.
4. WooCommerce gives you the most control and lowest long-term costs for sellers comfortable with WordPress and self-hosting.
5. Most successful digital product sellers use multiple platforms — a marketplace for discovery and their own storefront for direct, higher-margin sales.