Comparing the Best Platforms to Sell Digital Products

Selling digital products has never been easier for Creators, from ebooks to templates, courses, memberships, and more.

The best platform for selling digital products comes down to 3 things: what you’re selling, where your audience is, and how much setup you’re willing to handle.

In this comparison guide, we’ll compare 7 popular options based on features, pricing, transaction fees, ease of use, and the type of Creator each platform is best suited for. 

The Best Platforms to Sell Digital Products Compared

There is no single best platform for selling digital products; the ideal choice depends on the Creator’s specific business model, target audience, and the type of digital products they offer. 

Each platform has unique features, pricing structures, and transaction fees that may better suit different Creators’ needs and levels of technical expertise.

For example, if you already have an established audience on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or other social media platforms, Stan would be a great fit for you because of our easy setup and the flexibility to offer different types of products to your followers. Stan makes it easy to monetize your audience without complex technical setup and provides tools designed to turn your followers into paying customers.

Stan Store: Best Overall Platform for Creators

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stan currently holds a 4.7/5 Trustpilot rating from more than 2,100 reviews.

Stan Store combines a Creator-focused storefront with tools for selling digital products, courses, memberships, bookings, and other offers in one place. Its link-in-bio style setup makes it especially useful for Creators who promote products through social media.

Stan also includes built-in tools for email list building, upsells, and audience monetization, helping Creators turn followers into customers without having to piece together multiple platforms. Since the storefront is so simple to set up, you can start selling without building a traditional ecommerce website.

Best for: Creators who want a streamlined platform for turning social media followers into customers.

Gumroad: Selling Simple Digital Downloads

⭐ Gumroad currently holds a 1.2/5 Trustpilot rating from more than 400 reviews.

Gumroad is a simple, no-fuss platform for selling digital products (think ebooks, templates, artwork, and PDF files). It’s quick to set up and easy to use, making it a great starting point for new Creators looking to sell quickly.

Rather than charging upfront, Gumroad takes a cut of each sale, which can add up quite a bit as your revenue grows. It also has limited storefront customization and marketing tools compared to other Creator platforms. If you’re looking for simplicity over advanced features, Gumroad could be a good fit. If not, it may be worth exploring other options.

Best for: Beginners testing a digital product without wanting much setup.

Shopify: Building a Full Ecommerce Store

⭐ Shopify currently holds a 1.3/5 Trustpilot rating from more than 5,000 reviews.

Recent reviews highlight concerns around customer support, billing, and resolving issues with merchants or orders. Keep in mind that many reviewers are shoppers, not store owners, so these ratings may not fully reflect the merchant experience.

Shopify gives Creators powerful tools: deep customization, robust ecommerce features, and room to grow. It handles both digital and physical products, with a large app ecosystem, strong checkout tools, and solid analytics. Just keep in mind that it takes more time to set up, is more complex, and costs more than most Creator-first platforms.

Best for: Established Creators or brands planning to build a larger ecommerce operation.

Payhip: Best Budget-Friendly Option

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Payhip currently holds a 4.6/5 Trustpilot rating from more than 500 reviews.

Payhip makes it simple to sell digital downloads, courses, coaching, and memberships. The free plan is a great starting point, though it does come with transaction fees. As your sales grow, upgrading to a higher tier can reduce or eliminate these fees. One thing to note: Payhip offers fewer integrations and built-in marketing tools than some of the bigger platforms.

Best for: New Creators prioritizing low upfront costs.

Podia: Balancing Courses and Memberships

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Podia currently holds a 4.1/5 Trustpilot rating from more than 100 reviews.

Podia is an all-in-one platform built for Creators. Sell digital products, online courses, coaching, memberships, and more. With built-in website and email marketing tools, you can run your entire business without juggling multiple platforms.

Podia works well for Creators with multiple offers, but if you’re only selling a simple ebook, template, or downloadable file, it might be more than you need.

Best for: Creators building businesses around educational content or recurring memberships.

Teachable: The Platform for Course Creators

⭐⭐⭐ Teachable currently holds a 3.3/5 Trustpilot rating from more than 1,100 reviews.

Teachable is designed specifically for online courses. It comes with everything you need to create and sell structured learning experiences, including course creation tools, student management, quizzes, and payment processing. If you’re an educator or Creator looking to share knowledge online, Teachable is a solid choice.

The platform can also support coaching and downloadable products, but Creators focused mainly on ebooks, templates, or simple digital files may find a lighter platform easier to manage.

Best for: Educators and Creators whose primary digital product is an online course.

Etsy: Marketplace Discovery

⭐ Etsy currently holds a 1.4 Trustpilot rating from more than 21,000 reviews.

Etsy stands out because it gives Creators access to an existing marketplace instead of requiring them to generate all their own traffic. This works great for printables, planners, templates, graphics, and digital artwork.

That said, sellers should keep in mind the listing fees, transaction fees, and stiff competition that come with marketplaces. There’s also less flexibility in branding and in building direct customer relationships compared to running your own storefront.

Best for: Creators selling searchable digital products with existing marketplace demand.

How to Choose the Best Platform to Sell Digital Products

When choosing a platform to sell digital products, Creators should carefully compare the features, strengths, and drawbacks of each option to determine which aligns best with their business goals and product types.

It’s important to consider factors such as marketplace demand, control over customer relationships, and associated fees to make an informed decision. Here’s a few things you should be on the lookout for:

• Product Type: Pick a platform that fits what you’re selling, whether that’s ebooks, templates, courses, memberships, coaching, or digital downloads.
• Traffic Source: Consider whether customers will come from social media, search engines, an existing email list, or a built-in marketplace like Etsy.
• Pricing: Compare monthly subscription costs, transaction fees, payment processing fees, and any extra charges for premium features.
• Ease of Use: Look at how quickly you can set up your storefront, upload products, customize pages, and start accepting payments.
• Marketing Features: Compare tools like email capture, upsells, discounts, affiliate programs, analytics, and integrations with other marketing platforms.
• Scalability: Consider whether the platform can support your business as you add more products, customers, team members, or advanced e-commerce features.

Start Selling Digital Products With Stan

Stan gives Creators an all-in-one storefront to sell products directly to an existing audience, without any web development time or costs. From ebooks and templates to courses, memberships, and coaching, you can manage multiple offers from one place without adding unnecessary complexity.

If you’re ready to turn your audience into customers, start your Stan Store and launch your first digital product today.