📝 Quick summary: E-books, templates, printables, courses and presets can be sold again and again without any shipping. The hard part is choosing among the many platforms to sell digital products. This guide compares 7 of them by fees, free options and ease of use. For each platform you get a plain explanation, an at-a-glance table, honest pros and cons, and a practical tip.
Fees and plans change, so please confirm the numbers on the official site before you sign up. All prices below were taken from official pages at the time of writing. Payment processors such as Stripe and PayPal also charge their own fees on top.
🔍 What to Look For First
- 💸 Fees. Some platforms charge nothing monthly but take a share of each sale. Others charge a monthly price and no share.
- 🧾 Taxes. Sales tax and VAT can be painful. Some platforms handle them for you.
- 🛒 Traffic. A marketplace brings buyers, but you compete with many sellers. Your own store gives you more control but you must bring the visitors.
- 📧 Email tools. Keeping your buyers’ emails is a long-term advantage. See our list of free email marketing platforms.
- 🌍 Your country. Payout methods differ around the world.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Platform | Monthly Cost | Fee on Sales | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gumroad | $0 | 10% + $0.50 on direct sales | Simple creator stores |
| Payhip | $0 (Free Forever) | 5% on free plan | Low-cost start |
| Lemon Squeezy | $0 for store features | 5% + 50¢ | Global tax handling |
| Sellfy | From $22 (yearly billing) | 0% from Sellfy | Growing stores |
| Etsy | $0 | $0.20 per listing plus selling fees | Printables and templates |
| Podia | From $42 (yearly billing) | 5% on lowest plan | Courses and memberships |
| Easy Digital Downloads | Free core plugin | No per-sale fee from EDD | WordPress bloggers |
🏆 The 7 Best Platforms to Sell Digital Products
1️⃣ Gumroad
Gumroad is one of the best-known names for solo creators. You upload a file, set a price, and share a link. There is no store design to worry about, so you can be selling in less than an hour.
The cost is simple to understand. There is no monthly fee. Direct sales, where the buyer comes through your own link or profile, cost 10% plus $0.50 per sale. If a new buyer finds you in the Gumroad marketplace, the fee is 30%. For very cheap products, the fixed 50 cents hurts more, so think about your price.
| 💰 Monthly cost | $0 |
| 🎯 Best for | E-books, art packs and quick launches |
| 💳 Fees | 10% + $0.50 direct; 30% marketplace |
| 👤 Payouts | Direct deposit or PayPal, depending on country |
- Very easy to start
- No monthly bill
- Clean checkout
- Fees are higher than rivals
- 30% on marketplace sales
💡 Pro tip: Send your own audience to your direct link, so you pay the lower fee.
2️⃣ Payhip
Payhip is a friendly place for beginners who want to keep more of each sale. It has three plans: Free Forever, Plus and Pro. All three have the same features, which is rare. The only difference is the share Payhip takes from each sale.
On the free plan the transaction fee is 5%. Plus costs $29 a month with a 2% fee, and Pro costs $99 a month with no Payhip fee. That means you can start free, and move up only when your sales are big enough to pay for it. There are unlimited products and no revenue cap.
| 💰 Plans | Free $0 (5%), Plus $29 (2%), Pro $99 (0%) |
| 🎯 Best for | New sellers with small budgets |
| 📦 Limits | Unlimited products, no revenue cap |
| ✅ Features | Same on every plan |
- Full features on the free plan
- Low 5% fee to start
- Clear upgrade path
- Processor fees still apply
- Smaller marketplace than Etsy
💡 Pro tip: Do the math each quarter. Once 3% of your sales is more than $29 a month, Plus pays for itself.
3️⃣ Lemon Squeezy
Lemon Squeezy is popular with software sellers and creators who have buyers in many countries. The big benefit is that it acts as the “merchant of record”. In simple words, it collects and files sales tax and VAT for you. That removes a headache that stops many small sellers.
The fee is 5% plus 50 cents per sale, with some small extra charges on certain international payments. The store features have no monthly price. Email marketing is free for up to 500 subscribers.
| 💰 Monthly cost | $0 for store features |
| 🎯 Best for | Global buyers, software and templates |
| 💳 Fee | 5% + 50¢ per sale |
| 🧾 Taxes | Handled for you as merchant of record |
- Tax and VAT are covered
- Free email up to 500 subscribers
- Good for worldwide sales
- Fixed 50¢ hurts low prices
- Extra fees on some payments
💡 Pro tip: Bundle small products into one pack at a higher price, so the fixed fee takes a smaller bite.
4️⃣ Sellfy
Sellfy is a paid store builder that does not take a share of your sales. You pay a monthly price instead, and Sellfy charges 0% on all plans. The processor fee from PayPal or Stripe, typically 2.9% + 30¢ according to Sellfy, still applies.
Plans are Starter, Business and Premium. Starter costs $22 a month with yearly billing ($29 if monthly) and has a $10,000 yearly sales cap. Business adds tools like upselling, cart recovery and affiliates. Digital products are unlimited, and a 14-day free trial is offered.
| 💰 Plans | Starter $22, Business $59, Premium $119 (yearly billing) |
| 🎯 Best for | Sellers who already have steady sales |
| 📈 Sales cap | $10k, $50k or $200k a year by plan |
| 🎁 Trial | 14 days free |
- 0% fee from Sellfy
- Unlimited digital products
- Built-in email credits
- No free plan
- Sales caps on each plan
💡 Pro tip: Use the trial to test your full checkout, from payment to file delivery, before you tell customers.
5️⃣ Etsy
Etsy is a giant marketplace, and buyers there already search for printables, planners, wall art, spreadsheets and templates. That means you can get sales without any website of your own, which is a huge plus for new sellers.
In the US there is a $0.20 fee each time you create or renew a listing, and listings expire after four months. Etsy also charges selling and payment fees, so read the current fee pages before you set prices. Because many sellers offer similar files, good photos and a clear title matter a lot.
| 💰 Monthly cost | No plan fee; $0.20 per listing in the US |
| 🎯 Best for | Printables, planners and templates |
| 🛒 Traffic | Built-in buyers |
| ⚠️ Note | Check current selling fees |
- Existing buyer traffic
- Low cost to list
- Trusted brand
- Lots of competition
- You do not own the customer list
💡 Pro tip: Use clear mockup images that show exactly what the buyer receives. Need pictures? See our free stock photo websites.
6️⃣ Podia
Podia brings courses, downloads, memberships and email into one dashboard. It is a good fit if you plan to teach and not just sell single files. You can bundle a course with a template pack and send updates to your students from the same place.
It is not cheap. The Mover plan is $42 a month with yearly billing and has a 5% transaction fee. Shaker is $84 a month with no Podia fee, and Earthquaker is $150 a month. There is no permanent free plan, but a 14-day free trial needs no card.
| 💰 Plans | Mover $42, Shaker $84, Earthquaker $150 (yearly billing) |
| 🎯 Best for | Courses, memberships and bundles |
| 📦 Mover limits | 50 products, 100 email subscribers |
| 🎁 Trial | 14 days, no card |
- Courses and email in one place
- Trial without a card
- Unlimited customers
- Highest monthly price here
- No permanent free plan
💡 Pro tip: Start with one small course or a paid mini guide. Prove demand first, then upgrade your plan.
7️⃣ Easy Digital Downloads
If your blog runs on WordPress, Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) lets you sell right on your own site. The core plugin is free from WordPress.org, and EDD says it has no per-sale fees. You keep your brand, your design and your customer list.
The trade-off is that you manage more things yourself, such as hosting, security and payment setup. Paid passes add extra features, from $99.50 for the first year of a single-site Personal pass (renewals cost the full price). If you are still choosing a site platform, read our free website builders guide.
| 💰 Core plugin | Free |
| 🎯 Best for | Bloggers with an existing WordPress site |
| 💳 Fees | No per-sale fee from EDD; payment gateway fees apply |
| 🔑 Paid passes | From $99.50 first year |
- You own everything
- No share of sales taken
- Fits right into your blog
- More setup work
- You handle taxes and traffic
💡 Pro tip: Test a full purchase yourself before launch. Check the download email and the file link.
🚀 Tips to Sell More Digital Products
| Tip | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| 🔎 Solve one clear problem | “Meal planner for busy students” sells better than “planner”. |
| 🖼️ Show real previews | Buyers trust what they can see. Use free graphic design software for mockups. |
| 📧 Collect emails | You can sell again to the same people. |
| 📄 Check your files | Fix and shrink PDFs with a free PDF tool. |
| 📣 Promote on your blog | Read our guide on how to monetize your blog. |
Remember that selling online comes with rules about taxes, refunds and consumer rights, and they differ by country. For general guidance on running an online business, see the FTC business guidance pages.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are the cheapest platforms to sell digital products?
Gumroad, Payhip and Lemon Squeezy have no monthly price for their basic selling features, so you only pay when you sell. Payhip’s free plan has the lowest listed fee of the three at 5%.
Which platform is best for beginners?
Payhip and Gumroad are very easy to start. If you worry about taxes for international buyers, look closely at Lemon Squeezy.
Can I sell digital products on my own WordPress blog?
Yes. A plugin such as Easy Digital Downloads lets you sell from your own site. You get more control, but you also handle more of the setup.
What digital products sell well?
E-books, templates, planners, printables, stock photos, presets, spreadsheets and short courses all do well. Pick something that solves one clear problem.