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In online commerce, selling digital products has become an increasingly lucrative venture for creators and entrepreneurs. As the demand for digital content continues to soar, finding the right platform to showcase and sell these products is paramount.
In this article, we will explore the top-tier platforms that cater specifically to the needs of digital product creators and sellers, offering a comprehensive overview of their features, pricing, support provided, and overall effectiveness weighing their pros and cons, in maximizing sales and reaching target audiences effectively.
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Start FREE TrialBest Platforms to Sell Digital Products Online
From e-books, templates, and online courses to digital artwork and software, the diversity of digital products is vast, and selecting the right platform can significantly impact the success of an online business.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting, navigating the multitude of options can be overwhelming.
But that’s why we are here: to make it easier for you. Let’s dive in!
#1 LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds is an all-in-one platform with robust AI-powered capabilities that help you create, market, and sell online courses. Equipped with advanced features, the platform enables you to build your own website for e-learning, but also grow and scale your efforts using a no-code Website Builder, in-depth reporting and analytics, a mobile app builder, an assessment builder, and a dedicated built-in community – tools super handy for sellers.
With LearnWorlds, you can offer coupons, and bundles, and sell a variety of digital products – from subscriptions to ebooks, checklists, templates, and more. It also supports the functionality to track conversions, create your membership site, and offer coaching programs.
Who is it for?
LearnWorlds caters to educators, instructors, coaches, consultants, creative professionals, entrepreneurs, and course creators, but also educational institutions, nonprofits, training organizations, and small to large businesses.
LearnWorlds Pricing
LearnWorlds offers the following pricing options:
*Pricing information retrieved from LearnWorlds, January 2024.
LearnWorlds Support
LearnWorlds provides support 24/7 support and onboarding for new customers. Course Masters and LearnWorlds Academy offers free courses and workshops to course creators, elearning resources – ebooks and checklists, and a dedicated Help Center featuring how-to guides. LearnWorlds also has a blog and offers daily webinars to help users navigate the platform
LearnWorlds Reviews
LearnWorlds is rated 4.7 out of 5 based on Capterra’s user reviews.
Review from G2:
Review from Capterra:
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Built-in AI Assistant
- Robust course authoring tools
- Affiliate program management
- Assessments, quizzes, gradebook, and SCORM-compliance
- Customizable landing pages (landing pages, sales pages, checkout pages, etc.)
- Coupons, bundles, subscriptions, and other digital downloads
- Variety of marketing and analytics integrations + Zapier
- Fully white-label option and branded mobile app (iOS & Android)
Cons
- Slight learning curve
- No pre-built sales funnels
- Many options that might be confusing at first glance
#2 Shopify
Shopify is a popular e-commerce platform that allows businesses to create and manage their online stores. It provides a user-friendly and customizable platform for individuals and businesses of all sizes to sell products and services. It offers a range of tools and features helping them set up their online presence, manage inventory, process payments, and track and analyze sales.
Shopify has a variety of customizable templates for designing online stores, a secure and reliable payment processing system, inventory management tools, and support for various sales channels, including social media and mobile commerce. Additionally, It connects with third-party apps and allows integrations to enhance functionality and meet specific business needs.
Who is it for?
Shopify is tailored for a broad range of users, from individuals to large enterprises. It’s ideal for small to medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurs and startups, brick-and-mortar retailers, artists and creatives, digital product sellers, and service-based businesses.
Shopify Pricing
Shopify offers the following paid plans:
*Pricing information retrieved from Shopify, January 2024.
💁 Compare Shopify to LearnWorlds
Shopify Support
Shopify offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and phone, and features a community with merchants, and partners, discussion forums, groups, a blog, and a Help Center.
Shopify Reviews
Shopify is rated 4.5 out of 5 based on Capterra’s user reviews.
Review from G2:
Review from Capterra:
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Simple and intuitive interface
- Drag-and-drop customization
- Mobile app (iOS and Android) and extensive app store
- Inventory management and order tracking
- Shopify App store (for third-party plugins)
- Unlimited products
- 24/7 support
Cons
- Transaction fees (on selected plans)
- Additional app expenses costs for advanced features
- Subscription costs can be expensive
- No white label
- No local payment gateways
#3 Payhip
Payhip is an e-commerce platform that enables individuals and businesses to sell digital products directly to their audience. Payhip stands out for its simplicity and user-friendly interface, making it easy for creators to set up an online store using a powerful store builder, and start selling digital goods quickly. The platform supports various types of digital products, including e-books, music, software, and more.
Key features of Payhip include customizable product pages, secure payment processing, and the ability to deliver digital products to customers automatically upon purchase. The platform also provides tools for marketing and promoting products, such as discount codes and affiliate programs.
Who is it for?
Payhip is a platform designed for individuals and businesses that want to sell digital products online. It is suitable for a wide range of entrepreneurs and creators including authors, musicians, software developers, online course instructors, and artists.
Payhip Pricing
Payhip comes with a free plan (with 5% transaction fees) and the following paid ones:
*Pricing information retrieved from Payhip, January 2024.
Payhip Support
Payhip offers email support and features a Help Center that provides answers to popular questions, support to both customers and buyers, developers, get-started resources, and articles on marketing and customization.
Payhip Reviews
Payhip is rated 4.2 out of 5 based on Capterra’s user reviews.
Review from G2:
Review from Capterra:
Pros & Cons
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Quick product setup
- Easy product management
- Discount codes and customizable storefronts
- Affiliate marketing
Cons
- Limited advanced features
- Limited customization options
- Transaction fees
#4 Sellfy
Sellfy is another popular e-commerce platform designed to enable digital product creators, artists, and entrepreneurs to sell digital products easily. Sellfy focuses on simplicity and user-friendliness, allowing users to set up their online stores quickly without needing extensive technical knowledge.
The platform provides customizable product pages, secure file hosting, and the ability to sell various digital products such as e-books, music, videos, and software through Sellfy’s storefront or embed them in the shopping cart via your preferred website. Sellfy also offers tools for marketing, including discount codes, email marketing, and social media integration, helping sellers reach a wider audience and boost their sales.
Who is it for?
Sellfy is designed primarily for creators and entrepreneurs. It caters to many categories of users including artists, designers, authors, writers, musicians, filmmakers, software developers, educators, and photographers.
Sellfy Pricing
Sellfy offers a free trial and the following paid plans:
*Pricing information retrieved from Sellfy, January 2024.
Sellfy Support
Sellfy customer support is available 24/7 through live chat and email. It also comes with a knowledge base, community forums, and video tutorials.
Sellfy Reviews
Sellfy is rated 4.5 out of 5 based on Capterra’s user reviews.
Review from G2:
Review from Capterra:
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Easy setup
- Instant payouts
- Unlimited products
- Built-in marketing tools (discount codes, emails, and upsells)
- File hosting and automatic delivery upon purchase
- Multiple payment options (PayPal and Stripe)
- Embeddable widgets for a seamless shopping experience
Cons
- Limited product types and customization
- Less advanced features compared to other platforms
- Slow development and cap-to-revenue limit
- Limited marketplace (in terms of audience reach and discoverability)
#5 Creative Market
Creative Market is an online marketplace that serves as a platform for independent creators that want to sell and buy a variety of digital assets and design resources. Sellers on Creative Market can showcase and sell their creative works generating passive income, providing buyers with a convenient one-stop shop for high-quality, customizable design assets.
The platform fosters a vibrant community of designers and creators, facilitating the exchange of unique and visually appealing resources to enhance projects across various industries. Creative Market’s user-friendly interface and curated selection make it a popular choice for those seeking to discover and purchase digital assets for their creative projects.
Who is it for?
Creative Market caters to graphic designers, web developers, and other creative professionals by offering a diverse range of digital products such as fonts, graphics, templates, themes, photos, and more.
Creative Market Pricing
Creative Market allows sellers to create an account and set up their shop on the platform for free. However, it works on a commission-based structure that takes 50% on every sale.
*Pricing information retrieved from Creative Market, January 2024.
Creative Market Support
Creative Market offers email support and has a blog and a knowledge base offering FAQs and support on various categories including platform information, billing and product support, licenses, and resources for becoming a successful shop owner.
Creative Market Reviews
Creative Market is rated 4.1 out of 5 based on Capter’s user reviews.
Reviews from G2:
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Built-in marketing features
- Large customer base
- Regular updates with up-to-date blog tutorials
- Easy to use with user-friendly UI
- Affiliate program
- No processor fees
Cons
- High competition (making it difficult for beginners)
- High commission fees
- Limited control over storefront, branding, and marketing
- Frequent policy changes
#6 Thinkific
Thinkific is an online course platform that empowers individuals and businesses to create, market, and sell their courses. It has a user-friendly interface and allows course creators to design and customize their course websites, upload various multimedia content, and implement a range of teaching methods, including quizzes and assignments.
With Thinkific, users can set their pricing and payment structures, offering flexibility in monetizing their courses. The platform also provides marketing tools to help creators reach their target audience, including email campaigns, promotions, and the ability to integrate with third-party marketing tools. It also offers features like discussion forums and student engagement analytics.
Who is it for?
Thinkific is suitable for educators, course creators, entrepreneurs, small business owners, coaches, consultants, nonprofits, and associations.
Thinkific Pricing
Thinkific has four paid plans – Basic, Start, Grow, Expand, and offers a free plan, instead of a free trial:
*Pricing information retrieved from Thinkific, January 2024.
Thinkific Support
Thinkific provides 24/7 support, email support, and live chat. It also features a knowledge base and documentation, community forums, and webinars.
Thinkific Reviews
Thinkific is rated 4.5 out of 5 based on Capterra’s user reviews.
Review from G2:
Review from Capterra:
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Easy-to-use course authoring tool
- Landing page editor
- Built-in eCommerce features
- Built-in affiliate, marketing, and sales tools
- Built-in email marketing tool
- Mobile app that is common to all schools
Cons
- Limited assessment capabilities
- Not supporting SCORM or TinCan
- Basic customization options (for landing pages and branding)
- Customer support not always responsive
- Limited white-labeling options (e.g., no option for sign-ins and emails)
#7 SendOwl
SendOwl is a handy e-commerce platform designed to facilitate the selling and delivery of digital products including e-books, PDFs, software, music, and online courses. It enables users to set up their online storefronts quickly and efficiently, offering features like customizable checkout pages, secure digital product delivery, and integration with various payment gateways, including PayPal and Stripe.
The platform focuses on providing a seamless and user-friendly experience for both sellers and customers. It offers tools for managing subscriptions, generating license keys for software products, and creating discount codes to enhance marketing strategies. It also supports automatic fulfillment and secure digital file hosting, ensuring a smooth and secure transaction process.
Who is it for?
SendOwl is geared towards digital content creators, online course instructors, authors, software developers, designers, creative professionals, small businesses, and startups.
SendOwl Pricing
SendOwl offers the following three pricing plans:
*Pricing information retrieved from SendOwl, January 2024.
SendOwl Support
SendOwl offers email and priority support. It has a dedicated Help Center offering how-to guides, developer docs, integration support, and get-started information.
SendOwl Reviews
SendOwl is rated 4.1 out of 5 based on Capterra’s user reviews.
Review from G2:
Review from Capterra:
Pros & Cons
Pros
- User-friendly interface and easy setup process
- Flexible product and customization options
- Secure and automated delivery of digital content
- Customizable checkouts, email templates, and embedded buttons
- Multiple integrations (payment gateways, email marketing tools, etc.)
Cons
- Limited built-in marketing tools
- Transaction fees
- Smaller community (compared to other platforms)
#8 Podia
Podia is an online platform designed to assist creators, entrepreneurs, and digital product sellers in creating, marketing, and selling their digital products. Whether it’s online courses, digital downloads, memberships, or webinars, Podia aims to provide an all-in-one solution for individuals looking to monetize their digital content.
The platform includes an easy-to-use interface for course creation, customization options for branding, and integrated payment processing. Additionally, Podia offers features for email marketing, allowing sellers to engage with their audience and promote their products effectively.
Who is it for?
Podia is designed for creators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses looking to sell and market digital products. It caters to a diverse range of individuals like online course instructors, digital product sellers, membership site owners, as well as businesses.
Podia Pricing
Podia comes with a 14-day trial, a free plan (with 8% transaction fees), and the following two paid plans:
The platform also offers an email marketing add-on that is free for the first 100 subscribers. After that, it charges $9/month – for up to 500 subscribers and the price increases along with the number of subscribers.
*Pricing information retrieved from Podia, January 2024.
💁 Podia vs LearnWorlds: A Side-by-Side Comparison
💁 The Best Podia Alternatives Reviewed
Podia Support
Podia’s support is available through email and live chat. The platform has a blog, a knowledge base, community forums, webinars, and workshops.
Podia Reviews
Podia is rated 4.5 out of 5 based on Capterra’s user reviews.
Review from G2:
Review from Capterra:
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Affordable pricing structure
- No transaction fees
- User-friendly interface
- Unlimited products
- Built-in marketing tool
- Chat widget
Cons
- Limited customization options
- Limited integrations
- No advanced features or white-label
- Basic analytics and reporting tools
#9 Teachable
Teachable is an online platform that enables individuals and businesses to create, market, and sell online courses. The platform has a user-friendly interface that allows course creators to build and customize their own branded course websites without the need for extensive technical expertise. It offers a range of features, including multimedia content support, customizable landing pages, and basic marketing tools.
With Teachable, instructors can structure their courses, upload video lessons, create quizzes, and interact with students through discussion forums. The platform also provides analytics to help creators track student engagement and monitor course performance. Teachable is designed to accommodate a variety of course types, from educational programs and coaching sessions.
Who is it for?
Teachable is suitable for content creators, educators, online course instructors, small business owners, entrepreneurs, artists, and creative professionals.
Teachable Pricing
Teachable comes with a free plan and three paid plans:
*Pricing information retrieved from Teachable, January 2024.
💁 Teachable vs LearnWorlds: A Side-by-Side Comparison
Teachable Support
Teachable offers email support, priority, and live chat support (on selected plans). It also has a community forum, and a knowledge base with guides, and tutorials covering a wide range of topics related to course creation, customization, and troubleshooting.
Teachable Reviews
Teachable is rated 4.3 out of 5 based on Capterra’s user reviews.
Review from G2:
Review from Capterra:
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Easy to use platform
- Responsive customer support
- Variety in multimedia content types
- Marketing capabilities for course promotion (sales pages, discount coupons)
- Affiliate programs
- Secure hosting and content delivery
- Flexible customization and payment processing options
Cons
- Transaction fees for lower plans
- Lack of advanced features
- No white-label mobile app
- No course insights
- No local payment options
- Limited integrations and customization (on lower plans)
#10 Gumroad
Gumroad is another popular online platform that empowers creators, artists, and entrepreneurs to sell digital products directly to their audience, including ebooks, digital art, music, software, and more. Gumroad is known for its simplicity, allowing sellers to set up their storefronts quickly without the need for extensive technical expertise.
Gumroad handles the payment processing, providing a seamless experience for both sellers and buyers. Additionally, it offers flexibility in pricing, allowing creators to set fixed prices, pay-what-you-want models, or even subscription-based pricing for ongoing content.
Who is it for?
Gumroad is designed for a wide range of content creators, artists, small businesses, and entrepreneurs including online instructors, educators, software developers, musicians, filmmakers, authors, and writers.
Gumroad Pricing
Gumroad is free to use and has no monthly charges, but takes 10% from your sales.
*Pricing information retrieved from Gumroad, January 2024.
💁 The 11 Best Gumroad Alternatives
Gumroad Support
Gumroad offers email support and has a Help Center for creators providing support on multiple categories e.g. account opening, adding products, selling, and marketing. It also features Gumroad University offering user tutorials and other handy resources.
Gumroad Reviews
Gumroad is rated 4.1 out of 5 based on G2’s user reviews.
Reviews from G2:
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free plan and affordable pricing
- Popular and easy-to-use platform
- Built-in affiliate marketing and analytics
- Landing page customization
- Simple checkout process
- VAT handling
- Zapier integration
Cons
- Transaction and payment processor fees
- Limited customization options and integrations
- No A/B testing, advanced analytics, or e-learning capabilities
- Support only available via email
#11 Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace that connects buyers with independent sellers, primarily focusing on handmade, vintage, and uniquely crafted goods. Since its creation, the platform has grown to a global platform where artisans, crafters, and vintage enthusiasts can showcase and sell their creations – but not just physical products.
The marketplace spans a wide range of categories, including jewelry, clothing, home decor, art, and digital downloads – like printables, presets, checklists, and planners. Etsy emphasizes a sense of community and authenticity, allowing sellers to establish their own online shops and potential customers to discover one-of-a-kind items.
Who is it for?
Etsy is a platform suitable for artists, crafters, vintage sellers, digital product sellers, designers, and small businesses.
Etsy Pricing
Etsy is free to use, but has the following fee structure for sellers:
*Pricing information retrieved from Etsy, January 2024.
Etsy Support
Etsy provides chat, email, and phone support. It also comes with community forums, and a Help Center offering documentation on how to manage your shop on Etsy.
Etsy Reviews
Etsy has no reviews from sellers yet.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Global reach and large customer base
- Easy to get started and set up an Etsy shop
- Allows multiple digital file formats
- Attracts a significant amount of traffic (less self-promotion needed)
- Streamlined payment processes via Etsy Payments & PayPal
- Comes with various tools for sellers (plus integrations e.g. social media)
Cons
- Too niche for some industries/product categories
- Limited branding
- High competition amongst sellers
- Additional fees (listing, transaction, and payment processing fees)
Ready to Start Selling Digital Products?
The digital landscape has never been more promising for creators and entrepreneurs, and the large number of e-commerce platforms in the market is undeniable proof.
If you are looking for an online platform, consider factors like user interface, customization options, fees, marketing tools, and integrations. Each platform has its pros and cons, so take the time to weigh them against your priorities. What’s important is selecting a platform that aligns with your needs and business goals.
Armed with the knowledge of these leading platforms, you’re now well-equipped to take the next steps in launching your digital products into the online marketplace.
Get your 30-day trial with LearnWorlds, and start selling online courses today!
Your professional looking Academy in a few clicks
Start FREE TrialFurther reading
- Why the Creator Economy Is Booming and How You Can Join In
- Knowledge Economy: How to Sell Knowledge Online
- Sell Digital Downloads: The Complete Guide
- What is an LMS (Learning Management System)?
- How to Create and Sell Profitable Online Courses: Step-by-Step Guide
- How to Start a Profitable Online Course Business From Scratch
- How Much Money Can You Make Selling Online Courses?
Kyriaki is a Content Creator for the LearnWorlds team writing about marketing and e-learning, helping course creators on their journey to create, market, and sell their online courses. Equipped with a degree in Career Guidance, she has a strong background in education management and career success. In her free time, she gets crafty and musical.
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