The 7 Best Platforms to Sell Digital Products Easily (Compared)

By Naveed Ahmed | Reviewed by Syed Balkhi | April 3, 2024 | Reader Disclosure

Selling digital products online is a fantastic way to earn income, build a brand, and reach a global audience. Whether you’re creating ebooks, online courses, software, or something else entirely, you’ll need an easy-to-use platform to sell your creations and get them into the hands of your customers.

In this article, I’ll share some of the best platforms for selling digital products online. As we explore these options, I’ll break down the pros and cons of each to help you pick the best fit for your needs.

Why You Need a Platform to Sell Digital Products

If you’re only selling a single product, you could likely create a contact form and accept credit card payments through Stripe or PayPal. However, if you’re selling multiple products and need an effective way to give users access to downloads, you need a proper platform to sell digital products.

These platforms provide all the features you need to scale your online business:

• Easy ways to accept payments using multiple payment methods
• Deliver product downloads to customers
• Provide an account management area for customers
• Sell subscription-based access to downloads
• Offer courses, lessons, quizzes, and more
• Built-in tools to display and promote products on your WordPress website

Now, let’s dive into some of the best platforms for selling digital and downloadable products online.

1. Easy Digital Downloads

Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is the top WordPress plugin for selling digital downloads from your site. It lets you easily sell ebooks, PDF files, spreadsheets, audio files, videos, Canva templates, WordPress plugins, fonts, and just about any other type of digital product.

Easy Digital Downloads comes with a built-in shopping cart so your customers can purchase multiple downloads at the same time. You can also create discount codes to encourage customers to make more purchases.

For more information, check out our full Easy Digital Downloads review.

If you’re new to running a digital store, you’ll need a domain name and web hosting service.

A domain name is your business’s address online (like www.wpbeginner.com or www.google.com), and web hosting is where you store your files and content.

I recommend SiteGround’s managed Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) hosting. It comes with the Easy Digital Downloads plugin pre-installed so you can start selling your digital products, such as ebooks, PDFs, photos, and more.

The best part is that SiteGround offers WPBeginner users free WordPress installation, free SSL certificate, and up to 73% off managed Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) hosting. That means you can get started for as low as $3.99 per month.

After you choose a web hosting plan, the next thing you need to do is register a domain name. If you already have a domain name, you can use it and proceed to purchase SiteGround’s Managed EDD Hosting.

Pros

• Easy Digital Downloads lets you accept credit card payments through Stripe, as well as PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.
• The shopping cart system supports registered users or guest checkout. Customers can also save their carts, making it easy to come back and complete their purchase later.
• Easy Digital Downloads is quick to set up and easy to use. If you need help, you can follow our tutorial on how to sell digital downloads in WordPress.
• You have complete control over how your digital products are delivered with Easy Digital Downloads. You can allow customers to download the files as many times as they want, or restrict file downloads by time or attempts.
• Customer management is simple with Easy Digital Downloads. You can keep a record of each customer to see their recent purchases and customer lifetime value.
• Detailed data reporting helps you track your earnings by date range or category, taxes collected over the years, and other important information.
• There is a lot of support available, including support forums, videos, and tutorials. You can get priority support if you are a premium user.

Cons

• There aren’t many WordPress themes specifically designed to be used with Easy Digital Downloads. However, Easy Digital Downloads offers its own theme that you can download for free.
• Easy Digital Downloads is free, but you may need paid extensions to add extra features, which can increase your costs.

Pricing

The basic version of Easy Digital Downloads is free. If you want more features, you’ll need their extensions. Some of these are free, while others are paid extensions. You can also choose from one of their pricing plans, which are billed annually. These include access to email support and various extras through included extensions. They start at $99.50 per year.

2. MemberPress

MemberPress is the top WordPress membership plugin. It lets you sell subscriptions and easily control access to different sections of your website. You can create subscriptions for your digital or downloadable products so customers can access them from their accounts after purchasing a membership.

MemberPress also comes with a user-friendly course builder, so you can easily create and sell online courses.

Pros

• MemberPress integrates with major payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net. It also integrates with email marketing services like Constant Contact, ConvertKit, and more.
• You can use MemberPress to create any number of membership pages or sections on your site. You can offer your paid content as posts, pages, or downloads accessed through a protected “members only” area.
• There’s no limit to how many different membership levels you can create in MemberPress. You can define them however you want.
• Most people find MemberPress very easy to use. If you get stuck, check out our step-by-step instructions on how to create a WordPress membership site.
• MemberPress allows for one-time payments or recurring memberships. You can even create free trial memberships, create coupon codes to offer discounts, or drip content to drive more sales.
• There are plenty of reports available to see which products and membership levels are selling well.
• You can use MemberPress with any WordPress theme, but we recommend these WordPress membership themes because they look great. It also integrates easily with other WordPress plugins.

Cons

• MemberPress is geared towards selling subscriptions and memberships, and it may not be suitable for businesses that only want to sell one-time downloads.
• MemberPress is incredibly powerful and flexible. You might need to read through the initial tutorials to become familiar with all the features.

Pricing

MemberPress costs $179.50/year for the Basic level, which is sufficient for most beginner users. You can upgrade to the Plus or Pro plans to unlock other powerful features.

Alternative: Thrive Apprentice is another powerful WordPress membership plugin and online course builder.

3. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the world’s top eCommerce platform. It is a free WordPress plugin and can be used to sell both physical and digital products.

Pros

• WooCommerce itself is free, but you’ll need a WordPress website, which requires a domain name and web hosting service to use it.
• You can use it to sell both physical and digital products.
• There are a ton of WooCommerce plugins and extensions that you can use, and many of them are free or have a free version.
• There are many beautiful WooCommerce themes available to make your store look professional and boost sales.
• WooCommerce has dozens of payment gateways available as plugins, including all the top payment services.

Cons

• WooCommerce can seem a bit overwhelming at times because there are so many options.
• Additional paid plugins or tools can increase the costs of your eCommerce website. However, you can easily control this by using free options whenever possible.

Pricing

While WooCommerce itself is free, you may want to pay for extra functionality. This could mean purchasing some premium plugins or a premium WooCommerce theme.

I recommend using Bluehost or SiteGround because they offer the best WooCommerce hosting at affordable prices. After that, you can follow our complete WooCommerce tutorial to get started.

4. MemberMouse

MemberMouse is another popular WordPress membership plugin. It allows you to easily sell subscriptions and one-time purchases for any type of product, including PDFs, videos, software, premium blog posts, online courses, and more.

Pros

• MemberMouse is flexible enough to sell both physical and digital products. You can offer one-time purchases or sell memberships and subscriptions.
• It comes with various access controls to create a members-only area and protect all the content on your site, such as pages, posts, and custom post types.
• The drag and drop course builder lets you easily create and sell online courses. It comes with drip-fed lessons, quizzes, certificates, and more.
• You can create upsells and cross-sells that your existing members can purchase with one click, without having to re-enter their credit card information.
• Use SmartTags to display personalized content and offer real-time product recommendations based on purchase history.
• The plugin automatically handles late and failed payments for you so you don’t miss out on revenue.

Cons

• You need at least the Pro plan to access full analytics and reporting.
• While MemberMouse connects with popular email marketing services and payment providers, it lacks built-in integrations for other tools and plugins.

Pricing

The Basic plan starts at $199.50/year and comes with Stripe payments, an online course builder, gated content functionality, and more. You can upgrade your plan to unlock additional payment gateways, such as PayPal, Braintree, and Authorize.net.

Alternative: WishList Member and AccessAlly are also great WordPress membership plugins that come with a built-in course builder.

5. LearnDash

LearnDash is one of the best LMS (Learning Management System) plugins for WordPress. It allows you to easily sell online courses from your website.

Pros

• LearnDash supports a wide range of pricing models, including one-time sales, subscriptions, memberships, bundles, and more.
• There is a lot of help available, including video tutorials, community forums, and documentation. There’s also a support team.
• If you run an online course, you’ll find many useful features. This includes certificates and badges you can use as incentives for your students.
• You can create your own forums specific to your courses, allowing students to interact with each other.
• There is a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you decide that LearnDash isn’t right for you, you can get your money back.

Cons

• You can only contact the support team by submitting a ticket. There’s no live chat or phone option.
• There’s no free version or free trial available.

Pricing

The Basic plan is $199 per year for use on one website. If you want to use LearnDash on multiple sites, you can upgrade your plan to include installs on up to 10 sites, which is $399 per year.

6. Restrict Content Pro

RestrictContent Pro is the paid version of the Restrict Content plugin. It is a WordPress membership plugin created by the team behind Easy Digital Downloads.

Again, this is a WordPress plugin, so you’ll need a domain name and web hosting.

Pros

• Restrict Content Pro is really easy to start using. Even if you have little WordPress experience, you’ll find it quite straightforward.
• Restrict Content Pro works seamlessly with Easy Digital Downloads. If you want to use both plugins on your site, it’s very easy to do.
• It comes with many built-in integrations, such as Stripe, PayPal, Mailchimp, WooCommerce, and more.
• You can create as many different membership levels as you want, including free and trial memberships.
• Your customers can switch between membership levels and only pay the difference. This happens automatically and can save you a lot of admin time.
• You can easily view reports on your earnings, membership count, and more.
• There’s an “Unlimited” plan that includes lifetime updates and support for a one-time fee.

Cons

• The free version of the plugin doesn’t process payments. If you want people to pay to register, you’ll need to upgrade to Pro.
• Some of the most useful plugins are not included with the Personal or Plus plans. This includes the content dripping feature, which is a staple for most membership plugins.
• Even in the higher pricing tiers, there’s no phone or live chat support. You need to submit a support ticket instead.
• While there’s a 30-day refund period, you’ll only get a refund if you can explain why the plugin doesn’t work for you.

Pricing

There is a free version of the plugin called Restrict Content. The annual cost of the Restrict Content Pro plugin is $99, and it comes with 13 free plugins.

7. Shopify

Shopify is an all-in-one platform for eCommerce. This means it handles everything for you, such as hosting, updates, and security. You only pay a single monthly fee to use Shopify.

Pros

• Shopify is really easy to get started with. You don’t even need to buy hosting or a domain name. Just sign up for an account with Shopify, and you’re ready to start building your store.
• You can sell both physical and digital products using Shopify. This is useful if you might want to offer physical products in the future.
• There are tons of apps available for Shopify. These add functionality to your store. Many of these will cost you money, but some are free integrations with other software you may already be paying for, like OptinMonster.
• You can choose from many different Shopify themes (templates) for your site or even buy a premium theme from the Shopify theme store.
• You can get 24/7 support via live chat, phone, email, and Twitter. There’s also a lot of documentation, as well as video tutorials and support forums.

Cons

• You can’t easily integrate Shopify with your WordPress blog, so it’s not a good option if you want to sell directly from your existing website. Check out our Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison for more details.
• Shopify has a built-in payment system called Shopify Payments. If you want to use a third-party payment gateway, such as PayPal or Amazon Payments, Shopify charges an extra 2% on those transactions.

Pricing

Shopify costs $39 per month for the basic plan. This gives you access to most of the features you’ll want, aside from reporting and gift cards. These features are available at a higher tier, starting at $105 per month.

Bonus: Teachable

Teachable is a platform where you can create your own online courses. It hosts your course for you, so you don’t need a website to use it.

Pros

• Teachable is easy to start using. It has a simple dashboard that guides you through the process.
• There’s a generous free plan so you can get started without paying anything. This plan allows you to have unlimited courses and students, and you also get a discussion forum and basic quizzes.
• It’s easy to organize and arrange your content in Teachable using the drag-and-drop interface.
• You can upload your own logo, images, text, colors, etc., to customize how your sales pages look.
• Teachable can handle many different file types. It does a particularly good job of handling videos, which should look great regardless of the device your student uses.
• There are great analytics available to show you how your students are doing. You can even track the progress of individual students.
• You can communicate directly with your students from your Teachable platform.

Cons

• If you want to customize your course landing page using the Power Editor, you’ll need to understand HTML and CSS code.
• Teachable is built for courses. If you want to sell something like an ebook or software, it’s not going to be very helpful.

Pricing

Teachable’s free plan doesn’t cost anything. However, you’ll pay $1 plus 10% for every paid course you sell. This means that if you have a course that costs $200, you’ll pay Teachable $21 for every sale.

The cheapest plan is $39 per month. If you’re on this plan, you’ll be charged an additional 5% per sale. To avoid paying any commissions, you’ll need to be on the Pro Plan, which costs $119 per month.

Choosing the Best Platform for Your Needs

The best platform to sell digital products depends entirely on your needs. I highly recommend Easy Digital Downloads as the best option for selling digital products. We use Easy Digital Downloads at WPForms and MonsterInsights, too.

If you want to sell subscription-based digital products, premium content, online courses, or a pay-per-view website, MemberPress is the best choice.

Finally, if you’re selling physical products too, or you might want to in the future, go with WooCommerce. This platform makes it easy to sell both digital and physical products.

Conclusion

I hope this article helped you compare the best platforms for selling digital products. You might also want to check out our guide on the best WordPress plugins and proven tips to increase your website’s traffic.

If you’re interested in learning more about tech news, feel free to visit my website: www.naveedahmed.me.

FAQs

What is the easiest platform to sell digital products?

Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is generally considered one of the easiest platforms to use, especially for beginners. It’s user-friendly and has a straightforward setup process. However, the best platform for you will depend on your specific needs and technical skills.

What are the best platforms to sell online courses?

For selling online courses, Teachable, LearnDash, and MemberPress are excellent options. They offer features like course creation tools, payment processing, student management, and analytics, making them ideal for delivering and managing online courses.

Can I sell digital products on WordPress?

Yes, you can sell digital products on WordPress using plugins like Easy Digital Downloads (EDD), MemberPress, and WooCommerce. These plugins provide the necessary functionality for creating a digital store on your WordPress website.

What are some popular digital products to sell?

Popular digital products include ebooks, online courses, templates (like website templates, social media templates, etc.), stock photos and videos, software, music and audio, and digital artwork.

How can I market my digital products?

You can market your digital products through various channels, including social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing (blogging, articles, etc.), SEO optimization, paid advertising, and collaborating with influencers.

What is the best payment gateway for selling digital products?

Popular payment gateways for selling digital products include Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, and Square. Choose the one that best suits your needs based on factors like fees, features, and integration with your chosen platform.

How do I protect my digital products from piracy?

You can protect your digital products by using digital rights management (DRM) software, watermarking your files, offering content in multiple formats, and implementing strong security measures on your website and platform.

What are some tips for pricing digital products?

When pricing your digital products, consider the value you provide, the competition in your niche, your target audience, and the costs of creating and marketing your product. Offer different pricing tiers and discounts to attract more customers.

How do I track sales and analytics for my digital products?

Most digital product platforms provide built-in analytics dashboards to track sales, customer engagement, and other key metrics. You can also use Google Analytics to get a more detailed understanding of your website traffic and user behavior.

What are the best free platforms to sell digital products?

Easy Digital Downloads is a free plugin, while Teachable offers a free plan with limited features. These options can be great starting points if you’re on a tight budget.