Best Digital Platforms to Sell Your Products in 2026
The digital product market generated over $2.5 trillion in 2025, and choosing the right platform can make or break your success. After researching and comparing 10+ platforms, here's everything you need to know to make the right choice.
Quick Comparison: Annual Costs
| Platform | Annual Cost | Transaction Fees | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| PengDrop | $89/year | 0% | Maximum profits |
| Gumroad | $120/year | 10% + $0.50 | Quick setup |
| Payhip | Free or $1,188/year | 5% (free) or 0% | Courses |
| Sellfy | $348-$1,908/year | 0% | Print-on-demand |
| SendOwl | $1,068/year | $0.28/order | Advanced security |
| Shopify | $468-$4,788/year | 0% | Mixed catalogs |
Why Platform Choice Matters
Your platform choice directly impacts your profit margins. At $5,000/month in sales, the difference between platforms can cost you $1,000+ per year in fees alone. Beyond pricing, factors like customization, features, and ease of use determine whether you'll succeed or struggle.
The 3 Types of Digital Product Platforms
1. Marketplaces (Etsy, Amazon, Creative Market)
Best for: Beginners without an audience
Pros: Built-in traffic, no marketing needed initially
Cons: High competition, no customer data, no brand control
2. All-in-One Platforms (PengDrop, Gumroad, Payhip)
Best for: Most creators (95% of use cases)
Pros: Own your brand, customer data, custom storefront, better margins
Cons: Need to drive your own traffic
3. E-commerce Platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce)
Best for: Businesses selling physical + digital products
Pros: Maximum customization and control
Cons: Overkill for digital-only, more expensive, steeper learning curve
Detailed Platform Reviews
PengDrop
Pricing: Free (5% + $0.30) or $89/year (0% fees)
Best for: Cost-conscious creators wanting maximum profits
Pros
- •Lowest cost option - 0% fees on Annual plan
- •Beautiful custom storefronts
- •No revenue caps or product limits
- •Simple, predictable pricing
- •Free plan to test
Cons
- •No subscriptions or memberships yet
- •Newer platform (less established)
- •Fewer advanced automation features
Verdict: Best overall value for creators who want to keep more revenue
Gumroad
Pricing: $10/month (10% fee) or $10/month + 0% with Gumroad Pro
Best for: Creators who want quick setup and workflow integration
Pros
- •Very easy to get started
- •Strong creator community
- •Discover page for exposure
- •Email marketing built-in
- •Memberships and subscriptions
Cons
- •10% + $0.50 fee on standard plan is expensive
- •Limited customization options
- •No custom storefront
- •Basic analytics
Verdict: Good for beginners but fees add up quickly
Payhip
Pricing: Free (5% fee) or $99/month (0% + advanced features)
Best for: Course creators and membership sites
Pros
- •Free plan available
- •Built-in course builder
- •Memberships and coaching
- •Automatic VAT/sales tax handling
- •Affiliate program
Cons
- •Pro plan is expensive at $99/month
- •Limited storefront customization
- •Transaction fees on free plan
Verdict: Great for courses but PengDrop is much cheaper for digital downloads
Sellfy
Pricing: $29-$159/month (no transaction fees)
Best for: Creators wanting print-on-demand integration
Pros
- •No transaction fees
- •Print-on-demand built-in
- •Email marketing included
- •Upsells and cart abandonment
- •Product subscriptions
Cons
- •No free plan
- •Starter plan caps at $10k/year revenue
- •Expensive for beginners ($29/month minimum)
- •Limited analytics
Verdict: Good features but monthly costs add up - $348-1,908/year vs PengDrop $89/year
LemonSqueezy
Pricing: 5% + $0.50 + payment processing (effectively 6.5-8%)
Best for: Software sellers wanting global tax compliance
Pros
- •Merchant of record (handles all taxes)
- •Supports 135+ currencies
- •Advanced subscription management
- •Webhooks and API access
- •Fraud prevention
Cons
- •Multiple hidden fees (5% + $0.50 + 1.5% international + more)
- •Expensive at scale
- •Complex pricing structure
- •Overkill for simple digital products
Verdict: Best for SaaS/software, too expensive for ebooks or templates
SendOwl
Pricing: $18-$89/month + per-order fees
Best for: Established sellers needing advanced security
Pros
- •PDF stamping for security
- •Cart abandonment recovery
- •Affiliate program built-in
- •Subscriptions and memberships
- •15 years established
Cons
- •Very expensive ($18-$89/month + fees)
- •Complex pricing tiers
- •No custom storefront
- •Overkill for beginners
Verdict: Feature-rich but 12x more expensive than PengDrop ($1,068/year vs $89/year)
Shopify (with Digital Downloads app)
Pricing: $39-$399/month
Best for: Businesses selling both physical and digital products
Pros
- •Extremely powerful and scalable
- •Thousands of apps and themes
- •Great for mixed product catalogs
- •Advanced analytics and reporting
- •Strong SEO features
Cons
- •Expensive ($468-$4,788/year)
- •Overkill for digital-only products
- •Requires Digital Downloads app
- •Steeper learning curve
Verdict: Best for full e-commerce stores, not ideal for digital-only creators
Etsy
Pricing: $0.20 listing fee + 6.5% transaction fee
Best for: Creators wanting built-in marketplace traffic
Pros
- •Built-in audience of millions
- •No upfront costs
- •Great for templates, planners, art prints
- •Trusted brand recognition
Cons
- •High competition
- •No control over branding
- •Limited customer data access
- •6.5% + listing fees add up
Verdict: Good for beginners without traffic, but you don't own the customer relationship
Thinkific
Pricing: Free (10% fee) or $49-$499/month (0% fees)
Best for: Professional course creators and online educators
Pros
- •0% transaction fees on paid plans
- •Advanced course builder
- •Quizzes, certificates, assignments
- •Community features
- •White-label options
Cons
- •Focused only on courses
- •Not great for other digital products
- •Expensive for simple courses
- •Free plan has 10% fee
Verdict: Best dedicated course platform, but PengDrop is better for mixed digital products
Whop
Pricing: 4% + $0.40 per transaction (30% marketplace fee)
Best for: Community-driven products and memberships
Pros
- •No monthly fees
- •Built-in community features
- •Livestreaming capabilities
- •Subscription management
- •Affiliate system
Cons
- •30% marketplace commission is very high
- •Focused on communities/memberships
- •Not ideal for one-time digital products
- •4% + marketplace fee = ~34% total
Verdict: Great for communities but expensive total fees
How to Choose: Decision Framework
Choose PengDrop if:
- ✅ You want to maximize profit margins (0% fees on Annual plan)
- ✅ You're selling ebooks, templates, graphics, courses, or any digital downloads
- ✅ You want a beautiful custom storefront
- ✅ You need simple, predictable pricing
- ✅ You're starting out and want a free plan to test
Choose Gumroad if:
- • You prioritize speed and simplicity over costs
- • You don't mind paying 10% + $0.50 per sale
- • You want workflow automation and memberships
- • You value the Gumroad creator community
Choose Payhip if:
- • You're primarily selling courses or memberships
- • You need built-in course hosting and tools
- • You want VAT/tax automation (selling in EU)
- • You can justify $99/month for pro features
Choose Shopify if:
- • You're selling both physical and digital products
- • You need maximum customization and scalability
- • You have budget for $39-$399/month
- • You're building a full e-commerce brand
Real Cost Example: Selling $5,000/Month
| Platform | Monthly Fee | Transaction Fees | Total Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| PengDrop Annual | $7.42 | $0 | $89 |
| Gumroad | $10 | ~$525 (10%) | $6,420 |
| Payhip Pro | $99 | $0 | $1,188 |
| Sellfy Growth | $89 | $0 | $1,068 |
| LemonSqueezy | $0 | ~$390 (6.5%) | $4,680 |
At $5k/month sales, PengDrop saves you $979-$6,331 per year vs competitors.
5 Common Platform Selection Mistakes
1. Choosing based on brand name alone
Just because a platform is well-known doesn't mean it's the best fit. Gumroad is popular but charges 10% fees.
2. Ignoring transaction fees
A "free" plan with 10% fees costs more than an $89/year plan with 0% fees at any meaningful scale.
3. Picking a course platform for ebooks
Course platforms like Thinkific are overkill for simple digital downloads. You'll pay more for features you don't need.
4. Using Shopify for digital-only products
Shopify makes sense for physical goods, but it's expensive and complex for digital-only creators.
5. Not calculating total annual costs
Always calculate: (Monthly fee × 12) + (Transaction fees at your expected volume). The real cost surprises most people.
Our Final Recommendation
After analyzing 10+ platforms, PengDrop offers the best value for 90% of digital product creators. Here's why:
- Lowest total cost: $89/year with 0% transaction fees saves you $979-$6,331/year vs competitors
- Beautiful storefronts: Unlike Gumroad, you get a fully customizable branded store
- No limits: Unlimited products, no revenue caps, grow without worrying about tier changes
- Free to test: Start on the free plan, upgrade only when you're making sales
The only scenarios where you should consider alternatives:
- • You need subscriptions/memberships → Choose Payhip or Gumroad
- • You sell SaaS with complex tax needs → Choose LemonSqueezy
- • You need PDF stamping security → Choose SendOwl
- • You sell physical + digital → Choose Shopify
Ready to Keep More of Your Revenue?
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