12 Best Platforms to Sell Digital Products in 2025 (Solo Founder’s Guide)

Selling digital products has never been easier, yet choosing a platform can feel overwhelming. Transaction fees, VAT headaches, and feature bloat vary wildly. This guide compares the leading options — from “launch‑in‑minutes” marketplaces to developer‑friendly toolkits — so you can start collecting payments today, not next quarter.

Quick Comparison Table

#	Platform	Core Fees*	Monthly Cost	Best For
1	Gumroad	10% + 50¢ per sale	$0	Fast launch, built‑in audience
2	Lemon Squeezy	5% + 50¢ per sale	$0	EU VAT handled, SaaS licenses
3	Payhip	0–5% fee depending on plan	$0–99	Low‑cost evergreen shops
4	Podia	5% on Mover, 0% on higher	$39–199	Courses + communities
5	Sellfy	No fees; plans from $22/mo	$22–119	All‑in‑one merch + downloads
6	Paddle	5% + 50¢ per sale	$0	SaaS & global tax compliance
7	Stripe Checkout	2.9% + 30¢ per sale	$0	Custom storefronts & APIs
8	Shopify + Digital Downloads	2.9% + 30¢ + $39/mo plan	$39+	Hybrid stores (physical + digital)
9	Easy Digital Downloads	0% (processor fees only)	$0–999/yr	Self‑hosted WordPress shops
10	Kajabi	0% fees; plans from $69/mo	$69–399	High‑ticket courses & funnels
11	WooCommerce Payments	2.9% + 30¢ (US)	Free core	Existing Woo stores needing downloads
12	Stan Store	0% platform + Stripe 2.9% + 30¢	$29–99	Link‑in‑bio creators & coaching

_{*Payment‑processor fees (Stripe/PayPal) may still apply.}

How to Pick the Right Platform

1. Product Type – Simple downloads? Go Gumroad or Payhip. SaaS? Paddle or Lemon Squeezy. Cohort course? Kajabi or Podia.
2. Audience Access – Need marketplace discovery? Gumroad provides one. Have your own traffic? Stripe or EDD keeps more control.
3. Tax & Compliance – EU VAT can be brutal. Paddle and Lemon Squeezy act as Merchant of Record and file taxes for you.
4. Customization vs Speed – No‑code builders trade flexibility for simplicity. API‑first tools like Stripe/Paddle let devs fine‑tune checkout.
5. Fees vs Growth – Paying 10% on Gumroad hurts at scale. Moving to a flat subscription (Sellfy, Kajabi, Stan Store) can save thousands once revenue grows.

1. Gumroad

A simple platform for selling digital goods like templates, ebooks, and audio files with minimal setup. Great for creators who want to launch fast and tap into a built-in marketplace. One‑page checkout, built‑in affiliate links, and a discovery marketplace. Perfect for templates, ebooks, and audio packs.

• Fees – 10% + 50¢ per transaction; no monthly cost
• Pros – Zero set‑up time, marketplace traffic, pay‑what‑you‑want pricing, supports subscriptions.
• Cons – High fee at scale, limited branding control, no built‑in VAT handling.
• Use Case – Solo creators launching their first digital product who want instant hosting, payments, and potential marketplace exposure

2. Lemon Squeezy

A full-service checkout solution designed for SaaS and software creators. It handles taxes, subscriptions, and license keys with a clean interface and no monthly fees.

• Fees – 5% + 50¢ per sale, no monthly charge
• Pros – Handles global taxes, license keys, subscriptions, APIs, and instant payouts.
• Cons – Smaller marketplace vs Gumroad, limited storefront customisation.
• Use Case – Indie SaaS makers who dread VAT returns.

Curious how Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy stack up?
Check out our full comparison: Gumroad vs Lemon Squeezy — we break down features, fees, and real creator examples to help you choose the best one for your needs.

3. Payhip

A lightweight storefront with flexible pricing tiers. It supports digital downloads, memberships, and courses while taking care of taxes and affiliate tracking. Free forever shop with pay‑what‑you‑need tiers.

• Fees – Free plan 5% fee, Plus 2%, Pro 0%
• Pros – Built‑in EU VAT, affiliate system, memberships. Low barrier to start.
• Cons – Basic storefront themes, no API for heavy customisation.
• Use Case – Hobby creators testing product‑market fit.

4. Podia

An all-in-one platform for courses, memberships, and digital downloads. Includes built-in community tools and email marketing features for educators and creators.

• Fees – 5% fee on $39 “Mover”, 0% on higher plans
• Pros – Webinars, memberships, built‑in email marketing. Zero transaction fees on mid/high tiers.
• Cons – Limited design flexibility, higher monthly price as you scale.
• Use Case – Educators who want courses + community in one login.

5. Sellfy

An online store builder that allows you to sell digital products, subscriptions, and print-on-demand items without transaction fees. Ideal for creators scaling multiple revenue streams.

• Fees – No transaction fees; plans start $22/month (annual)
• Pros – Unlimited products, built‑in email, upsells, no platform branding on Business/Premium.
• Cons – Annual sales caps per plan; must migrate when exceeding.
• Use Case – Creators selling large video stock libraries alongside merch.

6. Paddle

A merchant-of-record platform built for SaaS businesses. It manages global taxes, subscriptions, invoicing, and compliance, letting founders focus on product growth.

• Fees – 5% + 50¢ per transaction
• Pros – Handles global taxes, B2B invoicing, dynamic pricing, dunning. Powerful API.
• Cons – Requires approval, less suitable for $5 ebooks, UI heavier than Gumroad.
• Use Case – SaaS founders aiming for recurring revenue in 100+ countries.

7. Stripe Checkout + Tax

A developer-friendly payment solution that powers custom storefronts. It offers powerful APIs and flexible integrations but requires more setup than plug-and-play tools.

• Fees – 2.9% + 30¢ per online card transaction
• Pros – Infinite customisation, instant transfers, supports dozens of payment methods.
• Cons – You handle VAT unless you add Stripe Tax (extra cost); needs dev time.
• Use Case – Teams that own their own storefront and need full control.

8. Shopify + Digital Downloads App

An ecommerce platform with a plugin that lets you sell digital files alongside physical products. Ideal for brands that want a unified store for all product types.

• Fees – 2.9% + 30¢ + $39/mo Basic plan
• Pros – Combine physical and digital SKUs, robust theme ecosystem, app extensions.
• Cons – Monthly fee, platform lock‑in, digital file size limits unless upgrading.
• Use Case – Brands already on Shopify adding e‑books, presets, or licenses.

9. Easy Digital Downloads (WordPress)

A self-hosted WordPress plugin for selling digital goods. It gives you full control of your store and integrates with a large library of extensions.

• Fees – 0% platform fee; paid passes $199–999/yr for add‑ons
• Pros – Full control, no listing fees, unlimited bandwidth, huge extensions library.
• Cons – You manage hosting, updates, tax; initial setup takes longer.
• Use Case – Technical founders running content hubs on WordPress.

10. Kajabi

A premium platform focused on online courses and memberships. It combines checkout, funnels, email marketing, and a mobile app into one package for knowledge-based businesses.

• Fees – $69–399/mo, 0% transaction fee
• Pros – Built‑in funnels, email, mobile app, no third‑party plug‑ins needed.
• Cons – Pricey for early‑stage, limited design flexibility beyond templates.
• Use Case – High‑ticket cohort programs and memberships.

11. WooCommerce Payments

An extension of WooCommerce for WordPress that adds digital download capability. Best for existing WooCommerce stores that want to add digital products.

• Fees – 2.9% + 30¢ in US; plugin free (extensions extra).
• Pros – Extensible, integrates with existing Woo store, hundreds of add‑ons.
• Cons – You manage everything; can be overkill for a single ebook.
• Use Case – WordPress sites already monetizing physical products.

12. Stan Store

A link-in-bio storefront built for social media creators and coaches. It allows you to sell downloads, courses, and services directly from your profile without transaction fees.

• Fees – 0% platform fee; you only pay Stripe/PayPal processing (≈2.9% + 30¢)
• Pros – All‑in‑one funnel builder, upsells, auto‑DM lead capture, integrates with Zoom for coaching. No extra transaction fees.
• Cons – Limited theme customization, higher starting price than Gumroad, smaller discovery marketplace.
• Use Case – Influencers and coaches monetising directly from social profiles.

FAQ – Your Top Questions Answered

Which platform is cheapest for beginners? If you want $0 monthly fees, Gumroad and Payhip (free plan) win. You pay only when you earn.

Which handles EU VAT automatically? Paddle and Lemon Squeezy act as Merchant‑of‑Record, charging and remitting VAT for you.

Can I sell subscriptions and one‑off downloads? Yes. Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, Payhip, Paddle, Shopify, and Stan Store all support recurring billing alongside single purchases.

Final Thoughts

The “best” platform is the one that gets you selling today and won’t strangle you with fees tomorrow. Start simple, validate demand, then upgrade tooling as revenue grows. Wherever you begin, focus on shipping value — the checkout is just plumbing.