Despite what people say, selling digital downloads is far from saturated.
Last month alone I made close to $12,000 in profit with a simple Etsy shop (and that’s even with Etsy’s rising fees!)
Choosing where to sell your digital downloads can make or break your success.
Some marketplaces provide high traffic but charge higher fees, while others let you keep more profit but require you to drive your own sales.
To help you find your perfect match, here’s a guide to the 9 best places to sell digital downloads online.
9 Best Places to Sell Digital Downloads Online to Make Real Money
1) Etsy – The Handmade and Vintage Digital Hub
Best for: Creators of digital art, design templates, planners, and unique digital products
Etsy is one of the most popular platforms for creators to sell digital downloads, thanks to its enormous built-in audience and reputation as a marketplace for creative and unique goods.
You can sell everything here from printable wall art and e-books to digital planners and kids printables to SVG files.
Etsy’s established audience is a big perk, especially if you’re just starting out.
Plus, Etsy’s SEO-friendly nature helps products get discovered more easily by buyers.
- Fees: $0.20 per listing and 6.5% transaction fee
- Pros: High visibility, built-in audience, easy-to-use platform
- Cons: Fees can add up, competitive marketplace
Related: Top 9 Things I Wish I Knew Before Selling on Etsy That Helped me Make $375,000 This Year Alone!
2) Gumroad – Ideal for Independent Creators and Educators
Best for: Artists, writers, educators, and software developers
Gumroad is a favorite among creators because it’s simple.
It offers plenty of customization options, and lets you sell various digital products such as e-books, courses, music, and software.
One unique feature is Gumroad’s “pay what you want” option, which lets customers decide their price for your products, allowing for flexible pricing.
- Fees: 10% on free plans, reduces with paid plans
- Pros: Easy setup, no upfront costs, low commitment, customizable landing pages
- Cons: Transaction fees can be high on the free plan
3) Sellfy – For Selling Digital and Physical Goods Together
Best for: Creators who sell both digital and physical products, YouTubers, social media influencers
Sellfy offers an all-in-one solution to sell digital downloads, physical products, subscriptions, and print-on-demand items.
It’s known for its simplicity, allowing even beginners to set up a storefront in minutes.
With Sellfy, you can integrate directly with your website or social media accounts, making it handy if you have an established online presence.
- Fees: Monthly subscription starts at $29/month (no per-transaction fees)
- Pros: Supports physical and digital products, integration options, email marketing tools
- Cons: Monthly fees can be expensive if you’re just starting out
Related: 17 Most Profitable E-Commerce Niches That Practically Sell Themselves
4) Creative Market – Marketplace for Designers and Artists
Best for: Graphic designers, illustrators, and creatives with high-quality digital products
Creative Market is an online marketplace specifically for creative assets.
If you have an eye for design, this platform is perfect for selling templates, fonts, graphics, and other digital assets.
Creative Market has a loyal customer base looking for unique, high-quality digital items, so if you specialize in design work, it’s an ideal place to showcase your products.
- Fees: 40% commission on sales
- Pros: Highly targeted audience, excellent for design-focused products
- Cons: High commission fee, requires quality work to stand out
5) Teachable – The Ultimate Platform for Course Creators
Best for: Educators, course creators, and influencers
If you’re knowledgeable in a particular subject, why not turn that expertise into a course?
Teachable allows you to create and sell online courses and coaching services, making it easy to share your expertise and earn income.
With Teachable, you can build beautiful, branded course pages with no coding required.
It’s a fantastic way to create high-value digital products if you’re focused on education.
- Fees: Plans start at $39/month, plus transaction fees on lower plans
- Pros: Customizable course pages, interactive course features, no coding needed
- Cons: Monthly fee, mainly geared toward course content
Related: 23 Hobbies That Make Money: Build Your 6 Figure Business!
6) Payhip – Simple and Affordable for Selling Digital Products
Best for: Solopreneurs, digital marketers, and bloggers
Payhip is a versatile platform that lets you sell digital products, memberships, and subscriptions with ease.
The platform is user-friendly, allowing you to create your own online store or integrate directly with an existing website.
With flexible pricing plans and no setup costs, it’s a cost-effective way to get started with selling digital downloads.
Payhip also offers tools for marketing, such as social sharing and affiliate program options.
- Fees: 5% transaction fee on the free plan
- Pros: Affordable, integrates with your website, supports subscriptions
- Cons: Limited customization on the free plan
7) BigCommerce – Best for Growing E-commerce Brands
Best for: Brands with an extensive digital catalog, entrepreneurs wanting a long-term online store
BigCommerce is a robust e-commerce platform that offers advanced tools to scale and manage your online business.
It allows you to create an online store with powerful features like inventory management, SEO tools, and integrations with payment providers.
Though BigCommerce caters mainly to larger businesses, it’s also a viable option if you’re serious about growing a digital product brand.
- Fees: Monthly plans start at $29.95/month
- Pros: Scalable, feature-rich, excellent SEO capabilities
- Cons: Monthly fees, learning curve for beginners
Related: 19 Beyond Easy to Source Products that Sell Like Crazy on Amazon FBA
8) Self-Hosted WordPress Site with Easy Digital Downloads
Best for: Bloggers, website owners, and developers who want full control
If you’re comfortable with a bit of tech setup, a self-hosted WordPress site paired with the Easy Digital Downloads plugin gives you complete control over your digital sales.
This plugin allows you to sell digital files, manage customers, track download activity, and even create discount codes.
WordPress’s flexibility is unmatched, letting you fully customize your store and integrate it with your existing website content.
- Fees: Web hosting ($5-$10/month) and optional paid plugins
- Pros: Full control, customizable, integrates with WordPress content
- Cons: Requires setup, not beginner-friendly
Related: 13 Most In Demand Digital Products for Bloggers to Monetize Their Content Effortlessly
9) Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) – For E-book Authors
Best for: Writers, self-published authors, bloggers
If your digital download is in the form of an e-book, Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing is a great platform for reaching a vast audience.
KDP offers global distribution and high royalty rates, making it a popular choice for self-published authors.
You can upload your book in various formats and even use Amazon’s print-on-demand feature to offer a physical copy.
- Fees: No upfront costs, Amazon takes a percentage of sales
- Pros: Large audience, global reach, passive income potential
- Cons: Only for e-books, competitive marketplace
Related: 15 Niche eBooks That Practically Write Themselves and Sell Like Hotcakes
Final Tips for Selling Digital Downloads Successfully
1) Leverage Social Media:
Build your presence on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest to drive traffic to your digital store.
Sharing behind-the-scenes content and engaging with your audience helps build trust and interest in your products.
2) Email Marketing:
Create an email list and send regular updates, promotions, or new product announcements to keep customers engaged.
Email marketing remains one of the most effective methods to convert leads into buyers.
3) Offer Value with Each Product:
Provide clear, high-quality previews of your digital products. Offer useful bonuses like guides or templates to add value and encourage purchases.
4) Stay Consistent and Patient:
Success in digital downloads doesn’t happen overnight. Continue creating and marketing, and your audience will grow with time and effort.
