6 best websites and features for selling digital downloads

Learn about the essential features you need to have for selling digital downloads online. This guide covers what to look for and popular platforms to sell digital downloads.

TL;DR: The best platforms for selling digital downloads for different types of creators

If you are deciding on a place to sell digital downloads, make sure to look for a tool that offers ease of entry, functionality, support, marketing features as well as low fees and reasonable costs.

• Shopify and Etsy are specifically designed to sell physical products, however they permit sellers to offer digital downloads too. They offer selling digital goods, but the options are more limited.
• Gumroad offers robust features, and allows you to sell a variety of different types of files with no annual fees. But the catch is that they charge high transaction fees on each sale.
• Easy Digital Downloads is a WordPress plugin where you can sell products directly on your website. While it's totally available for free, you'll likely require extensions or integrations.
• It's easy to establish and permits you to make sales of any files without any limitations. There are advanced marketing features that are built into the platform and our support is superb - or that's what our clients say about us.

When I launched the first of my digital products I thought that the toughest aspect would be turning the contents of my brain into something that would actually be wanted by people who bought it.

We wouldn't like that to happen to you.

There are many places where you can sell digital downloads nowadays, however, deciding the right software to use to sell your goods could be as simple as a timer.

Why would you want to market digital downloads?

Digital downloads are files that can be purchased online. As a creator digital downloads could be an extremely profitable element of your offering.

There are a few reasons selling digital downloads could be a good idea for your business:

There is no need to worry with shipping or inventory. If making daily visits at the postoffice sounds like your own personal nightmare, digital solutions are the best option to go.

Six aspects to consider when you are deciding where to market digital downloads online

Some platforms, however, take it to the next level with sophisticated capabilities, and it's crucial to think about which one best aligns with the goals you hope to create as of today, and also in the near future.

Moving your tools from one to another is about as fun as a trip to the dentist. Avoid your future self the toothache by picking an instrument that is easy to use yet also offers space to expand.

To make deciding a little more simple, here are some qualities to look out for:

Ease of Entry:First and foremost, the platform that you use to sell digital downloads should be easy to work with for you , as an author.

Functionality:You're a multifaceted creator and you could want to offer different types of digital products in the future. Be on the lookout for platforms that don't limit what kind of file that you upload.

Support:If you're in the same boat as the majority of customers  are, then you're expecting answers to any support issues within ten minutes of asking the question. Picking a company with excellent customer support could save the customer from frustration in the future.

Fees for transactions:Transaction fees are a fraction of the transaction that the platform retains. These fees are usually between 1 and 10% of the total transaction price. There are some platforms that charge listing fees as well as credit card processing charges, which can really grow with each transaction.

Price:Finally, we have to calculate the figures. However, cheaper doesn't mean the best option, as lower-cost platforms usually include higher costs and cost-cutting features.

We now know the features to look for, let's look at some top choices to determine how they stack up.

As an example, author Emily Connell makes use of her website to provide free digital downloads and offer live cohorts or on-demand classes, along with 1:1 coaching packages.

Best of all, has an affordable plan. It allows you to build your own website as well as manage your online community and also sell one digital download as well as one coaching item for free.

Do you want to test it yourself? Register your free account now.

Here are the advantages of using :

The plan for free allows you to easily sell your first digital download without a huge upfront expenditure.

You are able to offer any type of digital download that has unlimited file sizes.

Even though we think is an amazing program, it is not the case that every software will be suitable for all. Here are some reasons why may not be the right selection for you.

The world is digital, so if you want to market physical items using a platform such as Shopify or Etsy may be a better fit.

highlights

Accessibility: 5 out five. The creator-facing dashboard on the right is simple and clean to navigate. With our customizable onboarding process as well as step-by step instruction videos you'll have your products listed within a few minutes.

Function: 5 out of 5. With , you can sell documents in almost any formats, with no limitation on file sizes. You are free to bundle your products or offer them upsells, and price them however you please.

Support Five stars out of five. Have you spoken to our support team yet? If not, you should! Visit the chat window at the bottom of the page and say hello. Our chat support is the most efficient, friendly, and speedy chat support in town.

Marketing 4.5 five stars. We designed our site to serve as an all-in-one solution for requirements of your business and features for marketing are an important piece of that puzzle. Prelaunch and presell products, issue coupons, or even create your own affiliate program right out of the box.

I've taken a half percentage off because we do not offer a marketplace feature although this isn't a requirement for every business, and we make it easy to create your own fan base using our lead capture tools.

Fees for transactions: 4.5 out of 5. With , there aren't any transaction charges with paid plans. Customers who have a free plan are charged an 8% transaction fee on product sales.

The cost is kept low while you're starting out, and you'll always have the option to improve and reduce the transaction fee as your business expands.

As with most platforms, there's payment processor fees that are unassociated with . Stripe or PayPal will charge a standard transaction cost of 2.9% + 30C/. We also offer instant payouts to authors so that you can have access to your funds quickly.

Cost: 's free plan offers a web site, an online community, one download, and one coaching program. Plans that are paid range from $39.90 to $199.99/month.

Want to learn more about managing your business online using a platform like ? Come along to a live demo to check it out:

Shopify

Shopify is an ecommerce giant and is a well-known name in the world of creators. More than 1.7 million companies use Shopify to run their online stores and the creators who use Shopify have made more than $200 billion in sales.

Shopify is most well-known in the world of selling physical products However, it's additionally possible to market digital items. Since its inception, Shopify has also added numerous international features to its e-commerce platform.

If you're a creative that wants to market digital as well as physical goods to clients across the globe, Shopify might be a great place to begin.

These are Shopify advantages:

Shopify includes powerful marketing features and integrations with various social media platforms.

Shopify is their own processor for payments that's called Shopify Payments. It's simple to use and comes with all plans, so you do not have to join with third-party processors if you don't wish to.

Create beautiful website designs, with storefronts that can be customized and even storefronts.

These are the Shopify pros:

Shopify is oriented toward physical product sales. There are premium features you won't need if you're only selling digital goods.

If you don't utilize Shopify Payments, there are additional charges that are on top of the monthly subscription price.

The fee system generally is complicated.

Shopify features

Ease of entry: 3 out of 5. As Shopify was first built to sell physical goods You'll have to follow additional steps in order to offer digital downloads. The site has videos that will guide users through how to upload your products through the Digital Downloads app, but it's not the easiest method.

Functionality 3/5. This time around, Shopify loses points because much of its functions are designed to sell physical goods.

To sell digital downloads the maximum file size for sale is 5 GB per file. You can only sell just one file for each product variation However, you can include multiple variants, such as different image resolutions or ebook formats. The product will require the ZIP file in order to add many files to one product.

Support: 3 stars out of 5. Shopify has 24/7 chat and email assistance, as well as a forum in which you can seek help from other users. There are many online reviews that report slow response times from the support department.

Marketing Five out of five. Shopify excels in the marketing department. They offer a robust site builder, which lets you build your online store and run your blog.

There's built-in email marketing with E-commerce templates. You can design coupon codes, create gift cards as well as display authentic customers' reviews. It also works with social media platforms.

Transaction fees: 2.5 out of 5. The Shopify fee structure is a bit complicated. It's difficult to determine exactly the transaction cost and charges for processing credit cards are on purchases.

There's no transaction fee when you make a payment through the Shopify Payments service. But if you don't use Shopify Payments, there's a fee to use an external payment processor.

Also, if you accept major credit cards, you'll pay a credit card fee on each purchase. These percentages change based on which plan you select.

Basic Shopify:

The processing cost for credit card transactions: 2.9% + $0.30

Charge for transaction if you don't use Shopify Payments 2 percent

Shopify:

The processing cost for credit card transactions: 2.6% + $0.30

Charge for transaction if you don't use Shopify Payments: 1%

Advanced Shopify:

Processing fee for credit cards: 2.4% + $0.30

Transaction fee if not using Shopify Payments: 0.5%

Price: $29 -- $299/month. Shopify provides three different plans. Pay the monthly fee as well as the fees mentioned below.

Etsy

A huge number of people use Etsy to buy unique and handmade items. Etsy has a reputation for being the spot to buy unique, vintage, and quirky merchandise created by creators and small companies.

Etsy receives nearly 400 million monthly visitors  this is an enormous amount of attention on your products. Etsy also has a solid marketplace where you can sell your goods and be noticed by potential customers.

The positive side is:

Etsy is an established brand that helps to build trust with customers.

In your store's shop page, it is possible to subdivide your merchandise into categories for better organization and discoverability.

Etsy offers a user-friendly seller dashboard where you can receive reviews, message customers, make coupons and also offer discount coupons.

It's an ideal place to sell things like designs, templates, presets, vectors, fonts, and creative pieces.

To the other hand:

Etsy is designed for selling physical items as well as digital items. Make sure to clearly state in your listings that the items are digital in order to avoid confusion.

While being listed in the Etsy marketplace is a nice perk, there's lots of competition, and products in popular categories could get hidden.

Etsy features

Ease of entry The rating is 4/5. Etsy has adapted to the online marketplace very well. The process of setting up an shop in an afternoon, and adding products is as simple as filling in an online form to describe your product and uploading the images of your products by dragging the images onto the website, then pressing the publish button.

Functionality 3.0 out of 5. The good thing about Etsy, you can sell various kinds of files, however you are only able to upload five files per product. There is a limit of 20MB for each file, this could restrict some creators.

Support: 3 out five. However, Etsy has a great creator community where you can inquire about issues. Sellers also have access to extensive help documentation and a seller handbook.

However, Etsy support is only available through emails. At present, they have a 1-2 day turnaround time that isn't ideal when it comes to urgent inquiries.

Marketing Rating: 4/5. Etsy has some interesting marketing tools for sellers. Although other platforms might have the ability to sell on a market, none of them have the reach of Etsy.

It can be a battle to the death However, you can bring in serious customers towards your product. In fact, there exist other third-party tools for keyword research which are specifically designed to cater to Etsy ranking in search results. Etsy offers advertising options that sellers can avail.

Transaction fees 2/5. There are a couple of fees you should be aware of when selling your products on Etsy. The first is an $0.20 listing fee for each item in your shop. Each listing is active for four months or until it sells.

If you're selling a product, you'll pay a 5 percent transaction fee, plus a 3 percent plus $0.25 transaction processing fee.

Price Free -- 10 bucks per month. Making an Etsy shop is free, however it costs $0.20 for listing products and other transaction charges.

Easy Digital Downloads

It's specifically designed for selling digital items, however, it requires some extra lifting in order to provide the same capabilities similar to other options on this list.

On the upside:

EDD is a good alternative if you already own an WordPress website , and you want to maintain your products within the WordPress ecosystem.

This can also be a perfect fit for people who want sophisticated customization, but bear your eyes on the fact that you'll have to have a good understanding of writing code and working with.

To the negative:

In order to get the features you require to market digital downloads, it is necessary to use extensions and integrations with other applications.

These extra enhancements and integrations may come with their own fees and technical difficulties.

Easy Digital Downloads feature

Ease of entry 3.5% ease of entry. If you're comfortable in using WordPress and have already uploaded plugins before making the switch to EDD is as usual. If you've never worked with WordPress it's not the best tool since you'd need to master two different interfaces.

Functionality 3.0 out of five. With EDD it is possible to sell any file you can upload onto WordPress. This gives you a wide range, but be mindful of the bandwidth you use for your website if you intend to sell large products.

We've already mentioned that EDD is able to be integrated with additional tools developed by third-party companies for greater features. It's highly customizable, but managing several systems could be difficult.

In essence, this is the best option for someone who wants to create and manage their own setup for selling. Building blocks are great but the real question is: do you want to do the work?

Support: 2 out five. EDD provides customer service via a ticket system, and there's no live chat. Priority customer support is available in higher-level plans.

A different thing to think about is that in the event that you experience issues with your integration, it could be necessary to contact their support also. This could result in unpleasant exchanges of messages.

Marketing: 2.5 out of 5. Out of the box, EDD offers coupons and discounts. They also have a a useful shopping cart feature.

By utilizing extensions, you'll be able to flesh out your marketing suite to include affiliates, email stars, reviews of star ratings as well as cross-selling and upselling Some of these integrations are only available on higher-tiered plans.

The first step is to have first a WordPress website, which comes with domain and hosting fees. You'll also have fees for any premium integrations you plan to make use of.

Price of $999 per year. The basic EDD plugin is available for free. If you want more tools however, you'll need to buy these separately. You can also upgrade to a higher plan to gain full-features.

Gumroad

Gumroad is a marketplace where creators are able to sell digital downloads of all dimensions and shapes. In the last decade, Gumroad creators have collectively achieved over $500 million in revenue from digital goods.

It's simple to use and has become a preferred choice among makers But is it your best option? Let's look into the benefits and drawbacks.

Here's an area where Gumroad is shining:

Gumroad is a simple way to start with selling almost any type of merchandise you could imagine, including physical items if you choose.

The platform is free for everyone to use; you'll only be charged transaction fees in the event that you've made a sale. This is great if in the process of selling digital items and wish try it out before making the leap to using a premium instrument.

Creators have access to Gumroad Discover, a marketplace where prospective customers can find your items.

Here are some Gumroad pros and cons:

There are limited customization options for product pages and checkout pages. It's tough to create a traditional sales page, and you don't have a website builder.

Even though it's not expensive to sign upfor the service, you'll be charged a high amount for each transaction. It's fine when you're just starting out but when you get bigger the business, this could take away your profits.

Gumroad has

Easy to use Rating: 4/5. The process of setting up your products for sale on Gumroad is simple and easy. It's possible to publish your first listing in just a few seconds, and then you'll be ready to sell your products.

Function: 4.5 out of 5. Gumroad is a great platform for selling products. Gumroad, you can sell digital and physical files including memberships, products, variants as well as rentals. Additionally, you can choose the release date of your product, sell key codes for licenses if you're selling software, or sell subscriptions.

In the case of paid items the file size limit of 16 GB. If you purchase free versions the limit for file size is 250MB. The product may contain any number of files that you want.

Help: 2.5 five out of 5. Gumroad has a resource library with helpful articles and videos. There's no live chat or phone support, so the most effective way to get in touch with specific questions is to use their email address.

Marketing: 4 out of 5. Marketing: 4 out of 5. Gumroad's affiliate program shines. If you're planning to implement affiliate marketing in conjunction with your product, Gumroad lets you set this up for free with their easy-to-use process.

Gumroad is also able to provide a number of integrations that allow you to join your marketing and email tools along with the Zapier integration.

Transaction fees: 2.5 out of 5. With transaction fees ranging between 9% and 2.9% in this area, it is that Gumroad loses the most points. It is true that the cost of transactions is lower the more you sell, but 9% is a steep price for newer creators. You also pay an additional $0.30 charge for every transaction.

Gumroad provides weekly payments as long as you've met a $10 USD threshold.

Pricing: Cost is Free plus fees. There's no recurring monthly cost, however, there are transaction charges determined by the amount of lifetime sales.

What are the most important things to consider when deciding where to sell digital downloads

Every creator is unique. That's why it's nice to have options when choosing what software will power your company.

If you have a secure digital download system on your partner, you'll get to an improved product lineup and endless earning potential.