Resources · Online business platforms
Where to sell digital products: the right platform for your business.
The best place to sell an ebook, template or course depends on where your buyers already are and what you’re selling. This guide compares seven platforms on monthly cost, fees per sale and the situations each one fits.
Elevate’s own paid products are next on my list, so this is the comparison I’m using for my own business. It also draws on years in e-commerce, working on stores built on platforms like Magento, where the lesson was always the same: the platform matters less than getting the product and the fees right.
The short answer
| If you… | Start with | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Already have an email list on Kit | Kit | No monthly fee; 3.5% + 30¢ per sale |
| Want the simplest way to sell a download | Gumroad | No monthly fee; 10% + 50¢ per sale |
| Sell worldwide and don’t want to handle sales tax | Lemon Squeezy | No monthly fee; 5% + 50¢ per sale |
| Sell from your social media bio | Stan Store | $29/mo; no platform fee per sale |
| Sell courses, coaching and memberships together | Kajabi | From $179/mo; no platform fee per sale |
| Run a WordPress site and want full control | WooCommerce | Free plugin; payment processing fees |
| Sell physical and digital products together | Shopify | From $39/mo |
Fees and costs compared
Every platform makes money one of two ways: a percentage of each sale, or a monthly subscription. Percentage fees are cheaper when you’re starting out. Monthly fees win once you’re selling steadily.
| Platform | Monthly cost | Fee per sale | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit | $0 on any plan | 3.5% + 30¢, card processing included | Selling to your email list |
| Gumroad | $0 | 10% + 50¢, plus card processing; 30% on marketplace sales | First products and simple downloads |
| Lemon Squeezy | $0 | 5% + 50¢; extra for international and PayPal payments | Global sales, software and subscriptions |
| Stan Store | $29 ($25 billed yearly) | No platform fee; card processing applies | Link-in-bio selling |
| Kajabi | From $179 (about $143 billed yearly) | No platform fee; card processing applies | Courses, coaching and memberships |
| WooCommerce | Free plugin, plus your hosting | Card processing only | WordPress sites |
| Shopify | From $39 | Card processing | Stores selling physical and digital products |
Entry-level prices billed monthly unless noted, last reviewed September 2026.
What it actually costs: one example
Say you sell 40 copies of a $25 template in a month: $1,000 in sales, all from US buyers paying by card.
| Platform | Approximate monthly cost | How it adds up |
|---|---|---|
| Kit | $47 | 3.5% + 30¢ per sale, processing included |
| Lemon Squeezy | $70 | 5% + 50¢ per sale |
| Stan Store | $70 | $29 plan plus about $41 in card processing |
| Gumroad | $161 | $120 in platform fees plus about $41 in card processing |
| Kajabi | $220 | $179 plan plus about $41 in card processing |
Card processing estimated at 2.9% + 30¢ per sale. Excludes sales tax, payout fees and international surcharges.
The ranking changes as you grow. At $5,000 a month, Stan Store’s flat fee looks much better than Gumroad’s 10%. At $200 a month, a platform with no monthly fee is almost always cheapest. Run your own numbers with a realistic sales estimate before you choose.
Start with your situation
You already have, or are building, an email list
Kit
If your buyers are on your email list, selling from the same place is the simplest setup. Kit lets you sell digital products and paid newsletters on every plan, including the free one, for 3.5% + 30¢ per sale with card processing included and no monthly fee. It’s the platform I use for Elevate’s email list.
Watch out for: Kit’s product pages are simple, and it isn’t a full course platform. Payments run through Stripe only. It’s ideal for ebooks, templates and guides, less so for multi-module courses.
You want the simplest way to sell a download
Gumroad
Gumroad gets a product on sale in minutes, with no monthly fee. Since January 2025 it acts as the merchant of record, which means it calculates, collects and pays sales tax and VAT worldwide on your behalf. For a first product, that simplicity is worth a lot.
Watch out for: the 10% + 50¢ fee comes before card processing, so the real cost is higher, and it’s steepest on cheap products. Sales through Gumroad’s Discover marketplace cost 30%. Gumroad also keeps its fees when you refund a customer.
You sell to buyers worldwide
Lemon Squeezy
Lemon Squeezy is also a merchant of record, handling global sales tax, but at 5% + 50¢ per sale, roughly half Gumroad’s rate. It’s popular for software, subscriptions and licence keys as well as downloads.
Watch out for: international sales and PayPal payments each add a surcharge, so if most of your buyers are outside the US, your effective rate will be higher than the headline.
You sell from your social media bio
Stan Store
Stan Store turns your link-in-bio into a mobile-friendly shop for digital products, courses, coaching calls and bookings. The Creator plan costs $29 a month ($25 billed yearly) and Stan takes no platform fee on sales, so you only pay card processing.
Watch out for: there’s no free plan, only a 14-day trial, so you pay from month one. Email marketing, funnels and discount codes need the $99 Creator Pro plan.
You sell courses, coaching and memberships
Kajabi
Kajabi puts courses, communities, coaching, email marketing and a website in one place, with no platform fee on sales. If you’re building a serious course business and don’t want to connect five tools, that’s its appeal.
Watch out for: it’s the most expensive starting point here, with the Basic plan at $179 a month (about $143 billed yearly). Kajabi removed its cheaper entry plan and raised prices in 2025, so many older guides quote plans that no longer exist. It makes sense once your revenue clearly covers it, not before your first sale.
You run a WordPress site and want full control
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free plugin that turns a WordPress site into a store, so buyers never leave your website and no platform takes a cut of sales. You pay for hosting and card processing. For a business already on WordPress, it keeps everything under one roof.
Watch out for: more control means more responsibility. You handle setup, security updates, digital delivery settings and tax configuration yourself or through a developer. It’s the most flexible option here, and the one that takes the most care.
You sell physical and digital products together
Shopify
If digital products sit alongside physical ones, Shopify is built for running a full store, with inventory, shipping and a large app ecosystem. Plans start at $39 a month, and less billed yearly.
Watch out for: selling digital downloads requires an app, and for a business that only sells digital products, a full e-commerce platform is usually more than you need.
How to decide
Five questions, in order.
- Where are your buyers now? On your email list, on social media, or searching a marketplace? Sell where they already are.
- What exactly are you selling? A download, a course, a subscription, software or physical goods each point to different platforms.
- How much will you realistically sell in year one? Low volume favours per-sale fees; steady sales favour a monthly plan.
- Where are your buyers located? If many are outside your country, a merchant of record like Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy saves real tax headaches.
- How much setup do you want to own? Hosted platforms handle it for you; WooCommerce gives you control and the work that comes with it.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Paying for a big platform before your first sale. Validate the product with a simple checkout first, then upgrade.
- Ignoring the fixed fee on cheap products. A 50¢ fee is 10% of a $5 product before anything else.
- Forgetting about sales tax and VAT. Digital products can be taxable in places your buyers live. Use a merchant of record or get advice from an accountant.
- Relying only on a marketplace. Marketplace buyers belong to the marketplace. Invite every customer onto your email list.
- Spreading products across too many platforms. One checkout is easier to manage, track and improve.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best platform to sell digital products?
It depends on where your buyers are and what you sell. For a first product, a platform with no monthly fee, like Kit, Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy, keeps risk low. Courses and memberships at scale suit an all-in-one platform like Kajabi.
Where can I sell digital products for free?
Kit, Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy have no monthly fee. You pay a percentage when you make a sale, so there’s no cost until you earn something. WooCommerce is also free as a plugin, but you’ll pay for hosting and card processing.
Do I have to collect sales tax on digital products?
Often, yes, depending on where your buyers live. Merchant-of-record platforms like Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy collect and pay it for you. On other platforms, it’s usually your responsibility, so check with an accountant for your situation.
Can I sell digital products on my WordPress site?
Yes. WooCommerce is the most common option. You can also embed checkout links from platforms like Kit or Gumroad on WordPress pages without running a full store.
When should I switch from Gumroad to another platform?
When your monthly fees on Gumroad are higher than the cost of a monthly-plan platform plus card processing. For many sellers, that point arrives somewhere around a few hundred dollars in monthly sales.
Fees and prices were last reviewed in September 2026 using each platform’s pricing information: Kit, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, Stan Store, Kajabi, WooCommerce and Shopify. This guide isn’t tax or legal advice. Check current fees before you sign up.
Free resource
The AI Marketing Workflow Kit.
Five copy-and-paste AI workflows for the marketing work you already do, including one that finds what customers will pay for, in their own words.
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