9 Best Places to Sell Digital Downloads Online and Make Real Money

Despite what people say digital download sales are far from saturated.

Last month alone I made nearly $12,000 in profit simple Etsy shop (and even with rising Etsy fees!)

Selection where to sell your digital download can make or break your success.

Some marketplaces provide high traffic but charge higher feeswhile others allow you to keep more profit but they require it drive your own sales.

To help you find the perfect match, here’s a guide 9 best places sell digital downloads online.

9 Best Places to Sell Digital Downloads Online and Make Real Money

1) Etsy – 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 platform for creators to sell digital downloads, thanks to its huge built-in audience and a reputation as a marketplace for creative and unique goods.

You can sell everything here from printable murals and e-books to digital planners and printables for kids to SVG files.

Etsy’s established audience is a a big advantageespecially if you are just starting out.

Plus Etsy’s SEO friendly nature helps to get products detect more easily by buyers.

• Fees: $0.20 per listing and 6.5% transaction fee
• please: High visibility, built-in audience, easy-to-use platform
• Disadvantages: Fees can add up, competitive market

Related: Top 9 Things I Wish I Knew Before Selling on Etsy That Helped Me Make $375,000 This Year Just!

2) Gumroad – Ideal for indie creators and educators

Best for: Artists, writers, educators and software developers

Gumroad is a favorite among creators because it’s simple.

It offers a lot customization optionsand allows you to sell a variety of digital products such as e-books, courses, music and software.

One unique feature is Gumroadpay what you want” option which lets customers decide their price for your products, allowing for flexible pricing.

• Fees: 10% on free plans, discount on paid plans
• please: Easy setup, no upfront costs, low commitment, customizable landing pages
• Disadvantages: Transaction fees can be high on the free plan

3) Sellfy – for the joint sale of digital and physical goods

Best for: Creators who sell both digital and physical products, YouTubers, social media influencers

Sellfy offers all in one solution to sell digital downloads, physical products, subscriptions and print-on-demand items.

He is known for his simplicitywhich allows even beginners to set up a storefront in minutes.

With Sellfy, you can be integrated directly with your website or social media accounts, which is useful if you have an established online presence.

• Fees: Monthly subscription starts at $29 per month (no transaction fees)
• please: Supports physical and digital products, integration options, email marketing tools
• Disadvantages: Monthly fees can be expensive if you’re just starting out

Related: The 17 Most Profitable Ecommerce 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

The creative market is online marketplace specifically for creative materials.

If you have a flair for design, this is the platform ideal for sale of 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, this is the perfect place to showcase your products.

• Fees: 40% sales commission
• please: Highly targeted audience, excellent for design-oriented products
• Disadvantages: High commission, requires quality work to stand out

5) Teachable – The ultimate platform for course creators

Best for: Educators, course creators and influencers

If you are knowledgeable in a specific subject, why not turn this expertise into a course?

Tractable allows you to create and sell online courses and coaching services that make it easy to share your expertise and earn.

With Teachable you can build beautiful, branded course pages without the need for coding.

It’s a fantastic way to create highly valuable digital products if your focus is on education.

• Fees: Plans start at $39/month plus transaction fees on lower plans
• please: Customizable course pages, interactive course features, no coding required
• Disadvantages: Monthly fee, mainly focused on course content

Related: 23 Hobbies That Make Money: Build Your 6 Figure Business!

6) Payhip – Simple and affordable to sell digital products

Best for: Solopreneurs, digital marketers and bloggers

Payhip is a versatile platform which allows you to easily sell digital products, memberships and subscriptions.

The platform is user friendlywhich allows 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 start selling digital downloads.

Payhip also offers marketing tools such as social sharing and affiliate program options.

• Fees: 5% transaction fee on free plan
• please: Affordable, integrates with your website, supports subscriptions
• Disadvantages: Limited customization of the free plan

7) BigCommerce – Best for growing eCommerce brands

Best for: Brands with an extensive digital catalog, entrepreneurs who want a long-term online store

BigCommerce is a robust e-commerce platform which offers advanced tools to scale and manage your online business.

It allows you to create an online store with executive functions such as inventory management, SEO tools and integration with payment providers.

Although BigCommerce caters mainly to larger businesses, it is also a viable option if you are serious about growing your digital products brand.

• Fees: Monthly plans start at $29.95 per month
• please: Scalable, feature rich, excellent SEO capabilities
• Disadvantages: Monthly fees, learning curve for beginners

Related: 19 Beyond Easy to Source Products That Are Selling Like Crazy on Amazon FBA

8) Self-service WordPress website with easy digital download

Best for: Bloggers, website owners and developers who want full control

If it suits you a little technical settingsself-hosted WordPress sites 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 generate discount codes.

WordPress the flexibility is unmatchedallowing you to fully customize your store and integrate it with your existing website content.

• Fees: Web hosting ($5-10 per month) and optional paid plugins
• please: Full control, customizable, integrates with WordPress content
• Disadvantages: Requires setup, not suitable for beginners

Related: 13 Most Wanted Digital Products for Bloggers to Effortlessly Monetize Your Content

9) Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) – for e-book authors

Best for: Writers, authors themselves, bloggers

If your digital download is in e-book form, Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing is a great platform for reach a wide audience.

KDP offers global distribution and high license feesmaking it a popular choice for self-publishing authors.

You can upload your book in a variety of formats and even use Amazon’s print-on-demand feature to offer a physical copy.

• Fees: No upfront fees, Amazon takes a percentage of sales
• please: Large audience, global reach, passive income potential
• Disadvantages: For e-books only, competitive market

Related: 15 niche e-books that practically write themselves and sell like hot cakes

Final tips for successful digital download sales

1) Use social networks:

Create your presence on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest to increase traffic to your digital store.

Sharing behind-the-scenes content and audience engagement helps build trust and interest in your products.

2) Email marketing:

Create email list and send regularly updates, promotions or new product announcements to keep customers engaged.

Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to convert prospects into buyers.

3) Offer value with each product:

Provide clear, high quality previews of your digital products. Offer useful bonuses such as guides or templates that add value and support purchases.

4) Stay consistent and patient:

Success in digital downloads doesn’t happen overnight. Keep creating and marketing, and your audience will grow with time and effort.