This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Selling a digital product — an ebook, a template, a Notion system, a preset pack — should be the easiest money a solopreneur makes. You build it once and sell it forever. The friction is everything around the product: payment processing, file delivery, VAT, refunds, and the dozen settings that stand between you and a checkout page that works.
Digital product platforms handle all of that so you can focus on the thing you’re actually selling. The trick is that they make money differently — some charge a percentage of every sale, others a flat monthly fee — and which is cheaper depends entirely on how much you sell.
Here are the best platforms in 2026, with the fee math that actually matters.
The best platforms to sell digital products
Gumroad — best for getting started with zero commitment
Gumroad is the fastest way to start: no monthly fee, you just pay roughly 10% + $0.50 per sale (plus card processing), so you only pay when you earn. That percentage gets expensive as volume grows, but for your first products or low volume, paying nothing upfront is the right trade. The simplest on-ramp on this list.
Payhip — best as you scale up sales
Payhip flips Gumroad’s model: a free plan with 5% transaction fees, a Plus plan around $29/month dropping fees to 2%, and a Pro plan around $99/month with 0% transaction fees. It also handles EU and UK VAT automatically. Once you’re doing steady revenue, the flat fee saves real money versus a percentage-of-everything model.
Lemon Squeezy — best for hands-off taxes
Lemon Squeezy acts as a Merchant of Record, charging around 5% + 50¢ per sale. In exchange, it becomes the legal seller — collecting and remitting VAT and sales tax for you worldwide. That’s a genuine headache eliminated, which makes it especially popular with software and international sellers who don’t want to think about tax compliance.
Sellfy — best all-in-one storefront
Sellfy gives you a full branded store with 0% transaction fees across all plans, starting around $29/month (Starter). It bundles email marketing, upsells, and print-on-demand. Best if you want a real storefront rather than scattered product links, and you sell enough to justify the monthly cost.
Stan Store — best for creators selling on social
Stan Store is built around the link-in-bio model: a mobile-first store you point your Instagram or TikTok audience to. Plans run around $29/month (Creator) and $99/month (Creator Pro). If your sales come from a social following, its simplicity and audience-first design fit better than a traditional store.
Whop — best for memberships and communities
Whop is strong for selling access — memberships, communities, software licenses, and recurring digital products — alongside one-off files. Reach for it if what you sell is ongoing access rather than a single download.
Which one should you choose?
Run the fee math against your actual volume. Gumroad wins at low volume because there’s no monthly cost. As sales climb, Payhip or Sellfy‘s flat fees beat paying a percentage on everything. Want to never think about international tax? Lemon Squeezy. Selling to a social audience? Stan Store. Selling access and community? Whop.
A rough rule: under a few hundred dollars a month, a percentage model is fine; once you’re consistently past it, do the math on a flat-fee plan — the savings often cover the subscription several times over.
Digital products and online courses overlap heavily, so if what you’re building is more curriculum than download, compare with our AI course creation tools roundup. Running a fuller store with physical goods too? See the AI e-commerce tools guide. And your biggest lever for repeat sales is an email list — Kit is free to start and built for exactly this.
We break down a new solo-business tool category every week in The Solo Stack. Subscribe to follow along.
Frequently asked questions
Which platform lets me keep the most money?
It depends on volume. At low sales, Gumroad’s no-monthly-fee model keeps the most because you pay nothing until you sell. At higher volume, a flat-fee plan like Payhip Pro (0% transaction fees) or Sellfy keeps far more, since you’re not surrendering a percentage of every sale.
Do these platforms handle sales tax and VAT?
Lemon Squeezy and Payhip handle EU/UK VAT automatically; Lemon Squeezy goes furthest as a Merchant of Record that files taxes on your behalf. With Gumroad and others, you’re more responsible for your own tax obligations — check before you assume you’re covered.
Can I use my own domain and branding?
Most paid plans (Sellfy, Payhip Plus/Pro, Stan Store) allow custom domains and remove platform branding. Free tiers usually show the platform’s branding and use their checkout domain, which is fine when you’re starting out.
What’s the best platform if my audience is on TikTok or Instagram?
Stan Store — it’s purpose-built for the link-in-bio, mobile-first selling that social audiences expect. Gumroad also works well as a simple product link if you’d rather not pay monthly.
Do I need AI features to sell digital products?
No, but they help. Several of these platforms now include AI for writing product descriptions, generating store copy, and suggesting upsells. It’s a convenience that speeds up launching, not a requirement for making sales.