Best platforms for selling digital downloads - Users' choice

As eCommerce has gained more popularity, there has been an abundance of platforms for selling digital downloads. While this is great news, some people find it harder with the expanding choice to choose the right platform for them. Here is a list of top platforms for selling digital downloads.

See also: 30 Best online course platforms for 2022.

What is a digital download?

Before we dive into our list, let's understand what the term "digital download" means. The word at once seems familiar yet something new. If you dig through the phrasing, you'll realize that it is something we all are well acquainted with.

Digital downloads are any product in a digital format that one can sell online. These are electronic forms of acquiring documents, files (audio/video), softwares, etc. These can be in various digital formats such as videos, courses, podcasts, eBooks, pdfs, apps, photographs, video games, etc.

Since the world has gone digital for quite some time now, digital products are very much a necessity. In comparison with physical products, these can be sold and purchased from anywhere as they do not require physical storage. Instead, they are stored online for a minimal price, saving the seller any storage and logistical costs. With simply a click, one can make loads of sales.

Top platforms for selling digital downloads

These platforms vary in different degrees. Some specialize in a particular digital product such as LMSs. They can also vary in terms of their formats. For instance, some operate as plugins, apps, or websites. Despite their unique features, they all serve the same purpose - selling digital downloads. Here's a list of the top most preferred platforms according to users.

1. SamCart

SamCart is a user-friendly drag-and-drop platform for hosting and selling your digital products. It is best for Ebooks, videos, and courses. The platform offers over 750 integrations.

Moreover, it comes with an email automation feature to keep your subscribers posted about all the hot discounts. You can sell unlimited products for unlimited memberships. It also allows users to sell in any currency or language - users truly get a global outreach. Furthermore, keep track of your sales with a sales dashboard. Offers a 14-day free trial with no transaction fees.

Pricing: $49/mo (lowest plan) and $199/mo (highest plan).

2. Gumroad

With Gumroad, you have the freedom to either set up your own store or embed other websites or pages. Although the platform charges a fraction of the fee for each transaction, it goes down as sales grow. On the plus side, all the features are available on all their plans. You get unlimited sales opportunities with unlimited memberships. There's freedom of selling in multiple formats (PDF, ePUB), offer an affiliate program, and analytics for tracking your sales. Furthermore, sellers can generate license keys and secure ownership rights.

Pricing: Free to start, then charges 9% + 0.30 cents on each transaction.

3. SendOwl

Yet another one-stop platform with full-suite marketing. It covers sales, analytics, and management. Users can integrate existing social media pages and websites into the platform. SendOwl comes with a shopping cart, discounts feature, customizable emails, an affiliate program, and flexible payment options. On top of it, you get a 30-day free trial with no transition fee.

Pricing: $15/mo for 3GB storage and 30 products. $39/mo for 15GB storage and 250 products.

4. Teachfloor

Teachfloor specializes as a cohort-based course hosting platform for online academies. Users looking to sell and host online courses and training can find all the necessary resources here. It allows users to sell unlimited courses and have unlimited memberships. Furthermore, with its multi-instructor feature people can co-sell digital downloads.

Further features include an analytics dashboard, email automation, Zapier integration, and an option to embed 100-plus pages and apps. You can track your transactions seamlessly via stripe integration. Moreover, Teachfloor offers its users a free 15-day trial with no transaction and cancellation fee.

Pricing: Pro plan for $69/mo, Business for $349/mo, and Enterprise for a custom price.

5. Podia

Podia is a popular all-in-one course hosting platform, good for people looking more than just selling but rather building a signature brand. It offers unlimited courses and memberships. Users have control over brand customization. Moreover, issue coupons, product bundles, and email automation (emails captured from head magnets). One gets a 14-day free trial without any transaction fee.

Pricing: $39/mo for the starter plan and $199/mo for the highest plan.

6. Sellfy

Sellfy is a complete e-commerce platform that offers smart tools to manage sales and maintain product enhancement. It is quite popular with photographers. Popular known for selling ebooks, one can host a diverse set of digital download products such as videos and music. It offers users unlimited products with high security, a 14-day free trial, and supports large files of up to 10 GB. Users can manage it from their mobile app as well.

Pricing: Ranges from $19 to $99/mo.

7. Zyro

Zyro is a website builder that is popular amongst users for developing e-commerce sites. It facilitates users to design their custom websites or they can simply host social media, Amazon, Or Facebook pages. Its drag-and-drop features make navigating easy. The site comes with live support, custom templates, and AI marketing tools, all without any transaction fee and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pricing: $4.90/mo for 100 products and $15.90/mo for 2500 products.

8. Easy digital downloads

Easy digital downloads specializes in selling digital downloads on Wordpress. It works best for products such as PDFs, eBooks, and Wordpress plugins. Users can integrate loads of extensions and keep track of their sales with marketing and analytics tools. Host and sell unlimited file downloads and customer account pages. Furthermore, users get an affiliate program, commission tracking, and multiple payment options (Stripe, Paypal, Apple pay).

Pricing: $99.50/year and $199.50/year with payment gateways.

9. Memberpress

Memberpress markets itself as the all-in-one membership plugin for Wordpress. It integrates with the Wordpress site. Otherwise, it is an LMS for creating and selling online courses. It is easy to set up and keep track of the subscriptions with reporting tools. It comes with zero transaction fees.

Pricing: Ranges from $179/year to $399/year.

10. Digital Product Delivery

Digital product delivery is a digital publishing platform for selling eBooks, music, themes, templates, graphics, softwares, and all things in between. It offers unlimited product sales with a shopping cart feature, drip content, and marketing analytics tools. It integrates with over 500 sales tools. Moreover, it offers multiple payment options with a 30-day free trial and no transaction fee.

Pricing: $10/mo for 20 products + 1 GB space and $30/mo for 120 products  + 6GB space.

Sum up

So this was our brief list of the top platforms for selling digital downloads. They all have substantial rankings amongst users. While these are only some of the great platforms available out there, feel free to pitch in your favorites in the comments below.

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