You’ve got a digital product (a course, an ebook, a template pack, a workshop) and now you need to figure out how to actually sell it. Somehow, what seems like it should be a simple decision turns into a rabbit hole of payment processors, transaction fees, checkout tools, and course platforms pretty fast.
The right answer depends on what you’re selling, where you’re selling it from, and how much of the technical side you want to handle yourself. There’s no single best platform for everyone.
This comparison breaks down the most common options, from free tools you can set up in an afternoon to all-in-one platforms that handle everything, so you can make the right call for where you are right now.
What to look for when choosing a platform
Before getting into the options, it’s worth knowing which factors actually matter. Not all of them will be relevant to you, but these are the ones worth thinking through before you commit.
Transaction fees vs monthly fees. Some platforms take a percentage of every sale. Others charge a flat monthly fee and let you keep more of each transaction. Neither is automatically better. It depends on your sales volume. If you’re just starting out and sales are low, a percentage-based model with no monthly fee is usually easier on cashflow. As sales grow, a monthly fee often works out cheaper.
File delivery. If you’re selling a digital download (an ebook, a template, a PDF workbook), you need the file delivered automatically after purchase. Not all payment tools handle this. Some require a workaround, like delivering via email.
Checkout experience. Does the customer stay on your site, or do they get redirected elsewhere? Both can work, but a checkout that keeps people on your site tends to convert better.
Integrations. Does the platform connect with your email marketing software? If someone buys your course, do they automatically get added to the right list and receive their welcome sequence, or do you have to do that manually?
Course hosting. If you’re selling an online course, you need somewhere to host the actual content (videos, lessons, modules). Not all payment tools include this. Some require a separate course platform.
Selling from your own website
If you already have a website and want to keep customers on it, these tools let you add checkout and payment functionality without handing control to a third-party platform.
Payhip
Payhip is one of the simplest and most generous options for selling digital downloads. The free plan has no monthly fee. Payhip takes 5% of each transaction, and as you upgrade (Growth at $29/month, Pro at $99/month), that drops to 2% and then 0%.
It handles file delivery automatically, supports discount codes, and has a basic affiliate system. It also has a storefront you can use standalone or embed on your own site.
Good for: Selling ebooks, templates, or simple digital downloads, especially if you’re just starting out and want to keep costs low.
Worth knowing: Less flexibility than dedicated cart tools, and the storefront design options are limited.
Gumroad
Gumroad is probably the most well-known starting point for selling digital products. It’s free to use and currently takes 10% of each transaction (check their current pricing before committing, as it has changed over time).
You get a product page hosted on Gumroad, automatic file delivery, and the ability to embed a checkout widget on your own site. It’s simple to set up.
Good for: Testing a product quickly, or selling a single digital download without needing a lot of integrations.
Worth knowing: The transaction fee is on the high side compared to other options at the same stage. Native integrations with email platforms are limited, so you’ll likely need Zapier to connect it to your email list. If you’re looking for Gumroad alternatives (which is probably why you’re here), the options below are worth a close look.
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
If you’re already using Kit (affiliate link) for email marketing, it has a built-in commerce feature that lets you sell digital products and online courses directly from your account. It charges 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction and pays out weekly.
Because it lives inside your email platform, setting up delivery emails and post-purchase sequences is as simple as it gets. Everything is already connected.
Good for: Selling a digital download or simple course if you’re already a Kit user and want the easiest possible integration with your email list.
Worth knowing: If you’re not already using Kit for email, this probably isn’t the right starting point. It’s a bonus feature, not a dedicated selling platform.
MailerLite
Similar to Kit, MailerLite (affiliate link) has a built-in digital products feature that lets you sell directly from your email platform. It handles file delivery and payment processing, and connects purchases directly to your automations.
Good for: MailerLite users who want a simple, integrated way to sell digital downloads without adding another tool.
Worth knowing: Like Kit’s commerce feature, this works best if you’re already in the MailerLite ecosystem. It’s not a full storefront solution.
Stripe and PayPal
Stripe and PayPal aren’t really platforms in themselves. They’re payment processors, and most of the tools on this list run on top of one or both of them.
That said, you can use them more directly. PayPal has a simple Buy Now button you can embed on any page. It’s the lowest-friction starting point if you just need to take a payment and deliver a file via a thank-you page or email. Read my post on how to customize your PayPal button if you want it to look better on your website and in emails.
Stripe is more powerful but requires more technical setup if you’re not using it through another tool. Where it really shines is as the payment processor behind a dedicated cart like ThriveCart.
PayPal fees: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (varies by country)
Stripe fees: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (varies by country)
Dedicated shopping cart tools
If you want more control over your checkout (upsells, order bumps, affiliate management, abandoned cart recovery), a dedicated cart tool sits on top of your payment processor and adds all of that.
ThriveCart
ThriveCart (affiliate link) is the tool I recommend most often to course creators who are ready to take their sales setup seriously. Unlike most tools, it’s a one-time payment rather than a monthly subscription, which makes it a solid long-term investment.
It runs on top of Stripe and PayPal, and gives you upsells, downsells, order bumps, A/B testing, affiliate management, and detailed analytics. It integrates directly with most email platforms and membership site plugins, and handles the post-purchase experience properly, including failed payment recovery and refund automations.
It also includes ThriveCart Learn, a course platform that comes with the one-time purchase. Learn+ (with more advanced features) is an additional one-time upgrade. So ThriveCart works both as a standalone checkout tool and as a more complete setup with course hosting included, without adding a monthly fee.
Good for: Course creators and digital product sellers who want a professional checkout experience, proper upsell flows, and affiliate management, without a recurring platform fee.
Worth knowing: The upfront cost is higher than a monthly subscription fee in month one. For most people selling digital products consistently, it pays for itself quickly.
All-in-one course platforms
If you’d rather have everything in one place (course hosting, payments, email marketing, sales pages, and funnels), all-in-one platforms handle all of it. The trade-off is a higher monthly cost, and the fact that your business lives inside their ecosystem rather than your own.
This is a different type of decision from choosing a checkout tool. You’re choosing where your whole course business lives, so it’s worth thinking through carefully before committing.
Kajabi
Kajabi (affiliate link) is the most complete all-in-one option on this list. It includes course hosting, email marketing, sales pages, funnels, a podcast tool, a community feature, and its own checkout. You genuinely don’t need anything else to run a course business on Kajabi.
The price reflects that. Plans start at $149/month (billed monthly) or $119/month (billed annually), with no transaction fees.
Good for: Course creators who want everything under one roof and have the revenue to support the monthly cost.
Worth knowing: Because everything lives in Kajabi, moving away from it later is more involved than switching a standalone payment tool. It’s a platform you’re committing to, not just plugging in.
Teachable
Teachable is a well-established course platform that’s more focused than Kajabi (primarily courses and coaching, without the broader marketing tools). Plans start at $39/month (Basic), with a transaction fee on that tier. Higher plans remove the fee.
Good for: Course creators who want a dedicated, reliable course platform without needing all-in-one marketing tools.
Worth knowing: The Basic plan’s transaction fee adds up quickly. If you’re selling consistently, the Pro plan ($119/month) usually makes more sense.
Podia
Podia covers courses, digital downloads, webinars, and community in one place. It’s generally considered easier to use than Kajabi and more affordable, with plans starting around $39/month and no transaction fees on paid plans.
Good for: Creators who want something between a simple selling tool and a full platform (more than Payhip or Gumroad, less complex and less expensive than Kajabi).
Worth knowing: Less customisation than Kajabi, and the email marketing tools are more basic. For many course creators, that’s more than enough.
Which platform is right for you?
If you’re just starting out and want the simplest possible setup: Start with Payhip (free, handles file delivery) or Kit or MailerLite if you’re already using one of those for email.
If you have a website and want to keep customers on it: Payhip with an embedded checkout, or Gumroad if you want to test quickly. Keep an eye on the transaction fees as sales grow.
If you’re selling an online course and want a proper checkout with upsells and affiliates: ThriveCart is the strongest option at this stage, and with ThriveCart Learn included, you can host your course there too.
If you want everything in one place and your revenue supports a monthly platform fee: Kajabi if you want the full suite. Teachable or Podia if you want something more focused.
If you’re already on Kajabi or another all-in-one platform: You probably don’t need a separate checkout tool. What’s worth looking at instead is whether your funnel is actually set up to convert the traffic you’re already getting.
What comes next
Once your platform is sorted, the next question is whether your funnel is actually working. Not just technically, but strategically. A lot of course creators have everything set up correctly and still aren’t seeing consistent sales, because the funnel itself has gaps.
The Evergreen Funnel Fix is a free guide that walks you through all three layers of your course funnel, shows you what to look for in each one, and gives you concrete first steps to fix what’s broken. It’s a good place to start.
And if you’re still putting the product together (building out an ebook, a workbook, or a PDF guide to go alongside your course), the Canva templates in the shop are designed to make that part fast. You can have something polished and on-brand ready in an afternoon, no design skills needed.
