Shopify is the best-known store builder, but it’s designed around physical products and growing stores. If you sell ebooks, templates, presets or courses, you may not need it.
Your options, cheapest first
- Your email tool. Kit lets you sell digital products and subscriptions even on its free plan. If your audience lives on your email list, start here.
- Your website builder. Squarespace sells digital content on every plan, but it charges a platform fee on those sales: 7% on Basic, 5% on Core, 1% on Plus and 0% on Advanced.
- A course platform. If the product is a course, a course platform such as Teachable handles hosting, students and checkout. Watch the 7.5% transaction fee on its Starter plan.
- Shopify. It makes sense when you also sell physical products, or expect to need a full store with apps. Most plans start with 3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months.
How to decide
- Selling 1 to 3 digital products to your list: your email tool is usually enough.
- Selling from a portfolio or service site: your website builder, and check the digital content fee on your plan.
- Selling courses: a course platform.
- Selling physical and digital products together: Shopify.