Where to Sell Digital Products Online Free: 15 Best Platforms 2025

Dave Rodriguez
Dave Rodriguez
Marketing Expert
11 min read

You've created your digital product, but now comes the million-dollar question: Where do you sell it?

Building your own website and driving traffic feels overwhelming when you're starting from zero. The good news? There are platforms with built-in audiences waiting to discover products like yours.

I've tested 30+ platforms over the past 3 years. Here are the 15 best places to sell digital products online - including several that are completely free to start.

The 3 Types of Digital Product Platforms

Before diving in, understand these platform types:

1. Marketplaces

Built-in audience, but you compete with others. Think "digital mall."

2. Sales Platforms

You bring the traffic, they handle payments/delivery. Think "website builder."

3. Creator Communities

Audience of fellow creators and early adopters. Think "supportive neighborhood."

Pro tip: Start with marketplaces for quick validation, then expand to sales platforms as you grow.

The Free Tier Champions

1. Gumroad ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Creators wanting simplicity + built-in discovery

What it is: The most creator-friendly marketplace with zero upfront costs.

Pricing:

  • Free plan: 10% fee per sale
  • Pro plan: $10/month + 3.5% fee

Why it's great:

  • Zero setup costs
  • Built-in audience browsing for products
  • Handles taxes, VAT, and payouts globally
  • Mobile-optimized checkout
  • Discount codes and affiliate programs built-in

Best for selling: Ebooks, courses, templates, software, art

Success story: Jamie made $1,200 in her first month selling Notion templates on Gumroad with zero marketing.

Getting started: Upload product → Write compelling description → Set price → Launch

2. Itch.io ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Games, interactive fiction, creative tools

What it is: The indie creator platform with a "pay what you want" culture.

Pricing:

  • Free: 0% fee (yes, really!)
  • Revenue sharing: Optional 10% to support platform

Why it's great:

  • Completely free to use
  • Supportive community that discovers new creators
  • "Pay what you want" pricing increases accessibility
  • Great for experimental or niche products

Best for selling: Games, interactive stories, creative software, assets

Unique feature: Customers can tip above your asking price

3. Ko-fi Shop ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Artists and creators with existing social following

What it is: Combines product sales with fan support (tips, subscriptions).

Pricing:

  • Free: 0% fee on direct sales
  • Only payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30)

Why it's great:

  • No platform fees on sales
  • Integrates with social media easily
  • Supports both one-time and recurring revenue
  • Simple, clean interface

Best for selling: Digital art, templates, small courses, creative assets

Pro tip: Use Ko-fi's "tip jar" feature to build audience before launching products.

The Marketplace Giants

4. Etsy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Creative templates, printables, design assets

What it is: Massive marketplace traditionally for handmade goods, now embracing digital products.

Pricing:

  • Listing fee: $0.20 per item
  • Transaction fee: 6.5% of sale price
  • Payment processing: 3% + $0.25

Why it's great:

  • Huge built-in audience (90M+ buyers)
  • Excellent SEO - products show up in Google searches
  • Mobile app drives discovery
  • Buyer protection builds trust

Best for selling: Printables, digital planners, templates, artwork, patterns

Success strategy: Optimize for Etsy SEO with keyword-rich titles and tags.

5. Creative Market ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Professional design assets and templates

What it is: Premium marketplace for high-quality design resources.

Pricing:

  • Free to apply (application required)
  • 50% commission to artists
  • Exclusive products can earn up to 70%

Why it's great:

  • High-quality, professional buyers
  • Higher price points accepted
  • Excellent marketing support
  • Weekly free goods program drives traffic

Best for selling: Fonts, logos, website templates, design elements, photos

Pro tip: Quality over quantity - they're selective but pay well.

6. Teachers Pay Teachers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Educational resources and lesson plans

What it is: Marketplace specifically for educators buying teaching materials.

Pricing:

  • Free plan: 45% commission
  • Premium plan: $59.95/year + 15% commission

Why it's great:

  • Highly targeted audience (teachers)
  • Teachers have budgets for resources
  • Strong community and discovery features
  • Seasonal demand spikes (back-to-school, holidays)

Best for selling: Lesson plans, educational games, worksheets, teaching templates

Audience insight: Teachers often buy multiple products from creators they trust.

The Self-Hosted Champions

7. Sellfy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Creators wanting their own branded storefront

What it is: E-commerce platform built specifically for digital products.

Pricing:

  • Free plan: Up to $10K in annual sales, 5% fee
  • Starter: $19/month, 0% fees
  • Business: $39/month, 0% fees

Why it's great:

  • Your own branded store
  • No transaction fees on paid plans
  • Built-in marketing tools (email, social media)
  • Detailed analytics

Best for selling: Any digital product when you want brand control

8. SendOwl ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Integrating with existing websites

What it is: Digital product delivery service that works with any website.

Pricing:

  • Free plan: Up to 10 sales/month
  • Paid plans: $9-39/month

Why it's great:

  • Works with existing websites/blogs
  • Handles secure delivery and licensing
  • Affiliate program management
  • Subscription product support

Best for selling: When you already have a website with traffic

The Social-First Platforms

9. Instagram Shopping ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Visual products with strong Instagram presence

What it is: Native shopping feature within Instagram.

Pricing:

  • 5% selling fee (or 2.9% with checkout on your website)

Why it's great:

  • Massive mobile audience
  • Visual product discovery
  • Integrated with Instagram content
  • Direct checkout in app

Best for selling: Digital art, presets, templates, visual courses

Requirement: Need Instagram Business account and comply with commerce policies

10. Facebook Shop ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Targeting specific demographics with ads

What it is: Facebook's e-commerce solution integrated with social features.

Pricing:

  • 5% selling fee
  • Ad costs extra but optional

Why it's great:

  • Powerful audience targeting with ads
  • Large user base across age groups
  • Integration with Instagram
  • Messenger customer support

Best for selling: Courses, ebooks, templates targeting specific demographics

The Community-Driven Options

11. MarketMee ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: First-time creators needing supportive community

What it is: Digital product marketplace built specifically for creators starting from zero.

Pricing:

  • Free to list and sell
  • Community-driven pricing feedback
  • No hidden fees or commissions

Why it's great:

  • Audience specifically looking for new digital products
  • Supportive creator community
  • Built-in feedback and validation system
  • Focus on creator stories and journeys

Best for selling: Any digital product, especially when you're starting from zero

Unique advantage: Community members genuinely want to support new creators

12. Product Hunt ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Tech products and tools seeking visibility

What it is: Daily leaderboard of new products voted by tech community.

Pricing:

  • Free to submit
  • Optional promoted posts for visibility

Why it's great:

  • Massive visibility potential if you rank well
  • Tech-savvy audience willing to pay for good tools
  • PR and media attention for top products
  • Strong community engagement

Best for selling: Software, apps, tech tools, productivity systems

Pro tip: Launch on Tuesday-Thursday for best visibility

The Specialized Platforms

13. Payhip ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Simple setup with built-in affiliate program

What it is: Straightforward digital product platform with marketing tools.

Pricing:

  • Free plan: 5% commission
  • Plus plan: $29/month, 0% commission

Why it's great:

  • Built-in affiliate program
  • Discount codes and promotional tools
  • Simple, clean interface
  • Handles VAT automatically

Best for selling: Ebooks, courses, music, software

14. Podia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Online courses and communities

What it is: All-in-one platform for courses, downloads, and community.

Pricing:

  • Free plan: Unlimited products, 8% transaction fee
  • Mover: $39/month, 5% transaction fee
  • Shaker: $89/month, 0% transaction fee

Why it's great:

  • Course-building tools included
  • Email marketing built-in
  • Community features
  • Beautiful, professional templates

Best for selling: Online courses, coaching programs, membership content

15. Redbubble ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best for: Print-on-demand and digital art

What it is: Marketplace for artist-designed products with digital options.

Pricing:

  • Free to join
  • Artists set markup above base price
  • Redbubble handles production and shipping

Why it's great:

  • Large audience of art buyers
  • No upfront costs
  • Handles customer service
  • Global shipping

Best for selling: Digital art, designs for physical products, creative assets

Platform Comparison: Quick Reference

PlatformSetup CostCommissionBest ForAudience Size
GumroadFree10%/3.5%General digital productsLarge
Itch.ioFree0%Games & creative toolsMedium
Ko-fiFree0%Creator fan baseMedium
Etsy$0.20/item9.5% totalCreative templatesHuge
Creative MarketFree50%Professional designMedium
Teachers Pay TeachersFree45%/15%EducationSpecialized
MarketMeeFree0%New creatorsGrowing

How to Choose the Right Platform

Ask yourself these questions:

1. What's your product type?

  • Creative/Visual → Etsy, Creative Market, Redbubble
  • Educational → Teachers Pay Teachers
  • Games/Interactive → Itch.io
  • Professional Tools → Product Hunt
  • General → Gumroad, MarketMee

2. Do you have an audience?

  • Yes → Ko-fi, Instagram Shopping, your own website
  • No → Gumroad, Etsy, MarketMee

3. What's your priority?

  • Quick validation → MarketMee, Gumroad
  • Maximum reach → Etsy, Facebook
  • Brand building → Sellfy, Podia
  • Community → MarketMee, Ko-fi

4. How much can you invest upfront?

  • $0 → Itch.io, Ko-fi, MarketMee
  • Under $30/month → Gumroad Pro, Sellfy
  • $30+/month → Podia, Sellfy Business

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Here's a proven approach:

Phase 1: Validation (Month 1)

  • Start with 1-2 free platforms
  • Focus on getting first 10 sales
  • Gather feedback and testimonials

Phase 2: Expansion (Month 2-3)

  • Add 2-3 more platforms
  • Optimize listings based on what worked
  • Build email list from all platforms

Phase 3: Optimization (Month 4+)

  • Double down on highest-performing platforms
  • Consider paid platform upgrades
  • Launch your own website

Platform Success Tips

Universal Tips for All Platforms:

  1. Professional visuals: Invest in quality mockups and screenshots
  2. Clear value proposition: Make benefits obvious in 5 seconds
  3. Social proof: Add testimonials and reviews ASAP
  4. SEO optimization: Use keywords your customers search for
  5. Regular updates: Fresh content ranks better on most platforms

Platform-Specific Tips:

Gumroad: Use their "Pay what you want" feature to increase conversions

Etsy: Focus on long-tail keywords and seasonal trends

Creative Market: Submit only your absolute best work - quality over quantity

MarketMee: Share your creator story - the community loves supporting journeys

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Choosing platform based on lowest fees (audience fit matters more)

Uploading the same listing everywhere (optimize for each platform)

Ignoring platform-specific features (use what makes each unique)

Not reading platform policies (violating rules gets you banned)

Expecting instant results (building momentum takes time)

Neglecting customer service (respond to questions quickly)

Your Launch Action Plan

Week 1: Research & Setup

  • Choose your top 3 platforms based on your product type
  • Create accounts and complete profiles
  • Study successful products similar to yours

Week 2: Content Creation

  • Create high-quality product images/mockups
  • Write compelling descriptions for each platform
  • Set up tracking to measure which platforms work best

Week 3: Launch

  • Upload to all chosen platforms simultaneously
  • Announce launch across your social media
  • Engage with platform communities

Week 4: Optimize

  • Analyze which platforms are generating sales/traffic
  • A/B test different titles and descriptions
  • Plan expansion to additional platforms

The MarketMee Advantage

While this guide covers many platforms, MarketMee was specifically designed for creators in your situation - starting from zero with a great product but no audience yet.

What makes MarketMee different:

  • Zero fees: Keep 100% of what you earn
  • Creator-focused community: Audience that supports new creators
  • Story-driven: Your journey matters as much as your product
  • Feedback culture: Get honest input to improve your products

Start selling on MarketMee today →

Remember This

The best platform is the one where your ideal customers actually spend time. Don't just follow what everyone else is doing - research where your specific audience discovers new digital products.

Start with 1-2 platforms and master them before expanding. It's better to rank well on one platform than to be invisible on five.

Your first platform choice isn't permanent. Most successful creators sell on multiple platforms and eventually build their own websites too.

The key is to start somewhere, learn from real customer behavior, and iterate based on what actually works for your specific product and audience.


Ready to start selling your digital product to people who actually want it? Join MarketMee and tap into a community built specifically for creators like you. Get started →

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Dave Rodriguez

Dave Rodriguez

Marketing Expert

Digital product marketing expert and creator coach. Helps creators turn their ideas into profitable digital products.

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