Last Updated on 1 week ago by Andrew White
The Platform Switch Problem No One Warns You About
Here’s a situation that plays out constantly in the creator world: you start selling digital downloads — an ebook, a template pack, a Notion dashboard. It works. Your audience buys. Then you want to add a course. You look at your current platform and realize it doesn’t do courses well. Or at all. So you migrate. You rebuild your product pages, re-import your customer list, set up new checkout flows, and email everyone your new links.
It’s a mess, and it’s entirely avoidable if you pick the right software from the start.
This guide covers the best software to sell digital products and courses — platforms that handle both product types well, so you can grow your offerings without switching tools. Whether you’re just getting started or already selling downloads and want to add a course, there’s an option here for you.
If you’re still deciding what type of product to sell first, check out our guide on how to sell digital products for a practical starting point.
Why Selling Digital Products and Courses on One Platform Matters
You might be tempted to use separate tools — Gumroad for your downloads and Teachable for your course. It’s doable, but it creates real friction:
- Split customer data. Your buyers live in two places. You can’t easily see who bought both, upsell across product types, or understand your most valuable customers.
- Fragmented checkout experience. Customers have to create accounts in two different systems. More friction means fewer conversions.
- Double the admin. Two dashboards, two payout schedules, two sets of product pages to maintain.
- No unified storefront. You can’t send someone to one link and have them browse everything you sell.
A single platform that handles both gives you unified checkout, one customer database, a single storefront, and one payout. That’s not just convenient — it directly affects your revenue and your ability to upsell.
For a broader look at your options, see our best platform to sell digital products roundup, or compare platforms for digital downloads side by side.
The 6 Best Software Options for Selling Digital Products and Courses
1. Podia — Best All-in-One for Creators Doing Both
Podia is purpose-built for creators who sell multiple product types. It supports digital downloads, online courses, webinars, coaching, communities, and email — all under one roof and one monthly fee.
Digital downloads: Excellent. You can sell PDFs, audio files, video files, templates, and any other file type. Instant delivery, customizable checkout, and no file size restrictions on higher plans.
Courses: Strong. Podia’s course builder supports video, text, quizzes, and drip scheduling. It’s not as feature-heavy as dedicated course platforms, but it covers 90% of what most creators need.
Best for: Creators who want to run their entire digital business — downloads, courses, newsletter, community — from one place without duct-taping tools together.
Pricing: Free plan (8% transaction fee), Mover at $33/month (no transaction fees), Shaker at $75/month (adds affiliate program).
Weak spots: The course builder lacks advanced features like certificates or SCORM support. If you’re building a serious course business with complex curriculum needs, you’ll hit limits.
2. Kajabi — Best for Serious Course Creators Who Also Sell Downloads
Kajabi is the premium option in this space. It’s built around courses and memberships, with digital download support layered in. The platform also includes a full email marketing suite, landing page builder, and pipeline (funnel) builder.
Digital downloads: Good, but secondary. You can sell files as standalone products, bundle them with courses, or include them as course materials. The experience isn’t as streamlined as Gumroad or Payhip, but it works.
Courses: Excellent. Kajabi has the most polished course delivery experience on this list — video hosting, progress tracking, assessments, drip content, certificates, and a mobile app for students.
Best for: Creators who are serious about courses as their primary revenue stream but want to bundle in digital downloads or use them as lead magnets and upsells.
Pricing: Starts at $69/month (Kickstarter plan, limited products), $149/month for the Basic plan with full features. No transaction fees on any plan.
Weak spots: Price. Kajabi is significantly more expensive than alternatives. If courses aren’t your main product, you’re paying for features you won’t use. It’s also where you’d want to look at Stan Store alternatives if you want something lighter.
3. Teachable — Best Course-First Platform With Download Support
Teachable built its reputation on online courses and has been expanding its digital product support. It now lets you sell coaching packages, digital downloads, and bundles alongside courses.
Digital downloads: Decent. You can sell files directly, but the experience is course-centric — your download products live inside the same course-style interface, which can feel clunky for simple file sales.
Courses: Very strong. Teachable has a mature course builder with video hosting, quizzes, certificates, drip scheduling, and compliance features. Its student experience is polished.
Best for: Creators who primarily want to sell courses and occasionally bundle in or upsell digital downloads. Not ideal if downloads are your main product.
Pricing: Free plan (with transaction fees), Basic at $39/month, Pro at $119/month. Transaction fees disappear at paid tiers.
Weak spots: The download-selling experience is an afterthought. Teachable’s checkout and storefront are designed around courses, so if your catalog is mostly files, it shows.
4. Payhip — Best Budget Option That Handles Both Well
Payhip is an underrated platform that genuinely handles both digital downloads and courses without favoring one over the other. It’s simple, affordable, and surprisingly capable.
Digital downloads: Excellent. Payhip was originally built for file sales — PDFs, ebooks, software, music, templates. The checkout experience is clean, and it handles EU VAT automatically.
Courses: Solid. Payhip added a course builder that supports video lessons, drip content, quizzes, and certificates. It’s not as polished as Teachable or Kajabi, but it’s functional and improving.
Best for: Budget-conscious creators who want to sell both product types without paying $50–150/month. Great for testing a course before committing to a premium platform.
Pricing: Free plan (5% transaction fee), Plus at $29/month (2% fee), Pro at $99/month (no fees).
Weak spots: The course builder still lacks some advanced features. The platform’s design is simpler than competitors, which some creators find limiting for branding.
5. Gumroad — Best for Simple Downloads, Limited for Courses
Gumroad is the go-to for creators who want to start selling digital products with zero friction. It’s fast to set up, requires no monthly fee, and handles file delivery well. But its course capabilities are limited.
Digital downloads: Excellent. Gumroad handles any file type, supports pay-what-you-want pricing, memberships, and discount codes. The discovery aspect (Gumroad Discover) can also bring in buyers you didn’t directly send.
Courses: Basic. Gumroad lets you sell video content and organize it into a course-like structure, but it’s not a real course platform. No quizzes, no certificates, no drip content, no progress tracking.
Best for: Creators focused primarily on digital downloads who want a simple, no-monthly-fee setup. Not a good long-term home if courses are part of your roadmap.
Pricing: No monthly fee. Flat 10% transaction fee (decreasing as you earn more).
Weak spots: Transaction fees add up quickly as your revenue grows. Course capabilities are too limited for any serious course offering. If you’re looking at alternatives, see our Gumroad alternatives guide.
6. Lemon Squeezy — Best for Digital Products With Global Tax Compliance
Lemon Squeezy acts as a merchant of record, which means it handles all the international tax complexity (VAT, sales tax, GST) for you automatically. It’s strong for digital downloads and SaaS products, with growing course support.
Digital downloads: Excellent. Lemon Squeezy handles any digital file, supports subscriptions, license keys, and software products. Its global tax handling is its biggest differentiator.
Courses: Limited but improving. Lemon Squeezy has added basic course functionality, but it’s not a full course platform. If structured video lessons and student progress are important, you’ll find it lacking.
Best for: Creators with international audiences who want automatic tax compliance, or those selling software/SaaS alongside digital products.
Pricing: No monthly fee. Flat transaction fee starting at around 5% + payment processing.
Weak spots: Course features are still developing. Not ideal if courses are a significant part of your offering.
Platform Comparison Table
| Platform | Digital Downloads | Courses | Free Plan | Transaction Fees | Starting Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podia | Excellent | Good | Yes (8% fee) | 0% on paid plans | $33/month |
| Kajabi | Good | Excellent | No (trial only) | 0% | $69/month |
| Teachable | Decent | Very Strong | Yes (with fees) | 0% on paid plans | $39/month |
| Payhip | Excellent | Solid | Yes (5% fee) | 0% on Pro plan | $29/month |
| Gumroad | Excellent | Basic | Yes (10% fee) | 10% flat | $0/month |
| Lemon Squeezy | Excellent | Limited | Yes (fees apply) | ~5% + processing | $0/month |
Which Software Should You Choose Based on Your Situation
You’re just starting out and haven’t sold anything yet
Start with Payhip or Gumroad. Both have free plans, zero upfront cost, and let you list your first product in under an hour. Payhip edges ahead if you think you’ll add a course someday — its course builder is meaningfully better than Gumroad’s. Gumroad is fine if courses aren’t on your radar.
You’re already selling downloads and want to add a course
This is Podia’s sweet spot. If you’re on Gumroad or a similar tool and want to add a proper course without migrating your downloads to a course-only platform, Podia handles the transition cleanly. You can bring your downloads over and build your course in the same place.
Payhip is also worth considering here — especially if budget is a factor.
Courses are your main product and downloads are supplementary
Go with Teachable or Kajabi. Both have the course infrastructure you need as your business grows — proper video hosting, student management, certificates, and advanced scheduling. Teachable is the more affordable entry point; Kajabi is worth the premium if you want the full business suite (email, funnels, landing pages) in one place.
You’re budget-constrained but want real course functionality
Payhip is the answer. At $29/month you get no transaction fees on either downloads or courses, a functional course builder, and a clean storefront. It won’t impress enterprise buyers, but for a creator building their first course business, it’s more than enough.
You have an international audience and tax compliance worries you
Use Lemon Squeezy for your downloads and simpler digital products. For courses specifically, you may still want a dedicated platform — but Lemon Squeezy’s merchant-of-record model removes a significant compliance headache.
For a deeper comparison of course-specific options, see our guide to the best platforms for selling online courses.
What to Look for Beyond the Feature List
Features matter, but a few practical factors separate platforms that work for you long-term from ones you’ll want to leave in 12 months:
- Payout speed and methods. How quickly can you access your money? Most platforms pay out within a few days to a week. Gumroad pays weekly. Kajabi and Podia pay out via Stripe on your schedule.
- Email marketing integration. If the platform doesn’t include email, does it integrate cleanly with your email tool? Kajabi includes email. Podia includes it. Teachable and Payhip integrate with ConvertKit, Mailchimp, and others.
- Upsells and bundles. Can you bundle a download with a course? Can you offer an upsell at checkout? This matters a lot for average order value. Kajabi and Podia handle this well. Teachable has order bumps. Payhip is more limited.
- Student/customer experience. Log into your own platform as a student or buyer. If it feels clunky to you, it’ll feel clunky to them. Kajabi and Podia consistently score well here. Gumroad’s course experience feels dated.
- Storefront customization. Can you make it look like your brand? Kajabi and Podia offer full website builders. Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy have minimal storefront customization.
The Bottom Line
If there’s one takeaway from this guide, it’s this: think ahead. The platform you choose today shapes what’s easy — and what’s painful — when your product line grows.
For most creators who plan to sell both digital downloads and courses, Podia is the most balanced option. It handles both product types genuinely well, includes email marketing, and won’t break the budget. If budget is tight, Payhip delivers surprising value. If courses are your core business and you’re ready to invest, Kajabi is the premium choice.
Don’t pick a platform that does one thing well and forces you to bolt on a second tool for everything else. Pick one that grows with you.
Still exploring? Read our full best platform to sell digital products guide or compare platforms for digital downloads to dig deeper into the options.