Easiest Way to Sell Digital Goods Online (Guide)
You’ve created a great digital product—an eBook, online course, software plugin, etc. Now comes the exciting, and sometimes daunting, part: figuring out the easiest way to sell digital goods online.
The sheer number of options—marketplaces, all-in-one eCommerce platforms, and website plugins—can be overwhelming. The “easiest” solution combines several factors that ensure your long-term success.
This might mean a simple setup that doesn’t require extensive technical knowledge, predictable and low costs without unexpected fees, or automation tools that let you put your online business on autopilot.
In this guide, I’ll cut through the noise, showing you the smartest ways to sell your digital goods and exactly how to get started.
Where Should You Sell Digital Products?
You want a simple, hassle-free way to sell digital goods online?
Today, you have multiple “no-code” choices, and you don’t need technical expertise. There are three main paths you can take.
Option A: Marketplaces (like Etsy)
Marketplaces are giant online platforms where many different sellers list their products. Etsy is a popular example, especially for creative digital goods like planners, templates, and art.
| The Appeal 👍 | The Hidden Costs 👎 |
|---|---|
| The biggest advantage is a built-in audience. Millions of people are already shopping on these sites, and you can get your product in front of them quickly just by listing it. | This convenience comes at a steep price. You’ll face a barrage of fees: listing fees, transaction fees, payment processing fees, and even fees for sales driven by their off-site ads. More importantly, you’re building your business on “rented land.” You don’t own your storefront or your customer list, you’re subject to the marketplace’s rules, and you’re forced to compete directly with thousands of other sellers on the same page. |
🔎 Learn more about selling on your own site vs marketplaces.
Option B: All-In-One Platforms (like Shopify, Gumroad)
These platforms give you a dedicated storefront in a closed, managed system. You sign up, choose a template, and everything from the hosting to the payment processing is handled for you.
| The Appeal 👍 | The Hidden Costs 👎 |
|---|---|
| They are often simple to get started with. The all-in-one nature means you don’t have to think about separate components, which can feel less intimidating initially. | The simplicity masks a lack of control and higher long-term costs. Platforms like Shopify charge a mandatory monthly subscription fee (often starting around $29/month) just to keep your store open. Others, like Gumroad, take a significant percentage of every single sale (up to 10% plus payment processor fees). This “creator tax” becomes incredibly expensive as your sales grow. You’re also stuck with their features and designs, making it difficult to stand out or leave the platform later on. |
The Smart Choice: Your Own Website (WordPress)
The third option offers the best of all worlds: building your own online store on a self-hosted website using WordPress.
With WordPress, you have 100% ownership.
| 🛍 Total Brand Control | It’s your store, your domain, and your design. |
| 👏 Own Your Customers | You build your own email list and can communicate with your audience directly, automatically providing a better customer support experience. |
| 💸 Lowest Possible Fees | No monthly platform fees or profit-sharing. You only pay standard payment processor fees (like Stripe or PayPal). |
| 🚀 Endless Scalability | You can add a blog, a portfolio, a subscription service—anything you can imagine. You are building a true business asset that you own completely. |
“But isn’t WordPress complicated?” That’s a common fear, but today, it’s simply not true.
With modern web hosts and user-friendly tools, setting up a WordPress site has never been more straightforward. And for selling digital products, there’s one tool that makes it truly easy.
Top Solution: Easy Digital Downloads
Once you have your WordPress site, you need a plugin to handle the eCommerce functionality—the “buy now” button, payment processing, and secure file delivery.
While there are a few quality options, one is specifically designed to make selling digital goods effortless: Easy Digital Downloads (EDD).
Many people recommend WooCommerce by default, and it’s a fantastic plugin.
But it was built for selling everything, especially physical products. It comes with settings for shipping, inventory, and logistics that are completely unnecessary for digital creators.
Using WooCommerce for digital files is like using a 1-ton truck to pick up a loaf of bread. It works, but it’s overkill and leads to a more bloated, confusing experience. There are specialized WooCommerce alternatives that better serve specific purposes.
Easy Digital Downloads is the sleek, fast sports car built for exactly one purpose: selling digital goods.
Key Benefits of Easy Digital Downloads
Purpose-Built & Lightweight: The interface is clean, intuitive, and free of clutter. You won’t see any confusing settings for shipping or inventory because they simply aren’t there.
Get Started for Free: The core Easy Digital Downloads plugin is 100% free. You can set up a complete, professional, and fully functional store without any upfront software cost.
Simple Product Setup: Creating a product is incredibly straightforward. You just add a title, a description, set a price, and upload your file. That’s it.
Secure & Automated Delivery: EDD automatically generates unique, secure download links for each customer after purchase. This protects your valuable files from unauthorized sharing and gives you peace of mind.
Grows With You: As your business grows, EDD grows with you. You can easily add powerful features with extensions for things like Recurring Payments, Software Licensing, or integrations with your favorite email marketing services.
How to Easily Sell Digital Goods With EDD
Ready to see just how easy it is? Here’s how you can go from zero to a live product in five simple steps.
Step 1. Set Up Your Foundation
If you don’t already have a WordPress site, you’ll need to get one running first.
WordPress itself is completely free, but you’ll need two things: a domain name (your website address usually ending in .com) and web hosting (the service that puts your site online).
I recommend hosts like SiteGround, WP Engine, or Bluehost because they offer affordable plans with free domains included. More importantly, they have 1-click WordPress installation, which means you can skip all the technical setup steps.
Step 2. Install the Easy Digital Downloads Plugin
Log into your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins » Add New. In the search bar, type “Easy Digital Downloads”.
Click Install Now and then Activate Plugin once the installation completes. The whole process takes less than a minute, and you’ll immediately see a new Downloads menu appear in your WordPress sidebar.
This is where EDD differs from other eCommerce solutions — there’s no separate dashboard to learn or complex configuration required. Everything integrates directly into the WordPress interface you’re already using.
Step 3. Configure Your Store in Minutes
Upon activation, you can click on the Get Started button to launch EDD’s Onboarding Wizard.
This friendly online store setup process walks you through the essential settings without overwhelming you with options you don’t need yet. You’ll be asked basic questions like your store’s location and preferred currency.
The wizard also helps you connect a payment gateway, which is crucial. I recommend starting with Stripe since it accepts all major credit cards and digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
The payment gateway connection happens with just a few clicks. You’ll authenticate with Stripe (or create an account if you don’t have one), and EDD automatically configures the secure payment processing for you.
💡 Tip: Don’t overthink the initial settings. You can always change your store location, currency, or payment methods later. The key is getting something functional quickly so you can start testing.
Step 4. Add Your Digital Product
When you’re ready, navigate to Downloads » Add Download from your WordPress dashboard.
This is where the magic happens. You’re about to create your first sellable product.
Give your product a clear, compelling title that tells people exactly what they’re getting. In the description area, explain the value your product provides and what problem it solves.
Think of this as your sales page — you want people to understand why they need this.
Under Download Details, select your product type and set your price.
Setting the right price requires some strategy. For digital products, you’re not competing on material costs like physical goods. Price based on the value you provide and the transformation your product creates.
Under Download Files, upload the actual product files customers will receive. This could be PDFs, ZIP files, MP3s, or any other digital format. EDD automatically handles the secure file delivery once someone purchases.
Don’t forget to add a product image. Even for digital products, visual representation helps with conversions. Use a mockup, cover image, or screenshot that shows what the customer is getting.
🔎 For more detailed guidance, check out our Creating Products documentation.
Step 5. Publish & Sell Your Digital Product
Once you click on the Publish button, your product goes live immediately. You now have a functioning product page with a Purchase button that processes real payments and delivers files automatically.
Before you start promoting, test the entire purchase flow yourself. Use Stripe’s test mode (found under Downloads » Settings » Payments) to make sure everything works smoothly from purchase to file delivery.
Once you’ve confirmed everything functions correctly, copy your product page URL and start sharing it. Post on social media, include it in your email newsletter, or add it to your existing blog content.
The beauty of digital products is that you can start selling immediately without inventory or shipping concerns.
This only scratches the surface of what you can use EDD to do. In addition to being the easiest way to sell digital goods online, EDD comes with tons of features and integrations that let you deliver, promote, and upsell your products.
Check out these guides for more tips & ideas:
- Promote Your Digital Product
- How to Build Your Email List
- Create Upsells to Boost Revenue
- eCommerce Guide to Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- How to Use Referral & Affiliate Marketing
FAQs on Ways to Sell Digital Goods Online
Let’s wrap up by answering some frequently asked questions about the easiest way to sell digital products online.
What is the easiest way to sell digital goods?
The easiest way to sell digital goods is by using a dedicated e-commerce plugin or platform, like Easy Digital Downloads. These tools come with automated file and product delivery systems, payment processing, and customer management, simplifying the entire sales process for you.
What is the best platform for selling digital products?
The best platform for selling digital products is a self-hosted WordPress site. Plugins like Easy Digital Downloads let you easily turn your site into an eCommerce store optimized for digital products.
How can I sell digital goods for free?
You can sell digital goods for free using platforms that offer free-tier plans, like Easy Digital Downloads. Note that while some eCommerce platforms, like Gumroad or Payhip, don’t always charge a monthly fee, they take a small percentage of each sale.
Is it profitable to sell digital goods?
Yes, selling digital goods is highly profitable because of low overhead and high-profit margins. You can sell a single product an unlimited number of times without any inventory or shipping costs involved.
What are the most popular digital goods to sell?
The most popular digital goods to sell include software, eBooks, online courses, and digital templates. Other high-demand items are stock photography, music, website themes, and access to premium content or communities. Explore this comprehensive list of the most popular digital products to sell.
Start Your Store & Sell Your Products
The easiest way to sell digital goods isn’t about finding a temporary fix on someone else’s platform. It’s about choosing a long-term solution that’s simple to start, affordable to run, and gives you the total freedom to build the business of your dreams.
The powerful combination of WordPress and Easy Digital Downloads is that solution. With it, you get:
- Complete ownership of your brand and business.
- A direct relationship with your customers.
- The lowest possible fees, so you keep more of your hard-earned money.
Ready to stop renting space and start building your own digital empire? Grab an Easy Digital Downloads pass to get started within minutes.
Not sure if you need the Pro version? Compare EDD Free vs Premium to learn more.
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