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The Most Popular Digital Products to Sell in WordPress

Do you want to know what the most popular digital products to sell online are? You’ve come to the right place. We’ll show you the top 14 proven ways to make money with digital products.

Smart entrepreneurs know that selling digital products has a giant list of advantages over selling physical products. The biggest one being high potential profit margins!

😫 With physical products you have to worry about complexities like:

  • Manufacturing
  • Importing
  • Shipping
  • Inventory
  • Fulfillment
  • Local business laws
  • …and many more…

😃 Digital goods are in a league of their own. By comparison they are:

  • More easy to create
  • Easy to distribute
  • Never out of stock (no inventory problems)
  • More sustainable
  • Usually more profitable

With just a computer, or mobile device, and an internet connection you can make a digital product worthy of selling. You don’t need physical materials, factories, or a large staff. 

Digital products are a great way to generate passive income. It’s time for you to create and share something wonderful with the world! But what type of digital product should you start with?

Get ready for some digital product ideas and inspiration. Here is our short list of the top digital products you can sell online. Read on or skip around:

  1. eBooks
  2. Software
  3. Web-based Applications
  4. Graphics and Digital Art
  5. Cloud Design App Templates
  6. Fonts
  7. Music and Audio
  8. Photography
  9. Video
  10. Documents
  11. Spreadsheets
  12. Courses
  13. Professional Services
  14. Tickets

Where Should You Sell?


1. eBooks

Illustration of most popular digital product: eBooks

eBooks are one of the most popular digital products for both creators and customers. They are relatively simple to produce since they require little more than written text and a few relevant images.

eBooks are simple to distribute on large marketplaces or self-created online stores. They’re easily consumed by customers, who can read them on e-readers, tablets, computers, and even their mobile phones.

The beauty of creating eBooks is that you can share almost anything you know or are passionate about. You can educate, advise, or curate existing content with an eBook to then sell on your website.

Get Started Selling eBooks


2. Software

Illustration of most popular digital product: software

The software industry is huge and consistently growing. There are many opportunities.

The global software market is projected to be worth more than 1 trillion dollars in the next few years. Massive!

People use computers and mobile devices every day. Code writers and product developers can make apps that people want and need to speed up business tasks and daily life. Software can be the most profitable digital product.

From large enterprises, to small businesses, down to individual users, here are just a few examples of the types of software products you can make and sell:

  • WordPress plugins
  • WordPress themes
  • Mobile apps
  • Fitness apps
  • Project management apps
  • Video games
  • Windows Apps
  • Mac Apps
  • Linux Apps
  • iPhone Apps
  • Android Apps
  • Web-based apps (Saas) more on that below

You can turn code into cash.

Selling software online is something we know a lot about. We created Easy Digital Downloads to sell our software. We use it every day. 

We’ve helped thousands of companies sell software! EDD powers ecommerce experiences for more than 17 million customers, and that’s just in the Awesome Motive family of products.

Get Started Selling Software


3. Web-based Applications (SaaS)

Illustration of most popular digital product: Saas links

Web-based applications are similar to software, but are not downloaded from the web and installed on your device or computer. 

Instead this software is run in a web browser. This type of software is also known as SaaS (Software as a Service). These businesses may not be “digital products” in the truest sense, but can be sold the same way. And customers use and perceive them as similar.

Many software creators find themselves faced with the choice between building a web-based SaaS app or a distributed, installable program. The ecosystem for SaaS’s is huge. Here are some digital product examples for SaaS, many of them names you’ll be very familiar with:

  • File storage services:
    • Dropbox
    • iCloud
    • Google Drive
    • MediaFire
  • Music apps:
    • Spotify
    • Apple Music
  • Email marketing platforms:
  • Customer/contact management (CRM) apps:
    • Salesforce
    • Nutshell
    • Pipedrive
    • Groundhogg.io
  • Site monitoring apps:
    • Pingdom
    • Status Cake
    • Upime.com
    • New Relic
  • Project management services:
    • Basecamp
    • Asana
    • Podio
    • Jira
  • Online learning:
    • Udemy
    • Team Treehouse
    • LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com)
    • Skillshare
    • Coursera

SaaS products usually have subscription pricing (recurring payment models). Customers pay a monthly fee or annual fee for access to the tools/apps/services.

🖥 Learn more from our article on selling web-based services / SaaS’s


4. Graphics and Digital Art

Illustration of most popular digital product: graphics

Graphic designers and artists can create a wide variety of unique and valuable products. Selling digital files allows access to a huge customer base.

This is a great way to make money online because it’s repurposing skills you already are using for work. 

Digital product examples include:

  • Logos
  • Brand kits
  • Design templates
  • Adobe files and templates (.PSD and .AI files)
  • Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo templates
  • PowerPoint themes
  • Original artwork
  • Clip art
  • Stock icons (vectors)
  • Card designs
  • Swipe files
  • Patterns
  • Brushes
  • Backgrounds
  • click here for more ideas

Get Started Selling Graphics and Digital Art


5: Cloud Design App Templates

Illustration of most popular digital product: design templates

There’s a new segment of graphic templates that we need to mention all on its own.

Web-based (cloud) design apps like Canva and VistaCreate are growing very quickly. 

These apps make it easy for non-professionals and professionals alike to quickly make beautiful designs using only a web browser. They are fantastic for beginners.

They have tens of millions of users. And this will only grow as social media grows.

You can sell templates for this expanding market. Use the design skills that you already have. All you need is a free Canva for VistaCreate account! Be sure to consider this easy win!

Get Started Canva and Adobe Creative Cloud Express Templates


6. Fonts

Illustration of most popular digital product: fonts

Fonts and typefaces are great examples of digital products which are always popular. Customer preferences constantly change, and designers always need new fonts.

Fonts can be created and distributed for use on the web by website creators, or for use in desktop applications like Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop. 

Get Started Selling Fonts


7. Music and Audio

Illustration of most popular digital product: music

Music and Audio are powerful mediums for communicating a message.

People pay for audio files that entertain them, soothe them, inform them, inspire them and help them achieve business goals.

Audio products can include:

  • Recorded lectures
  • Musical samples
  • Audiobooks
  • Foreign language lessons
  • Relaxing background noises
  • Karaoke versions of popular songs
  • Reusable sound effects
  • Full lyrical or instrumental music tracks
  • click here for more ideas

Get Started Selling Music and Audio


8. Photography

Illustration of most popular digital product: photography

High-quality, premium photos are one of the most sought-after digital products today. The biggest consumers of online photographs are bloggers and website owners.

There are many types of photos you can sell:

One challenge is that photography has become a crowded market. It’s hard to sell photos at a high price. It’s difficult to earn what they are worth (often they are given away for free). 

However, there are strategies to build a successful business selling photos.

The first thing you need to do is make it very easy to purchase photos. Consider whether you should sell photographs individually or provide unlimited downloads to subscribers.

A good website is a vital part of a photographer’s portfolio. Showcasing your work beautifully is needed to raise your profile.

If you have competitive pricing, and excellent images, it’s possible to do very well selling your independent or client-commissioned photos on your own website.

Get Started Selling Photography


9. Video

Illustration of most popular digital product: video

Video is an extremely popular and effective format for delivering information online. Content can be educational, informative, or entertaining. 

It’s more engaging than text. It can be easily consumed by clicking a play button and watching. Some people like watching video at 1.5x or 2x speed to learn faster.

Users love video, and in many cases are happy to pay for it.

There are many types of video you can sell:

  • Online courses/training
  • Stock footage
  • Drone footage
  • Special effects templates for motion graphics
  • AfterEffects Templates
  • Cavalry Templates
  • Product reviews
  • Video game reviews or game play

If you’re a great public speaker, have a visual-based passion, or just love sharing your thoughts on video, with a little editing time you can sell videos online.

Get Started Selling Video

  1. Sell video files that customers download to their devices and watch whenever they want
  2. Sell access to private content restricted to paying customers or subscribers

10. Documents

Illustration of most popular digital product: documents

You are an expert on something. What is it? How can you help businesses or individuals succeed? This can take on many forms. Help others with their:

  • Business
  • Side hustle
  • Hobby
  • Personal wellness
  • Family
  • Sport

You may already share your knowledge on your website or blog. Curate your content into useful documents for sale. This is beneficial for both you and your site visitors.

Here are some ideas:

  • Industry reports, manuals, or guides
  • Templates (like resumés or proposals)
  • Printables (checklists, planners, mindfulness guides)
  • Case studies
  • Presentations (PowerPoint, GoogleSheets, Apple Keynote)
  • Sheet music
  • Activities
  • click here for 40+ more ideas

Get Started Selling Documents


11. Spreadsheets

Illustration of most popular digital product: spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are a type of document. But they deserve a mention as a product segment all to themselves.

Just about everyone uses spreadsheets often or occasionally at work. Spreadsheets can interact with databases, automation software, and SaaS platforms.

Microsoft Excel, a paid app, is one of the most popular software applications in history. Then there are the popular free spreadsheet apps: Google Sheets, and Apple Numbers. Between these three apps, everyone in the world with a computer or mobile device can easily make use of a spreadsheet.

Knowing how to use them is an important business skill for many professions.

Because of this, there is a large market for spreadsheet templates and spreadsheet training courses (learn more about selling courses below). 

Get Started Selling Spreadsheets


12. Courses

Illustration of most popular digital product: courses

Online courses are huge right now. e-Learning is an industry in its own right. There is a lot of innovation, huge growth, and momentum in this space.

As it grows, we are starting to see traditional educational institutions explore new ways to make their content available to online learners. There are three basic ways to sell courses online:

  • One-off course
  • Collection of courses (often with a certificate, degree, or reward given out upon completion)
  • Membership/subscription to a catalog of courses 

Courses are sold the same way as most other digital products. According to our user surveys, the number of people using Easy Digital Downloads to sell courses recently quadrupled in one year!

Online courses are the sole product of some online businesses. Other businesses use them as a complementary product. For example a training course used to help customers succeed with their main product/s.

It used to be really hard to make online courses. Learning Management Systems (LMS) were expensive and hard to use. But plugins built on top of WordPress make it easy and inexpensive to provide quality training.

Online courses are an amazing opportunity for anyone with knowledge or expertise to share. And YOU are an expert in something. So share it!

There are no limits to the audience you can reach! You are no longer limited by geography, technology or time.

Get started now! How?

It depends on what kind of products you plan to sell. Here is what we recommend.

Selling Digital Products AND CoursesSelling ONLY Courses
Use Easy Digital Downloads + Content RestrictionUse MemberPress
If you are selling digital products and you want to provide customers with private/restricted content, like tutorials use Easy Digital Download’s Content Restriction extension.If the content is the only or main product, you want to make what is commonly called a membership site. A site where you have to be a paying member (or subscriber) to see certain private content (the courses).
Click here to purchase an Extended Pass which includes the Content Restriction extension.We recommend MemberPress for its powerful mix of features. This one plugin can handle both membership sites and online courses. 

The best way to sell memberships or online courses with WordPress is MemberPress. Here is a great article and video comparing the 5 best membership plugins on WPBeginner

13. Professional Services

Illustration of most popular digital product: services

Services are not really “products” in most ways. However, they can be sold in the same way digital products are sold. They are often sold one of two ways:

  • Fixed-price services – The cost of the service is predefined and known to the customer before needing to engage with the service provider.
  • Case-by-case services – The required work is scoped by the service provider, quoted to the customer, and the cost is agreed upon by both parties. You can automate this with a good form builder, try WPForms to easily build powerful forms that convert site visitors into customers

Types of Service Products

In the world of eCommerce, the line between product and service has become a little fuzzy. In many cases, the customer doesn’t care very much about the difference. We call this a “productized service”. Here’s an example:

  • Product – Customers buy a premade logo as a download with a defined price
  • Productized Service – Customer pays a predefined price to have someone design a logo (a similar but more premium experience with same result)

With many service-based jobs, you are selling your time in exchange for a specific outcome or result, instead of a product. Or, you may be selling your time for a completely bespoke product, unique only to that one customer.

These days, all kinds of service providers are opting to sell productized services online. Below is a very brief list of some of the professions that can sell services online:

This is another segment of digital products we have seen on the rise, with more than three times as many people selling services using Easy Digital Downloads now compared with a year ago.

Get Started Selling Professional Services


14. Tickets

Illustration of most popular digital product: tickets

Tickets are different from other digital products because they are usually related to a time-based event at a physical location. They also are not sold in unlimited quantities.

However tickets can be sold on a website in the same way most other digital products are sold. Customers can visit the site, make their selections, checkout, and receive their tickets instantly all without interacting with anyone.

Sell tickets online for conferences, concerts, carnivals and other time-based events. Or sell tickets for admission to amusement parks, zoos and museums which may not enforce a specific time.

Don’t have your own event venue?

Many organizations from concert halls to zoos have affiliate programs allowing you to resell their tickets at discount prices. This is great for tour guides and social media influencers. Call the sales office of your favorite venue to see what opportunities are in your area.

Tickets can also be sold for online experiences such as webinars, classes, online conferences, or in-person conference live streams.

Get Started Selling Tickets

Here are two ways to get started with event tickets.

Sugar Calendar Logo
  1. Check out our sister plugin Sugar Calendar. Grab the Event Ticket Pro Add-on to start selling tickets in no time.
  2. Or check out this article about Calendar plugins and selling tickets.

Where Should You Sell?

When selling digital products you’ll be faced with what we call ‘the platform dilemma’.

🤔 Should you sell on other websites and marketplaces or create your own website?

There are always pros and cons to using marketplaces, ecommerce platforms, and other people’s websites. 👇🏽

🟢 Pros🔴 Cons
Platforms and Marketplaces already get lots of visitors to their site. This may make it easier for you to find an audience (but there’s no guarantee).They take a cut of your revenue. The more you make the more they take.
It’s easier to list on other sites than build your own website.Your customers are not your customers, they are the platform’s customers
You may be able to build an audience more quickly.Likely no way to do direct communication with ‘your’ customers.
Likely no way to communicate with potential customers, visitors to the site who are thinking about purchasing (with email, social media, and lead magnets).
May have no way to follow up with ‘your’ customers after purchase, you may want to help them succeed (sometimes called onboarding) and not be able to.
You can’t build your own brand and customer experience on someone else’s website.
You have to follow their terms of use, which can change at any time.
Many platforms have limitations on what prices you can charge.
Some platforms and marketplaces require that you exclusively sell on their website only.

Building your own website may take more work than jumping on Etsy, Shopify, or Creative Market. But we recommend creating your own website. Otherwise platform fees and revenue sharing will scale up as your sales grow.

Marketing Required

Many entrepreneurs find that even after joining an ecommerce platform they still have to do digital marketing tasks like blogging, social media posts, and SEO (search engine optimization). If you’ll have to do all that anyway, why not own your own platform?

The best place to sell your digital products online is your own website. Smart entrepreneurs and business owners know the value of a D2C (direct to consumer/customer) platform.

You have control over your brand, customer experience, and direct communication with the customer.

You can also keep all of your revenue (except for credit card fees).

⚠️ Remember, platforms and marketplaces charge middle-man fees and/or commissions. 

The Best Website Tool

WordPress Logo

The best way to build your own website is to use WordPress. WordPress offers the most flexibility and power. You control your website expenses.

WordPress now powers 43% of the internet! No other technology even gets into the double-digits. 

WordPress is open source. That means you own it. Do whatever you want with it. You can own the world’s most popular and powerful website content management system!

Most other website technology and services cost more and do less. Plus they are harder to use than WordPress.

With WordPress you can choose from the world’s largest ecosystem of plugins, themes (templates), and services. It will always scale, adapt, and expand to whatever you need it to do.

All you need to get started with WordPress is a web host. The good ones will set up WordPress for you! You don’t need to know how to code or hire a web developer.

  • 🕸 Check out this guide for choosing a WordPress host
  • ⬇️ Already have a WordPress site? Perfect. Get set up to sell in no time. Read on…

The Best eCommerce Tool for Selling Digital Products

Easy Digital Downloads Logo Banner

The best way to sell digital products on WordPress is with the Easy Digital Downloads plugin.

Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is a complete eCommerce store that you can set up in just a few minutes. You can get started with EDD for free. You can use it for free forever.

The free version of EDD provides:

  • Protected product files
  • Shopping cart
  • Full control over pricing
  • Flexible checkout options
  • Customer management (basic CRM)
  • eCommerce reports
  • Discount codes
  • Stripe and/or PayPal integration

 Many other e-commerce solutions are built for selling physical products. You’ll have to install and set up shipping and inventory management tools. You don’t need those.

EDD is purpose-built for selling digital goods. It’s simple (and free) to get started, and you can add functionality as you grow.

Using WordPress and want to get Easy Digital Downloads for free?

Enter the URL to your WordPress website to install.

If you need subscriptions (recurring payments), software licensing, or other advanced features, be sure to grab an EDD Pass.


Conclusion

Good work! You’ve learned about the best and most popular digital products to sell online. There is nothing stopping you from creating and selling something unique. Get started today!Our blog is full of ideas and resources for digital creators like you! What do you want to learn about next?

Use Easy Digital Downloads to build a WordPress e-commerce store in minutes.

We’re always sharing more tips for digital creators. Be sure to:

Using WordPress and want to get Easy Digital Downloads for free?

Enter the URL to your WordPress website to install.

Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. We only recommend products that we believe will add value to our readers.

33 comments

  1. Joe Wells

    Whoa! This is comprehensive! It’s like a clear roadmap to make affiliate money.
    Anyway, thanks for the mention! Groundhoggers LOVE that Groundhogg effortlessly integrates with Easy Digital Downloads. It’s love all around!

    1. Joe Wells

      Hi Nancy. You’re welcome! Your team is providing a very cool CRM option for growing businesses. Keep up the good work!

  2. Joe Wells

    Basically, what is needed for affiliate marketing beginners. Thank you for this informative content.

    1. Joe Wells

      To get started with affiliate marketing, reach out potentials influencers through social media, make a list of perfect fits for your product or service. Let them access it for free, then slowly monetize it through commission model. Hope, this will help you out.

  3. Joe Wells
    1. Joe Wells
  4. Joe Wells

    i’m going to take the plunge and get started with EDD, i have been looking for a way to monetize all my e-books, pdf files and i truly hope this is the all in one answer.
    it would completely compliment my blog site and hopefully add another dimension for my readers and myself to be rewarded for all the work.

    1. Joe Wells
      1. Joe Wells

        Hi, I’m so envious about online entrepreneurs. Over a period now, I’ve search for a digital earnings but no stepping stone to grow on

  5. Joe Wells
  6. Joe Wells

    Excellent write-up, I have always enjoyed your articles, you’re such a wonderful writer, always on point. This article is loaded to the hilt, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and at the same time, I was hugely enlightened. I will keep developing my writing skills so that one day I will be at your level. Thanks

  7. Joe Wells

    Hi there! Nice list and clear explanations of digital products and their examples. Although I miss one: digital fashion products. I think it’s a great addition to the future of fashion! Maybe you can write an article of the pros and cons of this digital product type? Good luck anyway!

    1. Joe Wells

      Thanks for reading, commenting and making the suggestion Stephanie. We’ll take digital fashion products into consideration for a future article or section of an article. Gonna read up. Cool!

  8. Joe Wells
  9. Joe Wells

    Thanks for sharing, I have been using EDD for my ebook sales but have been lagging behind. This post will motivate me to create more digital products. Thanks!

    1. Joe Wells
  10. Joe Wells
  11. Joe Wells

    can you help me
    I am starting to sell digital products such as windows, anti-virus…
    I searched a lot but I could not find a supplier for microsofts products

    1. Joe Wells
  12. Joe Wells
  13. Joe Wells

    This blog is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to stay informed and educated on the topic.

  14. Joe Wells
  15. Joe Wells

    Thank you for sharing this brilliant idea! All the things you suggest make sense. Great post!

  16. Joe Wells

    I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog post about 14 Most Popular Digital Products. The insights and information you shared were incredibly valuable. I particularly liked your point about Fonts and typefaces are great examples of digital products which are always popular.

  17. Joe Wells

    Awesome blog; IMO, developing various digital items is a wonderful method to gain revenue passively!
    thank you ! for wonder dull iteam.

  18. Joe Wells
  19. Joe Wells

    As someone who is passionate about the topics you cover, I’ve found your website to be an invaluable resource.

  20. Joe Wells

    Hello!

    I found your site (easydigitaldownloads.com) it extremely awesome! I wanted to know if you accept paid content in the form of guest posts and give a do-follow link to our client’s site.

    Kindly let me know the price per post (if you are interested to sell sponsored posts on your blog).

    Also, we might be interested in placing in-content text links (link from an existing blog post) please do let me know the price per text link placement as well.

    So tell me the prices, and we’ll get an agreement ☺

    Have a nice day!

    Regards,
    Kathryn
    Outreach Manager at Webs cordial

  21. Joe Wells

    I liked your point about customer retention! Implementing personalized email campaigns has worked wonders for my digital download store.

  22. Joe Wells
  23. Joe Wells
  24. Joe Wells

    This blog serves as an essential guide for anyone looking to dive into the world of online sales, detailing 14 of the most popular digital products to sell in 2024 and offering a great starting point for entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on digital trends.

  25. Joe Wells

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