So you’re ready to start making money with digital products, but now you’ve gone down the rabbit hole wondering “Okay… but where should I actually sell my digital products?” —and trust me you’re not alone. With so many platforms out there, it can feel overwhelming to pick the one that won’t just work today, but will still grow with you tomorrow.
So today, I want to break it down for you—Stan Store, SamCart, Etsy, Shopify, and FG Funnels—so you can see the real pros and cons of each. I’ll cover pricing, features, and free trials (the basics), but I’ll also go deeper into things people don’t always mention including sales tax collection and how costs increase as you scale.
Let’s dive in!
⭐ Stan Store
What it is:
Stan Store is like the “link-in-bio shop” for creators, influencers, and coaches. It’s built for simplicity and speed.
Pros:
Easiest to set up—truly plug-and-play.
Great for digital products, coaching, or services.
Looks polished on mobile (perfect for Instagram/TikTok traffic).
Built-in upsells and funnels.
Collects payments without tech headaches.
Cons:
Pricing: Starts at $29/month, but you’ll quickly need the $99/month plan for funnels and email tools.
Not built for long-term scaling—great for small digital shops, but limited if you want a big catalog.
No native sales tax calculation—you’ll have to track this manually.
Free Trial: 14 days.
Payment Providers Supported: PayPal, credit/debit cards (via Stripe), and Afterpay/Klarna (only available with Pro plan)
⭐ SamCart
What it is:
SamCart started as a cart/checkout tool but has grown into a full-on sales platform for digital products and courses.
Pros:
Gorgeous checkout pages (seriously, they convert).
One-click upsells, A/B testing, subscriptions.
Perfect for selling higher-ticket offers like courses, coaching, and bundles.
Collects sales tax automatically with Stripe integration.
Cons:
Pricing: Starts at $79/month (ouch), and features like subscriptions require the higher plans.
Scaling is pricey: costs jump as you add affiliates or advanced features.
Not ideal if you want a full “storefront”—it’s more about funnels than browsing.
Free Trial: 7 days.
Payment Providers Supported: Stripe, PayPal and SamPay powered by Stripe
⭐ Etsy
What it is:
The handmade and vintage marketplace, but also a huge place for printables, templates, and other digital products.
Pros:
Built-in traffic (millions of shoppers already there).
No monthly fee to list products.
Instant trust factor—people already know and love Etsy.
Simple for beginners.
Cons:
Fees: $0.20 per listing + 6.5% transaction + payment fees can add up fast depending on the volume of sales you have.
Limited control—you don’t own the platform. If Etsy shuts down your shop, you’re out of luck.
No built-in email list builder.
Collects/remits sales tax for you, but that means you don’t control how it’s shown to customers.
Free Trial: No trial, pay per listing. New shop set up fee of approximately $30.
Payment Providers Supported: Etsy payments allows customers to use credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, and more.
⭐ Shopify
What it is:
The gold standard for e-commerce. Shopify is flexible enough to handle everything from a single digital download to massive subscription businesses.
Pros:
Affordable starting point ($39/month or $29/month if paid annually).
Built-in checkout with tax collection for US and international markets.
Scales beautifully: apps, themes, and integrations galore.
Subscription options with Shopify’s own tool or apps like Recharge and Bold.
Monetization-friendly (affiliate links, dropshipping, physical + digital products).
Tons of free trials and affiliate opportunities.
Cons:
Monthly costs rise as you add apps (e.g. subscriptions, affiliates, upsells).
A learning curve compared to Stan or Etsy.
Free Trial: 3 days free, plus $1/month for 3 months.
Payment Providers Supported: Shopify Payments, Paypal, Stripe and over 100 other payment providers worldwide
PS Feel free to sign up for Shopify using my affiliate link HERE it won’t cost you any extra and it helps me out for pulling this rundown together for you.
⭐ FG Funnels
What it is:
A powerful all-in-one funnel + CRM platform (built on HighLevel) that gives you email, funnels, memberships, and automation all in one dashboard.
Pros:
True all-in-one: funnels, memberships, courses, email marketing, even SMS.
Built-in affiliate management.
Great for coaches and course creators who want everything in one place.
Collects sales tax through integrations.
Current plan looks in pricing for life.
Cons:
Pricing: $129/month (no cheap entry-level).
Can feel overwhelming if you’re just starting out.
Scaling means higher tier plans, but you’ll probably stick with it long-term if you like “all-in-one.”
Free Trial: 14 days.
Payment Providers Supported: Stripe & PayPal, NMI and Authorize.net
✨ So…Which One Is Right for You?
Here’s the truth:
If you’re just dipping your toe in → Stan Store or Etsy.
If you want sleek funnels and are okay with higher pricing → SamCart.
If you want a long-term store that scales → Shopify (my top pick!).
If you want an all-in-one powerhouse → FG Funnels.
And remember, no matter where you start, you’re not locked in forever. The key is to get your products out there, start earning, and let your business guide you to the platform that feels right for your next chapter. 💛
One final note, all of the information here is subject to change at the discretion of the businesses listed at any time, so please do your own research to verify the pricing and features of the individual products before you decide which is right for you.
*This post contains affiliate links & I earn a commission from qualifying purchases at NO additional cost to you.