Are you looking for a way to sell your digital art online? Maybe you want to make a few extra bucks selling your designs on some marketplaces?

Indeed, with online shopping becoming more and more popular, there is now an emerging reliance on digital marketplaces in the process of marketing and selling items. As a result of this, artists are becoming increasingly inclined to sell their work through technological mediums. 

Whether it be through the sales of prints, originals, or more recently NFTs, the art world is being revolutionized by online platforms, some of which see the production of thousands of sales each year. 

I’m amazed to see how many opportunities a digital artist has today. A few years back, you needed to create your own exhibition in order to sell your art. Nowadays, everything’s simpler and more financially viable.

This article will explore the best sites for selling your art, hopefully enabling you to find the perfect place to expand your audience and start making money from your work.

Ultimately, the best platform for you will depend on your specific needs and the type of digital products you want to sell. Consider factors such as pricing, ease of use, and features when making your decision.

Here’s my quick recommendations:

  • Go with Sellfy if: you’re looking for a quick and simple way to sell digital products and you don’t have any experience in building websites.
  • Go with Shopify if: you have some experience building online stores and are looking to build a bigger place to sell your products. It offers a variety of tools that you can use depending on your needs but most of them will requires a monthly fees or a cut on your sales.
  • Go with WooCommerce: If you have experience using WordPress CMS. You can set a store for free and you’ll have plenty of features available.
  • Go with Patreon if: you want a simple place to engage with your community and sell products.

01. Sellfy

Sellfy.com logo

Sellfy is a popular platform that allows you to sell digital products such as eBooks, videos, music, and more. It offers features such as customizable storefronts, built-in analytics, and the ability to create upsell and cross-sell campaigns.

It was founded in 2011 by Maris Dagis in Riga, Latvia. The platform was designed to provide a simple, user-friendly solution for creators to sell their digital products online.

Sellfy has grown significantly since its founding, with over 300,000 users in over 170 countries . The platform has helped creators sell over $250 million in digital products, including e-books, music, videos, software, and more (data updated in 2021).

Its success can be attributed to its user-friendly interface, robust feature set, and commitment to customer support. The platform offers customizable storefronts, built-in analytics, payment processing, and shipping management, as well as integrations with popular third-party services such as Mailchimp and Zapier.

In recent years, Sellfy has expanded its focus to include more than just digital products. The platform now supports the sale of physical products as well, such as apparel and merchandise.

Overall, Sellfy is a popular and trusted platform for creators looking to sell their digital and physical products online.

ADVANTAGES

  • Offers a wide range of features, including customizable storefronts, built-in analytics, and upsell/cross-sell campaigns
  • Supports multiple payment options, including credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay
  • Offers a free plan with limited features

DISADVANTAGES

  • Higher transaction fees for lower-priced products
  • Limited customization options for the checkout process
  • Limited integrations with third-party services

02. Gumroad

Gumroad is a popular platform that allows you to sell digital products such as eBooks, music, software, and more. It’s easy to use and offers features such as customizable pricing, discount codes, and affiliate programs.

It was founded in 2011 by Sahil Lavingia in San Francisco, California. The platform was created to make it easy for creators to sell their digital products directly to their audience.

Since its founding, Gumroad has grown significantly, with over 50,000 creators in 200 countries using the platform to sell their products. The platform has helped creators earn over $500 million in sales, with products ranging from e-books and music to videos and software.

Gumroad’s success is due in part to its simplicity and ease of use. The platform offers customizable storefronts, payment processing, and customer management, as well as integrations with popular third-party services like Mailchimp and Zapier.

In addition to its core e-commerce features, Gumroad has also expanded its focus to include more support for creators. The platform offers educational resources, marketing tools, and a community of creators to help users succeed.

Overall, Gumroad is a popular and well-respected platform for creators looking to sell their digital products online, with a strong track record of success and a focus on empowering its users.

ADVANTAGES

  • Easy to use and set up
  • Offers customizable pricing and discount codes
  • Supports multiple payment options, including credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay

DISADVANTAGES

  • Limited customization options for the storefront
  • Higher fees for lower-priced products
  • You need to by approved by the platform beforehand.
  • Limited customer support options

03. Patreon

patreon.com logo

Patreon is a membership platform that was founded in 2013 by musician Jack Conte and developer Sam Yam in San Francisco, California. The platform was designed to help creators earn a sustainable income by providing a way for their fans to support them on an ongoing basis.

Since its founding, Patreon has grown significantly, with over 200,000 creators and over 7 million active patrons using the platform. The platform has helped creators earn over $2 billion in total, with support for a wide range of creators, including artists, musicians, writers, and more. (data from 2021)

Patreon’s success can be attributed in part to its unique membership model, which allows creators to offer different membership tiers with exclusive content and rewards. Patrons can choose to support their favorite creators on a monthly basis, and in return, they get access to exclusive content, merchandise, and other rewards.

In addition to its membership features, Patreon has also become a hub for creators to connect and collaborate. The platform offers community features like messaging, discussion boards, and live streams, as well as integrations with popular third-party services like Discord and Twitch.

Patreon has also been recognized for its commitment to supporting creators, with initiatives like the Creator Fund, which provides financial support to creators facing hardship.

Overall, it is a widely used and highly respected platform for creators looking to earn a sustainable income, with a focus on providing tools and resources for creators to connect with their fans and build a thriving community.

ADVANTAGES

  • Monthly membership: Patreon’s membership model allows creators to receive ongoing financial support from their fans, which can provide a more stable income than one-time sales on other platforms.
  • Community building: Patreon offers tools for creators to engage with and build a community around their work, which can lead to more loyal fans and greater success over time.
  • Flexibility: Patreon allows creators to set their own pricing tiers and offer different rewards to fans, giving them flexibility in how they monetize their work and interact with their audience.

DISADVANTAGES

  • High fees: Patreon takes a percentage of the revenue earned by creators, which can be as high as 12%, in addition to payment processing fees.
  • Dependence on fans: Because Patreon’s revenue model is based on ongoing support from fans, creators may feel pressure to constantly produce content and engage with their audience, which can be challenging for some.
  • Limited product options: While Patreon can be a great platform for creators who produce ongoing content like podcasts or videos, it may not be as well-suited for creators who want to sell one-time products like e-books or music.

04. SendOwl

sendowl.com logo

SendOwl is an e-commerce platform that was founded in 2010 by George Palmer. The company was originally based in the United Kingdom, and was created as a platform for selling digital products like e-books, music, software, and courses.

It has since expanded to offer additional services like affiliate marketing and subscription billing, which can help creators grow their customer base and generate more recurring revenue over time.

One of the key advantages of SendOwl is its focus on simplicity and ease of use. The platform is designed to be simple for creators, even if they don’t have a lot of technical expertise or experience with online selling.

In 2020, SendOwl was acquired by Canadian e-commerce platform Shopify. Since the acquisition, SendOwl has continued to operate as an independent platform, but with the added resources and expertise of Shopify behind it.

While it doesn’t publicly disclose specific statistics on its platform usage or revenue, the company has been successful in helping creators sell their digital products online.

Overall, if you’re a creator looking for an easy-to-use platform to sell your digital products, SendOwl may be a great option to consider. Its focus on simplicity and affordability, combined with its range of features like affiliate marketing and subscription billing, make it a strong contender in the e-commerce space.

ADVANTAGES

  • Easy to use and set up
  • Offers automatic delivery of digital products
  • Supports multiple payment options, including credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay

DISADVANTAGES

  • Limited customization options for the storefront
  • Higher transaction fees for lower-priced products
  • Limited integrations with third-party services

05. Shopify

shopify.com logo

Shopify is an e-commerce platform that was founded in 2004 by Tobias Lütke, Scott Lake, and Daniel Weinand. The company is based in Ottawa, Canada, and has grown to become one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world, with over 1.7 million active merchants as of 2021.

Shopify’s platform allows merchants to easily create their own online stores, manage their inventory and orders, and process payments. The company offers a wide range of features and services, including website templates, point-of-sale systems, marketing and analytics tools, and shipping and fulfillment services.

One of the key advantages of Shopify is its scalability. The platform is designed to work for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. Merchants can easily add new features and functionality to their stores as they grow, making it an ideal option for businesses that are looking to scale their online presence over time.

In terms of statistics, Shopify has seen significant growth in recent years. The company reported $2.93 billion in revenue in 2020, up from $1.58 billion in 2019. Shopify’s market capitalization has also grown significantly, reaching over $140 billion as of early 2021.

Overall, Shopify is a powerful e-commerce platform that offers a wide range of features and services for merchants of all sizes. Its scalability, ease-of-use, and range of features make it a popular choice for businesses looking to establish or expand their online presence.

ADVANTAGES

  • Offers a wide range of features, including customizable storefronts, payment processing, and shipping management
  • Large community with a wealth of resources and support
  • Integrates with a wide range of third-party services

DISADVANTAGES

  • Higher fees than some other platforms
  • Limited customization options without coding knowledge
  • Limited control over the checkout process

06. Etsy

etsy logo

Etsy was founded in 2005 by Rob Kalin, Chris Maguire, and Haim Schoppik as an online marketplace for handmade and vintage items. Since then, the platform has grown to include millions of sellers and buyers from all around the world. In 2015, Etsy became a publicly traded company, and as of 2021, it has over 4 million active sellers and 90 million active buyers.

Each listing lasts up to 4 months before expiry, or up to when the product has been sold, but listings are easily renewable.

When you sell an item there is a small commission and standard payment processing fee of 6.5%. More about their listing fees here and here.

The sense of community is also strong on this platform, giving you connections with other artists, access to support staff, a Seller Handbook, an Etsy Success Newsletter, and access to a wide array of forums and teams.

Furthermore, Etsy offers a powerful advertising tool that allows you to reach out to more potential customers.

However, as with any online marketplace, there are also some drawbacks to using Etsy. For example, sellers may face stiff competition from other sellers, and the platform’s fees can add up quickly if you’re not careful.

It’s also worth noting that Etsy’s policies and guidelines can be quite strict, so sellers need to be aware of these and make sure they are in compliance at all times.

ADVANTAGES

  • Etsy attracts millions of visitors to its website every day. If you were to sell your art on your own site, it would take years to build up an audience that large. You’ll never be short of potential buyers on an online store with such high levels of prestige. 
  • Your Etsy shop can be set up within just over 10 minutes, meaning that you can focus just on creating and selling, rather than selecting themes and fonts for your own website. 
  • Using the Etsy app, you can manage your business and sales wherever you are.
  • You can run ads and reach thousand of potential customers.
  • You can sell physical products too.

DISADVANTAGES

  • Depending on your niche, the market can be highly competitive.
  • Listing items/products on your shop aren’t free and you also have a transaction fee for each sale you make.

07. CreativeMarket

creativemarket.com logo

CreativeMarket.com is an online marketplace where independent creators can sell their digital products, such as graphics, fonts, themes, and templates, to customers worldwide.

The platform was founded in 2012 and acquired by Autodesk in 2020, and has over 7 million members.

Sellers on CreativeMarket.com have the ability to set their own prices and keep 70% of each sale, with the remaining 30% going to the platform, unlike other marketplaces that charge a listing fee.

In addition to selling individual products, creators can also offer bundles of their products for a discounted price. This encourages customers to purchase more from a particular seller, increasing the seller’s revenue.

CreativeMarket.com also offers a range of tools and resources to help creators market and sell their products. This includes a blog with helpful articles and tutorials, as well as a newsletter that highlights new and popular products on the platform.

The platform also has a community section where creators can connect with each other, share their work, and receive feedback.

However, CreativeMarket started to strengthen its seller approval process. You’ll have to justify with a portfolio and examples of the assets you want to sell on the platform to have a chance to pass. You’ll find more useful tips in this article fromTheBrandedBucks.com.

ADVANTAGES

  • CreativeMarket.com has a large and engaged community of creators and customers, which can help drive traffic and sales to a seller’s products. 
  • The platform allows sellers to set their own prices and keep a high percentage of each sale, giving them more control over their revenue.
  • Unlike other marketplaces, there are no listing fees or product approval processes, making it easy for creators to start selling on the platform (You need to be approved as a Seller first)

DISADVANTAGES

  • The platform’s focus on digital products may not be ideal for creators who also sell physical products or services.
  • The 30% commission taken by the platform may be higher than other marketplaces, such as Etsy or Gumroad.
  • The platform’s emphasis on discounts and bundles may lead to creators undervaluing their products in order to make sales.

08. WooCommerce

woocommerce logo

WooCommerce is an open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. It was first released in September 2011 and has quickly become one of the most popular e-commerce platforms on the web. WooCommerce is designed to help businesses of all sizes create an online store using the power and flexibility of WordPress.

One of the key advantages of WooCommerce is that it is built on top of WordPress, which is a powerful content management system (CMS) used by millions of people around the world.

This means that you can have access to a huge variety of plugins and themes that can be used to customize your store and make it look and function exactly how they want it to.

Another advantage of WooCommerce is its flexibility. It can be used to sell physical and digital products, subscriptions, and even bookings and appointments. It also integrates seamlessly with a wide variety of payment gateways and shipping providers, making it easy to manage all aspects of your online store.

However, one of the main disadvantages of WooCommerce is that it requires users to have a basic understanding of WordPress. This can be a barrier to entry for those who are not familiar with the platform. Additionally, while the core WooCommerce plugin is free, users will need to pay for hosting, domain registration, and any additional plugins or themes they choose to use.

In summary, WooCommerce is a powerful e-commerce platform that is perfect for businesses looking to create a customizable online store using the power of WordPress. While it may require some technical know-how to get started, its flexibility and wide range of customization options make it a great choice for businesses of all sizes.

ADVANTAGES

  • Low start-up cost and flexibility.
  • Large developer community and plugin library.
  • SEO-friendly and customizable.

DISADVANTAGES

  • Self-hosting required, which can add complexity and cost.
  • Technical knowledge required for customization.
  • Potentially slower website speed due to plugins and hosting.

In this article, I evaluated each platform based on factors such as pricing, features, ease of use, and customer support.

After careful analysis, we found that each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses. Sellfy, for example, is great for beginners with its user-friendly interface, while Gumroad is a good option for creators who want more control over their pricing.

Patreon is ideal for those looking to build a community around their content, while SendOwl is perfect for selling digital products directly from your website.

Shopify is a popular choice for online businesses looking to scale, and Etsy is a well-established marketplace for handmade and vintage goods.

CreativeMarket offers a platform for digital creatives to sell their work, and WooCommerce is a flexible solution for those who already have a WordPress website.

Ultimately, the best platform for you will depend on your specific needs and goals as a digital product seller.

If you’re looking for more guidance on the subject, there’s this Youtube video by Aurelius Tjin that might help you:

Best Platform To Sell Digital Products For Beginners
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About the Author Betchphoto

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