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The Digital Product Platforms I’ve Tested: Honest Breakdown for Creators
14
items I’ve used a lot of platforms while building and selling digital products. Some were great. Some were overkill. This is my honest breakdown of what I’ve tried, and what I’d choose if I were starting again today.
Sections
4
All-In-One Platforms
Checkout & Cart Platforms
Course & Membership Platforms
What I’d Choose Today
All-In-One Platforms
These are the platforms that try to do everything — email, checkout, courses, landing pages. I tested them hoping for simplicity, and while they’re powerful, I learned a lot about what I personally need (and don’t need) in a tech stack.
Great if you want everything under one roof.
Kajabi truly can run your entire digital business — email, checkout, courses, landing pages. It’s polished and professional.
For me, it felt more robust (and expensive) than I needed while balancing full-t...
Kajabi
Budget-friendly all-in-one; Simple and surprisingly capable.
Systeme.io combines funnels, email, and checkout into one affordable platform. It’s a solid entry point for beginners.
I found it practical, but eventually wanted more flexibility in specif...
Systeme.io - The only tool you need to launch your online business
Stan makes it simple to start selling quickly, especially for Instagram-based creators.
For me, it was great for simplicity, but I eventually wanted more control over checkout and backend systems.
Stan - Your Creator Store
Link-in-bio storefront hub. Beacons works well as a creator storefront, especially for Instagram-based traffic. It’s simple and organized, but I personally prefer separating checkout from my link hub long term.
Beacons
Checkout & Cart Platforms
Your checkout experience matters more than most people realize. These are the platforms I’ve personally used to process payments and structure offers.
Built for funnel builders.
Conversion-focused infrastructure.
ClickFunnels is powerful if your strategy revolves around structured funnels and upsells.
It’s effective — but for my business model, I didn’t need the full funnel-heavy ecosystem long ter...
ClickFunnels
My current checkout choice. Only having to pay once also made the choice more affordable than a constant monthly payment.
Focused and scalable.
After testing all-in-ones and funnel builders, I prefer a focused checkout platform that integrates with m...
ThriveCart
Most buyers never think about Stripe — but it’s what actually handles the transaction when someone purchases. It’s one of those foundational tools that makes online business possible. As I tested different platforms, Stripe was often the consistent p...
Stripe
Testing PayPal alongside other processors showed me how important payment preference can be for buyers. Small details like this matter more than people realize.
PayPal
Course & Membership Platforms
These are the platforms I’ve used to actually deliver my digital products — courses, memberships, and community spaces. This is where the student experience really matters.
Simple course delivery add-on. Convenient if you already use ThriveCart. I tested ThriveCart Learn because it integrates directly with checkout. It’s convenient and easy to set up. For me, I eventually preferred a slightly more structured learning en...
ThriveCart: Learn - Overview
I liked how Skool integrates learning and discussion together instead of separating them. For creators building community-driven offers, it can be a really powerful setup.
For my season of business, I realized I prefer separating checkout and deliver...
Skool
What I’d Choose Today
Simple > complicated. Separated but streamlined. Right now, I prefer separating checkout, email, and course delivery. It gives me flexibility without rebuilding my entire business every time I pivot. This setup feels sustainable while working full...
Clean product delivery. Simple course access.
I like separating checkout from delivery. MemberVault keeps the learning environment organized and straightforward.
It feels lighter and easier to manage long-term.
MemberVault
My email marketing backbone. Simple but powerful automation. Email is non-negotiable for sustainable digital product sales. This integrates cleanly with my stack. It’s intuitive enough to manage alongside real life.
Kit
One thing I learned while testing different checkout platforms is how much order bumps and upsells affect overall revenue. Some platforms make this seamless. Others make it complicated. That experience shaped what I ultimately prefer.
What is the difference between an Upsell and Order Bump?
After testing all-in-one platforms, storefronts, and funnel builders, I prefer separating checkout, email, and course delivery. My current stack includes ThriveCart, MemberVault, and Kit. This setup gives me flexibility without rebuilding my entire b...
What does your current stack look like? : r/webdev