Many creators and entrepreneurs now sell digital products as their primary business model or as a profitable side hustle.
In this busy and vibrant market, SendOwl is a popular platform choice. It features an easy-to-use interface and helps its users manage their transactions efficiently.
However, SendOwl has drawbacks, such as its fees, which some users have stated make it tough for small businesses.
We’ll examine its pros and cons and consider why people look for SendOwl alternatives.
The good news for digital sellers is that there are many strong alternatives to SendOwl, and we'll review some of the strongest candidates.
SendOwl’s features for selling digital products
SendOwl was founded in 2011 and is a UK-based enterprise serving users globally. It’s a popular choice for those looking for a user-friendly platform to sell digital products and manage e-commerce operations.
Let's start by looking at the platform's strengths when we think about the best SendOwl alternatives for people who sell digital products.
SendOwl Pros
- Ease of setup: Simple to set up: Setting up SendOwl is easy, and users can make product listings and start selling digital and physical goods in just a few minutes.
- Range of supported products: Users can sell a wide range of digital goods, such as music, videos, software, and subscription services, thanks to the full set of management tools.
- Integrated marketing and sharing options: SendOwl comes with built-in marketing tools that make it easy for users to share products on social media and add checkouts to their websites.
- Payment gateway flexibility: SendOwl supports multiple payment gateways, including PayPal and Stripe, offering customers various payment options to increase reach and conversion rates.
- Affiliate management: Users can easily set up and run affiliate programs that automatically keep track of sales and commissions to make more money.
- Bundling and drip-selling: SendOwl lets users bundle products for sale and slowly release digital files over time.
- Cart abandonment recovery: SendOwl has automated email reminders that can help you get sales from customers who leave their carts during checkout.
Why look for SendOwl alternatives?
While SendOwl has its fair share of happy customers, many feel underwhelmed by certain aspects of its offering, most notably the fees. Let’s look at the key reasons why people search for a SendOwl alternative.
#1 Cost & fees
SendOwl’s plan costs are pretty competitive, but they also attract fees per order, which can really mount up. SendOwls pricing structure is as follows:
Plan | Price | Transaction fees |
|---|---|---|
Starter | $18/month | 5% fee per order |
Growth | $37/month | $0.47 fee per order |
Pro | $89/month | $0.28 fee per order |
SendOwls order fees apply even to items a user sells at zero cost.
As this review on Trustpilot states, while the ease of use is great, SendOwl is expensive for small businesses.
#2 Customer support
Another issue that seems to come up quite frequently when reading reviews of the SendOwl platform is that its customer support leaves a little to be desired.
Some users have felt ignored after multiple contact attempts. SendOwl offers a help center and email support but lacks a Live Chat or community support group.
This leaves some users frustrated as this review shows.
Seven of the best SendOwl alternatives
Let's review and compare some of the best SendOwl alternatives on the market, comparing their features, cost, and support.
1. Checkout Page
Checkout Page offers ease of use and rich functionality at a competitive price, with no transaction or hidden fees and exceptional customer support from our founders.
We excel as a no-code solution that enables users to create high-converting single-product pages in just a few minutes. This makes it ideal for sellers with or without technical expertise.
Our pricing is highly competitive, and 99% of our features are available to our users on any plan. We make it simple for our users to build effective sales funnels, incorporate one-click upsells, and utilize many other sales-boosting features to maximize revenue.
Checkout Page top features:
✅ No checkout page limits on any plan
✅ Low flat monthly subscription cost with 0% sales fees or hidden fees
✅ Enables the sale of subscriptions and memberships
✅ Instant digital file delivery with files available in the customer’s portal for easy access
✅ Create multi-step checkout pages and forms
✅ Offer one-click upsells and unlimited order bumps
✅ Offer discount codes and coupons
✅ Customize pages to match your branding
✅ Send data with Zapier or Webhooks
✅ Outstanding customer support from our founders via Live Chat
✅ We offer a 7-day free trial - no card required
💳 Checkout Page pricing
Review Checkout Page’s full pricing
🏆 Who is Checkout Page great for:
For digital entrepreneurs who prioritize versatility, ease of use, and a focus on checkout pages that conver, all with with a budget-friendly pricing structure.
😞 Who is Checkout Page less suitable for: Those looking for a platform with website or course builder funcionality.
Plan | Price | Transaction fees |
|---|---|---|
Launch | $29/month (up to $3K sales volume) $24/month if paid annually | 0% |
Grow | $99/month (up to $10K sales volume) $83/month if paid annually | 0% |
Scale | $239/month (up to $30K sales volume) $199/month if paid annually | 0% |
2. Gumroad
Gumroad is a well-established marketplace platform known for its user-friendly approach and low risk set-up with pay as you sell pricing. It supports creators in selling digital products and, as a marketplace, offers sellers increased visibility through exposure to its audience.
Sellers can quickly upload files and start selling with Gumroads simple setup process, making the platform accessible to those with limited technical skills.
Gumroad top features
✅ Sell a variety of digital products, such as downloads, memberships & subscriptions
✅ Create an online store on the Gumroad platform
✅ Sellers benefit from marketplace browsing traffic
✅ Easily create discount codes and promotional offers
✅ Take advantage of social proof with user comments and feedback option on products
✅ Benefit from LiveChat customer support and active support on X.com
💳 Gumroad pricing
Gumroad does not charge any monthly fee, and instead takes a flat 10% fee on every sale made through its platform.
Review Gumroad’s full pricing and fees
This pricing structure, which came into effect in 2022 caused quite a stir among Gumroad’s users.
🏆 Who is Gumroad great for?
Solopreneurs, small businesses, or startups that seek a simple way to test new product ideas in an active market.
😞 Who is Gumroad less suitable for?
For anyone with high-volume sales, steer clear. Those fees really mount up!
2. Podia
Podia is a a fairly versitile platform that's designed to help creators sell digital products, online courses, and memberships. It helps to simplify the selling process for those seeking to share their knowledge or artistic creations in a digital format.
For teachers, artists, experts and entrepreneurs, Podia provides tools that facilitate smooth communication with your audience, including email marketing and community-building options.
Podia’s top features:
✅ Course builder enables creators to set up their entire course curriculum without technical skills.
✅ Intuitive design allows users to set up online stores and add products without technical skills
✅ Users can sell various digital products, including courses, coaching sessions, and memberships.
✅ Podia allows the creation and monetization of community spaces for member engagement.
✅ Rich analytics to help creators optimize their courses and more
✅ Live Chat support for paying users, as well as email, help center, and a support community.
💳 Podia pricing
Plan | Cost | Transaction fees |
|---|---|---|
Mover | $39/month $33/month if paid annually | 5% |
Shaker | $89/month $75/month if paid annually | 0% |
Podia Email: Both plans include Podia Email, a feature that allows users to create and send email campaigns to communicate with their audience. It’s free if you send under 500 emails.
See Podia's full pricing and features list.
🏆 Who is Podia great for?
Individual creators, educators, and small businesses seeking a simple, all-in-one platform to sell digital products without technical hassles.
😞 Who is Podia less suitable for?
Podia is less suitable for businesses or those requiring extensive customization and advanced features, such as sophisticated assessments or detailed email marketing automation.
3. PayHip
Payhip is an e-commerce platform that helps creators sell digital products, coaching, courses, memberships, and physical products.
Its feature set includes customizable landing pages, secure payment processing, and coupon code options, making it a user friendly option for digital sellers looking to manage their sales and distribution.
Payhip top features
✅ Create a professional online store with the Payhip store builder.
✅ Product management, marketing, and affiliate tracking features are built in
✅ AOV boosting features like coupons, discounts, upsells, and cross-sells
✅ Payhip helps to simplify EU & UK tax handling
✅ Generates license keys for customers purchasing software products
✅ Payhip offers email or telephone support options for its users
💳 Payhip pricing
Plan | Cost | Transaction fees |
|---|---|---|
Free forever plan | $0/month | 5% |
Plus plan | $29/month | 2% |
Pro plan | $99/month | 0% |
See Payhip's full pricing and features list.
🏆 Who is Payhip great for?
Payhip's user-friendly interface makes it easy for creators to set up their shops and start selling digital products quickly.
😞 Who is Payhip less suitable for?
Payhip’s shop and checkout pages have limited design flexibility, making it challenging for users seeking extensive branding options.
4. Sellfy
Sellfy is an e-commerce platform that lets creators and businesses sell digital goods, physical goods, and subscriptions directly to customers. The platform has a simple storefront builder that lets users change their online stores without needing to know how to code.
Sellfy top features
✅ No-code storefront builder enabling users to create a branded storefront
✅ Includes print-on-demand services enabling users to create T-shirts, hoodies, mugs etc
✅ Video streaming capabilities enabling users to offer video-on-demand
✅ Sell any files, including ebooks, videos, audio, and music, as well as formats like PSD and AI
✅ Marketing features include discount codes, email marketing, upselling at checkout, tracking pixels for ads, and automated cart abandonment emails
✅ 24/7 email support only
💳 Sellfy pricing
Plan | Cost | Transaction fees |
|---|---|---|
Starter | $29/month $22/month if paid annually | 0% |
Business | $79/month $59/month if paid annually | 0% |
Premium | $159/month $119/month if paid annually | 0% |
See Sellfy's full pricing and features list.
🏆 Who is Sellfy great for?
It is suitable for digital entrepreneurs looking to enter the print-on-demand market, as it provides a seamless route to creating and selling custom merchandise without needing upfront inventory.
😞 Who is Sellfy less suitable for?
Limited storefront templates make it difficult for sellers to differentiate their store’s branding to any significant degree.
5. ThriveCart
ThriveCart is a shopping cart and checkout solution that assists businesses in selling their products and services, especially digital products.
It boasts a range of features that streamline the sales process, which makes it appealing to online entrepreneurs, course creators, and digital marketers looking to optimize their checkout process.
ThriveCart top features
✅ Create stand-alone or embeddable carts with drag-and-drop functionality
✅ Create one-click upsells, downsells, cross-sells, and order bumps
✅ Offer a range of billing options for your products
✅ Create simple sales funnels designed to convert
✅ Offers sales simple tax calculation functionality
✅ Offers help centre, FAQs, chat bot and email ticket support
💳 ThriveCart pricing
Plan | Cost | Transaction fees |
|---|---|---|
Lifetime account | $495* | 0% |
Pro upgrade | $195 | 0% |
* Note this is a special offer currently and is subject to change.
🏆 Who is ThriveCart great for?
ThriveCart’s one-time fee for lifetime access makes it appealing for those wanting total cost predictability.
😞 Who is ThriveCart less suitable for?
The one-time payment model may not suit those just starting out, those looking for a low-cost monthly solution, or those wanting only a short-term commitment.
6. SamCart
SamCart is a popular e-commerce platform designed specifically for selling digital products. It offers a range of useful features, such as customizable checkout pages that maximize conversion rates and automated digital delivery of content like eBooks and courses.
Additionally, it includes tools for managing subscriptions and payment plans and providing comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities.
SamCart top features
✅ Tools for creating one-click upsells and cross-sells help increase average order value
✅ An integrated affiliate management system enables users to establish affiliate programs
✅ Options for setting up subscription services or payment plans allow for recurring billing
✅ Automated digital content delivery, such as eBooks, courses, and software, provided immediately after purchase.
✅ Cart abandonment features automatically send follow-up emails to customers who leave without finishing their purchase
✅ Support includes chat and email for all customers
💳 SamCart pricing
Plan | Cost | Transaction fees |
|---|---|---|
Starter | $79/month $59/month if paid annually | 0% |
Business | $159/month $119/month if paid annually | 0% |
Premium | $319/month $239/month if paid annually | 0% |
See SamCart's full pricing and features
🏆 Who is SamCart great for?
Those willing to invest in the more expensive plans and fully utilize the features, such as affiliate management and cart abandonment recovery, will likely get more out of SamCart.
😞 Who is SamCart less suitable for?
Anyone on a budget wanting to use SamCart’s starter plan, because It lacks many important features, such as one-click upsells, add-ons, and affiliate management.
7. PayKickstart
PayKickstart describes itself as a revenue growth and affiliate platform. It provides features that streamline the e-commerce experience, such as customizable checkout pages and tools for managing recurring payments. It has a strong focus on marketing and retention features.
Additionally, PayKickstart focuses on its affiliate marketing capabilities, which enable users to recruit, track, and compensate affiliates.
PayKickstart top features
✅ Affiliate management capabilities include lead and sales referral tracking
✅ Subscription management tools
✅ Makes selling digital downloads secure, with encampment
✅ Enables sales boosts such as one-click upsells and order bumps
✅ Makes it possible to set up different tax profiles for each country you sell in
✅ Integrates with a range of 3rd party tools
✅ Enables the sale of both physical and digital products
✅ Has a client billing portal where you can automate invoicing, which is great for coaches and other services
✅ Has email support and a help center
💳 PayKickstart pricing
Plan | Cost | Transaction fees |
|---|---|---|
Starter | $99/month $79/month if paid annually | 0% |
Growth | $199/month $159/month if paid annually | 0% |
Scale | Request quote | 0% |
See PayKickstart's full pricing features
🏆 Who is PayKickstart great for?
Users wanting to run affiliate programs enjoy PayKickstart’s affiliate management system, which enables efficient tracking and compensation of affiliates.
😞 Who is PayKickstart less suitable for?
Users wanting an all-in-one solution encompassing marketing automation, CRM functionalities, and advanced email marketing features may find PayKickstart lacking in these areas.
The best SendOwl alternatives for you
Choosing a winning solution is complex when considering digital sellers' diverse requirements.
Comparing and balancing features, cost, ease of use, and customer support, we’ve identified two winners:
🏆 For its rich digital product sales features included in all plans, cost-effectiveness, AND tailored, rapid customer support: Checkout Page
🏆 As a great end-to-end solution for selling digital courses and memberships: Podia
Final thoughts
This article examined SendOwl’s pros and cons and examined why some users explore SendOwl alternatives, notably because of cost and support.
We’ve given overviews of seven popular platforms that work hard for digital sellers, highlighting their key features, pricing, and how users can access their support teams.
As always, clarifying your business needs and goals is a vital first step in choosing a platform that will support your unique digital venture.
If you think the Checkout Page could be a match, we offer a 7-day free trial—no credit card required!
We also have a library of free digital product templates to help you create checkout pages in minutes, and our support team can assist you with any questions you have via our Live Chat.
