Selling PDFs, plugins, presets, templates, or a full-blown video course? The “best” platform depends on three things: how you get customers (your own audience vs marketplace), what you sell (files vs drip lessons vs memberships), and what you must automate (EU VAT, affiliates, upsells, licensing).
Below is a clear, opinionated guide with tables you can act on today.
Quick picks (who wins for what)
- Fastest all-in-one for courses: Kajabi or Teachable
- Creator-friendly for downloads + courses on one plan: Podia or Payhip
- EU-VAT, global taxes, and pay-outs handled: Lemon Squeezy or Gumroad
- Full control on WordPress: LearnDash or LifterLMS for courses; Easy Digital Downloads or WooCommerce for files
- One-time license, high-converting carts: ThriveCart Learn
- Community + courses under one roof: Mighty Networks or Circle
- Marketplace reach (trade control for audience): Udemy or Skillshare
All-in-one course platforms (hosted)
| Platform | Best for | Core strengths | Payments & tax | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kajabi | Premium course + membership business | Site, email, pipelines, offers, community, podcasts | Stripe/PayPal; tax calc add-ons | Polished funnels and automations; pricier but saves a tech stack |
| Teachable | Solo creators getting to revenue fast | Solid course UX, order bumps, upsells | Stripe/PayPal; Teachable tax handling | Simple setup, big template library |
| Thinkific | Schools with multiple instructors | Site builder, student groups, assignments | Stripe/PayPal | Clean learning experience; robust assessments |
| Podia | Mixed catalog (courses, downloads, coaching) | Easy storefront, messaging, bundles, affiliates | Stripe/PayPal; EU VAT support | Great value; fewer advanced automations than Kajabi |
| LearnWorlds | Interactive learning & certificates | Interactive video, exams, SCORM, certificates | Stripe/PayPal | Strong academics feature set |
| Mighty Networks | Community-first courses | Spaces, events, live streams, course areas | Native + Stripe | Excellent for cohort courses with community heartbeat |
| Circle | Creators adding courses to community | Courses, community, live rooms, automations | Stripe | Integrates with your site; elegant UX |
| ThriveCart Learn | High-conversion checkout + course delivery | One-time cart + “Learn” LMS, bump offers, A/B | Stripe/PayPal; tax settings | Legendary checkout; course area is simple but effective |
Why pick hosted: zero dev, built-in video hosting, SSL, CDN, and an LMS that “just works.”
Why not: monthly costs add up; you’re in their walled garden for design, data model, and checkout rules.
Digital downloads & simple courses (creator stores)
| Platform | Best for | Core strengths | Taxes (EU/US) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon Squeezy | Software, plugins, themes, licenses | Handles EU/UK VAT + sales tax as MoR, subscriptions, licensing, affiliates | ✅ MoR | Beautiful checkout; excellent for SaaS/PLG + digital goods |
| Gumroad | Zero-friction selling to an existing audience | Dead-simple product pages, bundles, memberships | ✅ MoR | Fastest path to “buy now”; limited site control |
| Payhip | Files + courses + coaching on a budget | EU VAT handled, coupons, affiliates, simple LMS | ✅ MoR | Great value; lighter on advanced automations |
| Sellfy | Digital + print-on-demand blend | Storefront, subscriptions, marketing tools | Vendor collects | Quick setup; POD integration is handy |
| Ko-fi Shop | Creators monetizing tips + downloads | “Support me” + shop + memberships | Vendor collects | Fan-first; lightweight ecommerce |
| Etsy (digital) | Templates, printables, presets | Built-in marketplace traffic | Marketplace | Competes on SEO/price; fees + policies apply |
MoR = Merchant of Record (platform handles tax compliance & remittance). This is huge if you sell into the EU/UK and don’t want to register for VAT.
WordPress: maximum control (courses & files)
| Stack | Best for | What you get | Payments | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LearnDash + WP theme | Pro course sites, cohorts, quizzes | Drip, prerequisites, advanced quizzes, certificates | Stripe/PayPal via add-ons | Industry workhorse; pairs well with MemberPress/Restrict Content |
| LifterLMS | Coaches & memberships | Courses, memberships, achievements | Stripe/PayPal add-ons | Great membership tooling built-in |
| Tutor LMS | Schools/marketplaces | Course marketplace features | Gateways add-ons | Clean UI, multi-instructor support |
| Sensei (by Woo) | WooCommerce-centric courses | Woo integration, blocks-based lessons | Woo gateways | Smooth if you already live in Woo |
| Easy Digital Downloads | Files, plugins, themes | Software licensing, updates, subscriptions | Stripe/PayPal | The standard for downloads on WP |
| WooCommerce + extensions | Mixed catalog (physical + digital) | Massive ecosystem, bundles, subscriptions | Many gateways | More moving parts; limitless extendability |
| SureCart | Modern cart on WP | Fast checkout, subscriptions, no code embeds | Stripe/PayPal | Headless-style, performance-friendly |
Why pick WordPress: own everything (SEO, pixel placement, data), unlimited customization, cheaper at scale.
Why not: you (or your dev) manage hosting, updates, security, video delivery, and compliance.
Marketplaces (borrow traffic, share control)
| Marketplace | Best for | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Udemy | Mass-market video courses | Huge audience, discovery, reviews | Price control limited, revenue share |
| Skillshare | Creative/tech classes | Subscription payouts, discoverability | Variable earnings, content guidelines |
| Hotmart | LATAM/global info-products | Affiliates built-in, local payments | Fees, marketplace rules |
Use these to validate demand or as a top-of-funnel. Keep your flagship course on a platform you control.
What actually matters (selection criteria)
Checkout & monetization. You want 1-click upsells, order bumps, bundles, coupons, subscriptions, and payment links. If you sell into EU/UK, platforms like Lemon Squeezy/Payhip (MoR) remove VAT pain.
Learning experience. Interactive video, quizzes, assignments, certificates, cohorts, communities. If completion rates matter, pick platforms with progress tracking and automated nudges.
Delivery of files. Expiring links, bandwidth control, license keys/updates (for software), watermarking (for PDFs/images), versioning.
Marketing stack. Native email, automations, webhooks/Zapier, pixels, server-side events, affiliate management, coupons per partner, UTMs.
Brand control. Custom domain, white label, theme/layout control, SEO (meta, schema, sitemaps), speed.
Compliance. Taxes (VAT/GST/Sales Tax), invoices, DPA/GDPR, accessibility, content policies. MoR platforms shoulder taxes; WordPress means you own it (and the responsibility).
Recommended “starter stacks” (by use case)
I just want to sell files today (EU covered). Lemon Squeezy or Payhip. Create product → upload file → connect Stripe → ship.
A single signature course with upsells. Teachable or Kajabi. Use built-in bump/upsell, email sequences, and a simple webinar funnel.
Courses + downloads + coaching under one roof (budget). Podia or Payhip. Fewer moving parts, quick to launch.
Developer control, zero monthly platform tax. WordPress + LearnDash (courses) and/or Easy Digital Downloads (files) + Stripe + BunnyCDN for video delivery + your email tool.
Community-led cohorts. Mighty Networks or Circle with Stripe payments, then layer courses as spaces/modules.
Cart-first conversions. ThriveCart (checkout) + ThriveCart Learn for delivery (or pipe buyers into your LMS).
Feature comparison (at a glance)
| Feature | Kajabi | Teachable | Thinkific | Podia | LearnWorlds | Lemon Squeezy | Gumroad | LearnDash (WP) | EDD (WP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courses (video, drip) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (interactive) | ➖ | ➖ | ✅ (via WP) | ➖ |
| Digital downloads | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (with WP) | ✅ |
| Community | ✅ | ➖ | ➖ | ✅ (basic) | ➖ | ➖ | ➖ | via plugins | ➖ |
| Upsells/bumps | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | via plugins | via plugins |
| Subscriptions | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (add-ons) | ✅ (add-ons) |
| Affiliates | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (plugins) | ✅ (addons) |
| EU/UK VAT handled | Via tools | Via tools | Via tools | ✅ (MoR) | Via tools | ✅ (MoR) | ✅ (MoR) | You handle | You handle |
| White label | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Partial | ✅ | ✅ |
| Email automations | ✅ | Basic | Basic | Basic | Basic | Webhooks | Basic | External | External |
Pricing reality check (how to avoid surprise costs)
Hosted tools feel “cheap” early, then scale with MRR and seats. WordPress looks “expensive” up front (dev + a few plugins) and then flattens—great at scale. If taxes, affiliates, or licensing save you hours/month, paying a platform premium is still ROI-positive. Always factor: payment processing fees + platform take rate + add-ons.
Migration & data ownership
Before you marry a platform, verify: content exports (videos, quizzes, user progress), customer/subscriber CSV export, coupon & order history export, and whether you can replay payments on a new gateway. Own your domain and keep your email list in a provider you control.
My bottom line
If you want speed to market with a professional course and minimal tech fuss, go Teachable or Kajabi. If you’re selling a mix of downloads + courses and need EU VAT handled, go Payhip or Lemon Squeezy. If you want complete control and best-in-class SEO, build on WordPress with LearnDash for courses and Easy Digital Downloads for files—pair with a fast theme and a lightweight checkout.
Want me to tailor a stack (including tax handling for EU sales, affiliates, and email automation) to your exact catalog? Tell me what you’re selling, your audience geos, and whether you prefer hosted or WordPress, and I’ll blueprint it.
