paywalltools.com

Best Easy Digital Downloads alternatives in 1970.

Looking for alternatives to Easy Digital Downloads? Here are the best options depending on your use case.

Why look for alternatives?

Easy Digital Downloads ranks lower on tax handling, paywall and conversion tooling, advanced billing flexibility, which is the most common reason teams evaluate alternatives.

Top alternatives

01
MemberPress

WordPress membership and subscription plugin

The most popular WordPress membership plugin. Handles subscriptions, content restriction, course selling, and drip content. Works with Stripe, PayPal, and others.

Pricing
Basic $179/year. Plus $299/year. Pro $399/year.
Pick if
lowest fees matter most
Facts
PaywallsNo-code
02
Gumroad

Sell anything digital, instantly

Fastest path from idea to first sale. Built-in marketplace gives discovery. High fees (10%) are the trade-off for zero setup friction.

Pricing
10% flat. 30% if sold via Gumroad marketplace.
Pick if
you want global tax and VAT handled for you
Facts
Merchant of recordNo-code
03
Lemon Squeezy

Payments, subscriptions and MoR for indie SaaS

Default choice for indie SaaS founders. Tax compliance out of the box, license key management, excellent DX. Acquired by Stripe in 2024.

Pricing
5% + $0.50 per transaction. Acquired by Stripe 2024.
Pick if
you want global tax and VAT handled for you
Facts
Merchant of recordNo-code
04
Polar

Open-source monetization for developers

Lowest MoR fees on the market (4% + $0.40). Open source, built for developers and OSS projects.

Pricing
4% + $0.40 per transaction (lowest MoR fees on the market)
Pick if
you want global tax and VAT handled for you
Facts
Merchant of recordNo-codeOpen source
05
Payhip

Sell digital products and memberships

More customizable than Gumroad with better fee structure at volume. Does not handle VAT globally.

Pricing
Free: 5% fee. Plus $29/mo: 2%. Pro $99/mo: 0%
Pick if
you want the fastest, simplest setup
Facts
No-code
06
Whop

Sell communities, courses, and software access

Best for selling community access, Discord groups, and bundled digital products. Not MoR.

Pricing
3% platform + Stripe fees (~5.7–7.2% all-in)
Pick if
lowest fees matter most
Facts
No-code
07
Ghost

Open-source publishing with built-in paid memberships

Open source publishing platform with native paid memberships via Stripe. 0% platform fee — only Stripe's processing costs. Best for established writers who want full control.

Pricing
Self-hosted: free. Ghost(Pro): from $9/month. Stripe handles payments (0% platform fee).
Pick if
lowest fees matter most
Facts
PaywallsNo-codeOpen source
08
Beehiiv

Newsletter platform with paid subscriptions and ad network

Newsletter platform built for growth. Strong analytics, A/B testing for subject lines, paid subscriptions, and a built-in ad network. 0% platform fee on paid subscriptions.

Pricing
Free up to 2,500 subscribers. Scale from $42/month. 0% platform fee on paid subs.
Pick if
paywall and conversion tooling is the priority
Facts
A/B testingPaywallsNo-code

Comparison table

ToolPricingMoRA/BEase
Easy Digital DownloadsPersonal $99/year. Extended $199/year. Professional $299/year.NoNo4/5
MemberPressBasic $179/year. Plus $299/year. Pro $399/year.NoNo4/5
Gumroad10% flat. 30% if sold via Gumroad marketplace.YesNo5/5
Lemon Squeezy5% + $0.50 per transaction. Acquired by Stripe 2024.YesNo5/5
Polar4% + $0.40 per transaction (lowest MoR fees on the market)YesNo5/5
PayhipFree: 5% fee. Plus $29/mo: 2%. Pro $99/mo: 0%NoNo5/5
Whop3% platform + Stripe fees (~5.7–7.2% all-in)NoNo4/5
GhostSelf-hosted: free. Ghost(Pro): from $9/month. Stripe handles payments (0% platform fee).NoNo3/5
BeehiivFree up to 2,500 subscribers. Scale from $42/month. 0% platform fee on paid subs.NoYes5/5

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