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Easy Digital Downloads vs Payhip (2026): Which Pays Better?

Both are popular digital product & checkout platforms. Here is how Easy Digital Downloads and Payhip stack up on requirements, what you keep, payout terms, strengths and weaknesses, and which one we would pick.

Easy Digital Downloads

WordPress plugin for selling digital products and software licences on your own site, free core plus paid extensions from $99.50/yr.

7.6 /10

Pricing: Free plan, paid from $99/mo

Pros

  • Own your store on WordPress with no per-sale revenue share to EDD
  • Software licensing, recurring payments and an affiliate integration via extensions
  • 14-day money-back guarantee and a free Lite core plugin to start

Cons

  • You maintain the WordPress site, hosting and updates yourself
  • Subscriptions, licensing and affiliates all require paid extensions; tax handling needs an add-on
Visit Easy Digital Downloads ↗

Payhip

Sell downloads, courses, coaching and memberships with a free plan at 5% and paid plans at 0%.

7.8 /10

Pricing: Free plan, paid from $29/mo

Pros

  • Handles EU VAT and UK VAT as merchant of record on all plans
  • Courses, coaching and memberships included

Cons

  • Store design is basic
  • Marketing tools are thin
Visit Payhip ↗

Easy Digital Downloads vs Payhip at a glance

Easy Digital DownloadsPayhip
Editor score7.6 / 107.8 / 10
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$99/mo$29/mo
Web rank#120k#6.3k
Minimum trafficNoneNone
Revenue share / feeFree Lite core; paid EDD Pass from $99.50/yr intro (Personal, 1 site) up to $499.50/yr intro (All Access, 3 sites), full price $199-$999/yr; no per-sale cut, only your payment gateway's fee5% on the free plan, 0% on paid plans ($29+/mo)
Commission––
PayoutPaid out via your connected gateway (Stripe, PayPal, etc.), not by EDD directlyInstant via PayPal / Stripe
Methods serveddigital products, saas subscriptionsdigital products, memberships subscriptions, online courses, coaching services
Niches acceptedGeneral, Tech & SaaS, Finance & Insurance, Health & Supplements, Gaming & Esports, E-commerce & RetailGeneral, Tech & SaaS, Finance & Insurance, Health & Supplements, Gaming & Esports, E-commerce & Retail
Reader upvotes00
Best forwordpress, digital downloads, licensingdigital downloads, courses, vat

Our pick

Payhip edges it with a score of 7.8 versus 7.6. Payhip is the better fit if you value: handles eu vat and uk vat as merchant of record on all plans, courses, coaching and memberships included. Choose Easy Digital Downloads instead if you need: own your store on wordpress with no per-sale revenue share to edd, software licensing, recurring payments and an affiliate integration via extensions.

Other digital product & checkout platforms to consider

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SendOwl 🧰 PlatformPaid

Digital delivery and checkout with licence keys, drip and affiliates on a flat monthly plan.

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