Looking for a way to monetize your digital content and e-learning skills? With so many choices of digital products to make and sell, from ebooks and online courses to software and subscriptions, the choices are endless. It's no wonder many creators are turning to digital products as a lucrative and scalable solution.
But pinpointing the perfect product idea shouldn't be a guessing game. Instead, check out our list – we will look at them more in detail – of the best digital goods that sell like gangbusters.
The most profitable digital products for creators to sell include:
- eBooks
- Online courses
- Paid communities
- Software apps
- Subscriptions
With these options, you won't have to worry about spending time or resources on a product that might not sell. So, if you're looking to turn your skills into profits with low startup costs, enjoy easy passive income, and have some fun, too, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about the most profitable digital products to get started and how you can create your digital product today.
What is a Digital Product?
Digital products are virtual items you can't physically touch but can still enjoy and use online. They're the ebooks you read on your tablet, the downloadable guides you grab with a click, or the online communities you join with a few taps. Many popular digital products are delivered through email, a downloadable link, or accessed on a freelance marketplace or e-learning platform.
Digital products offer instant access and the freedom to use them wherever you want and are available 24/7, which is why they're such a hit with content creators as potential sources of income.
Why Sell Digital Products?
When you think about it, there are numerous ways to make money at home, but many of them require more effort, skills, time, and dedication than others. But with digital products, you can leverage YOU. Your expertise, freedom of expression, and creativity are already there to help you create an income online, making it easy to start. Aside from a low barrier to entry, what other reasons are there that make selling digital products a better option for content creators?
Minimal start-up costs
The great thing about digital products is that you don't need to break the bank to start selling. A laptop, an email address, and maybe a few subscriptions for an online learning platform, image & editing tools, or graphic design programs are all you need. As you continue selling digital products, your costs will stay pretty low, mainly just for the tools to manage sales and a good internet connection.
Simple to update
Depending on your digital product, changing, updating, or removing parts of it doesn't have to be difficult. One of my digital products is an eBook about Pinterest, and a week after launching it, I noticed several typos. In a few minutes, I was able to edit my eBook, upload it again to my online store, and resume selling the updated version with none the wiser.
Whether you're adding new features to a course, tweaking a design template, or updating some software features, the ease of making changes is a big win. This flexibility means you can keep your products up-to-date and valuable for your audience, helping your digital business stay on top of its game.
Big earnings potential
Unlike traditional products, digital products don't require physical inventory or shipping costs. This means more revenue goes straight to your bottom line, boosting your overall profitability.
Growth potential
For physical products, you risk selling out and having to restock to keep up with demand quickly. But with digital products, you can sell unlimited numbers without worrying about inventory. Whether it's dozens, hundreds, or thousands of sales daily, your digital product is always available, allowing your business to grow without hiccups.
Can replace your full-time job
Here's a fact – digital products can replace your full-time income. It's not unheard of for content creators to make a million dollars or more from selling digital products. With the right strategy and a bit of hard work, your digital creations could become a major source of income, surpassing what you'd earn from a traditional job.
But before you quit your full-time job and book a holiday to Australia, let's find the most profitable thing you can create and sell.
Most Profitable Digital Products to Sell
To get the most out of each digital good and service on this list, I'll share the product, how to create it, the time it takes to create it, the tools you need to create it, and examples of each digital product.
1. Ebooks
According to Statista, eBook sales are booming, with the market expected to rake in a whopping US$14.61 billion this year, making it one of the most profitable digital products to create on this list.
What is an eBook?
Ebooks are digital files that content creators can write and sell online. They're a popular way to share knowledge, stories, or advice with your audience, and they can be easily downloaded and read on various devices, like a Kindle.
A popular type of eBook is a cookbook. Many food bloggers and YouTubers create cookbooks by compiling the best recipes, tips, and cooking techniques they share online into a digital format. For example, YouTuber Julia Pecheco compiled her most viewed recipe videos to create her cookbook.
How to create an eBook
Difficulty level: Beginner/Easy
Time commitment: Around 72 hours
Pros:
- Easy to put together
- Opportunity for serial publishing
- Eco-friendly
- Low risk
- Ability to bundle for marketing purposes (i.e., course + eBook bundle)
Cons:
- Requires strong writing and editing skills
- It can be time-consuming for your audience to read and apply
Discovery phase
Start your eBook creation by pinpointing your niche and expertise. For instance, as a holistic health coach, you might create an eBook on self-joy – a topic you share on social media – that aligns with your audience. Review your past content and feedback to find a popular topic. Create a list of potential topics for a 15+ page eBook.
Research phase
After you make your list, check to see if your idea is related to any trends or current events. This can help boost sales and make your eBook idea highly relevant to your audience. For example, when ChatGPT exploded in November 2022, content creators jumped on the bandwagon and started releasing dozens of digital products on AI tools.
Creator Corrie Alexander was no exception. She started a YouTube channel about content creation and, later, AI. With her audience's increased interest in ChatGPT, she created an eBook, AI-Empowered Blogging.
You can use tools like Google Trends, BuzzSumo, or even Reddit to see what people are discussing in your niche. Look for patterns or recurring questions that haven't been addressed. This can reveal gaps in the market that your eBook could fill.
Planning & outlining phase
Now it's time to create a detailed outline for your eBook, which acts as a roadmap for your content. Organize the information in a way that's easy for your audience to follow, whether chronological, sequential, or conceptual. Each chapter should focus on a key concept that's broken down into its key points to provide more clarity.
For example, if you're a life coach writing about self-care strategies, your outline might feature a chapter titled "Understanding Self-Care." This chapter could explore the definition of self-care and its benefits and address common misconceptions, offering a comprehensive overview for your readers.
If it's in your budget (and if you need help), you can use eBook writing software like Kotobee ($150), Atticus ($147), or FlipBuilder ($129) to help you format and design your eBook.
Writing an eBook phase
Take the time to write your eBook and follow your outline. When writing my eBook, I broke it down into 15 chapters and wrote 4-5 chapters a day. Sometimes, creating a goal for yourself – "I will write two chapters a day" – can help you stay motivated if you find writing difficult.
When writing your eBook, aim for clear and concise language. This means:
- Use an active voice
- Be specific with your examples to make your points more engaging
- Cut out redundancies
- Break up your text with headings and bullet points for easier reading
- Hook your audience with intriguing facts or questions
- Vary sentence structure to maintain interest throughout your eBook
Edit, add copyright & use beta readers phase
When editing your eBook, it's a good idea to read it out loud or use a text-to-speech tool like Dupdub to listen to your draft. This will help you focus on any redundancies and sentence flow issues.
Once you've finished editing, look to gather feedback. Share your eBook with beta readers – subscribers from your email list or followers on social media – to gain valuable insights and further polish your work. And don't forget to add a copyright notice to your eBook. It's a must to safeguard your hard work and keep others from copying or distributing your content without permission.
Design and formatting phase
Here comes the fun part of writing an eBook – designing and formatting it. I used Creative Market to find an eBook cover design, but many creatives also use Canva, Visme, or Adobe InDesign to find or design an eBook cover.
Once you designed and formatted your eBook, you can download it as a PDF or ePub file.
2. Online Courses
Out of this entire list of digital products, the most sold – and most popular – are courses at 35%, followed by eBooks at 7.3%.
Whether it's a video-based, text-based, or multimedia course, digital courses are easy, accessible, and popular.
What is an online course?
An online course is a structured way to share knowledge, typically hosted on platforms like Teachable or Whop. The course content is organized into modules and units, combining video and written content with downloadable resources like worksheets and templates.
You can choose from self-paced courses, live courses with real-time interaction, or a combination of both with added elements like group coaching calls. For example, mindfulness coach Michelle Dixon created a mindfulness hacks course for her audience that also includes monthly group coaching calls.
How to create an online course
Difficulty level: Beginner/Easy
Time commitment: 25 to 500 hours
Pros:
- Can charge more than other digital products (average price is $137)
- eLearning platforms may handle delivery, payments, affiliates, and even taxes
- Appears to be desirable and prestigious to people
- Gateway to higher-priced offerings like 1:1 coaching
Cons:
- Can require – but not always – pricy equipment like a good camera, ring light, or microphone
- Requires sales funnels and marketing efforts
- Piracy issues if you don't choose a platform with high security measures
Define the topic & learning objectives phase
The first step to creating a course is nailing down your topic. Your topic appears in social proof, questions you get over and over, and social media engagement.
You can also look at what types of course information are popular with students to help you figure out a niche topic. For example, health & fitness and software & technology courses have seen big boosts in enrollments since COVID-19.
Ideas of online courses you can make:
- Calligraphy
- Fitness and running
- Proofreading
- Real estate
- Online dating
- Web design/programming
- Yoga and Wellness
- Baby Led Weaning
- Social media marketing
- Public speaking
- Interior design
Once that's all sorted out, it's time to create your learning objectives. What key takeaways do you want your students to have by the end of the course? Use quizzes and action steps to help students succeed with their learning objectives.
One of the questions I always receive from my newsletter, on Facebook replies, and from blog comments is, what are the steps to becoming a freelance writer online? Knowing that most of my audience needed help with that topic, I created a course laying out the steps to freelancing.
Plan course content & materials phase
Once you've chosen your course topic, it's time to break it down into smaller, more manageable sections or modules. For instance, if your idea is an Instagram photography course, you could have a module on composition, one on lighting, and another on editing. This way, you're making it easier for your students to digest each part of the subject, one step at a time.
Next is creating all the supportive materials for the course. Canva is a free image editing tool where you can create printables, planners, eBook covers, and more. You might include workbooks, templates, links to a private podcast, and more to your course. The extra material makes your course offer much more enticing and adds a nice visual element to your sales page too. Just check out the Language Life course by linguist tutor Lindsay and all the materials that come with it.
Make an online course phase
It's time to roll up your sleeves and dive into the fun part – creating your course lessons. Whether you're more of a writer or a fan of hitting that record button, this is where you bring your lessons to life. Get those words flowing or set up your camera, and start creating those modules into engaging, informative lessons that your students will love. If you go with video lessons, here are some pointers to help you get more comfortable on camera:
- Pick a spot where you feel comfortable and relaxed. It'll make a difference in how you come across on camera.
- Talk like you're having a conversation with a friend. It keeps things light and easy to follow.
- Don't sweat the small breaks. They give you a breather and let your audience soak in your words.
- If you're excited about your topic, show it! Your energy will keep your audience hooked.
- Begin with short videos – under 3 minutes – to get the hang of it, then gradually go bigger.
Remember to save your written lessons within one program like Google Docs and a folder or external hard drive for your video lessons.
3. Paid Communities
A paid community is a great digital product idea for creators who thrive in social situations and enjoy sharing ideas with a group of people. And with 70% of creators who started a paid community generating a median of $1,000/month, it can make for sweet passive income too.
However, starting and maintaining an online community can be challenging, as Jimmy Daly, CEO of Superpath spelled out when reviewing his year in business.
"Either our paid offering [Slack community] wasn't compelling, or not enough people knew about it."
To see paid communities thrive, owners need to know the value of having a community and foster a safe environment for discussions, questions, and networking. But they also need to have a strong strategy to grow their community.
What are paid communities?
A paid community is a space online where a creator can engage with their dedicated followers. Members pay a fee to join, and in return, they get access to special content, direct advice, and a tight-knit group of like-minded individuals. Loneliness is rising among the Gen-Z crowd, so a paid community is the ultimate space for fostering meaningful connections.
There are different types of online communities – based on whether you want it for business or for a more laid-back feel – you can set up:
- Discord
- Patreon
- Slack
- Telegram
- Facebook Group
- Skool
- Mighty Networks
How to create a paid community
Difficulty level: Intermediate/Challenging
Time commitment: Under an hour to create + more time for ongoing support
Pros:
- Improves brand awareness
- Builds credibility and trust
- Networking potential
- Deep audience insights for future digital products
- Scalability potential
Cons:
- Time consuming
- Can be difficult to build that initial user base
- Might have to deal with negative behavior
Choose the right platform phase
When choosing a platform for your paid community, focus on your end vision. Mighty Works is geared towards coaches and entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses. Skool is aimed at course creators who want a deeper engagement with their students. Discord, on the other hand, is a great option as it is a highly customizable platform that facilitates real-time chat, video, collaboration, gamification, and a whole range of other integrations.
For example, EZ Trades is an in-depth trading Discord community. Jay Money provides strategies and access to exclusive content like his EzAlgo trading indicators.
Once you pick the platform, start customizing your settings, channels, or groups to entice discussions and interactions.
Plan your community's purpose & pricing phase
Make sure that you state the goals and what your community brings to the table. For example, if your community's goal is to help freelancers grow their businesses, exclusive content might include access to expert-led workshops, job boards, and a supportive network of peers. Peak Freelance's Slack community falls under this purpose. While this community was once paid, it has since opened up to any freelancer wanting to join. The creators wanted to make their training accessible to anyone needing it.
Set a pricing structure based on the perks your members will get. Whether it's monthly subscriptions or tiered membership levels, make sure the cost aligns with the value you're providing. Typical prices for an online community range between $20 and $100+.
Develop exclusive resources phases
One of the reasons members pay a subscription to an online community is the exclusive content they receive. These can be anything from expert interviews to access to key figures in your industry to personalized advice and more. For example, Peak Freelance provides exclusive interviews from CEOs and content leads like Rand Fishkin, former CEO of Moz, Ryan Law, formerly of Animalz, Tim Soulo of Ahrefs, and Devesh Khanal of Grow and Convert.
This step will probably take you the longest, and many content creators end up accumulating content for their community as they grow their audience over a year or two. Also, note that creating fresh and new content is an ongoing process for many online communities, and suffering from burnout is a real thing for you.
4. Software
Software applications are among the most profitable digital products to create, but they can take months to build, test, approve, and market.
You'll need a good handle on various programming languages, frameworks, and software development best practices, along with the ability to put these skills into practice. If you lack the time or don't have the skills, you can also hire a programmer to develop your software product.
Popular software to make are SaaS tools. For example, Cookgroup.tools created a landing page builder to help people build websites.
While you could use no-coding apps like Softr, Bubble, or Bildr, which have free plans, to create your software product, you run the risk of not being able to fix bugs or maintain the app if issues crop up. That's why it's a better choice to develop your own software product.
What are software and apps?
Software applications like games or SaaS products help us with specific tasks on our devices, from staying organized and entertained to connecting with others and learning new things. You can use a variety of devices for software, including smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Although software products are extremely time-consuming and require programming experience, the potential for a six – seven – or eight-figure business is plausible.
Nathan Barry began an e-training business over a decade ago by selling eBooks, templates, and other digital products, and it was very successful (making six figures a year from an eBook wasn't normal back then).
But in 2014, he left that profitable business and went all in with a new software product: Convertkit. And now? His email marketing software product generates millions of dollars a month.
How to create a software product
Difficulty level: Advanced/Difficult
Time commitment: 3-6 months or more
Pros:
- Possible to make millions of dollars
- Great recurring revenue model
- Ability to sell a business that has customers
- Ability to attract VCs
- Raise funding
Cons:
- May have to hire it out if you're not a programmer
- Ongoing support and maintenance (sorting out bugs and compatibility issues)
- Upfront time commitment
Form your development team & choose a platform phase
You shouldn't create a software product alone. Instead, form a team with coding, design, and testing skills. If budget or expertise concerns you, hire freelancers to round out your team.
When choosing a platform, create versions of your app specifically designed for the operating systems your users are on. If you want your software app to be a desktop app, you’ll want a native version for Windows and, if possible, for Mac versions. Since most people are on mobile – if it makes sense – be sure to develop versions for both iOS and Android platforms. For example, you can download Evernote, the note-taking app, on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android or as a web extension.
But if creating full versions of your app for mobile platforms isn't practical or relevant, you can offer a scaled-down version or an accompanying app.
Identify & validate the problem phase
Nathan Barry initially couldn't find an email platform to sell his eBook specific to bloggers and creators. The email providers available catered to small businesses. He found a gap in the market and focussed on creating an email marketing platform for creators. For you, spend time finding a gap that can be solved with your app or software product. Check for competition to make sure your idea hasn't already been created.
Outline features & create mockups phase
With a solid, innovative idea, it's time to design the frameworks and outline the core features of your software application or product. Make sure to create several mockups of the user interface and UX design.
Begin coding, running tests & gathering feedback phase
Have your team work on coding the back-end and front-end of your software product. This step typically takes months and sometimes years to get right. You'll also want to run tests during iterations to catch any glitches or bugs. Check that everything works on different devices and that the user experience is smooth. This is also the time to get some feedback so you can go back and modify or change aspects of your software. You can start launching your software product when everything is in tip-top shape.
5. Subscriptions
The subscription model is popular with physical products like makeup, pet toys, or meals. People pay a monthly subscription, and in return, receive their product. But it's also popular with creators selling digital products. And according to WorkWeek, this model is expected to reach a staggering $1.25 trillion by 2025. Now is the time to add subscriptions to your side business as a digital product idea.
What are subscriptions?
Digital subscriptions are where customers pay a monthly, quarterly, or annually recurring fee to get access to a product or service. Subscriptions can be memberships, paid newsletters, a business service, or streaming options. For example, Lindsay and Bjork Ostrom started Pinch of Yum to share healthy recipes. Over the years, commenters asked how they could start a food blog. Lindsay and Bjork decided to open up the Food Blogger Pro Membership.
Their membership provides a community forum, access to industry experts, monthly Live Q&A calls, over 350+ videos, and more.
Or, if you enjoy writing, you can monetize an email list on Substack. Kristina God is a prolific writer on Medium and she started her Online Writing Club to dish out exclusive content on monetizing on Medium, and Substack (yes, very meta!).
Other digital product ideas include a file-sharing subscription, a digital art and design subscription, a book of the month subscription, or a stock photo subscription.
How to create a subscription
Difficulty level: Easy/Beginner
Time commitment: 24 hours to start + 4-8 hours/week
Pros:
- Easy to run and manage
- Recurring revenue
- Create long-term customer relationships
- Collaborative opportunities
- Potential for upsells
- Consistent growth
Cons:
- Subscriptions often include content that you can find for free.
- Burn out of having to create regular content
Subscription model option phase
When creating a digital product, see if a subscription would be a better fit than a one-off purchase plan. Suppose your idea is bigger than one product. In that case, having the option for customers to opt-in on a recurring subscription to access new challenges, training, or templates is better than offering each product separately.
For example, coaches and consultants often provide a membership for live coaching calls as this is an ongoing, exclusive relationship. Liam Evans does this with his mastermind community, offering live weekly calls, private templates, and access to The Network community.
Subscription offer phase
Decide what you'll offer in your subscription. Similar to setting up an online community, will your subscription have live calls, forums, or access to exclusive content? A good gauge for what to offer is to offer only a limited number of products so that you can unlock new ones throughout the year, increasing the incentive value of your subscription.
Set terms, conditions & marketing phase
It's time to get all the logistics out of the way, like the auto-renewal process and how someone can cancel their subscription. From there, start thinking about how you can market your subscription. Some places include:
- Your email list
- On social media
- On Youtube
- Offer free trials
- Webinars
- Online marketplaces (like Whop)
Other Top Sellers
If you can't find a digital product on this list you fancy, here are some more profitable products to look into creating and selling.
Templates
Templates are pre-made designs or layouts that creators can develop to help others jumpstart their projects. They serve as a helpful starting point for social media posts, blog articles, or website designs. For example, creators can use a Notion Business Shift Planner template to be more organized.
Workbooks & Planners
Workbooks and planners are interactive guides filled with worksheets, exercises, prompts, and spaces for notes. They are highly versatile and work for any industry. Use a program like Canva to create a workbook for sale easily. For example, here's a Meal Planner by ROAM Studio filled with meal mapping, a meal calendar, a shopping list, a recipe book ,and more.
Printable Worksheets and Guides
Instead of creating a 30-page eBook or creating multiple planners, videos, or expert training for a membership, why not create a bundle of printable worksheets or a guide? Certified Notion Creator Dave has the Habit Box Tracker filled with various worksheets such as a journal, progress chart, and health routines guide.
How to Sell Digital Products
When it's time to sell your product, you have the choice of different business models. You can choose a one-off pricing option or a subscription option.
One-Off
For this pricing option, a person only needs to pay once to receive the digital product. Many creators often use a Goldilocks approach, or anchored pricing, where they use two or three pricing tiers, making the middle offer the best. This gives a customer perceived control over which price to choose, often resulting in increased revenue for the creator over time.
Best for:
- Online courses
- eBooks
- Templates
- Workbooks
- Planners
- Worksheets
- Guides
Subscription model
For the subscription model, a customer pays a monthly, quarterly, or yearly subscription to receive access to exclusive content. This makes for a great recurring revenue option for creators.
Best for:
- Online communities
- Newsletters
- Memberships
Once you've figured out which pricing option is best for selling your digital products, the next step is to find the right platform to sell and market them.
Where to Sell Digital Products
Depending on your budget, needs, and the product you create, there are many online platforms where you can sell your digital products.
Amazon: Amazon is a popular platform for selling digital products like eBooks and software since it has access to a large audience of potential buyers.
Etsy: Known for handmade crafts and supports digital downloads, including printables, templates, and digital art, Etsy is great for creative digital products.
Gumroad: Gumroad is a creator-friendly platform, perfect for selling eBooks, music and software. Fees are high, though, so make sure you have a strong marketing plan to sell your digital product.
Podia: Podia is all about making it easy for creators to sell online courses, membership subscriptions, and digital downloads.
Teachable/Kajabi/Thinkific: These platforms focus on selling online courses and other digital products.
But Whop is the best online platform that's perfect for creators – and helps make your product the most profitable.
Creating a digital product with Whop is super easy. Go to the Whop website, click "start selling" — or watch a detailed video.
From there, sign up using your email address or a social media account to connect to your Whop store. Now comes the fun stuff – naming your Whop store. I suggest you use your brand name, or key phrases people know you by on social media.
From there, you can tell Whop what you want to sell – anything from sports picks to fitness classes or software automation and more.
Next, you can look at the welcome video and check all your settings and preferences – and add your social media links – before adding your digital products.
Follow the prompts to set up your products and shop page. And don't forget to configure your payment options under Billing.
Sell Profitable Digital Products with Whop!
There you have it - the five most profitable digital products to sell. If after reading this you're still asking 'is selling digital products really profitable?', then the answer is a big, loud YES! Whether you decide to write an eBook or sell a comprehensive how-to course, digital products are IT right now, so take advantage and start your side hustle with Whop today.
It takes less than ten minutes to sign up as a seller on Whop - what are you waiting for? Start selling digital products today!
