With thousands of creators turning their audience into a tangible income stream, choosing the right ecommerce platform has never been more crucial.
Whether you’re looking to shift print-on-demand merch, sell digital downloads, or offer coaching services, the platform you choose has got to be quick on its feet, affordable, and flexible as can be.
After putting dozens of platforms to the test, I’ve narrowed down the field to the 7 best ecommerce platforms for creators in 2026, based on ease of use, selling tools, print-on-demand integrations, and sheer value for money.
Quick Glance Comparison Table
| Platform | Rating | Best For | Starting Price | POD Support | Key Highlight |
| Shopify | 4.8 | Selling physical products | $29/mo | Yes | Industry-leading ecommerce features |
| Spring | 4.6 | Merch + digital for social creators | $0 | Yes | Built-in POD + social integrations |
| Payhip | 4.4 | Digital + coaching products | $0 | Indirect | Course + coaching features |
| Gumroad | 4.3 | Digital content | $0 | No | Simple setup with strong community |
| Stan Store | 4.2 | Monetizing social platforms | $29/mo | No | Optimized for Instagram & TikTok |
| Podia | 4.1 | Course creators | $39/mo | No | Clean UX with education-first tools |
| Big Cartel | 4.0 | Artists & small merch shops | $0 | Yes | Minimalist with Printful integration |
1. Shopify – Still the Best Overal Ecommerce Platform
Rating: 4.8
Starting price: $29/month
Print-on-demand support: Yes (Printful, Printify, Gelato, SPOD)
Shopify is still the top pick for creators selling physical products – especially those making a killing with print-on-demand. It’s your 1 stop shop for all ecommerce functionality, reliable integrations, and scaling up when your shop takes off.
Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Monthly Price | Key Features |
| Basic | $29 | 2 staff accounts, basic reports, 1% transaction fee |
| Shopify | $79 | 5 staff accounts, standard reports, 0.6% transaction fee |
| Advanced | $299 | 15 staff accounts, advanced reports, 0.5% transaction fee |
| Starter Plan | $5 | Sell via social/media only, no full store |
| Trial | $1/month for 3 months (then regular pricing) |
Note: Additional costs for themes, apps, and third-party tools may apply.
Pros
- It’s highly scalable
- Theme library is pretty extensive
- Great for merch and product-based creators
Cons
- Apps and themes can quickly add up
- Steeper learning curve for new users
Verdict
Shopify is the go to option for creators who already know print-on-demand like the back of their hand and want to take their brand to the next level.
2. Spring – Best for Merch Creators with Social Audiences
Rating: 4.6
Starting price: Free
Print-on-demand support: Yes (Built-in)
Spring is a creator-first platform designed for selling merch and digital content with zero upfront costs. It’s especially strong for creators who want to monetize through social platforms, with integrations for YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Monthly Price | Transaction Fee | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Variable margin | Built-in POD, digital products, social integrations |
Spring makes money by taking a cut of each sale—no subscription required.
Pros
- Built-in print-on-demand with no setup cost
- Sell merch and digital products side-by-side
- Integrates directly with social media platforms
Cons
- Limited storefront customization
- Lower profit margins compared to self-hosted stores
Verdict:
If you want a fast, no-risk way to sell merch and digital products directly through your social profiles, Spring is one of the easiest and most creator-friendly platforms available.
3. Payhip – Best for Digital, Coaching & Courses
Rating: 4.4
Starting price: Free
Print-on-demand support: Not built-in (manual workaround only)
Payhip is a flexible ecommerce platform designed for creators selling digital content, coaching services, or online courses. While it doesn’t offer native POD support, it’s powerful for selling content-based products.
Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Monthly Price | Transaction Fee | Features |
| Free | $0 | 5% | Full access to features, EU VAT, digital delivery |
| Plus | $29 | 2% | Custom domain, email marketing, coupons, no feature limits |
| Pro | $99 | 0% | All features, priority support |
All plans include unlimited products and bandwidth.
Pros
- A very generous free plan to get you started
- Excellent for digital-first creators like coaches and online course sellers
- Super easy setup and dashboard – get started in no time
Cons
- No native print-on-demand integrations – you’ll need to find a workaround
- Basic storefront design options – not a lot of control over the look and feel
Verdict:
If your business is based on digital products or services like coaching or online courses, Payhip is a very cost-effective and easy-to-use tool. Just don’t expect to be running a print-on-demand store here without some extra effort.
4. Gumroad – Best for Simple Digital Sales
Rating: 4.3
Starting price: Free
Print-on-demand support: No
Gumroad has long been a go-to for creators looking to sell stuff like ebooks, music, presets, or other digital downloads. It’s clean, minimal and gets the job done – especially if you want to sell a lot of stuff fast with no fuss setup.
Pricing Breakdown
| Revenue Level | Fee Charged By Gumroad |
| $0–$1,000/month | 10% + Stripe/PayPal processing |
| $1,000–$10,000 | Sliding scale fee (down to 3%) |
| $10,000+ | ~3% + processing fees |
Gumroad’s fee goes down as you earn more. No monthly subscription fee is needed.
Pros
- Simple, creator-first platform
- Free to start selling
- Active community and transparency – you can see what’s going on
Cons
- 10% transaction fee (unless you’re a high-volume user)
- Limited customization options
- No physical product support
Verdict:
Gumroad is a great choice for creators selling digital products or starting out with no upfront costs. It’s not designed for ecommerce power users but it shines in simplicity.
5. Stan Store – Best for Social Creators
Rating: 4.2
Starting price: $29 a month
Print-on-demand support: No
Stan Store is designed for social media creators who want to monetize their TikTok, YouTube or Instagram profiles. It combines link-in-bio functionality with tools to sell digital products and coaching offers.
Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Monthly Price | Features |
| Creator | $29 | Sell digital products, downloads, appointments |
| Creator Pro | $99 | Includes upsells, advanced analytics, course features |
No transaction fees on either plan – all your earnings are yours.
Pros
- Mobile-first design that looks great on small screens
- Built specifically for creators and influencers
- Includes lead capture and upsell tools to grow your business
Cons
- Not built for selling physical products
- Limited design and brand control
Verdict:
Stan Store is the best option if your main audience is on social media and you’re selling digital products or services. But it’s not the right tool if you want to build a full-fledged ecommerce store selling physical goods.
6. Podia – Best for Online Courses & Coaching
Rating: 4.1
Starting price: $39 a month
Print-on-demand support: No
Podia is designed for educators, coaches and digital entrepreneurs. It offers a sleek user interface and full support for selling online courses, webinars and digital files – but no physical product support.
Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Monthly Price | Features |
| Free | $0 | 8% fee per sale, 1 download, email capture |
| Mover | $39 | Unlimited products, no transaction fees, custom domain |
| Shaker | $89 | Affiliate marketing, webinars, advanced analytics |
All paid plans include unlimited email subscribers and hosting.
Pros
- All-in-one platform for digital education
- No transaction fees on paid plans
- Built-in marketing features to help you grow
Cons
- Doesn’t support print on demand or physical products
- Less flexibility for complex funnels
Verdict:
If your creator business is focused on teaching, webinars or coaching, Podia offers a clean and powerful back end to help you deliver and monetize your content without any plugins.
7. Big Cartel – Best for Indie Artists & Merch
Rating: 4.0
Starting price: Free
Print-on-demand support: Yes (via Printful, manual setup required)
Big Cartel is perfect for artists and small shop owners who want to run minimalist stores and sell creative products or print-on-demand merch. It’s not fancy, but it’s functional and free for up to five products.
Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Monthly Price | Products Allowed | Features |
| Free | $0 | Up to 5 | Basic themes, custom domain, order tracking |
| Platinum | $9.99 | Up to 50 | More design features, custom code |
| Diamond | $19.99 | Up to 500 | Priority support, full customizations |
Big Cartel has all the features you need to sell your art and merch online. No transaction fees – just straight up credit card processing via Stripe or PayPal.
The Upsides
- Ideal for merch creators who don’t need to sell a whole lot
- Super easy to set up
- Most of the time there’s low ( or no ) monthly fees to worry about
The Downsides
- Pretty basic when it comes to advanced ecommerce features
- Has manual setup required to get it working with print on demand integrations
Big Cartel: a Lean & Mean Option for Creators
If you’re a creator who just wants something simple to sell merch or handmade items, Big Cartel is worth a look. It’s perfect for small product lines and easy-peasy setups.
The Ultimate Verdict: Which one is for You?
So. We’ve got a quick rundown on which platform will suit your business best, based on what you’re selling and how much tech you want to deal with.
| Creator Type | Best Platform |
| Selling print-on-demand merch | Shopify or Sellfy |
| Selling coaching and digital services | Payhip or Podia |
| Monetizing Instagram/TikTok audience | Stan Store |
| Selling ebooks or downloads | Gumroad |
| Artist with a small catalog | Big Cartel |
| Launching a full-scale brand | Shopify |
The platform you pick all depends on what you’re selling and how hands-on you’re willing to be with the tech side of things.
Try one that fits your goals for now, give it a whirl, and make sure it lets you focus on what really matters – creating, not fighting with the computer.
