Best Shopify Apps for Digital Products: Boost Your Sales & Streamline Delivery

The rise of digital products in eCommerce has transformed how businesses sell and consumers shop. Gone are the days of physical copies. Digital products, such as e-books, online courses, music, art files, and software licenses, have completely taken over. 

Yet, the idea of selling digital products online may seem easier than it is. Take a marketplace like Shopify, for example. While it’s an excellent platform for selling digital goods, Shopify merchants can encounter unique challenges, such as file delivery, download security, and licensing. 

Shopify does offer its own built-in Digital Downloads app that comes with basic functionality. Unfortunately, it won’t solve all of your problems, leaving plenty of space for third-party apps to fill. 

In this post, GemPages will bring you a list of the best Shopify apps for digital products, designed to help you navigate the obstacles of selling virtual items. Get ready to experience faster file delivery, secure downloads, and explosive sales. 

Let’s get to it!

Must-Have Features for Digital Product Sellers

When selling digital goods on Shopify, certain features are essential to ensure smooth transactions, secure delivery, and a great customer experience. Here are the key features every Shopify merchant should consider when selling digital products:

Instant & Reliable File Delivery

One of the main advantages of digital products is the lightning-fast delivery. Customers expect to receive their digital purchase as soon as they complete their payment. 

A reliable system should automatically send customers a secure download link, which could be time-sensitive. Some merchants allow you to offer an account download page where customers can access their files at any time. This creates a seamless, on-demand experience. 

Shoppers are moving online, looking for a more convenient experience.

File Hosting & Size Management

Digital sellers may have to deal with large file sizes, such as high-resolution videos, software installers, or large image files. These are tricky to manage. The goal is to support hosting large files without compromising on speed. 

Merchants should look for solutions that allow them to integrate external storage options, such as Dropbox or Amazon Web Services (AWS). The file is saved on a separate repository, keeping the store fast and responsive. 

License Key Generation

If you’re planning to sell products like software, games, or anything that requires a unique code to activate, license key generation is critical. It’s the only way for customers to securely activate their copies. 

Merchants should automatically assign and generate these keys upon purchase and include them in the delivery email. It automates the process, keeping things easier to manage. You save time and eliminate human errors. 

Download Security & Anti-Piracy

One of the challenges of selling digital products is protecting your content from unauthorized distribution or piracy. To combat this, your digital product app should offer features like limiting the number of download attempts or setting expiration dates on links to prevent unauthorized sharing. 

Some apps also include content protection measures such as watermarking PDFs or locking access to content (e.g., disabling right-click saving of images or text). This helps ensure that your content remains secure and can only be accessed by legitimate buyers.

Product Updates

Digital products often evolve. Whether it’s an updated e-book, new software features, or a revised music track, your system should allow you to easily update products and notify previous customers. 

With the right tool, you can update the file on your platform and send an email to past buyers about the new version, ensuring they stay up-to-date with the latest content. This is especially important for software and educational content, as customers appreciate having access to new features or improved versions of their purchased products.

Support for Variants or Bundles

Digital products often come with multiple formats or bundles. Your Shopify store should display the variations correctly. Help customers pick the right version and make sure it’s delivered to them correctly. 

Additionally, if you offer bundles (e.g., a collection of stock music tracks), support delivering multiple files or conditional delivery based on the customer’s purchase. This flexibility improves the shopping experience and can increase sales by offering more personalized options.

Integration with Shopify’s Checkout & Other Tools

Running a Shopify business, you may use more than just one app. So, make sure that every tool you install integrates seamlessly with Shopify’s checkout as well as other apps in the ecosystem. This allows customers to add items to their cart, check out, and receive their product automatically without any extra steps.

If set up right, you can blend different functions into one. Sending follow-up emails, offering promotions, or segmenting customers based on their digital purchases will be much easier.

Top Shopify Apps for Digital Product Delivery

Here’s our list of the best-in-class apps focused on delivering digital goods to customers. Organize by the primary use case. Let’s take a look!

Digital Delivery & File Management

Shopify Digital Downloads (Free)

Shopify’s official app for basic digital product needs. It allows merchants to attach files to products and automatically sends a download link to customers upon purchase. While simple and free, it lacks advanced features like license keys and detailed tracking.

Shopify Digital Downloads provides decent basic functions, but if you want more control and scalability, it won’t be the best choice.

SendOwl

A robust digital delivery app that provides instant file delivery and advanced features like expiring links, auto-generated license keys, and PDF stamping for e-books. Ideal for businesses with complex digital products, it offers automation and analytics, though it requires a monthly fee.

FetchApp

A reliable and easy-to-use app for managing digital product downloads. It supports file storage and automatic delivery, with the option to set download limits to prevent abuse. While it’s free for small files, it lacks advanced features like licensing.

Easy Digital Products (EDP)

A popular app for selling digital files and automating license key delivery. It allows customization of download emails and handles multiple files per product. However, it has a steep learning curve for optimal use.

Sky Pilot

Perfect for digital products that go beyond simple file downloads, such as video streaming or membership content. Sky Pilot provides a professional content delivery experience with login-based access and supports recurring memberships. It’s great for course creators or musicians, but it comes with a higher cost and learning curve.

Upselling and Marketing Digital Products

Bold Upsell

A tool that allows merchants to upsell or cross-sell related products at checkout or post-purchase, helping increase the average order value. Ideal for suggesting add-ons like a related course or bundle when a customer buys a digital product.

Klaviyo

An email marketing and automation tool that helps digital product sellers build automated email flows for upsells, follow-ups, and customer segmentation. It’s essential for nurturing relationships and boosting sales with targeted campaigns.

Klaviyo offers Shopify merchants a one-stop solution for all things related to email marketing and SMS.

UpPromote

An affiliate marketing app that enables merchants to set up affiliate tracking and manage payouts, allowing partners to promote digital products in exchange for a commission. It’s perfect for scaling your digital sales through affiliate networks.

Yotpo

A review collection and display app that helps build trust by showcasing customer feedback. It’s especially useful for digital products like e-books and online courses where social proof can help potential buyers make informed decisions.

Customer Support & CRM

Gorgias

Gorgias is a helpdesk ticketing system that seamlessly integrates with Shopify, allowing easy management of support queries. It pulls order information to resolve issues quickly, streamlining ticket management. However, it may require a subscription, and the setup can take time.

HelpCenter

HelpCenter is an app that lets you create FAQ pages and knowledge bases, enabling customers to find answers to common questions themselves. It helps reduce support tickets and empowers customers to self-serve. The app’s basic FAQ feature is great for common inquiries, but lacks advanced ticketing capabilities.

Zendesk

Zendesk is a popular and reliable helpdesk tool used to manage support tickets, pulling order information to resolve issues quickly. It offers comprehensive ticket management and is widely trusted by businesses. However, its monthly fee makes it more suitable for larger businesses with higher volumes.

Tidio

Tidio is a live chat and chatbot app that can answer common queries 24/7, enhancing customer support. It supports both live chat and chatbot features, providing instant assistance. While it's easy to set up, customizing the chatbots may require some additional effort.

GemPages for Showcasing Digital Products and Offers

Pairing functional apps with a strong landing page is key to marketing digital products effectively. A powerful landing page not only highlights the value of your digital goods but also converts visitors into paying customers. GemPages offers Shopify merchants an easy and customizable solution to create high-converting landing pages for digital products.

GemPages for Sales Pages

With GemPages, you can design a landing page that truly showcases your digital product, whether it's a long-form sales page for an online course or a visually rich page for a music album. 

Build landing pages faster with hundreds of high-converting templates made by GemPages experts.

You can highlight product features, incorporate demo videos, display customer testimonials, and add a clear call-to-action (CTA) for purchasing—all within an attractive layout. 

This is especially useful for running ads or promotions, as you can direct traffic to a GemPages-built landing page tailored to your specific campaign, optimizing conversion rates for your digital offers.

GemPages Sales Funnel

GemPages also offers sales funnel features that enable Shopify merchants to build multi-step funnels for nurturing leads and boosting conversions. The app allows merchants to guide customers through a series of steps, from product discovery to checkout, making the buying journey smoother and more personalized. 

Customizing your sales funnel has never been easier.

Features like automated email triggers, upselling opportunities, and segmenting visitors based on their behavior work seamlessly with apps like Klaviyo for email marketing, Bold Upsell for upselling, and Klaviyo for follow-up sequences.

By combining GemPages’ sales funnels with these tools, merchants can create a comprehensive strategy that drives more conversions, boosts average order value, and ensures customers stay engaged long after they make their initial purchase. 

Try GemPages today and take the first step towards digital dominance for your Shopify business!

Wrapping Up!

Selling digital products on Shopify presents unique challenges, but with the right tools, merchants can streamline the process and enhance customer satisfaction. Apps like Shopify Digital Downloads, SendOwl, and FetchApp ensure secure, instant file delivery, while Klaviyo and Bold Upsell help drive sales through targeted marketing and upselling.

When paired with a high-converting landing page built with GemPages, these tools can significantly boost conversions. GemPages’ customizable pages and sales funnel features, combined with email automation and upselling strategies, create a seamless customer journey, ultimately increasing revenue and customer retention.