1️⃣Shopify
Shopify let me stand up a profitable store in a weekend and keep scaling without touching servers. The built-in checkout and one-click upsells boosted AOV from day one. Apps handled subscriptions, bundles, and email so I could focus on sales.
Address: 151 O'Connor Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Launch a store in hours
- High-converting themes and checkout (Shop Pay)
- Huge app ecosystem for upsells
- bundles
- subscriptions
- Fast hosting and CDN
- Abandoned-cart and email built in
- 24/7 support
- Apps can increase monthly costs
- Advanced customization may need Liquid or a developer
- Extra fees if you skip Shopify Payments
2️⃣ConvertKit
ConvertKit turned my list into predictable revenue. Visual automations, tags, and broadcasts let me sell courses and digital products on autopilot. Deliverability stayed high even during big launches.
Address: 750 W Bannock St, Boise, Idaho, USA
- Visual automations that print revenue
- High deliverability and clean list tools
- Built-in landing pages and checkout for digital products
- Easy segmentation and tagging
- Solid A/B testing
- Creator-friendly pricing tiers
- Price scales with subscriber count
- Template library is basic compared to design tools
- Reporting is good but not agency-grade
3️⃣Ahrefs
Ahrefs paid for itself by uncovering keywords my competitors ignored. The Content Gap report and Site Audit gave me pages that ranked and converted. It's powerful but takes time to master.
Address: 1 Fusionopolis Place, Singapore, Singapore
- Best-in-class keyword and backlink data
- Content Gap and Site Audit drive ROI
- Accurate tracking for rankings and competitors
- Great educational resources
- Expensive for small teams
- Steep learning curve
- Credit limits on heavy usage
- No native content writing
4️⃣Gumroad
Gumroad made it dead simple to sell ebooks, templates, and mini-courses. Checkout is fast, VAT is handled, and payouts arrive quickly. Customization is limited, but speed to market is unmatched.
- No monthly fee to start
- Fast product pages and checkout
- Handles VAT and sales tax
- Instant coupons and bundles
- Payouts are quick
- Platform fee cuts into margin on small orders
- Limited site customization
- Discoverability is inconsistent
- Analytics are lightweight
5️⃣Fiverr
Fiverr filled my schedule with clients when I needed cash flow. Packages and extras helped lift order value and build a portfolio. Competition is intense and the algorithm can swing demand overnight.
Address: 8 Eliezer Kaplan St, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
- Instant access to buyers
- Escrow-secured payments
- Tiered packages and add-ons
- Messaging and briefs in one place
- Race-to-the-bottom pricing pressure
- Platform fees reduce margin
- Reviews can be unforgiving
- Algorithm volatility affects visibility