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How to set up a checkout page without Shopify: you need a product, an order form connected to Stripe or PayPal, and automatic delivery of the file, and systeme.io gives you all three on a free plan with a 0% platform fee. This is for people selling printables, templates and guides who never wanted a Shopify subscription or Etsy’s stacked fees, not for customising a Shopify checkout you already pay for.
What you need to sell digital products online
Four things: a place to upload the file, a payment processor, a checkout page, and a way to email the buyer afterwards. A storefront is optional; a single sales page with an order form does the job for most digital sellers. An email list is not optional, because a buyer who is on your list buys the next product without a marketplace in between.
How to set up a checkout page without Shopify
- Connect Stripe or PayPal in settings.
- Create a digital product and upload the file (PDF, ZIP, audio; storage is unlimited).
- Create a funnel with a sales page and an order form; set the price.
- On the thank-you page and in the confirmation email, the download link is delivered automatically.
- Publish on your domain or the free subdomain.
Card processing is charged by Stripe or PayPal, about 2.9% plus 30 cents in the US. systeme.io adds nothing.
The fees, side by side
| Route | Monthly | Per sale | On a $20 sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| systeme.io Free | $0 | 0% platform fee | $0 to the platform |
| Gumroad | $0 | 10% + 50c | $2.50 |
| Shopify Basic | $39 ($29 annual) | 2% extra without Shopify Payments | $39 fixed |
| Etsy | listing fee per item | transaction fee plus payment processing | see Etsy’s fee page |
systeme.io, Gumroad and Shopify figures are from their pricing pages on 2026-09-19. Etsy’s fee page blocked our capture, so its percentages are not quoted here; the structure is a per-listing fee plus a transaction fee plus a processing fee, on every sale.
How to sell digital downloads without Etsy and keep the buyer’s email
Etsy owns the customer. Selling from your own checkout means the buyer’s email lands in your list, and one automation rule can send a thank-you with a coupon for the next download. That rule is on the free plan. The trade is traffic: Etsy brings browsers, your own page does not. Many sellers keep a small Etsy shop as a shop window and move repeat buyers to their own checkout.
How to sell in installments and add an upsell after checkout
Price plans on the order form let you split a $120 bundle into three payments of $40. After the order, a one-click upsell page offers a second product without re-entering card details, and an order bump adds a small extra on the form itself. The free plan includes one upsell and one bump; the $17 plan has ten of each.
Free plan, no card. Affiliate link; we earn a commission on paid plans.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up a checkout page without Shopify?
On systeme.io: connect Stripe or PayPal, upload the file as a product, add an order form to a sales page. Delivery is automatic and the platform fee is 0%.
What do I need to sell digital products online?
File hosting, a payment processor, a checkout page and an email list. A storefront is optional.
How do I sell digital downloads without Etsy?
From your own sales page with your own checkout, so you keep the buyer email. Keep a small Etsy shop for discovery if that is where your traffic is.
Can I sell in installments and add an upsell?
Yes. Price plans split a purchase into payments; a one-click upsell and an order bump are one each on the free plan, ten each on the $17 plan.
Related: how to sell digital products on systeme.io, Gumroad alternatives, Etsy alternatives for digital products, systeme.io vs Shopify.