When it comes to selling digital products online, Payhip and SendOwl are two of the most popular platforms available. Both companies were founded in 2010 and 2012, respectively, and are based in the United Kingdom.
Payhip is a better platform for creators selling courses, memberships and digital products. Sendowl may be better for people in e-commerce as it has a Shopify integration.
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Payhip
Payhip offers an all-in-one solution for selling digital products, including ebooks, courses, coaching, memberships, and more. The platform allows you to set up your own online store, customize your products, and manage your sales and customers. Payhip also offers a free plan with basic features and a paid plan with additional features.
SendOwl
SendOwl, on the other hand, focuses on delivering digital products securely and efficiently. The platform offers features such as automatic delivery of products, customizable checkout pages, and integration with major payment gateways and email marketing services. SendOwl does not offer a free plan, but does provide a 14-day free trial and several pricing plans based on the number of products you sell.
Both Payhip and SendOwl provide email support for their customers, with SendOwl offering 24/7 support. Payhip also includes a knowledge base and community forum for additional resources and support.
Key Features Comparison
Product Features
Payhip and SendOwl are both all-in-one platforms that allow creators to sell digital products, including ebooks, courses, coaching, and memberships. Both platforms offer customizable templates for product pages, as well as the ability to offer digital downloads and manage customers.
One key difference between the two platforms is that Payhip offers a Membership Toolkit, which allows creators to manage memberships and subscriptions. This feature is not available on SendOwl.
Platform Flexibility
Both Payhip and SendOwl offer flexible platforms that can be integrated with a variety of payment gateways, including PayPal and Stripe. Aside from that, both platforms allow creators to set up custom domains for their stores and offer white-label options for branding.
However, Payhip offers more flexibility in terms of pricing options. Creators can choose to offer their products at a fixed price, or set up a pay-what-you-want system. Payhip also allows creators to offer discounts and coupon codes, while SendOwl does not.
Marketing Tools
Both Payhip and SendOwl offer marketing tools to help creators promote their products. Both platforms offer the ability to create affiliate programs and track sales, as well as the ability to integrate with email marketing platforms like Mailchimp.
Payhip, on the other hand, offers more advanced marketing tools, including the ability to create landing pages and sales funnels. Payhip also offers built-in analytics to help creators track their sales and understand their customers.
Membership Management
As mentioned earlier, Payhip offers a Membership Toolkit that allows creators to manage memberships and subscriptions. This feature is not available on SendOwl.
SendOwl offers a more advanced membership management system for creators who need more control over their memberships. This system allows creators to create custom membership levels and manage access to content based on those levels.
Pricing and Transaction Details
Free and Paid Plans
Both Payhip and SendOwl offer free and paid plans. Payhip’s free plan allows you to sell products with a 5% transaction fee, while SendOwl’s free plan also charges a 5% management fee per order. If you want a lesser transaction/management fee, both platforms offer different paid plans with a variety of features.
Payhip’s Pro plan charges a flat fee per transaction, which makes it suitable for sellers with a high volume of sales. On the other hand, SendOwl charges a $0.17 fee per transaction, which can still be more expensive for sellers with a high volume of sales.
Transaction Fees
Payhip’s transaction fee starts at 2% per transaction for the Plus plan, but you can upgrade to their Pro plan which offers a 0% transaction fee. The fee is deducted from the sale price of your product, so you don’t have to worry about paying it separately. SendOwl’s transaction fee varies depending on your plan and the payment gateway you use. For example, if you use PayPal with SendOwl’s starter plan, you’ll be charged a transaction fee of 5%.
If you’re on a budget, Payhip’s pricing structure may be more attractive to you, especially if you sell a lot of products. If you’re looking for more flexibility in terms of payment gateways and plan features, SendOwl may be a better option.
Payment and Checkout Options
When it comes to payment and checkout options, both Payhip and SendOwl offer a variety of choices, including Stripe and PayPal. These payment gateways are widely used and trusted, making it easy for customers to complete their purchases with confidence.
Payhip also offers additional payment options such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, which can be convenient for customers who prefer using these options. It’s important to note that not all countries support these payment methods.
SendOwl, on the other hand, not charge any transaction fees since payments are processed through the payment gateway directly. This can be a significant advantage for sellers who want to keep their costs low.
Both platforms also offer customizable checkout pages that allow sellers to add their branding and customize the checkout process to match their website’s look and feel. This can help improve the overall customer experience and increase conversions.
Design and User Experience
The design and user experience of your platform can make or break your success. Luckily, both Payhip and SendOwl offer user-friendly dashboards with clean designs that are easy to navigate, making it simple for beginners to get started.
Payhip’s dashboard is particularly user-friendly, with a range of features that help you sell your digital products with ease. The platform provides an all-in-one solution to sell any digital products, including ebooks, courses, coaching, memberships, and more. The dashboard is intuitive and straightforward, allowing you to manage your products, orders, and customers with ease.
SendOwl also offers a user-friendly interface, with a step-by-step setup wizard to guide you through the process of setting up your store. The platform provides a range of features to help you sell your digital products, including customizable checkout pages, upsells, and more.
Both platforms provide a seamless shopping experience for customers, with secure payment processing and instant delivery of digital products. Payhip and SendOwl both allow you to customize your checkout pages, making it easy to match your branding and provide a professional shopping experience for your customers.
Integration and API Access
When it comes to integrating with other platforms and services, both Payhip and SendOwl offer a range of options to make it easier for you to manage your business.
Payhip provides a RESTful API that allows developers to integrate with the platform and access key features such as product management, order management, and customer management. This API is well-documented and easy to use, making it an attractive option for businesses looking to build custom integrations.
In addition to its API, Payhip also offers integrations with a number of third-party services, including Zapier, which allows you to connect Payhip with over 2,000 other apps and services. This makes it easy to automate tasks and streamline your workflow, saving you time and effort.
SendOwl also offers a RESTful API that provides access to key features such as product management, order management, and customer management. However, the documentation for this API is not as comprehensive as Payhip’s, which may make it more difficult for developers to work with.
In terms of integrations, SendOwl offers a range of options, including integrations with popular services such as Mailchimp, AWeber, and Google Analytics. However, it does not offer an integration with Zapier, which may be a drawback for businesses looking to automate their workflow.
Marketing and Audience Engagement
Both Payhip and SendOwl offer a wide range of features that can help you promote your digital products and connect with your customers. Here are some of the key tools and strategies you can use with each platform:
Payhip
- Email marketing: Payhip allows you to collect email addresses from your customers and export them to your email marketing software. You can also send automated follow-up emails to customers who have purchased your products.
- Discount codes: You can create discount codes to offer special deals to your customers. Payhip also allows you to set expiration dates and usage limits for your discount codes.
- Affiliate program: With Payhip’s affiliate program, you can recruit affiliates to promote your products and earn a commission on each sale they generate. You can set your own commission rates and track your affiliates’ performance.
- Launch countdown timer: You can add a countdown timer to your product pages to create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to make a purchase.
SendOwl
- Email marketing: SendOwl integrates with a range of email marketing software, including Mailchimp, AWeber, and Campaign Monitor. You can use these integrations to collect email addresses from your customers and send automated follow-up emails.
- Discount codes: SendOwl allows you to create discount codes for your products. You can set the discount amount, expiration date, and usage limit for each code.
- Affiliate program: SendOwl’s affiliate program allows you to recruit affiliates to promote your products and earn a commission on each sale they generate. You can set your own commission rates and track your affiliates’ performance.
- Launch page: SendOwl offers a customizable launch page where you can promote your new product and collect email addresses from potential customers. You can also add a countdown timer to create a sense of urgency.
Support and Training
Having access to reliable support and training is essential for your business. Both Payhip and SendOwl offer customer support options, but there are some differences between the two platforms.
Payhip provides email support during weekdays and typically responds within 24 hours. While this may not be as fast as SendOwl’s 24/7 customer support via email, it is still a reasonable response time. Moreover, Payhip offers a knowledge base with articles and tutorials to help users troubleshoot common issues and navigate the platform.
SendOwl, on the other hand, offers more comprehensive customer support options. In addition to 24/7 email support, they also offer live chat support during business hours and a phone support option for higher-tier plans. This level of support can be especially helpful for users who are new to selling digital products online and may have more questions or need more guidance.
Both Payhip and SendOwl offer training and resources to help users get started with their platforms. Payhip offers a free ebook on how to sell digital products, which covers topics such as pricing, marketing, and creating a sales page. They also offer a blog with articles on topics such as SEO and social media marketing.
Final Verdict
After comparing Payhip and SendOwl, it’s clear that both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses. Your choice between the two will depend on your specific needs as a creator.
To help you decide choosing between the two platforms, you can check out this video below:
If you’re looking for a platform with more features to establish your income online, then Payhip is the alternative you’ve been waiting for. With its all-in-one solution, you can sell any digital products including ebooks, courses, coaching, memberships, and more. Plus, Payhip offers a free signup with no card required.
On the other hand, if you need 24/7 customer support via email, then SendOwl is the better choice for you. While Payhip offers email support during weekdays and typically responds within 24 hours, SendOwl provides round-the-clock assistance.
Both Payhip and SendOwl are reputable platforms for selling digital products, so you can be confident in your choice. Make sure to weigh your options carefully and choose the platform that best suits your needs.