Choosing the Right Platform as a Digital Product Beginner: Stan Store vs. Beacons vs. Systeme.io vs. Funnels of CourseWhich store front is right for me?
So you’re finally ready to start your digital product journey (yay, go you!)—but the tech side has your head spinning. Do you need a funnel? A store? A course platform? A million-dollar tech stack? (Spoiler: You don’t.)
Let’s break down four beginner-friendly platforms—Stan Store, Beacons, Systeme.io, and Funnels of Course—so you can confidently pick the one that works for you (not against you).
1. Stan Store
Focus: Selling digital products, especially courses, straight from your social media bio.
Best For: Creators, coaches, influencers, and anyone selling digital products directly on Instagram or TikTok.
Strengths:
- Super simple interface
- Drag-and-drop digital product builder
- Easy course builder
- Auto-delivery for products
- DM automation integrations with IG & TikTok
Pricing:
- Creator – $29/month
- Creator Pro – $99/month (adds email marketing, affiliate links, advanced analytics)
Bottom Line: If you’re active on social media and want a clean, creator-first storefront to start selling quickly, Stan is your move.
2. Beacons
Focus: Link-in-bio with added features for monetization and marketing.
Best For: Influencers and digital product beginners who want to start with free tools and don’t mind some platform limits.
Strengths:
- Free plan available
- Sell unlimited digital products (even on free plan)
- Smart Reply IG DM automation
- Email marketing built in (with 50 sends/month)
- Drag-and-drop media kit & bio link page
Pricing:
- Free Plan – 9% transaction fee
- Paid Plans – Starting at $10/month
Bottom Line: Great for those just testing the waters. You can make your first few sales and build out slowly without paying a dime.
3. Systeme.io
Focus: Funnels, email automation, landing pages—without the ClickFunnels overwhelm.
Best For: Beginners who want more control over email marketing, funnels, and digital product delivery.
Strengths:
- Build up to 3 sales funnels on the free plan
- Unlimited emails (up to 2,000 contacts)
- 1 blog, 1 membership site, 1 course
- No transaction fees
- Affiliate program built-in
Pricing:
- Free Plan available
- Paid plans scale with features
Bottom Line: If you’re ready to build a mini-marketing machine from Day 1 and want all the pieces in one place—Systeme is your all-in-one solution.
4. Funnels of Course
Focus: Selling online courses and building out memberships.
Best For: Beginners who know they want to teach, coach, or deliver training inside a gated course experience.
Strengths:
- Simple course builder
- Membership site capabilities
- Built-in checkout and delivery
- Integrates with other tools like ConvertKit, ThriveCart, etc.
Pricing:
- Paid plans vary depending on features
Bottom Line: If you’re focused on education, coaching, or teaching—this is your course HQ.
My Recommendation for Beginners:
- If you want to sell quickly and easily from IG/TikTok: Stan Store
- If you want to start for free and scale slowly: Beacons
- If you want email automation, landing pages, and funnels: Systeme.io
- If you want to launch a course or membership: Funnels of Course
💡 Want help choosing the right platform AND getting your tech set up for free? I’m offering a limited number of free beta setup packages right now. 2 spots left as of 4/9/25!
👉 Click here to apply 👉 Browse digital tools & templates
Let’s stop overthinking and start launching.
You bring the dream—I’ll bring the system. ✨