Last week I created an Excel template generator and launched it on 5 different platforms.
Not because I have too much time, but because I don't know which platform fits my product.
The 5 Platforms
| Platform | Type | Fee | My Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gumroad | Creator platform | 10%+$0.3 | $19.84 |
| Payhip | Digital products | 5% | $19 |
| SellAnyCode | Code marketplace | 30-50% | $20 |
| Itch.io | Indie developers | 10% | $19 |
| Codester | Code scripts | 30-50% | $29 |
Platform Reviews
Gumroad
Pros: Creator-friendly, clean UI, supports PayPal/credit cards, built-in email marketing
Cons: Higher fees (10%)
Best for: Creators with existing audience, building long-term brand
Payhip
Pros: Lowest fees (5%), instant downloads, discount codes, affiliate marketing
Cons: Less traffic, simpler UI
Best for: Cost-conscious sellers who drive their own traffic
SellAnyCode
Pros: Code-focused marketplace, targeted audience, multiple code types supported
Cons: High fees (30-50%), old UI
Best for: Pure code products, don't mind high fees for traffic
Itch.io
Pros: Indie dev community, "Pay What You Want" option, game dev friendly
Cons: Game-focused, limited tool exposure
Best for: Game-related tools or experimenting with PWYW
Codester
Pros: Professional code market, review process ensures quality, multiple languages
Cons: Review takes time, high fees, competitive
Best for: High-quality code products, willing to wait for review
My Strategy
Pricing: Higher fees = higher price (Codester $29), lower fees = lower price (Payhip $19)
Content: Optimized descriptions for each platform's audience
Time Investment:
- Gumroad: 30 min (most familiar)
- Payhip: 20 min (simplest)
- SellAnyCode: 45 min (many fields)
- Itch.io: 25 min (intuitive UI)
- Codester: 60 min (strict review, detailed requirements)
Results After One Week
| Platform | Views | Sales | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gumroad | 12 | 0 | $0 |
| Payhip | 8 | 0 | $0 |
| SellAnyCode | 3 | 0 | $0 |
| Itch.io | 5 | 0 | $0 |
| Codester | In review | - | - |
Summary: 0 sales, but I'm not worried.
Why 0 Sales Is Normal
- No promotion - Just listed, no marketing
- New accounts - No authority or reviews
- First product - Market validation needed
Lessons Learned
-
Productization is harder than coding
- Coding: 2 days
- Documentation: 1 day
- Assets: 1 day
- Platform research: 1 day
- Productization = 2× coding effort
-
Multi-platform is worth it
- Different user feedback
- Traffic data from each platform
- A/B testing opportunities
-
Code can sell, but needs packaging
- Solve specific problems
- Complete documentation
- Examples and tutorials
- Support commitment
-
First dollar is hardest
- Don't expect instant success
- Focus on validation and learning
Next Steps
This week:
- Share on Twitter/X
- Post on Reddit
- Write detailed articles
This month:
- Optimize based on data
- Develop niche versions (student, freelancer)
- Build email list
Ongoing:
- Build personal brand
- More automation tools
- Explore subscription revenue
Advice
- Don't limit to one platform - You don't know which fits best
- Fees aren't everything - High-fee platforms may have better traffic
- Prepare for 0 sales - First product rarely sells immediately
- Listing is just the start - Promotion matters more than listing
Multi-platform launch isn't "spray and pray" - it's hypothesis testing.
I don't know which platform fits, so I test. Data will tell me.
Read the full article on my blog: [link]
Top comments (0)