Digital products offer something physical products can't: infinite scalability. Create once, sell forever. No inventory, no shipping, no per-unit costs eating into your margins.
But not all digital products are equal. Some categories are saturated, others are emerging. Some require months of creation, others can be built in a weekend. This guide covers the best digital product opportunities in 2026—with realistic assessments of effort, competition, and revenue potential.
Why Digital Products Work
Before exploring specific products, understand why digital products are attractive for creators and entrepreneurs.
Physical products cost money every time you sell one. Materials, manufacturing, shipping—each sale has direct costs. Digital products have zero marginal cost. Whether you sell 1 or 10,000, your delivery cost is the same: essentially nothing.
This means every additional sale is nearly pure profit after covering your fixed costs (creation time, platform fees).
Once created and marketed, digital products can sell while you sleep. The work is front-loaded: create the product, set up the sales page, build traffic. Then the system runs with minimal ongoing effort.
This isn't truly "passive"—you'll need to maintain, update, and market. But compared to trading hours for dollars, it's leveraged income.
Digital products can be sold anywhere with internet access. No customs, no shipping delays, no international logistics. A customer in Tokyo can buy your template at 3am and have it instantly.
PayRequest's digital products feature handles automatic delivery worldwide.
You decide what to create, how to price it, and who to sell it to. No gatekeepers, no approval processes (for most products), no inventory commitments.
High-Opportunity Product Categories
Let's explore the categories with the best potential in 2026.
What they are: Pre-built structures that save people time. Notion templates, spreadsheet frameworks, document templates, design systems.
Why they work: Everyone wants shortcuts. Templates let people skip the blank-page problem and start with something proven.
2026 opportunity: The template market keeps growing as more tools (Notion, Airtable, Figma) gain users who want ready-made solutions.
• Notion workspace templates (business, personal, specific niches)
• Google Sheets financial models
• Figma design systems and UI kits
• Email template packs
• Proposal and contract templates
Effort level: Low to medium. Templates can be created in days or weeks, not months.
Revenue potential: €10-200 per template, with bundles commanding higher prices. Volume sellers earn €1,000-10,000/month.
Getting started: Create templates you actually use. Your real-world-tested systems are more valuable than theoretical designs.
What they are: Structured learning experiences—video courses, cohort-based programs, tutorials, workshops.
Why they work: People pay for transformation and expertise. Courses promise specific outcomes and provide structured paths to get there.
2026 opportunity: The market is mature but still growing. Specialization wins—broad topics face competition; narrow niches thrive.
• Technical skills (coding, data analysis, specific tools)
• Creative skills (photography, writing, design)
• Business skills (marketing, sales, freelancing)
• Personal development (productivity, habits, mindset)
• Hobby instruction (cooking, crafts, music)
Effort level: High. Quality courses require significant production time—scripting, recording, editing, creating materials.
Revenue potential: €50-2,000 per course. Top creators earn €10,000-100,000+/month. Cohort-based courses can charge €500-5,000.
Getting started: Start with a mini-course or workshop to validate demand before building a comprehensive course.
What they are: Visual content others use in their projects—graphics, illustrations, photos, videos, music.
Why they work: Creative professionals and businesses constantly need assets. Buying beats creating from scratch.
2026 opportunity: AI is changing this space, but human-created, curated assets still command premium prices. Authenticity and style matter more than ever.
• Stock photos (especially lifestyle and diverse representation)
• Illustrations and icons
• Social media graphics packs
• Video footage and b-roll
• Music and sound effects
• Procreate brushes and Photoshop actions
Effort level: Medium. Requires creative skills but individual assets can be created relatively quickly.
Revenue potential: €5-100 per asset, with bundles and subscriptions at €20-500. Volume and marketplaces drive income for most creators.
Getting started: Focus on a distinctive style or underserved niche rather than competing on volume with stock giants.
What they are: Apps, plugins, scripts, and utilities that solve specific problems.
Why they work: Software scales infinitely and can command recurring revenue through subscriptions.
2026 opportunity: The "no-code" movement has expanded who can create software. Niche tools for specific workflows or integrations have room to grow.
• Browser extensions
• Plugins for popular platforms (WordPress, Shopify, Figma)
• Automation scripts
• Standalone utilities
• API tools and integrations
• No-code templates (Webflow, Bubble)
Effort level: Medium to high. Requires technical skills, though no-code tools lower the barrier.
Revenue potential: €5-100 for one-time purchases; €5-50/month for subscriptions. Successful tools can generate €10,000+/month.
Getting started: Solve a problem you personally have. The best tools come from genuine frustration with existing solutions.
What they are: Long-form written content—ebooks, guides, playbooks, workbooks.
Why they work: Written content is accessible, easy to consume, and positions you as an expert. Lower production barrier than video.
2026 opportunity: The ebook market is mature, but well-positioned, niche guides still sell. Quality and specificity matter more than length.
• How-to guides for specific skills
• Industry playbooks
• Research reports and insights
• Fiction and creative writing
• Workbooks with exercises
• Curated resource collections
Effort level: Low to medium. An ebook can be written in weeks, though research-heavy content takes longer.
Revenue potential: €5-50 for most ebooks. Specialized B2B guides can command €100-500+. Volume and backend offers (courses, consulting) drive real income.
Getting started: Start with what you know deeply. A 30-page guide from genuine expertise beats a 200-page generic overview.
What they are: Podcasts, audiobooks, music, sound effects, meditation tracks, sample packs.
Why they work: Audio fits into people's lives—commutes, workouts, chores. It's a growing consumption format.
2026 opportunity: Podcast and audio content consumption continues growing. Niche audio products (meditation, ambient, specific music genres) find dedicated audiences.
• Sample packs and loops for producers
• Sound effects libraries
• Meditation and relaxation tracks
• Audiobook versions of written content
• Music for content creators
• Podcast premium episodes
Effort level: Medium. Requires audio production skills and equipment, but costs have dropped significantly.
Revenue potential: €10-200 for packs and libraries. Subscription models for ongoing content work well.
Getting started: Start with a specific niche (lo-fi beats, nature sounds, cinematic effects) rather than trying to cover everything.
What they are: PDF files customers print at home—planners, wall art, worksheets, games, organizational tools.
Why they work: Instant gratification meets physical product desire. Customers get a tangible result without shipping wait.
2026 opportunity: Stable market with room for design-forward, niche-specific products. Competition is high for generic planners.
• Daily, weekly, and monthly planners
• Habit trackers and goal-setting worksheets
• Wall art and home decor prints
• Wedding and event planning kits
• Kids' activity sheets and games
• Business planning worksheets
Effort level: Low. Printables can be created quickly with design tools, even with limited design experience.
Revenue potential: €3-30 per printable. Bundles and shops with dozens of products drive meaningful income.
Getting started: Identify a specific audience (teachers, new parents, small business owners) and create printables for their specific needs.
What they are: Ongoing access to content, community, or services for a recurring fee.
Why they work: Predictable recurring revenue. Deeper customer relationships. Compounding value over time.
2026 opportunity: Subscription fatigue is real, but high-value memberships with genuine community or ongoing content thrive.
• Content libraries with regular additions
• Community access with expert interaction
• Software subscriptions
• Newsletter subscriptions with premium content
• Coaching and accountability groups
Effort level: High ongoing. Initial setup plus continuous content creation and community management.
Revenue potential: €5-200/month per member. At scale, memberships can generate €10,000-100,000+/month.
Getting started: Build an audience first. Memberships work best when you have existing followers who want more.
PayRequest's memberships feature handles the billing complexity for subscription products.
Choosing Your Product
With many options, how do you choose? Consider these factors:
What can you create well? What do you enjoy making? Sustainable digital product businesses come from genuine expertise and interest, not just market opportunity.
How much time can you invest upfront? Templates and printables can launch in weeks. Courses and software might take months.
A few high-ticket products vs. many low-ticket products are different businesses. Courses can generate €500+ per sale; templates might generate €15. Both can work depending on volume.
Some products are create-and-forget. Others need ongoing updates. Software needs bug fixes. Courses need refreshing. Consider what you're signing up for long-term.
Saturated markets require differentiation or exceptional quality. Emerging niches have less competition but smaller audiences. Balance opportunity against difficulty.
Getting Started
Ready to create your first digital product? Here's a practical path:
1. Choose one product type. Don't try to launch a course, template pack, and ebook simultaneously.
2. Validate before building. Talk to potential customers. Pre-sell if possible. Gauge interest before investing weeks of creation time.
3. Start small. Your first product doesn't have to be comprehensive. A focused, specific product beats an ambitious but unfinished one.
4. Price for value. Don't underprice. Digital products should be priced based on value delivered, not time spent creating.
5. Build your distribution. The product is half the work. Getting it in front of buyers is the other half. Email list, social media, SEO, partnerships.
Selling Your Digital Products
Once created, you need a way to sell. PayRequest makes this simple:
[Digital Products](/features/digital-products): Upload your files, set your price, and PayRequest handles secure delivery.
[Sales Page](/features/sales-page): Create a professional sales page without design skills.
[Smart Links](/features/smart-links): Generate payment links to share anywhere—social media, email, your website.
[Store](/features/store): Sell multiple products from one storefront.
No transaction fees from PayRequest. Start selling at payrequest.app/register.