Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell vs BIG Digital Downloads: Comparison

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell vs. BIG Digital Downloads Products: At a Glance
3. Why compare these two?
4. Feature Comparison
5. Pricing and Value
6. Integrations & Platform Fit
7. Support, Reliability, and Scale
8. Security, Compliance, and File Management
9. Marketing, Upsells, and LTV
10. Merchant Support Workload and Operational Overhead
11. Ideal Merchant Profiles
12. Migration and Implementation Considerations
13. Pricing Scenarios: Example merchant profiles
14. Costs vs. Benefits: decision checklist
15. The Alternative: Unifying Commerce, Content, and Community Natively
16. Practical migration checklist for merchants moving from a fragmented stack to a native platform
17. Final recommendation for merchants deciding between Channelwill and BIG
18. Conclusion
19. FAQ

Introduction

Shopify merchants who sell digital products, courses, or memberships face a recurring decision: stitch together multiple single-purpose apps or use a platform that keeps customers inside the store and the native Shopify checkout. Choosing the right app affects conversion, support load, and long-term customer value.

Short answer: Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell is a basic upsell and popup tool that can boost average order value quickly for stores with straightforward needs, while BIG Digital Downloads Products is a mature, file-delivery-focused app built for merchants selling ebooks, software keys, and other downloadable assets at scale. Both tools serve useful purposes, but neither is a full, native course + community solution — which is where a Shopify-native platform like Tevello can be a better fit for merchants looking to combine courses, memberships, and physical products without sending customers off-site.

This post provides an in-depth, feature-by-feature comparison of Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell and BIG Digital Downloads Products to help merchants decide which fits current requirements and when to consider a native alternative.

Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell vs. BIG Digital Downloads Products: At a Glance

Why compare these two?

Channelwill focuses on conversion mechanics: discounts, popups, and post-purchase offers. BIG Digital Downloads focuses on delivering downloadable files and license keys reliably. They overlap only where digital products intersect with checkout and delivery. This comparison looks past marketing blur and examines capabilities, pricing dynamics, integrations, merchant support, and likely outcomes for different merchant types.

How to use this comparison

This article helps merchants match tool capability to business goals. Read the section on "Ideal Merchant Profiles" to quickly find the fit, then use the deeper sections to validate technical compatibility, pricing predictability, and migration considerations.

Feature Comparison

Core capabilities and user experience

Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell

Channelwill is positioned as an easy-to-install upsell tool. The app pitches three main areas:

• Product page popup sales to increase conversions at the point of purchase.
• Cart and post-purchase offers, including thank-you page bundles or multiple combination sales.
• Post-purchase upsell and cart add-ons to lift order value.

The UI is designed for straightforward configuration rather than advanced funnel building. That makes it fast to adopt but limits advanced targeting, multi-step funnels, or tight course/membership access control.

Strengths:

• Fast setup for common upsell patterns.
• Post-purchase and thank-you page integration can capture buyers immediately after checkout.
• Affordable entry (free plan for low-volume stores).

Limitations:

• Limited proof of scale — only 2 reviews in the store, so community feedback is scarce.
• Not designed to manage course access, drip schedules, or member-only content.
• Lacks specialized digital delivery features (PDF stamping, license keys).

BIG Digital Downloads Products

BIG Digital Downloads Products is built for delivering files, license keys, and download management. Key features include:

• Upload and deliver any filetype (pdf, mp4, zip, rar, etc.).
• Unlimited products and orders on paid tiers.
• PDF stamping (brand or buyer info), download limits (times/duration), and storage tiers.
• License key management for software/game activations.
• Bulk import tools for scaling product catalogs.

Strengths:

• Mature feature set for digital-product delivery and key management.
• Large review base (644 reviews), indicating wide merchant adoption and established stability.
• Multiple storage tiers and bandwidth pricing on the enterprise plan for high-volume sellers.

Limitations:

• Not an LMS or membership platform; it handles delivery rather than course hosting or gated community features.
• Requires additional tools if merchant needs drip content, community discussion, or native course pages.
• Pricing can become complex at very large bandwidth usage (enterprise plan charges $0.023/GB after 1TB).

Course and membership support

Neither app is a full course or community platform. Differences matter here:

• Channelwill: Helps increase conversion for product sales, including digital products, but does not provide member areas, learning modules, or course progression controls.
• BIG Digital Downloads: Ensures buyers receive downloadable content automatically and securely but does not provide an integrated learning environment, member forums, or content drip.

Merchants who need structured lessons, certificates, quizzes, communities, or membership gating should consider a purpose-built platform. Using individual apps for upsells and downloads is feasible, but it creates fragmentation: separate systems for checkout, content delivery, and member management.

Checkout and customer flow

Both apps work with Shopify checkout, but with different emphasis.

• Channelwill places offers at product, cart, and thank-you pages to increase AOV at or around checkout.
• BIG Digital Downloads focuses on reliable post-purchase delivery and manages customer access to files via customer accounts and order pages.

If the objective is to keep the buyer inside the Shopify flow without redirects, both apps can serve that partial goal — but they don’t unify the post-purchase learning experience, progress tracking, or community discussions within the same interface.

Technical integrations and extensibility

Channelwill

Channelwill operates on top of Shopify checkout elements and shows popups/offers across product, cart, and thank-you pages. Integrations are relatively simple: the app needs access to checkout events, cart state, and product data. There’s no publicized plugin ecosystem or deep integrations beyond checkout hooks.

BIG Digital Downloads

BIG Digital Downloads integrates with key Shopify features: customer accounts, product variants, and order emails. It supports file upload, URL-based delivery, and can embed into order/confirmation flows so buyers see download pages post-purchase. On paid tiers it provides bulk import/export and admin tools that support store-level scaling.

Integration strengths:

• Works with customer account pages and order history to surface downloads.
• URL delivery option enables linking to external storage if needed.
• PDF stamping and license key flows can be used with other email/customization apps.

Integration gaps:

• Not deeply tied to native Shopify Flow automations or app subscription tools for membership gating.
• No built-in community/forum features.

Pricing and Value

Pricing is often the deciding factor when choosing tools. This section examines predictable costs and value for money.

Channelwill pricing structure

Channelwill’s plans are simple and volume-based:

• Plan1 — Free: For stores with 0–50 orders/month. Includes all features and 24/7 support.
• Plan2 — $5.99/month: For 51–100 orders/month. All features, 30-day free trial, 24/7 support.
• Plan3 — $11.99/month: For 101–200 orders/month. All features, 30-day free trial, 24/7 support.

Value considerations:

• Predictable pricing at low volumes; this is helpful for startups and low-volume digital sellers who want upsells without high recurring cost.
• No public higher tiers for larger stores — potential limitations if monthly order volume grows beyond these bands.

BIG Digital Downloads pricing structure

BIG provides a freemium model with tiers that scale by storage, bandwidth, and features:

• FREE: 500MB storage, 15 orders, 3 products, unlimited license keys.
• PRO ($12.49/month): Unlimited products and orders, PDF stamping, 10GB storage.
• ELITE ($19.99/month): 50GB storage, custom sender, and more admin features.
• ENTERPRISE ($54.99/month): 1000GB storage, custom email, bandwidth pricing after 1TB.

Value considerations:

• Clear scaling path for digital sellers who grow file storage and bandwidth needs.
• Enterprise tier makes bandwidth usage predictable up to 1TB, but >1TB incurs per-GB fees — good to understand for media-heavy courses.
• Offers advanced delivery features (PDF stamping, download limits) that matter for selling licensed digital goods.

Predictability and overall value

• Channelwill is "better value for money" for stores that primarily want conversion lift through upsells at low cost. Pricing is predictable for lower order volumes, but it may not serve high-volume merchants or those who require advanced targeting.
• BIG Digital Downloads is "better value for money" for merchants who need reliable, scalable file delivery and license management; pricing scales with storage and bandwidth, which aligns with the usage patterns of heavy digital sellers.

Integrations & Platform Fit

Integration compatibility determines how much custom work a merchant must do to provide a seamless customer journey.

Native Shopify integration

• Channelwill integrates with checkout and displays offers on product, cart, and thank-you pages. It operates within Shopify’s checkout experience but is not a native course platform.
• BIG Digital Downloads uses Shopify customer accounts and order flows to present download pages and emails, making the download experience largely native to Shopify.

Both maintain the buyer within the Shopify checkout and order confirmation flow, avoiding external payment redirects. That reduces friction, but neither app builds native course pages or community forums.

Ecosystem and add-ons

• Channelwill’s scope is focused—expect to pair it with other tools (email, membership apps) for a full learning experience.
• BIG Digital Downloads pairs well with content-hosting tools (video hosts, LMS apps) and subscription platforms but requires more integration work to replicate learning-platform features.

Compatibility with subscription and membership apps

Merchants often combine subscriptions and digital delivery. BIG Digital Downloads supports file delivery to customers, but access control tied to subscription billing often requires additional apps or custom automations. Channelwill is not a membership gate — it can offer post-purchase deals but won't handle subscription-based content gating.

Support, Reliability, and Scale

Support and community feedback

• Channelwill: 2 reviews, 5-star rating. Low review count means less public evidence of long-term reliability or how responsive support is under scale.
• BIG Digital Downloads: 644 reviews, 5-star rating. A larger merchant base provides more community evidence for reliability and response behavior.

Merchants should evaluate support by installing the app, checking response times, and asking pre-sales questions about large-file delivery, redundancy, and SLA expectations if the business depends on flawless delivery.

Uptime and delivery guarantees

File delivery reliability is critical. BIG Digital Downloads explicitly addresses storage and bandwidth tiers, which implies they operate infrastructure to serve downloads reliably. Channelwill’s focus is on UI/UX for offers, so delivery reliability is less applicable.

For merchants who sell paid digital courses or files, the cost of a failed download (support tickets, refunds, churn) often outweighs modest subscription fees.

Security, Compliance, and File Management

Digital rights and stamping

BIG Digital Downloads: Offers PDF stamping and download limits. These features help deter unauthorized sharing and enforce license terms.

Channelwill: No built-in digital rights management — it is not intended as a file protection tool.

File hosting and bandwidth

BIG Digital Downloads offers multiple storage tiers and clear bandwidth pricing at the enterprise level. Merchants with large video files should evaluate whether to host video externally (Vimeo, Wistia) and use BIG for downloadable assets, or upgrade to a tier that supports high-bandwidth video downloads.

Channelwill does not handle hosting; it operates on top of product and cart data.

Marketing, Upsells, and LTV

Upsell mechanics

Channelwill is built for margins: show the right add-on at the product page, nudge at cart, present a compelling post-purchase offer. These tactics increase AOV and can improve short-term conversion metrics.

BIG Digital Downloads complements upsells by enabling bundling of digital products as variants or separate SKUs, but it does not manage the popups or conversions directly.

Bundling physical and digital

A common growth tactic is bundling hands-on physical kits with digital courses (e.g., a craft kit + video lessons). The friction point is making the bundle feel seamless:

• Channelwill can present bundles as upsells so buyers add a course on the product or cart page.
• BIG delivers the digital assets post-purchase.
• Combining both requires integration work: upsell presentation (Channelwill or other tool) plus secure file delivery and membership access.

This is where a native course-and-commerce platform reduces friction because it can handle product bundling, checkout, and member access in one place.

Merchant Support Workload and Operational Overhead

Fragmented systems create operational overhead: separate logins, support flows, and cross-checking transactions across apps. Common pain points include:

• Customers purchasing a course but not finding access emails (email deliverability or app need to surface downloads on account pages).
• Support agents needing to look up orders in one system and unlock content in another.
• Refunds or chargebacks requiring manual content revocation.

Both Channelwill and BIG reduce specific problems (upselling and delivery), but neither eliminates the multi-app coordination burden for complex course+product offerings.

Ideal Merchant Profiles

Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell is best for:

• Small stores that want a straightforward way to increase AOV via popups and post-purchase offers.
• Merchants with low to moderate order volume seeking a low-cost upsell solution.
• Stores that already have a separate system for course or file delivery and only need conversion tools.

BIG Digital Downloads Products is best for:

• Merchants whose primary business is selling downloadable products, ebooks, license keys, or software.
• Stores that require PDF stamping, download limits, and license management.
• Businesses that need a scalable storage/bandwidth plan and reliable download pages.

Neither app is ideal if the merchant needs:

• Integrated learning management features (drip, progress, quizzes).
• Community features (member forums, discussion threads) tightly integrated with product pages and checkout.
• Bundled commerce where physical product purchases automatically grant member access within the same storefront experience.

If any of the above sounds essential, consider a native platform that unifies sales, courses, and community.

Migration and Implementation Considerations

Installing and testing

• Install the app on a dev or staging store if available. Confirm how the app injects popups or download pages and test across devices.
• For BIG Digital Downloads, test PDF stamping, multiple download attempts, and license key workflows to confirm email templates and order pages look right.

Data migration and exports

• If moving from a different download tool, confirm product IDs and license key import capabilities. BIG supports bulk import tools in paid tiers.
• Channelwill does not store course content, so migrations typically involve just configuring offers and rules.

Customer communication templates

• Ensure order confirmation emails include clear download instructions or access links.
• If using Channelwill for post-purchase upsells, test that users still receive download links or course access emails in the expected sequence.

Pricing Scenarios: Example merchant profiles

• Low-volume craft seller who wants to sell a downloadable PDF pattern and increase AOV with a kit upsell:
  • Channelwill provides low-cost upsell mechanics; BIG can handle the PDF delivery if the creator needs download limits or stamping.
  • Both together can work, but expect duplicate admin tasks.
• Software vendor selling activation keys and needing license control:
  • BIG is a natural fit thanks to license key features and download limits.
  • Channelwill adds little in this scenario unless the vendor specifically wants post-purchase cross-sells.
• Course creator wanting to bundle physical kits and run a member community:
  • Neither Channelwill nor BIG solves the course+community problem holistically. This is where a native course-and-community platform reduces friction and operational cost.

Costs vs. Benefits: decision checklist

Use this checklist to decide which app is the right fit:

• Need post-purchase or cart upsells to increase AOV? Channelwill is the faster path.
• Need reliable, stamped PDF delivery or license keys? BIG is designed for that.
• Need membership management, course pages, drip content, or community features? Consider a unified native platform instead of combining single-purpose apps.

The Alternative: Unifying Commerce, Content, and Community Natively

Platform fragmentation — using separate apps for checkout, course delivery, and community — creates measurable costs: lost conversions, manual support overhead, inconsistent UX, and friction that depresses customer lifetime value (LTV). A native approach consolidates those functions inside Shopify so customers stay on the site from discovery to learning to repurchase.

Tevello’s value proposition is to natively integrate courses, digital products, and communities into Shopify stores so merchants can sell physical products alongside courses, manage memberships, and use Shopify’s native checkout without sending customers off-site. This reduces friction, lowers support volume, and often increases repeat purchase rates.

• For a concrete example, read how one merchant generated over $112K in digital revenue by bundling courses with physical products: how one brand sold $112K+ by bundling courses with physical products.
• Another merchant generated over €243,000 by upselling existing customers with native content and repeat purchases: generated over €243,000 by upselling existing customers.
• A migration example demonstrates the operational benefits of a native platform: migrated over 14,000 members and reduced support tickets.

What "native" removes from the stack

• External logins and redirects for course access, which reduce conversion and create support tickets.
• Separate billing and subscription management systems when membership is tied to physical product bundles.
• The need to stitch email confirmations to separate download pages; Tevello surfaces course access inside the Shopify customer account and uses Shopify’s checkout.

Tevello’s pricing and product positioning is designed to be predictable: an unlimited plan at $29/month that includes core course and community features along with membership and subscription integrations. Merchants can view a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses and members at a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses. For a feature overview, merchants can review all the key features for courses and communities.

If merchants want evidence of the payoff, browse see how merchants are earning six figures and study specific cases. For example, a store that consolidated a complicated external setup into Tevello and Shopify doubled its conversion rate — read how it doubled its store's conversion rate by fixing a fragmented system. Other merchants have achieved a 59%+ returning customer rate by bundling physical kits with on-demand courses, illustrated in the achieved a 59%+ returning customer rate case study.

Start a hands-on evaluation with a trial. Start a 14-day free trial to evaluate Tevello’s native experience.

How native platforms change metrics

• Higher LTV: Bundling and easy upsells increase repeat purchases and average order value.
• Lower support tickets: Consolidated access and predictable workflows reduce account-login issues and access requests.
• Better conversions: A single, unified checkout-to-content experience reduces drop-off between purchase and first lesson.

App store perspective

Merchants evaluating apps on the Shopify App Store can also view app reviews and see how native integration is reviewed by peers. For more merchant feedback about a native course app, read the 5-star reviews from fellow merchants.

For stores that want to test Tevello inside Shopify and see how it fits specific workflows, Tevello’s app listing in the Shopify App Store offers installation details and review commentary: natively integrated with Shopify checkout.

Practical migration checklist for merchants moving from a fragmented stack to a native platform

• Map current touchpoints: product SKUs that grant access, emails that deliver download links, and any license key automation.
• Export user lists, course purchase history, and license keys where applicable.
• Choose a migration strategy:
  • Lift-and-shift content (upload videos and files to the new platform).
  • Rebuild courses inside the native environment for better tracking and UX.
• Communicate migration to customers: explain access changes, transition timeline, and where to log in.
• Run a pilot with a single course or cohort to validate emails, access, and user experience.
• Cancel redundant apps after confirming all functionality is replicated or improved natively.

Final recommendation for merchants deciding between Channelwill and BIG

• Choose Channelwill if the primary need is low-cost, simple upsells and post-purchase offers that sit on product, cart, and thank-you pages. It’s a quick way to increase AOV for low-volume stores.
• Choose BIG Digital Downloads if the business sells downloadable products or license keys at scale and needs features like PDF stamping, download limits, and tiered storage/bandwidth.
• Neither is the right long-term choice for merchants who want to combine courses, community, and commerce in a cohesive, low-friction experience. For those merchants, a native platform that unifies these needs is generally better value for money and reduces operational complexity.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell and BIG Digital Downloads Products, the decision comes down to use case: upsells and conversion mechanics (Channelwill) versus secure, scalable digital file delivery and license management (BIG Digital Downloads). Both apps integrate with Shopify checkout and serve specific, useful functions; neither is a complete course, membership, and community solution.

Platform fragmentation — stitching multiple single-purpose apps together — adds overhead and user friction. A natively integrated platform that keeps customers at home inside Shopify can increase LTV, reduce support, and create a more cohesive buying and learning experience. Tevello offers that unified approach: native course pages, membership features, and an integrated checkout experience. Read how merchants are earning six figures for real-world proof, including a store that sold over 4,000 courses and generated $112K+ by bundling courses with physical products (how one brand sold $112K+ by bundling courses with physical products), a brand that generated over €243,000 from repeat upsells (generated over €243,000 by upselling existing customers), and a migration that moved 14,000+ members to a native system and reduced support tickets (migrated over 14,000 members and reduced support tickets).

Start your 14-day free trial to unify your content and commerce today. Start your 14-day free trial to see how a native course platform transforms your store

FAQ

How do Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell and BIG Digital Downloads differ in purpose?

Channelwill is designed to increase conversions and average order value through product, cart, and post-purchase offers. BIG Digital Downloads is focused on delivering downloadable files and managing license keys, download limits, and file stamping. Channelwill improves checkout behaviour; BIG secures and serves digital assets.

Which app is better for selling courses?

Neither app is a full course platform. BIG can deliver course files and Channelwill can boost course sales via upsells, but a merchant needing structured lessons, progress tracking, drip schedules, and community features should evaluate a native solution that combines commerce with learning tools.

If a merchant already uses BIG for downloads, is Channelwill a good addition?

It can be. Channelwill can create targeted upsells and post-purchase offers to increase revenue for products that BIG delivers. Expect some admin coordination: BIG manages delivery while Channelwill manages conversion mechanics.

How does a native, all-in-one platform like Tevello compare to specialized or external apps?

A native platform reduces fragmentation by combining course delivery, community features, and commerce within Shopify. This lowers support load, keeps customers in the native checkout experience, and improves conversion and LTV through integrated bundles and member experiences. See concrete merchant outcomes like a store that sold 4,000+ courses and generated $112K+ by bundling content and products (how one brand sold $112K+ by bundling courses with physical products) and a migration that brought 14,000+ members into a single native system, reducing support tickets (migrated over 14,000 members and reduced support tickets). For feature details and pricing, merchants can review all the key features for courses and communities and a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses.

Further reading and resources:

• see how merchants are earning six figures
• how one brand sold $112K+ by bundling courses with physical products
• generated over €243,000 by upselling existing customers
• migrated over 14,000 members and reduced support tickets
• read the 5-star reviews from fellow merchants