Digitally ‑ Digital Products vs. Linkcase ‑ Digital Products: An In-Depth Comparison

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Digitally ‑ Digital Products vs. Linkcase ‑ Digital Products: At a Glance
3. Core Workflow and File Delivery Mechanics
4. Security Features and Intellectual Property Protection
5. Pricing Structures and Scalability
6. Customization and Branding
7. Integration and Technical Compatibility
8. Performance and User Experience
9. The Alternative: Unifying Commerce, Content, and Community Natively
10. Strategic Considerations for Digital Growth
11. Choosing the Right Path for Your Store
12. Conclusion
13. FAQ

Introduction

Choosing the right infrastructure for selling digital goods on Shopify is a decision that impacts both immediate operational efficiency and long-term customer retention. While the physical storefront manages inventory and shipping logistics, the digital side of a business relies on instant delivery, secure file hosting, and a frictionless transition from the "Thank You" page to the actual product. Many merchants find themselves balancing the need for technical security, such as license key protection, with the desire for a smooth user experience that does not require heavy manual oversight.

Short answer: Digitally ‑ Digital Products is highly effective for merchants who need specialized delivery tools like PDF stamping and license key management across a tiered pricing structure. Linkcase ‑ Digital Products offers a streamlined approach with specific strengths in media streaming and SMS delivery, making it suitable for creators focused on photography or fitness videos. For business owners seeking to remove the friction of external logins and fragmented customer journeys, a natively integrated platform provides the most cohesive growth path.

The purpose of this analysis is to provide a neutral, feature-by-feature comparison of Digitally ‑ Digital Products and Linkcase ‑ Digital Products. By examining the technical capabilities, pricing models, and user workflows of both apps, merchants can determine which tool aligns with their specific product types and volume requirements. This evaluation covers everything from file security and customization to the overall reliability signals provided by the merchant community.

Digitally ‑ Digital Products vs. Linkcase ‑ Digital Products: At a Glance

The following table summarizes the high-level differences between the two applications to help narrow down the selection process based on core business needs.

Core Workflow and File Delivery Mechanics

The fundamental requirement for any digital product app is the ability to deliver files immediately after a successful transaction. Both apps automate this process, but they approach the delivery mechanics differently.

Digitally ‑ Digital Products Workflow

Digitally ‑ Digital Products focuses heavily on the automation of "keys" and "codes." When a customer completes a purchase, the app can deliver license keys, promo codes, or vouchers directly via the checkout page or through automated emails. This is particularly useful for software sellers or stores that act as intermediaries for third-party services. The inclusion of QR codes for access adds a layer of modern utility, allowing customers to scan and access their downloads on mobile devices without typing complex URLs.

The app also provides a "Digital Lottery" feature across its plans. While not a standard requirement for every merchant, this allows for unique marketing campaigns where digital assets are distributed in a randomized or limited fashion. For merchants selling e-books or technical PDFs, the manual and automatic fulfillment options ensure that no customer is left waiting for their purchase, which is a critical factor in reducing support tickets related to "missing" digital goods.

Linkcase ‑ Digital Products Workflow

Linkcase ‑ Digital Products positions itself as a more general-purpose delivery tool for a wide variety of media. It supports photography, music, tutorials, and recipes with a focus on ease of use. A standout feature in its workflow is the ability to stream audio and video directly in the browser. This prevents the need for customers to download large files to their local devices before they can view the content, which is a common point of friction for fitness classes or long-form video tutorials.

The delivery options in Linkcase extend beyond email to include mobile-optimized SMS notifications. In an era where mobile commerce is dominant, providing a download link via text message can significantly improve the speed at which a customer interacts with their purchase. This mobile-first approach is reflected in their custom templates, which are designed to look consistent across different screen sizes.

Security Features and Intellectual Property Protection

When selling digital assets, the risk of unauthorized sharing is a constant concern for merchants. Both applications include features designed to mitigate these risks and protect the value of the digital goods.

Protection Tools in Digitally

Digitally ‑ Digital Products offers a robust set of security features tailored for document protection. PDF stamping is one of its most prominent tools. This process involves embedding customer-specific information, such as their name or email address, directly onto the PDF pages at the time of download. This acts as a strong deterrent against public file sharing, as the original purchaser's identity is permanently linked to the file.

Furthermore, Digitally allows merchants to set strict download limits and expiration dates. For example, a merchant can configure a product so it can only be downloaded three times or remains available for only forty-eight hours after the purchase. These controls are essential for preventing "link sharing" on forums or social media. The app also tracks license usage and provides built-in analytics to help merchants spot suspicious patterns in how their files are being accessed.

Security and Access in Linkcase

Linkcase ‑ Digital Products utilizes license keys and secure access codes to gate content. While it may not emphasize PDF stamping as heavily as Digitally, it provides robust "access configurations." These allow merchants to control exactly who can view certain content and for how long. The secure streaming feature also acts as a form of security; by allowing users to watch a video in-browser rather than downloading the source file, the merchant retains more control over the distribution of the media.

Linkcase also provides duration limits for access, ensuring that memberships or time-sensitive tutorials remain exclusive to those within their active period. The focus here is on "flexible access," meaning the merchant can adjust settings for specific customers or groups, which is helpful for managing subscriptions or limited-time promotional offers.

Pricing Structures and Scalability

Understanding the cost of scaling is vital. Digital products often have high margins, but those margins can be eroded by transaction fees or high monthly app costs as order volume increases.

Digitally ‑ Digital Products Pricing Plans

Digitally offers a four-tier pricing model that caters to everyone from new hobbyists to high-volume enterprises:

• Free Plan: This plan is free to install and supports up to 50 orders per month. It includes 5GB of storage and a 100MB limit per file. This is a generous entry point for stores testing the digital market.
• Pro Plan ($7.99/month): This increases the limits to 200 orders per month and 15GB of storage. It also introduces auto-fulfillment and email templates, which are necessary for growing businesses.
• Plus Plan ($12.99/month): At this level, merchants get 500 orders per month and 30GB of storage. The file size limit increases to 1GB per file.
• Unlimited Plan ($24.99/month): For established stores, this plan removes order and storage limits entirely, making it a predictable expense regardless of how many sales are processed.

Linkcase ‑ Digital Products Pricing Plans

Linkcase uses a simpler, two-tier approach that may appeal to merchants who want fewer decisions:

• Starter Plan (Free to install): This plan allows for unlimited products and files from the start, which is a significant advantage over Digitally's free tier. However, it likely has internal limitations on file sizes or advanced features not specified in the primary data.
• Premium Plan ($24/month): This plan mirrors the cost of Digitally's highest tier but focuses on providing support for files larger than 5GB. It includes all mobile-optimized features, license keys, and streaming capabilities.

The choice here depends on the merchant's current volume. For a store with very few orders but very large files (like 4K video), Linkcase’s Premium plan might be more cost-effective. For a store with high order volume but smaller files (like e-books), Digitally’s lower-cost tiers provide better value for money.

Customization and Branding

A digital product delivery should feel like a continuation of the brand, not a generic third-party handoff. Both apps allow for some level of customization, though the depth varies.

Branding in Digitally

Digitally ‑ Digital Products allows for the customization of both the delivery emails and the download pages. This ensures that when a customer receives their link, the colors, logos, and tone match the Shopify store they just visited. The ability to customize the "Thank You" page delivery via checkout extensions is a significant benefit for maintaining a cohesive look during the most critical moment of the customer journey.

Branding in Linkcase

Linkcase ‑ Digital Products highlights the ease of template customization. Their focus is on putting the "brand front and center." Because they emphasize mobile optimization, their templates are generally very clean and modern. The customization process in Linkcase is designed to be effortless, catering to merchants who may not have design experience but still want a professional-looking delivery portal.

Integration and Technical Compatibility

The effectiveness of a digital delivery app is often determined by how well it "plays" with the rest of the Shopify ecosystem.

Digitally Compatibility

Digitally works with customer accounts and Shopify's Checkout Extensions. This means that if a merchant has enabled customer accounts, the digital products can potentially be linked to the user's history. It also integrates with email delivery systems to ensure that the "files-as-keys" logic is triggered immediately upon payment confirmation.

Linkcase Compatibility

Linkcase offers a broader range of external integrations, specifically mentioning Zapier and SendGrid. For merchants who use complex marketing automation, the Zapier integration is a powerful tool. It allows for the triggering of workflows in other apps—such as adding a customer to a specific CRM list or a mailing sequence—the moment a digital product is purchased. This makes Linkcase a strong contender for merchants who view digital products as a "top-of-funnel" entry point for a larger business ecosystem.

Performance and User Experience

From a customer's perspective, the "time to value" is the most important metric. If a customer has to jump through hoops, create new passwords on external sites, or wait for an email that gets stuck in a spam folder, the experience is compromised.

Digitally ‑ Digital Products addresses this by providing instant delivery on the checkout page. By reducing the reliance on email alone, they ensure that the customer has the file in hand before they even close their browser tab. The tracking and analytics tools also help the merchant ensure the system is performing as expected.

Linkcase ‑ Digital Products focuses on the consumption experience. By providing high-quality streaming for video and audio, they ensure that the customer can start enjoying their purchase immediately. The SMS delivery option also caters to the "instant gratification" culture of modern e-commerce, providing a direct path to the content that bypasses the crowded email inbox.

The Alternative: Unifying Commerce, Content, and Community Natively

While both Digitally ‑ Digital Products and Linkcase ‑ Digital Products provide excellent tools for file delivery, they often function as external layers "bolted on" to the Shopify store. This creates what is known as platform fragmentation. When a merchant uses separate systems for their store, their courses, and their community, the customer often faces a disjointed experience. This might involve having to log into a different portal to access a course or dealing with a support team because a download link from an external delivery service didn't arrive.

Tevello offers a different philosophy: the All-in-One Native Platform. By building the digital product experience directly into the Shopify ecosystem, merchants can provide all the key features for courses and communities without forcing customers to leave the site they trust. This approach eliminates the technical debt of managing multiple logins and ensures that customer data remains unified within the Shopify admin.

When a store is unified, the results are often visible in the bottom line. For example, some merchants have doubled its store's conversion rate by fixing a fragmented system that previously confused customers. By moving away from a "duct-taped" series of apps and adopting a native solution, brands can create a seamless sales and learning experience. This transition is not just about aesthetics; it is about reducing the friction that leads to cart abandonment and customer support inquiries.

For high-volume brands, the native approach also solves massive technical headaches. We have seen instances of migrating over 14,000 members and reducing support tickets simply by moving to a platform that uses the native Shopify login. When the customer uses the same account to buy a physical product as they do to access a digital course, the brand becomes a "home" for that customer.

Furthermore, a native platform allows for creative bundling that external apps often struggle to manage. Merchants can easily sell a physical kit alongside a digital tutorial, achieving a 100% improvement in conversion rate in some scenarios. This synergy between physical and digital goods is the future of e-commerce, as it allows brands to monetize their expertise while also selling tangible products.

Managing costs is also simplified with a native approach. Instead of paying for multiple app subscriptions and handling per-user fees that punish growth, merchants can benefit from a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses. This provides predictable pricing without hidden transaction fees, allowing the business to scale its community and its content library without the fear of a massive bill at the end of the month.

By unifying a fragmented system into a single Shopify store, merchants also gain a clearer view of their customer's lifetime value. They can see exactly which digital products lead to physical purchases and vice versa. This native integration ensures that the unified login that reduces customer support friction becomes a competitive advantage, keeping the brand experience consistent and professional.

If unifying your stack is a priority, start by securing a fixed cost structure for digital products.

Strategic Considerations for Digital Growth

The transition from a basic file delivery setup to a thriving digital brand requires a shift in mindset. It is no longer enough to simply "send a link." Merchants must consider how their digital products fit into a larger customer journey.

Bundling Physical and Digital Goods

One of the most effective ways to increase Average Order Value (AOV) is to pair a digital product with a physical one. If a merchant sells camera gear, they should also sell a digital course on photography. If they sell organic seeds, they should offer a guide on sustainable gardening. Native platforms make this bundling effortless, as the digital product is just another line item in the Shopify checkout, automatically granting access to the customer's account once the transaction is complete.

Reducing Technical Friction

The more steps a customer has to take, the less likely they are to return. External delivery apps often require customers to wait for an email, click a link, and sometimes even create a separate account on a delivery portal. By seeing how the app natively integrates with Shopify, merchants can identify ways to cut these steps out entirely. A native system uses the Shopify account the customer already created during checkout, making the "login to learn" process instantaneous.

Intellectual Property vs. User Experience

There is often a tension between protecting a file and making it easy to use. While Digitally’s PDF stamping is excellent for security, it adds a processing step. Merchants must decide if the risk of piracy outweighs the benefit of a 100% instant download. For most brands, the goal should be "secure enough" while prioritizing the fastest possible delivery to the customer.

Choosing the Right Path for Your Store

Deciding between these tools requires a clear-eyed look at the business's current state and its future goals.

When to Choose Digitally ‑ Digital Products

Digitally is the superior choice for merchants whose primary concern is the secure distribution of documents and technical assets. If the business model relies on license keys for software or protecting e-books through PDF stamping, Digitally provides the specific tools needed to safeguard those assets. Its tiered pricing also makes it a safe bet for stores that are just starting and want to keep costs low while they find their footing.

When to Choose Linkcase ‑ Digital Products

Linkcase is the better fit for media-centric creators. If the product catalog is filled with videos, music, or high-resolution photography, the in-browser streaming and mobile-optimized SMS delivery provide a modern experience that customers expect. The inclusion of Zapier integration also makes it the right choice for merchants who have a complex tech stack and need their digital product sales to trigger actions in other marketing or CRM software.

When to Look for a Native Solution

If the merchant finds themselves managing multiple apps, dealing with "where is my login" support tickets, or struggling to create a unified brand experience, it is time to move toward a native solution. When the digital product is not just a file but an entry point into a community or a course, keeping the customer "at home" on the Shopify site is the most effective strategy for growth.

By reviewing the Shopify App Store listing merchants install from, business owners can see how a highly-rated, native platform changes the dynamic of their store. Instead of being a shop that also sells files, they become a destination for both commerce and content.

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between Digitally ‑ Digital Products and Linkcase ‑ Digital Products, the decision comes down to the specific nature of the digital goods and the desired delivery channel. Digitally offers more granular control over file security and document protection, making it a reliable workhorse for e-book and software sellers. Linkcase, on the other hand, prioritizes the multimedia experience, offering streaming and SMS delivery that appeals to a mobile-first audience. Both apps serve their specific niches well and provide the necessary automation to move away from manual file delivery.

However, as a business scales, the limitations of "bolted-on" applications often become apparent. The friction of separate logins and the lack of a unified customer profile can slow down growth and increase the burden on support teams. To truly amplify sales and create a loyal customer base, merchants should consider the benefits of a natively integrated platform that brings courses, communities, and commerce under one roof. This strategic shift not only simplifies the merchant's life but also provides a superior, professional experience for the customer.

To see the difference in performance and reliability, start by checking merchant feedback and app-store performance signals. By choosing a system that supports a flat-rate plan that supports unlimited members, you can focus on creating great content while your store handles the technical heavy lifting seamlessly.

To build your community without leaving Shopify, start by reviewing the Shopify App Store listing merchants install from.

FAQ

Which app is better for selling software license keys?

Digitally ‑ Digital Products is specifically designed with license key management in mind. It allows for both manual and automated key delivery and includes tracking features to monitor how those licenses are being used. While Linkcase also offers license key protection, Digitally’s entire workflow is more closely aligned with the needs of software and voucher sellers.

Can I stream videos with these apps instead of making customers download them?

Linkcase ‑ Digital Products is the stronger option for streaming. It includes built-in functionality to stream audio and video directly in the browser. This is a significant advantage for creators selling tutorials or classes, as it provides immediate access without requiring the customer to have significant storage space on their device.

Do these apps have limits on how many orders I can process?

Digitally ‑ Digital Products uses an order-based pricing model. Their free plan allows for 50 orders per month, with paid tiers increasing that limit until the "Unlimited" plan. Linkcase ‑ Digital Products does not specify order limits in their primary plan data, but they do offer a Premium plan for a flat monthly fee that supports larger files and more advanced features.

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

A native platform lives inside your Shopify admin and uses the existing Shopify customer accounts and checkout. This means customers don't have to create new logins for an external delivery portal, and you don't have to sync data between different systems. While specialized apps are great for simple file delivery, a native platform is better for building a brand, offering courses, and creating a community where customers stay on your site. This unified approach typically leads to higher retention and fewer support requests compared to using multiple external tools.