F+2: Digital Downloads Pro vs. Downly ‑ Sell Digital Products: An In-Depth Comparison

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. F+2: Digital Downloads Pro vs. Downly ‑ Sell Digital Products: At a Glance
3. Deep Dive Comparison
4. The Alternative: Unifying Commerce, Content, and Community Natively
5. How to Decide: Practical Merchant Checklists
6. Migration and Scaling Considerations
7. Final Feature Checklist Comparison (Concise)
8. Conclusion
9. FAQ

Introduction

Shopify merchants who sell digital goods face a recurring choice: add a lightweight file-delivery tool, adopt a more feature-rich digital product manager, or move to a native course-and-community platform that keeps customers in the store. Each path affects checkout flow, customer experience, lifetime value, and support complexity.

Short answer: F+2: Digital Downloads Pro is a polished, security-focused digital delivery app suitable for merchants that need reliable file hosting, license key management, and fraud controls. Downly ‑ Sell Digital Products is a lightweight, low-cost option that simplifies turning existing products into downloadable items and handling license keys. For merchants who want to bundle courses and communities tightly with physical products and Shopify checkout, a native platform like Tevello offers a higher-value, unified approach that reduces fragmentation and increases customer lifetime value.

This post provides a practical, feature-by-feature comparison of F+2: Digital Downloads Pro and Downly ‑ Sell Digital Products. It highlights strengths, weaknesses, pricing considerations, and real-world use cases. After a fair examination, the article explains why some merchants prefer a natively integrated alternative and shows how Tevello addresses common limits of single-purpose apps.

F+2: Digital Downloads Pro vs. Downly ‑ Sell Digital Products: At a Glance

Deep Dive Comparison

Core Positioning & Target Merchant

F+2: Digital Downloads Pro — Positioning

F+2 positions itself as a streamlined, confident tool for delivering digital products with enterprise-minded controls: version control for files, license key support with a validation API, and configurable fraud/delivery rules. The interface focuses on rapid setup via drag-and-drop and translation/customization of delivery communications. These capabilities are useful for merchants where content protection, license management, and precise delivery timing are business-critical.

Downly ‑ Sell Digital Products — Positioning

Downly targets merchants who need a quick way to turn existing catalog items into downloadable products. It emphasizes ease of use, unlimited license key generation, and generous storage on paid tiers. Downly’s pitch centers on simplicity: add files, attach keys, email delivery after purchase. That makes it attractive for creators who want to monetize ebooks, PDFs, or simple digital downloads without a complex setup or high monthly fees.

Key Features

File Delivery & Storage

F+2

• Storage tiers scale from 1GB on the free plan up to 50GB on paid plans.
• Designed to update source files centrally so related digital products can be updated instantly.
• Delivery controls let merchants choose when files are delivered (e.g., after fraud checks, when payment pending vs completed).

Downly

• Free plan gives 300 MB; paid tiers provide 12 GB (Standard) and 120 GB (Plus).
• Claims fast download speeds and no upload max file-size limit on paid plans.
• Focuses on straightforward file uploads and automatic emailing of files after purchase.

Practical difference: F+2 emphasizes centralized version control and delivery timing (useful for course updates and controlled content release). Downly emphasizes capacity and simplicity, which is a stronger value for stores with many small files but simpler delivery needs.

License Keys & Keys Management

F+2

• Supports automatic and manual license key distribution.
• Offers a validation API for real-time license validation, which suits software or licensed content sellers.
• Includes controls to integrate keys with checkout and order workflows.

Downly

• Generates unlimited keys and automatically emails them to customers.
• Simpler workflow focused on generation and distribution rather than API-driven validation.

Practical difference: Sellers of software, plugins, or other licensed goods that require activation checks benefit from F+2’s validation API. Sellers who simply need to attach keys to orders will find Downly easier and more affordable.

Customization & Branding

F+2

• Full branding customizations on paid plans; free plan allows basic branding.
• Customizable and translatable delivery emails and thank-you pages to support a branded experience.

Downly

• Paid plans remove Downly branding, offering a cleaner customer-facing experience.
• Limited customization compared with a specialized course platform but adequate for basic branded notifications.

Practical difference: Both apps support removing third-party branding, but F+2 provides more granular customization of delivery messaging and translations.

Security & Fraud Prevention

F+2

• Explicit feature set for advanced security and fraud prevention, including controlled delivery based on fraud checks and payment conditions.
• Suitable for higher-risk digital products or sellers needing to mitigate chargeback and fraud exposure.

Downly

• Basic controls over delivery and file updates; not positioned as a fraud-fighting, enterprise-grade solution.

Practical difference: If chargebacks, stolen payment methods, or content piracy are concerns, F+2’s security-focused controls give more reassurance.

Variant & Checkout Integration

F+2

• Lets merchants attach digital downloads to products and to specific variants, which enables hybrid physical + digital bundles with precise mapping.
• Works with Shopify checkout and customer accounts; supports thank-you page integrations.

Downly

• Also converts existing products and variants into digital products, making it easy to sell digital-only SKUs.
• Integration depth is more product-focused rather than enterprise workflow-focused.

Practical difference: Both support common Shopify flows, but F+2’s variant-level controls and delivery conditions make it better suited to nuanced bundling strategies.

Memberships & Subscriptions Support

F+2

• Listed compatibility with subscriptions and memberships, and it can be used in workflows alongside membership solutions to deliver digital entitlements.

Downly

• Focused on digital products; subscription/membership flows are not a core feature and may require additional apps for gated access.

Practical difference: Sellers planning membership tiers or subscription access to digital content will benefit from F+2’s integration-minded approach. Downly will work for one-off digital purchases but usually needs extra tooling for gated communities.

Localization & Email Customization

F+2

• Emphasizes translation and customization of delivery emails—a helpful feature for multi-lingual stores.

Downly

• Sends automatic emails and notifications on updates, but translation/localization capabilities are less prominent in the feature set.

Practical difference: Multilingual stores and global brands earn more control with F+2.

Analytics & Reporting

F+2

• Focused reports are implied through order thresholds and file delivery logs; built to track delivery events and fraud-related metrics.

Downly

• Designed for straightforward order/file delivery workflows; relies primarily on Shopify’s reporting for sales analytics.

Practical difference: If tracking delivery success and security incidents is necessary, F+2 integrates those operational signals more explicitly.

Developer APIs & Extensibility

F+2

• Offers a validation API for license keys, which extends the app into developer workflows and activation checks.

Downly

• Focused on simplicity; API extensibility and webhook capabilities are not emphasized in the public feature summary.

Practical difference: Businesses that require automation or activation flows will prefer F+2.

Pricing & Value

Pricing decisions hinge on expected orders, storage needs, and the complexity of workflows.

F+2 Plans

• Free: 1GB storage, 50 monthly orders, basic branding, advanced security.
• Starter $10/mo: 10GB, 1,000 orders, license keys, custom links, full branding.
• Advanced $20/mo: 20GB, 10,000 orders.
• Plus $30/mo: 50GB, 50,000 orders.

Downly Plans

• Free: 300MB, up to 30 orders, unlimited digital products & license keys.
• Standard $2.95/mo: Unlimited orders, 12GB, no Downly branding.
• Plus $4.95/mo: 120GB storage, priority support.

Assessing value for money

• For low-volume sellers with modest storage needs, Downly’s Standard plan is a compelling value for money at $2.95/month because it removes branding and supports unlimited orders.
• For mid-sized sellers who need tighter fraud controls, variant-level delivery, and API-driven license validation, F+2’s $10–$30/month range offers predictable pricing and higher operational control.
• The pricing model choice depends on whether the merchant prioritizes advanced delivery/security and version control (F+2) or low cost and lightweight delivery (Downly).

Predictability and scaling

• F+2’s tiering around monthly orders and storage makes cost predictable as volume grows.
• Downly’s low price point scales well for file storage-heavy catalogs, especially on the Plus plan’s 120GB.

Integration & Shopify Native Support

Both apps are available on the Shopify App Store and function as Shopify apps, which means they integrate into the Shopify admin and checkout flows. That said, differences in integration depth matter:

• F+2 emphasizes integrations with checkout, customer accounts, subscriptions, and fraud apps—making it a fit where coordinated processes are required.
• Downly focuses on product-to-download conversion and email delivery.

For merchants evaluating native checkout integration and a seamless customer experience, native platform behavior matters. A platform that is purpose-built to keep customers inside Shopify checkout and customer accounts reduces friction and support issues.

If deeper, course-style membership experiences are needed, merchants should consider whether a single-purpose digital download tool will scale or whether a natively integrated course/community app is preferable.

Usability & Setup

F+2

• Drag-and-drop interface for file uploads and quick setup of digital products and variants.
• More configuration options mean a slightly higher setup time for advanced features (license API, translations, fraud rules).

Downly

• Very quick setup focused on turning existing products into downloads.
• Minimal configuration required; well-suited for merchants who prefer fast deployment.

Practical recommendation: Choose Downly to get started fast; choose F+2 if the merchant anticipates needing more control and is willing to invest a bit more time in setup.

Customer Support & Reviews

• F+2: Listed with 2 reviews and a 5.0 rating on the Shopify App Store. The small review volume suggests either a newer app or a niche install base; the high rating indicates satisfied users among the small sample.
• Downly: 0 reviews and 0 rating on the Shopify App Store, which may indicate an early-stage listing or limited exposure.

Support expectations

• Downly’s lower price tiers are unlikely to include white-glove onboarding, though the Plus plan promises priority support.
• F+2’s paid tiers imply more robust support and feature documentation, particularly for fraud and license setup.

Practical consideration: Merchants should factor developer resources and internal expertise into the decision—smaller teams may prefer Downly’s simplicity, while teams that need support for complex flows should verify SLA and response times with app developers.

Use Cases: Which App Fits Which Merchant

Best fits for F+2: Digital Downloads Pro

• Software vendors or plugin sellers needing license key validation.
• Merchants who require robust fraud controls and delivery timing.
• Stores that must update versions centrally across related digital products.
• Merchants combining digital and physical SKUs with precise variant mapping.

Best fits for Downly ‑ Sell Digital Products

• Creators selling ebooks, templates, or small asset packs who want minimal setup.
• Merchants starting with low volume and aiming for low monthly cost.
• Stores that need many small files and large storage capacity on a small budget (Plus plan).

Situations where neither single-purpose app is sufficient

• Merchants who want to sell structured courses, drip content, gated communities, and subscriptions together with physical products while keeping customers in the Shopify checkout and customer accounts.
• Brands that want to maximize repeat purchases through bundled physical + digital offerings and reduce churn caused by fragmented login experiences.

Pros & Cons Summary

F+2: Digital Downloads Pro

• Pros:
  • Strong fraud prevention and delivery controls.
  • License key validation API for software licensing workflows.
  • Variant-level attachments and version control.
  • Translation and customizable delivery emails.
• Cons:
  • Smaller review footprint on Shopify App Store (2 reviews).
  • More configuration required for advanced workflows.

Downly ‑ Sell Digital Products

• Pros:
  • Extremely low-cost entry point.
  • Unlimited digital products and license keys on the free plan.
  • Generous storage on paid tiers.
  • Very fast setup for product-to-download conversion.
• Cons:
  • No public reviews on Shopify App Store to assess support consistency.
  • Fewer advanced controls for fraud, versioning, and API-driven workflows.
  • Membership/subscription support not a core feature.

The Alternative: Unifying Commerce, Content, and Community Natively

Platform fragmentation—using multiple single-purpose apps or external platforms—creates several predictable pain points: disjointed customer experiences, higher support volume, duplicated content management, and lost revenue opportunities when customers are redirected to third-party sites. For merchants building long-term brands, these costs compound.

A native platform that unites courses, membership, and product sales inside Shopify addresses those issues by keeping customers "at home" in one experience. Native integrations reduce friction at checkout, allow physical and digital products to be bundled easily, and centralize analytics and customer accounts.

Tevello offers this native approach. Its platform is built to combine courses, digital products, and communities directly in Shopify without sending customers to external portals. Merchants using a native approach have reported measurable business outcomes:

• See how one brand sold over 4,000 courses and generated more than $112K in digital revenue by bundling courses with physical products, while also earning $116K+ from physical product bundles—an example of increased lifetime value from native bundling and integrated checkout (how one brand sold $112K+ by bundling courses with physical products).
• Learn how another merchant generated over €243,000 from 12,000+ courses by using upsells and repeat purchases native to the store (generated over €243,000 by upselling existing customers).
• Review how a large community of 14,000+ members migrated off a fragmented stack—reducing support tickets and adding 2,000+ new members after moving to a native platform (migrated over 14,000 members and reduced support tickets).

Why those outcomes matter

• Bundling physical kits with on-demand courses can raise average order value and returning customer rates—Tevello customers have seen AOV and return-purchase lifts by keeping both products in one checkout flow.
• Migration to a single, native platform simplifies access and cuts support volumes because customers use the store’s native account and login flows instead of a separate learning portal.

Tevello’s product design choices aim to close gaps left by single-purpose apps:

• Built-in course authoring, drip content, communities, and memberships that work inside Shopify customer accounts, reducing login friction and improving retention.
• Bundles, certificates, quizzes, and drip scheduling that provide the features content sellers need without integrating multiple external platforms.
• A single pricing model with predictable monthly costs for unlimited courses and members, enabling merchants to plan margins without per-member fees.

Explore the product and trust signals

• Merchants can review all the key features for courses and communities to see the native functionality set.
• For merchants evaluating credibility, see how merchants are earning six figures through native course and community setups.
• Reviewers highlight the native Shopify integration and the 5-star reputation—read the 5-star reviews from fellow merchants.

Contextual integration examples

• A seller that bundles a physical kit with a course avoids requiring two checkouts or external membership logins. That behavioral simplicity led to a 59%+ returning customer rate for a merchant that built product + course bundles natively (achieved a 59%+ returning customer rate).
• Stores that replaced duct-taped systems (e.g., WordPress + external course platforms) doubled conversion rates after switching to a single-store solution that handled both sales and learning in one flow (doubled its store's conversion rate by fixing a fragmented system).

Practical benefits compared to single-purpose apps like F+2 or Downly

• Centralized customer accounts reduce friction and support tickets.
• Native checkout compatibility allows bundling digital and physical goods with no external redirect.
• Bundles and subscription features are handled in-shop, preserving marketing and analytics continuity.

Try it risk-free Start a 14-day free trial to see how a native course platform transforms your store and reduces cross-platform friction. Start your free trial

Note about native checkout: Tevello is also natively integrated with Shopify checkout, which helps preserve conversion rates and keeps learning access linked to Shopify customer accounts.

How to Decide: Practical Merchant Checklists

When evaluating whether F+2, Downly, or a native platform like Tevello is the best fit, consider these operational checkpoints.

Technical & operational checklist (use these to evaluate fit)

• Does the store need license validation via an API (software sellers)? If yes, prefer F+2 or a platform with API support.
• Is fraud prevention and controlled delivery timing a priority? If yes, F+2 offers advanced controls.
• Is the goal to sell many small digital files on a tight budget? If yes, Downly’s pricing may offer better value for money.
• Will customers purchase physical kits and digital access together frequently? If yes, a native platform that supports bundles and keeps checkout unified (like Tevello) reduces friction.
• Is the team prepared to manage multiple external logins and support portals? If not, prefer native platforms to reduce post-purchase support.

Business outcome checklist (focus on revenue and retention)

• Want to increase LTV by upselling courses to existing physical customers? Native bundling yields measurable results (review Tevello's case studies).
• Want a quick MVP to test a small digital product? Downly lets merchants test with minimal monthly cost.
• Need a predictable, scalable delivery workflow as orders grow? F+2’s tiered approach may provide better cost predictability for scaling volumes.

Operational example actions (no fictional scenarios; general actions)

• For a software SKU: Configure F+2 license validation and set delivery timing to post-payment verification to minimize fraud.
• For a creator selling ebooks and templates at scale: Start on Downly Standard to validate demand, then reassess if membership or course features are needed.
• For a brand selling kits plus on-demand instruction: Evaluate Tevello’s native bundling and migrate content to a store-first approach to boost conversions and cut support tickets.

Migration and Scaling Considerations

Moving from single-purpose apps to a platform that unifies commerce and content requires planning.

Migration checklist

• Identify content types: video, PDFs, quizzes, certificates, or simple file downloads.
• Map current access rules for members and customers (who gets what, when).
• Export existing content and license keys or set up API-based validation to avoid breaking active customers.
• Communicate migration plans clearly and provide a grace period or migration login instructions to prevent churn.

Scaling indicators that merit switching to a native platform

• Rising support tickets related to account access or course login.
• Significant revenue from cross-sells between physical and digital products that suffer due to redirects.
• A desire for improved retention through community features or drip content.

Case evidence for migration benefits

• A merchant migrated 14,000+ members to a native platform and added 2,000+ members post-migration while dramatically reducing support tickets (migrated over 14,000 members and reduced support tickets).
• Another store doubled conversion rates by replacing a fragmented tech stack with a single Shopify-native setup that combined sales and learning (doubled its store's conversion rate by fixing a fragmented system).

Final Feature Checklist Comparison (Concise)

• License key API: F+2 (yes) — Downly (no API emphasis)
• Advanced fraud controls & delivery timing: F+2 (yes) — Downly (basic)
• Storage tiers for heavy media: Downly Plus (120GB) — F+2 Plus (50GB)
• Customizable delivery and translations: F+2 (strong) — Downly (limited)
• Membership & subscription compatibility: F+2 (listed compatibilities) — Downly (not core)
• Ease of setup: Downly (simpler) — F+2 (more configuration)
• Public Shopify reviews: F+2 (2 reviews, 5.0) — Downly (0 reviews)

Conclusion

For merchants choosing between F+2: Digital Downloads Pro and Downly ‑ Sell Digital Products, the decision comes down to control versus simplicity. F+2 is better suited for merchants who need advanced delivery controls, license key validation (including API-based activation), and stronger fraud prevention. Downly is better for merchants who want an inexpensive, fast way to attach downloadable files and license keys to existing products with minimal setup.

If the business goal includes bundling digital content with physical products, reducing support friction caused by external platforms, or building a repeatable membership and course revenue stream, a native, all-in-one platform that keeps customers inside Shopify often delivers better long-term value. Tevello provides that native approach, combining courses, communities, and commerce without moving customers off the store. Merchants can explore a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses and all the key features for courses and communities, or see how merchants are earning six figures by keeping content and commerce unified.

Start your 14-day free trial to unify your content and commerce today. Start your free trial

For quick credibility checks and merchant feedback, review Tevello’s Shopify listing and read the 5-star reviews from fellow merchants. If migration stories are helpful, read how one brand generated $112K+ by bundling courses with physical products, how another generated over €243,000 by upselling existing customers, and how a store migrated over 14,000 members and reduced support tickets.

FAQ

Q: Which app is easiest to set up for simple digital downloads?

• Downly is the easiest and fastest for turning existing products into downloadable items. It’s a low-cost way to validate demand and deliver files immediately without complex configuration.

Q: Which app is better for selling licensed software or activation-based products?

• F+2 excels because it supports automatic and manual license key distribution plus a validation API for activation checks.

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

• Native platforms reduce fragmentation by keeping customers in Shopify’s checkout and customer accounts, enabling physical + digital bundling, centralized analytics, and lower support volumes. Case studies show measurable uplift from native consolidation, such as increased revenue from bundling and reduced support tickets after migration.

Q: If on a tight budget, is it worth starting with Downly and upgrading later?

• Starting with Downly can be cost-effective for validating demand. However, if the business plans to add memberships, drip content, or complex bundling, merchants should plan migration paths to a native solution to avoid later friction and lost revenue.