Head-to-Head Comparison · Alternative to Sellfy · 🛍️ creator commerce
Sellfy vs CourseLit
A self-hosted storefront for downloads and memberships; commerce is simpler than Sellfy and operations are not. Here is how CourseLit ($0/mo open source) stacks up against Sellfy ($29/mo) across cost, hosting, data privacy, and real-world trade-offs.
CourseLit
$0.00/mo · AGPL-3.0
Sellfy vs CourseLit Specification Matrix
facts verified 2026-08-10
| Dimension | Sellfy (Paid) | CourseLit (Replacement) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $29 / mo | $0 / mo |
| 1-Year Cost (1 seat) | $348 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $348) |
| 1-Year Cost (5 seats) | $1,740 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $1,740) |
| 1-Year Cost (10 seats) | $3,480 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $3,480) |
| Source & License | Proprietary SaaS | open source AGPL-3.0 |
| Where It Runs | Vendor Cloud | Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud) |
| Platforms | Web / Cloud | webself-hosteddocker to self-host |
| GitHub Stars | — | ★ 1.2k (active jul 2026) |
Deep Dive: Switching from Sellfy to CourseLit
Trade-offs, installation & data architecture
What you trade away
CourseLit is course-and-community oriented rather than a polished digital-file storefront, and the seller must operate Docker, mail and media storage.
How to deploy CourseLit
Docker Compose, with SUPER_ADMIN_EMAIL set before first start
What it takes to run
Docker starts the app, but a production setup also needs SMTP for email login and MediaLit/S3-compatible storage for uploads
Where your data lives
Application records in MongoDB; production media uploads use MediaLit plus S3-compatible object storage
Why fork CourseLit instead of vibe-coding a Sellfy clone?
The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Sellfy, sell digital files and simple subscriptions from a user-owned storefront. The hard boundary is payments, hosted delivery, email, print-on-demand, upsells, and support, plus payments, tax, distribution, and operations.
Sellfy vs CourseLit FAQ
Is CourseLit a good free alternative to Sellfy?+
Yes. CourseLit is a verified open-source (AGPL-3.0) replacement for Sellfy. A self-hosted storefront for downloads and memberships; commerce is simpler than Sellfy and operations are not.
What is the catch when switching from Sellfy to CourseLit?+
CourseLit is course-and-community oriented rather than a polished digital-file storefront, and the seller must operate Docker, mail and media storage.
How much do you save switching from Sellfy to CourseLit?+
Sellfy costs $29/mo ($348/yr) per seat, whereas CourseLit is $0/mo. Switching saves $348/yr for a solo user, $1,740/yr for a 5-person team, and $3,480/yr for a 10-person team.
How do I install or self-host CourseLit instead of Sellfy?+
Install: Docker Compose, with SUPER_ADMIN_EMAIL set before first start. Setup: Docker starts the app, but a production setup also needs SMTP for email login and MediaLit/S3-compatible storage for uploads
