Head-to-head
ClickBank vs Digistore24: which network should sell your offer?
Pick ClickBank if you sell a direct response offer to US buyers and want the biggest open affiliate pool and a pre-listing compliance check; pick Digistore24 if you sell into the EU as well as the US and want a lower starting fee with VAT handled for you.
Quick answer
ClickBank is our top pick for most people. The default network for a direct response offer that needs the biggest open pool of affiliates, with merchant of record, compliance review and payouts handled for you, at a higher per-sale fee than Digistore24 advertises.
- ClickBank. Best for Vendors of digital and physical direct response offers who want a large open affiliate marketplace with full merchant-of-record checkout.
- Digistore24. Best for Vendors selling into the US and EU who want tax and VAT handled with no setup or monthly fee.
Side by side
ClickBank
- Best for
- Vendors of digital and physical direct response offers who want a large open affiliate marketplace with full merchant-of-record checkout
- Vendor fees
- $49.95 one-time activation fee when your first product is approved (not charged if it is not approved). 7.5% + $1.00 per sale (9.8% + $1.30 for eligible Klarna transactions). $5.00 pay period processing fee per payment issued. 10% of each pay period held as a return allowance for about 12 weeks. No monthly subscription.
- The catch
- The fee is the price of the brand: 7.5% + $1 on every sale is real money at nutra volumes, and the pre-listing compliance review will send aggressive copy back for rewrites.
Digistore24
- Best for
- Vendors selling into the US and EU who want tax and VAT handled with no setup or monthly fee
- Vendor fees
- No setup or monthly fee. Transaction fee starting at 2.9% + $1 per sale; the vendor says the final rate may vary by product type, traffic source and sales volume. Payout fees $2.50 ACH, $40 international wire.
- The catch
- The headline rate is a floor, not a quote. A nutra offer on paid traffic should expect to negotiate its real rate, and that number is not public.
The short version
Both networks are merchants of record: they charge the buyer, collect and remit tax, pay your affiliates and take refunds and chargebacks off your plate. The differences that move a vendor's decision are the fee, where the buyers are, and how much checking happens before your offer goes live.
What each one costs you per sale
ClickBank's seller page lists a $49.95 one-time product approval fee, then 7.5% + $1.00 on every sale, with no monthly subscription. Digistore24's pricing page lists no setup or monthly fee and a transaction fee starting at 2.9% + $1, with a footnote that the final rate depends on product type, traffic source and sales volume.
On a $97 front-end sale, ClickBank's published rate comes to $8.28. Digistore24 at its starting rate comes to $3.81, but a supplement offer on paid traffic should not assume it gets the starting rate: that number is set when you apply. Affiliate commission comes on top of both, at the rate you set.
Payout costs differ too. Digistore24 charges $2.50 per ACH payout and $40 per international wire. Its own comparison table says ClickBank has charged $5 per payment since October 2024; ClickBank's seller page does not list a payout fee, so treat that figure as Digistore24's claim.
Where your buyers are
Digistore24 runs as merchant of record in both the EU and the US and states that it calculates, collects and remits sales tax and VAT in 180 countries. If a real share of your traffic is European, that is the single strongest reason to choose it. ClickBank sells worldwide too, but its tooling, marketplace and education are built around the US direct response market.
Getting listed
ClickBank puts every product through an FTC/FDA and ClickBank compliance review of the product materials, sales funnel, promotional copy and price points before it lists, and the $49.95 fee pays for that review. For a nutra vendor that means slower launches and rewritten claims, and also fewer surprises later. Digistore24 is free to join and sells White Glove onboarding with an account manager.
Affiliates and checkout
ClickBank cites nearly 100,000 affiliates and offers RevShare or CPA commissions; Digistore24 cites 125,000+ affiliates and a 180-day affiliate cookie. Both run their own order forms with one-click upsells, and Digistore24 lists order bumps and built-in split testing on the checkout. ClickBank integrates with outside funnel builders and trackers such as ClickFunnels, Voluum and Everflow.
Payouts
ClickBank's homepage FAQ lists twice-weekly payments. Digistore24 pays weekly, up to four times a month, and its help center says payouts for a sale come no earlier than 14 days after the transaction.
Our call
For a US-focused direct response offer that needs volume from an open affiliate marketplace, ClickBank is the default and its fee buys the larger, longer-established pool. If your buyers are split across the US and Europe, or margin per sale decides your offer's math, Digistore24 is the better first call. Many vendors list on both.
ClickBank: strengths and drawbacks
What works
- Acts as merchant of record: processes the order, remits tax and splits commissions with affiliates
- Open marketplace of nearly 100,000 affiliates, plus JV contracts through account managers
- Sells digital and physical products, with RevShare or CPA commissions
- Seller rules are published in detail: a 3-5 business day approval, Friday payouts and fixed chargeback tiers
- Own order form and upsell flow, plus integrations with Voluum, ClickFunnels, Everflow and Shopify
What to watch
- 7.5% + $1 per sale plus a $49.95 one-time approval fee, above Digistore24's advertised starting rate
- Every product passes an FTC/FDA and ClickBank compliance review of the funnel and copy before it lists, which slows aggressive nutra launches
- 10% of each pay period is held as a return allowance for about 12 weeks
- Chargeback fees climb from $22 to $49 plus margin as your rate rises, and a 2% rate needs action within 48 hours
- Approval does not bring affiliates: sellers report slow starts and thin support for new offers
Read the full ClickBank review or see ClickBank fees.
Digistore24: strengths and drawbacks
What works
- No setup, activation or monthly fee; transaction fee starts at 2.9% + $1
- Full merchant of record in the EU and US, with sales tax and VAT handled in 180 countries
- Checkout pages, order bumps, one-click upsells and split testing built in
- Weekly payouts, up to four a month, and a 180-day affiliate cookie
What to watch
- The 2.9% + $1 is a starting rate: the final rate depends on product type, traffic source and volume, so you only know your fee once you apply
- Payout fees of $2.50 per ACH payment and $40 per international wire
Read the full Digistore24 review or see Digistore24 fees.
Our pick for most vendors
ClickBank
The default network for a direct response offer that needs the biggest open pool of affiliates, with merchant of record, compliance review and payouts handled for you, at a higher per-sale fee than Digistore24 advertises.
What we read
From ClickBank
- https://www.clickbank.com/
- https://support.clickbank.com/en/articles/10535137-what-are-clickbank-s-fees
- https://support.clickbank.com/en/articles/10535160-how-do-i-get-started-as-a-clickbank-seller
Other sources
10 discussions and reviews read for this page. Quotes are excerpts; open a link to read the original in context.
- [cb-vs-jvzoo-page] ClickBank vs JVZoo
- [cb-vs-jvzoo-quality] ClickBank vs JVZoo
- [reddit-listing-effort-cb] Launching My Trading eBook
- [g1] ClickBank Reviews | GetApp Australia
- [g2] ClickBank Reviews | GetApp
- [g3] Compare ClickBank and Squaredance | G2
- [r1] If I delete my click bank account will they still charge me
- [r2] My first two weeks in Affiliate Marketing
- [reddit-ds24-legit] Does Digistore24 affiliate link actually work
- [reddit-ds24-setup] Digistore24 vs OfferLab?