THE SHORT ANSWER
Static showcase → itch.io / Steam + hosted newsletter
These are architecture judgments for this scenario, not audited provider rankings or promises that any setup is breach-proof.
CHOOSE SOMETHING YOU CAN MAINTAIN
Three technologies. Different responsibilities.
Here, “outdated” means unsupported or known-unpatched components. React is assumed to be built into static files; adding a live server, accounts or an API changes the assessment. Simple HTML is assumed to have no backend or remote scripts.
Outdated WordPress
UpsideEasy devlogs, existing themes and a familiar editor.
TradeoffOld core, themes or plugins can become an entry point; maintaining an entire CMS for one game is recurring work.
For this businessA counterfeit download or account-login link can hurt players even without a customer database.
Current React, many dependencies
UpsideStrong fit for interactive screenshots, local demos and a custom launch experience.
TradeoffMany dependencies need review and rebuilds; third-party widgets can add tracking and script risk.
For this businessStatic output avoids a live Node server, but a compromised build can still publish a malicious download button.
Simple HTML + self-contained JS
UpsideFast, inexpensive, easy to back up; ample for one game and several links.
TradeoffDevlog editing is less convenient and richer interactions need deliberate implementation.
For this businessStolen hosting or domain credentials can still redirect fans. Small code is easier to inspect, not invulnerable.
FROM ADVICE TO ACTION
The details that matter.
Make each destination unmistakable
Label buttons “Buy on Steam,” “Buy on itch.io” and “Support on Buy Me a Coffee.” Let the browser navigate to the provider rather than placing a lookalike login form on your domain. A local trailer poster with a click-through also avoids loading a video company’s scripts before a visitor chooses to watch.
Sources: itch.io: Accepting Payments and Getting Paid (external) ↗ · Buy Me a Coffee: Buy Me a Coffee: frequently asked questions (external) ↗
Pick an itch.io payment model deliberately
itch.io supports direct payments and a collected-by-itch.io payout route. The latter can simplify the platform’s handling of payment and VAT, but you still need seller onboarding, tax information and account protection. Steam Direct has a $100 per-product entry fee, recoupable once the product reaches $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue; other commercial terms still apply. Buy Me a Coffee has a 5% platform fee, with payment-processing costs to check separately.
Sources: itch.io: Accepting Payments and Getting Paid (external) ↗ · Steamworks: Steam Direct fee (external) ↗ · Buy Me a Coffee: Buy Me a Coffee: frequently asked questions (external) ↗
Treat the newsletter as its own small business system
Email addresses are personal information even when no money changes hands. A provider-hosted signup page keeps the entry form off your shared host. Ask for email only unless a name is useful, explain what subscribers receive and keep marketing permission separate from a purchase. Avoid a giveaway that requires players to submit a Steam password or proof-of-purchase screenshot containing unnecessary details.
Sources: FTC: Protecting Personal Information: A Guide for Business (external) ↗
What information goes where?
Newsletter email addresses and support messages are the most likely personal data you will handle. Game buyers may also be identifiable in platform reports. Do not export those reports into your public web folder.
On your public site
Descriptions, prices, public images, policies and direct provider links. No customer checkout form is required.
In private services
Necessary payment, customer or client records. Protect provider logins and any copies on your devices.
Link out before asking for payment information. Avoid hidden fields, query strings or analytics events containing customer details. A hosted checkout reduces collection on your server; it does not mean that the provider, your logs or your private business records contain no personal information.
See the data-flow and PCI explanationDo you need to pay the host for security?
Skip a paid host security bundle for a static showcase if the included HTTPS, account protection and recoverable backups meet your needs. Spend first on securing Steam, itch.io, email, your registrar and your development machine. Pay for WordPress maintenance if you keep a CMS and cannot patch it yourself.
The baseline still includes working HTTPS, protected accounts, a clean backup and someone responsible for changes. An included scanner is useful, but a scanner is not a patch, a restore test or an incident-response service.
Use the hosting spending guideKEEP THE TOOLBOX SMALL
Start at $0. Know the limits.
A sales CRM is unnecessary for one game. A hosted audience tool is useful for the newsletter; these three free entry plans are the lowest subscription-price options in our researched shortlist. They are newsletter tools, not order databases.
Kit
Free newsletter
Up to 10,000 subscribers
Creator announcements and hosted signup pages.
Limited automation; review recommendation, branding and free-plan conditions. Not an order CRM.
Check plan & pricingMailerLite
Free
250 subscribers · 2,500 emails/month
A small list with a hosted signup page.
Low subscriber ceiling; old 500/1,000-subscriber comparisons are stale.
Check plan & pricingBrevo
Free
300 emails/day · up to 100,000 contacts
Simple contact lists and permission-based announcements.
One seat; daily send cap can spread a launch over days. Starter begins at $9/month; upgrades depend on volume.
Check plan & pricingPrices checked September 25, 2026, USD before taxes. Free plans are not free payment processing. These are the three cheapest suitable entry subscriptions in our reviewed shortlist, tied at $0—not an exhaustive ranking of every vendor. Verify features, region, limits and upgrade costs.
What are the odds of customer data being stolen?
Lower local data exposure with static store links; moderate supply-chain exposure with a large React build; elevated avoidable exposure with abandoned WordPress. A stolen creator account or poisoned game download can have a much larger impact than a leaked email list.
Ask your designer.
Can I keep an old WordPress site just for the Buy Me a Coffee button?
An external button reduces the data you collect, but old site code can still be exploited to replace it. Update the site or replace it with a clean static export and remove the old executable CMS.
Should newsletter signup be required to buy the game?
No. Keep the purchase route simple and offer newsletter signup separately. Buying your game is not automatically permission to send ongoing marketing.
Do I need to store game keys on my web host?
Usually not. Use the stores’ delivery systems. If you distribute review keys, keep that list private and access-controlled outside the public site.
Sources for this business
- itch.io: Accepting Payments and Getting Paid ↗
- Steamworks: Steam Direct fee ↗
- Buy Me a Coffee: Buy Me a Coffee: frequently asked questions ↗
- Kit: Kit pricing ↗
- MailerLite: MailerLite pricing ↗
- Brevo: About Brevo pricing plans ↗
Shared technical evidence and research limitations appear in the source library.