← Ways to earn · 2026-11-08
Gumroad vs Payhip: what each takes per sale
Both let you sell downloads without building a shop. Their fee models differ a lot. We read both official fee pages and worked out what that means per sale.
In short
- Gumroad (direct sale, seller account checked 2026-11-07): 10% + $0.50 platform fee, plus 2.9% + $0.30 card processing.
- Payhip (pricing page checked 2026-11-07): Free plan 5% per sale, Plus $29/month with 2%, Pro $99/month with 0%. PayPal and Stripe fees are charged separately on every plan.
- On platform fees alone, Payhip's free plan costs less than Gumroad at every price we tested.
- Gumroad pays you out on a schedule; Payhip says it deposits sales to you immediately and collects, reports and remits EU/UK VAT and US/Canada sales tax. Check which one supports payouts in your country.
Platform fee per sale (before payment-processor fees)
| Price | Gumroad (10% + $0.50) | Payhip Free (5%) | Payhip Plus (2%) | Payhip Pro (0%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5 | $1.00 | $0.25 | $0.10 | $0.00 |
| $9 | $1.40 | $0.45 | $0.18 | $0.00 |
| $19 | $2.40 | $0.95 | $0.38 | $0.00 |
Payment processors charge on top: Gumroad lists 2.9% + $0.30; for Payhip, PayPal and Stripe charge their own standard rates. Plus and Pro also cost $29 and $99 per month.
When do Payhip's paid plans pay off?
- Free to Plus: you save 3 points per sale (5% to 2%), so Plus's $29 monthly fee is covered once you sell about $967 per month ($29 divided by 0.03).
- Plus to Pro: you save 2 more points per sale, so Pro's extra $70 is covered once you sell about $3,500 per month ($70 divided by 0.02).
- If you sell less than that, the free plan is the cheapest on platform fees.
What the fee table does not show
- Payouts: Gumroad pays out weekly, monthly or quarterly once you reach a minimum (shown as $100 for Korea). Payhip's page says sales are deposited immediately, which depends on the PayPal or Stripe account you connect.
- Country support: whether you can open the payout account you need depends on your country. Check both services' sign-up and payout pages before you commit.
- Audience: Gumroad has a marketplace called Discover that charges 30% on new customers it brings you. We did not find a Payhip equivalent on its pricing page.
- Taxes: Payhip says it collects, reports and remits EU/UK VAT and US/Canada sales tax. For Gumroad, read its own help pages on how tax is handled in your case.
How we would choose
- Selling a few cheap files and want the lowest platform fee: start with Payhip's free plan if your country is supported.
- Want the simplest setup with a built-in marketplace audience and are fine with higher fees: Gumroad.
- Either way, run your own numbers: the calculator in our Gumroad fee guide shows what you keep at your price.
Fees and plans change. Figures are from each provider's own pages on 2026-11-07. This is not financial or tax advice.