Across eight platforms, one $29 digital sale costs between $1.08 (Whop) and $4.54 (Gumroad direct) in fees, from each platform's own pricing page. Stan Store, Shopify and Sellfy charge card processing only but need a monthly plan, which pays for itself at roughly 9 to 20 sales a month at that price. Marketplace sales cost the most: up to 24.5% on Etsy with Offsite Ads and 30% on Gumroad Discover.
This digital product platform fees comparison puts eight platforms on one table: per sale, Whop is cheapest at 2.7% plus $0.30 and a Gumroad direct sale is dearest at 12.9% plus $0.80. In between, Stan Store, Shopify and Sellfy charge card processing only (2.9% plus $0.30) but need a monthly plan, Lemon Squeezy takes 5% plus $0.50, Payhip's free plan 7.9% plus $0.30 and Etsy 9.5% plus $0.45. Marketplace-driven sales cost far more: 30% on Gumroad Discover, and up to 24.5% plus $0.45 on Etsy when Offsite Ads are involved.
Checked on 11 October 2026 against Etsy's Fees & Payments Policy, Gumroad pricing and its fees help page, Whop's fee documentation, Payhip pricing, Stan Store's help pages on plans and transaction fees, Shopify pricing (US), Sellfy pricing and Lemon Squeezy's fees page. The plan is to recheck this table each quarter; that date is the last check.
The data here is each platform's published fee schedule, and every dollar figure is arithmetic on three stated prices. If you want the non-fee side as well, meaning traffic, product types and who each platform suits, start with where to sell digital products in 2026.
Digital product platform fees comparison: the master table
One sale, eight platforms, three prices. The columns show total fees on a $9, $29 and $97 sale for a US seller and a US buyer paying by card. Monthly plans are listed separately and added back in the volume section below.
| Platform | Monthly fee | Per-sale fees (US card) | On $9 | On $29 | On $97 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whop | None listed | 2.7% + $0.30 | $0.54 | $1.08 | $2.92 |
| Stan Store | $29 (Creator) or $99 (Creator Pro); $300 or $948 billed yearly | 0% + Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.56 | $1.14 | $3.11 |
| Shopify (Basic) | $39, or $29 billed yearly | 2.9% + $0.30 with Shopify Payments | $0.56 | $1.14 | $3.11 |
| Sellfy (Starter) | $29, or $22 billed yearly | 0% + PayPal or Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.56 | $1.14 | $3.11 |
| Lemon Squeezy | None listed | 5% + $0.50 | $0.95 | $1.95 | $5.35 |
| Payhip (Free Forever) | $0 | 5% + processing = 7.9% + $0.30 | $1.01 | $2.59 | $7.96 |
| Etsy (US shop) | $0 | $0.20 + 6.5% + 3% + $0.25 = 9.5% + $0.45 | $1.31 | $3.21 | $9.67 |
| Gumroad (direct sale) | $0 | 10% + $0.50 + 2.9% + $0.30 = 12.9% + $0.80 | $1.96 | $4.54 | $13.31 |
US seller, domestic card, before tax. Stan Store, Shopify and Sellfy also charge a monthly plan. Source: Arithmetic on each platform's official pricing or fees page, checked October 2026
Three findings fall out of the table.
- The spread is wide. On a $29 sale, fees run from $1.08 to $4.54, a factor of four. On $97 they run from $2.92 to $13.31.
- Fixed fees decide cheap products. On a $9 sale, Gumroad's $0.80 of fixed fees pushes its total to 21.8% of the price, against 6.0% on Whop.
- Three platforms charge the same per sale. Stan Store, Shopify and Sellfy all pass through card processing and nothing else. Their real price is the monthly plan.
How the comparison was built
Every rate comes from the platform's own pricing page, fee policy or help center, read on the check date above. The three prices, $9, $29 and $97, are illustrative inputs standing in for a printable, a template pack and a small course.
- Same buyer everywhere: a US card, one item per order, price before tax, no refund, no affiliate.
- Processing passed through: Payhip, Stan Store and Sellfy send payments through your own Stripe or PayPal account. Stripe's US rate of 2.9% plus $0.30 is used, which is the figure Stan Store's and Sellfy's own pages quote.
- Entry plan: Shopify Basic, Sellfy Starter, Stan Store Creator and Payhip Free Forever, unless a row says otherwise.
- Plain sale: no Etsy Offsite Ads, no Gumroad Discover. Those are covered in the marketplace section.
Figures are rounded to the cent. Run your own price through the free platform break-even calculator, where every rate is editable, if your country, plan or card mix differs.
Platform fees for digital products in 2026: what the headline rate leaves out
Every platform has a number it advertises and a set of fees that only appear once you sell a certain way. The second column is the part to read before you commit.
| Platform | Not in the headline rate | Sales tax and VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Etsy | Offsite Ads at 15% (12% past $10,000 a year) on attributed orders; Etsy Ads budget; $0.20 renewals every four months; 2.5% currency conversion; a one-time set-up fee for new shops | Collected and remitted by Etsy where marketplace rules apply |
| Gumroad | 30% flat on Discover sales; 2% on PayPal payouts; 3% on instant payouts | Merchant of record: collected and remitted by Gumroad |
| Whop | +1.5% international cards; +1% currency conversion; payouts from $2.50 each; $15 per dispute; optional billing at 0.5% | Optional tax and remittance at 2% when tax is collected |
| Payhip | PayPal or Stripe processing on every plan; $29 a month to cut the fee to 2%, $99 to remove it | EU and UK VAT collected and remitted by Payhip |
| Stan Store | The plan is charged whether or not you sell; Stripe payout fee of 0.25% + $0.25 (US); +1.5% international customers | Not covered on its fees page |
| Shopify | 2% on Basic if you use a third-party payment provider; +1% international cards; any paid apps you add | Not covered on its pricing page |
| Sellfy | Starter covers $10,000 of sales a year; past a plan limit, upgrade or pay a 2% overage | Not covered on its pricing page |
| Lemon Squeezy | +1.5% international; +1.5% PayPal; +0.5% subscriptions; 1% on non-US bank payouts; +5% on recovered carts | Merchant of record: collected and remitted by Lemon Squeezy |
Tax handling is worth real money. A merchant of record, such as Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy, is the legal seller and files the sales tax and VAT. On a plain storefront that job is yours, so compare a 12.9% merchant of record with a 2.9% storefront plus your own tax admin, not with 2.9% alone. Our Gumroad vs Lemon Squeezy comparison covers the two merchants of record in detail.
- 11 Dec 2024Gumroad announces merchant of record
New structure: 10% + $0.50 plus card fees on direct sales, a flat 30% on Discover sales.
- 1 Jan 2025Gumroad's new fees and tax handling take effect
Gumroad collects and remits sales tax worldwide from this date.
- 28 Jan 2026Lemon Squeezy points to Stripe Managed Payments
Its update says Stripe is building the merchant-of-record future there, with an easy migration planned for Lemon Squeezy users.
- 11 Oct 2026This table checked
All eight pricing pages read on the same day.
Source: Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy company updates, checked October 2026
That third entry matters if you are choosing today. Lemon Squeezy's 5% plus $0.50 is still published, but its owner is steering merchant-of-record sellers to Stripe Managed Payments, which adds 3.5% per successful transaction to standard Stripe processing. On a $29 US card sale that is about $2.16. Read how to sell on Lemon Squeezy before you build around either.
Monthly plan or percentage: where the break-even sits
A monthly plan beats a percentage fee once your sales cover it, and the number of sales needed is smaller than most people expect. Divide the monthly fee by what the plan saves you per sale. The table shows the sales a month at which a $29 plan with processing-only fees (Stan Store Creator, or Sellfy Starter billed monthly) starts to cost less than each percentage platform.
| Product price | vs Gumroad direct | vs Etsy | vs Payhip Free | vs Lemon Squeezy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $9 | 21 | 39 | 65 | 75 |
| $29 | 9 | 15 | 20 | 36 |
| $97 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 13 |
Against Whop there is no break-even: its base rate is lower and no monthly plan is listed. Payhip is the one platform here that lets you make the switch without moving store. Its Plus plan ($29 a month for a 2% fee) beats Free (5%) once monthly sales pass $967, which is $29 ÷ 3%, and Pro ($99 a month for 0%) beats Plus past $3,500, which is $70 ÷ 2%.
- Etsy, Gumroad, Payhip Free, Lemon Squeezy, Whop
- Costs nothing in a month with no sales
- Cost rises in step with revenue
- Best while you are testing products and prices
- Stan Store, Shopify, Sellfy, Payhip Plus and Pro
- Charged whether or not you sell
- Per-sale cost falls to card processing
- Best once sales are steady enough to cover the plan
Here is the same idea as a monthly bill. The inputs are illustrative: a $29 product at 10, 30 and 100 sales a month, with each platform's plan included.
| Platform | 10 sales a month | 30 sales a month | 100 sales a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whop | $10.83 | $32.49 | $108.30 |
| Lemon Squeezy | $19.50 | $58.50 | $195.00 |
| Payhip (cheapest plan at that volume) | $25.91 (Free) | $77.73 (Free) | $201.10 (Plus) |
| Etsy | $32.05 | $96.15 | $320.50 |
| Sellfy Starter, billed yearly | $33.41 | $56.23 | $136.10 |
| Stan Store Creator | $40.41 | $63.23 | $143.10 |
| Gumroad direct | $45.41 | $136.23 | $454.10 |
| Shopify Basic, billed monthly | $50.41 | $73.23 | $153.10 |
Illustrative volume: $870 of sales in the month. Plans included, payout fees and tax excluded. Source: Arithmetic on each platform's official pricing or fees page, checked October 2026
Notice how the order changes with volume. At 10 sales a month, Etsy and Payhip's free plan cost less than every subscription platform. At 100 sales, the subscription platforms cost less than half of what Etsy does. The platform that is cheapest for a new store is rarely the cheapest for an established one.
Sellfy vs Gumroad fees comparison
Sellfy and Gumroad sit at opposite ends of the table. Sellfy charges no transaction fee and $29 a month, or $22 a month billed yearly, with PayPal or Stripe processing on top. Gumroad charges nothing monthly and 12.9% plus $0.80 on a direct card sale.
- Per sale at $29: $1.14 on Sellfy, $4.54 on Gumroad direct. Sellfy saves $3.40 a sale.
- Break-even: 7 sales a month on Sellfy's yearly billing ($22 ÷ $3.40), 9 on monthly billing.
- The catch on Sellfy: Starter covers $10,000 of sales a year, and past a plan's limit you upgrade or pay a 2% overage.
- The catch on Gumroad: the fee, in exchange for tax handled as merchant of record and the option of Discover.
The full year-by-year model is in Sellfy vs Gumroad, and Gumroad's side on its own, including payouts and refunds, is in Gumroad fees explained.
Marketplace fees compared: what a platform-found buyer costs
A marketplace charges more when it finds the buyer for you, and both marketplaces in this table do it with a second, higher rate. That second rate is the real marketplace fee.
- Etsy search sale: 9.5% plus $0.45, or $3.21 on $29.
- Etsy Offsite Ads sale: 15% more, or 12% for shops past $10,000 in a 365-day period, capped at $100 an order. At 15% that is $7.56 on $29.
- Gumroad Discover sale: a flat 30% with processing included, or $8.70 on $29.
Whether that premium is worth paying depends on whether you could have found the buyer yourself. Our Etsy fees vs Gumroad fees analysis works out the exact Offsite Ads share at which Etsy stops being the cheaper of the two. If you do go the Shopify route, a delivery app is a separate choice, covered in our guide to the Shopify digital downloads app.
How to use this table to choose
- 1Who brings the buyer?
No audience yet: a marketplace earns its higher fee. Your own audience: use a storefront and skip the marketplace rates.
- 2Who files the sales tax?
If you do not want that job, shortlist Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, Etsy or Whop with its tax option, and price the others with your own admin added.
- 3How many sales a month, honestly?
Under the break-even for your price, pick a percentage platform. Over it, a monthly plan costs less.
- 4What does the second fee cost you?
Check the left-out column for your case: international buyers, PayPal, payouts, ads or a sales limit.
Fees are a tidy problem with a tidy answer. The harder questions are what to sell and how buyers find it, and that is where our Digital Products program spends its time, from picking a product to pricing and launch.
Limits of this comparison
Pricing pages change without notice. Treat each linked page as the source of record and this table as a dated reading of them.
Digital product platform fees: FAQ
Which digital product platform has the lowest fees?
On published base rates, Whop: 2.7% plus $0.30 on a domestic card with no monthly plan listed. Stan Store, Shopify and Sellfy charge only card processing of about 2.9% plus $0.30 per sale, but each needs a monthly plan. Payhip's free plan costs 7.9% plus $0.30 with processing, Etsy 9.5% plus $0.45 and a Gumroad direct sale 12.9% plus $0.80. Checked October 2026.
What does it cost to sell a $29 digital product on each platform?
For a US seller and a domestic card: $1.08 on Whop, $1.14 on Stan Store, Shopify or Sellfy before their monthly plans, $1.95 on Lemon Squeezy, $2.59 on Payhip's free plan, $3.21 on Etsy and $4.54 on a Gumroad direct sale. A Gumroad Discover sale costs $8.70, and an Etsy sale through Offsite Ads at 15% costs $7.56. These are calculations from each published rate.
Is a monthly plan or a percentage fee cheaper?
It depends on volume. A $29 monthly plan with processing-only fees pays for itself against Gumroad direct at 9 sales a month of a $29 product, against Etsy at 15 and against Payhip's free plan at 20. On a $9 product those numbers rise to 21, 39 and 65. Below the break-even, the percentage platform costs less, because it charges nothing in a month with no sales.
Which platforms handle sales tax and VAT for you?
Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy act as merchant of record, so they collect and remit tax on your sales. Etsy collects and remits US state sales tax and VAT on digital items where marketplace rules apply. Payhip says it collects and remits EU and UK VAT. Whop offers tax and remittance as a 2% option. On Stan Store, Shopify and Sellfy, check their tax documentation before assuming anything.
Are marketplace fees higher than storefront fees?
Yes, when the marketplace finds the buyer. Etsy charges 9.5% plus $0.45 on a search sale and adds 12 to 15% when the sale comes through Offsite Ads. Gumroad charges a flat 30% on Discover sales. Storefronts where you bring every buyer run from 2.7% plus $0.30 to 12.9% plus $0.80. The marketplace premium is the price of a buyer you did not have to find.
Is Sellfy cheaper than Gumroad?
Once you sell regularly, yes. Sellfy charges no transaction fee but costs $29 a month, or $22 a month billed yearly, plus card processing. Gumroad charges nothing monthly and 12.9% plus $0.80 per direct card sale. On a $29 product Sellfy's yearly plan pays for itself at 7 sales a month. Below that, Gumroad costs less, and Gumroad also handles sales tax as merchant of record.
What fees do pricing pages leave out?
Usually the ones that depend on behaviour. Etsy's Offsite Ads fee, Gumroad's 30% on Discover sales and its 2% PayPal payout fee, Whop's payout fees and optional 2% tax service, Lemon Squeezy's 1.5% surcharges for international and PayPal payments, Sellfy's 2% overage past a plan's sales limit and Shopify's 2% fee for third-party payment providers all sit below the headline number.
Picking the platform takes an afternoon. Building the product is the work.
The Digital Products program, included in All Access, covers choosing a product, pricing it for the platform you picked and launching it to buyers you bring yourself. The other three programs, live coaching and the private community come with the same subscription.
Compare platforms at your own price
Enter your price and monthly sales and see net per sale, net per month and the volume where one platform overtakes another. Then join the free Telegram channel for fee changes as they happen.