Sellfy vs Gumroad is a subscription against a percentage. Sellfy charges a monthly plan with no transaction fee, so it gets cheaper as you sell more. Gumroad charges nothing until you sell, then 10% plus 50 cents per direct sale, and handles sales tax as merchant of record. Below a few thousand dollars a year, Gumroad is often cheaper; above that, Sellfy usually wins on fees.
Sellfy vs Gumroad is a choice between a flat subscription and a percentage of every sale: Sellfy charges a monthly plan with no transaction fee, while Gumroad charges nothing upfront and takes 10% plus 50 cents on each direct sale. At low sales Gumroad tends to cost less; once you sell a few thousand dollars a year, Sellfy's flat fee usually wins. The other big difference is tax: Gumroad acts as merchant of record, while on Sellfy you are the seller.
Checked October 2026 against Sellfy pricing, Sellfy's doc on its yearly revenue limit, Gumroad pricing and Gumroad's fees help page.
Sellfy and Gumroad are two of many storefronts. For a wider view, including marketplaces and your own site, see our guide to where to sell digital products.
Sellfy vs Gumroad: head to head
| Sellfy | Gumroad | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Monthly subscription, 0% transaction fee | 10% + $0.50 per direct sale |
| Payment processing | PayPal or Stripe rates (about 2.9% + $0.30) | 2.9% + $0.30 on direct sales |
| Starting cost | $29/mo, or $22/mo billed yearly | $0/mo |
| Sales limits | $10k, $50k, $200k per year by plan | None; fee drops to 5% + $0.50 after $20k paid sales in a month |
| Marketplace | No | Discover, at 30% flat |
| Sales tax role | You are the seller via your PayPal or Stripe | Merchant of record |
| Product types | Digital, physical, subscriptions, print on demand | Digital, courses, memberships |
Two rows decide most choices. The pricing model decides cost, and the sales tax role decides how much admin you take on. Everything else, from product types to file limits, matters only if you hit an edge case.
Sellfy vs Gumroad fees across a year
Here is a year of selling a $20 product at three sales levels. Gumroad's cost per direct sale is $2.00 (10%) plus $0.50 plus card processing of $0.88, so about $3.38. Sellfy's cost is the yearly-billed plan plus the same processing of about $0.88 per sale through Stripe or PayPal. Both include processing so the comparison is fair. Figures are approximate and exclude sales tax.
| Yearly sales | Gumroad direct | Sellfy | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 (150 sales) | About $507 | About $396 (Starter yearly) | Sellfy by about $111 |
| $10,000 (500 sales) | About $1,690 | About $704 (Starter yearly) | Sellfy by about $986 |
| $40,000 (2,000 sales) | About $6,760 | About $2,468 (Business yearly) | Sellfy by about $4,292 |
Source: Sellfy and Gumroad pricing pages, checked October 2026
The break-even point is lower than many people expect. Gumroad's platform share on a $20 sale is $2.50 once processing is set aside. Sellfy Starter billed yearly costs $264 a year, so Sellfy becomes cheaper after about 106 sales, or roughly $2,100 in yearly sales at $20 each. Billed monthly at $29, the break-even is about 140 sales, or roughly $2,800.
Two caveats. First, Gumroad cuts its direct fee to 5% plus 50 cents on new direct sales once your paid sales pass $20,000 in a calendar month, which narrows the gap for high-volume months. Second, if you sell through Gumroad Discover, those sales cost a flat 30%, which is a marketing cost rather than a storefront fee. Run your own price and volume through our platform break-even calculator.
Sales tax: the hidden difference
- Gumroad is the seller on the receipt
- Collects and remits sales tax where it has obligations
- Less tax registration work for you
- Higher fee per sale
- Payments go through your PayPal or Stripe
- You handle tax registration where required
- More admin if you sell internationally
- No transaction fee
For a creator selling digital products to buyers in many countries, this matters. EU and UK VAT rules on digital products apply based on where the buyer is. A merchant of record takes that on; on a storefront where you are the seller, it is your job, with whatever tax tools the platform provides; Sellfy documents its tax collection settings, including manual tax rates. Factor in the time or accountant cost when comparing fees. Our guide on whether you need an LLC to sell digital products covers the business setup side.
Sellfy review: what you get for the subscription
Sellfy positions itself as an all-in-one storefront. According to its pricing page, plans are priced by yearly sales volume rather than by features alone, with limits of $10,000, $50,000 and $200,000 a year. Sellfy says that if you go over your plan's limit, it notifies you and expects you to upgrade; if you do not, it may charge a 2% overage fee on revenue above the limit. Its docs add that the limit never stops you from selling.
- Products: digital downloads, physical products, subscriptions and print-on-demand from one store.
- Files: unlimited digital products, up to 50 files per product and 10 GB per file, per its pricing FAQ.
- Migration help: email contact import on all plans; product migration on Business and Premium.
- Payments: your own PayPal and Stripe accounts, at their standard rates.
- 01Starter
Up to $10k sales a year
- 02Business
Up to $50k sales a year
- 03Premium
Up to $200k sales a year
- 04Over the limit
Upgrade, or a 2% overage fee
Getting paid
Payout timing is another quiet difference. Gumroad collects the money and pays you out: its help center says you can choose daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly payouts, with a 7-day holding period on the weekly, monthly and quarterly schedules and a $100 minimum balance, higher in some countries. Daily payouts have extra eligibility rules for US sellers.
On Sellfy, payments go through your own PayPal or Stripe account, so the money reaches those accounts on their own schedules rather than waiting for a platform payout. That can help cash flow, but it also means refunds, disputes and chargebacks hit your payment account directly, and you deal with them through PayPal or Stripe.
- Model a full year of fees at your real price
- Count sales from buyers outside your country
- Decide who will handle sales tax and VAT
- Check payout timing against your monthly bills
- Export customer lists and product files
- Update every link in bios, emails and posts
Sellfy alternative or Gumroad alternative?
People searching for a Sellfy alternative usually want lower fixed costs; people searching for Gumroad alternatives usually want lower per-sale fees. Here is how to choose:
Payhip is worth a look between the two: a free plan with a 5% fee, paid plans that cut the fee, and VAT handling for EU and UK digital sales. We compare it with a marketplace in Payhip vs Etsy, and compare two merchants of record in Gumroad vs Lemon Squeezy.
Which should you pick?
- Pick Gumroad if you are just starting, your sales are uneven, you want tax handled as merchant of record, or you want the option of Discover marketplace sales.
- Pick Sellfy if your sales are steady enough to pass the break-even, you want one store for digital and physical products, and you are comfortable handling sales tax.
Whichever you choose, keep product files and your customer list portable so switching later is easy. For a step-by-step setup on Gumroad, see our guide to selling digital products on Gumroad. And if you want the full system for making products worth selling, our Digital Products program covers ideas, creation, pricing and launches.
Sellfy vs Gumroad: FAQ
Is Sellfy cheaper than Gumroad?
It depends on how much you sell. Sellfy charges a monthly subscription with no transaction fee, while Gumroad charges 10% plus 50 cents per direct sale plus card processing. At low sales, Gumroad usually costs less because you pay nothing until you sell. Once yearly sales pass a few thousand dollars, Sellfy's flat fee usually works out cheaper. Model your own prices before deciding.
What does Sellfy cost?
Sellfy's pricing page lists Starter at $29 per month, or $22 per month billed yearly, for up to $10,000 in yearly sales; Business at $79, or $59 yearly, for up to $50,000; and Premium at $159, or $119 yearly, for up to $200,000. Sellfy charges no transaction fee, but PayPal or Stripe processing fees apply. Checked October 2026.
What happens if I exceed my Sellfy sales limit?
Sellfy says you are expected to upgrade to the next plan when you exceed your plan's yearly sales limit, and that it notifies you first. If you do not upgrade, it may charge a 2% overage fee on revenue above the limit. The limit does not stop you selling.
Does Sellfy handle sales tax like Gumroad?
Not in the same way. Gumroad describes itself as a merchant of record that collects and remits sales tax in regions where it has obligations. Sellfy connects to your own PayPal or Stripe account, so you are the seller and responsible for tax registration and remittance where required. Check Sellfy's tax settings documentation and speak to an accountant if you sell internationally.
Does Sellfy have a marketplace like Gumroad Discover?
No. Sellfy is a storefront for your own audience. Gumroad has Discover, a marketplace where buyers browse products, charged at a flat 30% per sale including processing. If you rely on marketplace discovery, Gumroad is the only one of the two that offers it.
What is a good Sellfy alternative?
Gumroad is the closest alternative if you prefer paying only when you sell. Payhip offers a free plan with a 5% fee and paid plans with lower fees. Lemon Squeezy and Stripe Managed Payments suit software sellers who want a merchant of record. The right choice depends on your volume and whether you want the platform to handle sales tax.
Pick a storefront, then build products that sell.
The Digital Products program, included in All Access, covers product ideas, creation, pricing and launches, with the other three programs, live coaching and the private community in one subscription.
Free digital product updates
Join the free Telegram channel for platform fee changes and selling tips as they happen.