Gumroad vs Payhip: Fees, Plans and Tax Handling
Short answer
Gumroad charges 10% + USD 0.50 on direct sales with no monthly fee and acts as merchant of record for sales tax worldwide. Payhip Free is USD 0 with a 5% fee; Plus USD 29 with 2%; Pro USD 99 with 0%; Stripe or PayPal fees apply on every plan. On a USD 20 direct sale, published fees leave about USD 17.50 on Gumroad and USD 18.12 on Payhip Free.
On this page 5 sections
At a glance
| Plan | Gumroad Direct salesUSD 0/moVisit site (opens in new tab) | Payhip FreeUSD 0/moVisit site (opens in new tab) |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Creator storefront and checkout for digital products and memberships | Digital product store with memberships, downloads and courses |
| Monthly plan | Yes (USD 0 — no monthly fee) | Free USD 0; Plus USD 29; Pro USD 99 |
| Platform fee (own traffic) | 10% + USD 0.50 per direct sale | 5% Free; 2% Plus; 0% Pro |
| Marketplace / discovery fee | 30% when buyers find you via Discover | Not listed as a separate marketplace fee on the pricing page |
| Card processing | Pricing page lists the Gumroad fee only; MoR handles tax at no extra listed cost | Stripe or PayPal standard rates on top of Payhip's fee |
| Merchant of record / VAT | Yes (MoR since 1 Jan 2025; sales tax worldwide) | Partial (Collects EU/UK VAT and US/Canadian sales tax; other taxes configurable) |
| Features by plan | Single fee tier; digital products, courses, memberships | Yes (All features on every plan (pricing page); plans differ by fee only) |
| Keep on a USD 20 direct sale (published fees) | About USD 17.50 | About USD 18.12 on Free (incl. Stripe US 2.9% + USD 0.30) |
| Sources: gumroad.com (opens in new tab) · payhip.com (opens in new tab). | ||
Gumroad vs Payhip at a glance. Prices checked 29 Oct 2026.
Gumroad Direct sales
USD 0/mo
- What it is
- Creator storefront and checkout for digital products and memberships
- Monthly plan
- Yes (USD 0 — no monthly fee)
- Platform fee (own traffic)
- 10% + USD 0.50 per direct sale
- Marketplace / discovery fee
- 30% when buyers find you via Discover
- Card processing
- Pricing page lists the Gumroad fee only; MoR handles tax at no extra listed cost
- Merchant of record / VAT
- Yes (MoR since 1 Jan 2025; sales tax worldwide)
- Features by plan
- Single fee tier; digital products, courses, memberships
- Keep on a USD 20 direct sale (published fees)
- About USD 17.50
Payhip Free
USD 0/mo
- What it is
- Digital product store with memberships, downloads and courses
- Monthly plan
- Free USD 0; Plus USD 29; Pro USD 99
- Platform fee (own traffic)
- 5% Free; 2% Plus; 0% Pro
- Marketplace / discovery fee
- Not listed as a separate marketplace fee on the pricing page
- Card processing
- Stripe or PayPal standard rates on top of Payhip's fee
- Merchant of record / VAT
- Partial (Collects EU/UK VAT and US/Canadian sales tax; other taxes configurable)
- Features by plan
- Yes (All features on every plan (pricing page); plans differ by fee only)
- Keep on a USD 20 direct sale (published fees)
- About USD 18.12 on Free (incl. Stripe US 2.9% + USD 0.30)
Last checked 29 Oct 2026 · Prices from gumroad.com/pricing, payhip.com/pricing and stripe.com/pricing (US 2.9% + USD 0.30 used only for the Payhip take-home line).
Gumroad and Payhip are both common checkouts for low-ticket digital downloads. Gumroad prices everything as a per-sale fee and, since January 2025, acts as merchant of record for sales tax. Payhip sells the same feature set on Free, Plus and Pro and changes only the percentage it takes, while Stripe or PayPal bill processing separately.
Fees side by side
| Gumroad | Payhip Free | Payhip Plus | Payhip Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | USD 0 | USD 0 | USD 29 | USD 99 |
| Platform fee | 10% + USD 0.50 direct; 30% Discover | 5% | 2% | 0% |
| Processing | Listed as part of Gumroad’s published fee model | Stripe / PayPal on top | Stripe / PayPal on top | Stripe / PayPal on top |
| Tax | MoR, worldwide sales tax | EU/UK VAT + US/CA sales tax | Same | Same |
What you keep (one US card sale)
| Price | Gumroad direct | Payhip Free |
|---|---|---|
| USD 5 | USD 4.00 | USD 4.30 |
| USD 10 | USD 8.50 | USD 8.91 |
| USD 20 | USD 17.50 | USD 18.12 |
Who each fits, from published pricing
This is a reading of the pricing pages, not a hands-on test.
- Gumroad fits sellers who want USD 0 monthly cost and MoR tax handling, and who mostly send their own traffic (so Discover’s 30% stays rare).
- Payhip fits sellers who want every store feature on the free tier and who are ready to connect Stripe or PayPal, or who will move to Plus/Pro once volume makes the percentage fee expensive.
Related reading
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Frequently asked questions
Is Payhip cheaper than Gumroad on a USD 10 sale?
On published per-sale fees for a one-time US card sale, Payhip Free leaves about USD 8.91 and Gumroad direct about USD 8.50. Gumroad has no monthly fee; Payhip Plus and Pro add USD 29 or USD 99 a month in exchange for a lower percentage. Prices checked 29 Oct 2026.
Who handles sales tax and VAT?
Gumroad states it is merchant of record and manages sales tax collection and remittance worldwide. Payhip states it automatically collects, reports and remits digital EU/UK VAT and US/Canadian sales tax, with other taxes configurable on Payhip.
What is Gumroad Discover?
When a new customer finds and buys through Gumroad's Discover marketplace, Gumroad's pricing page lists a 30% fee on that transaction instead of 10% + USD 0.50.
Do I still pay Stripe on Payhip?
Yes. Payhip's pricing FAQ says PayPal and Stripe still charge at their standard rates once they complete a transaction, on all plans including Pro.
Does Gumroad have a free plan?
Gumroad lists no monthly charge. You pay per sale only. That is different from a feature-limited free plan: the account itself is not billed monthly on the pricing page.
Which fits a USD 5 product better?
Flat USD 0.50 fees (Gumroad) take a larger share at USD 5 than at USD 20. Payhip Free's 5% plus Stripe also hurts at USD 5 because Stripe's USD 0.30 fixed fee is large relative to the price. Run both against your expected volume; see the low-ticket fees guide for the table.
Can I cancel Payhip anytime?
Payhip's pricing FAQ says you can cancel whenever you like. Gumroad has no monthly subscription to cancel on the pricing page.
Are these figures from a hands-on test?
No. tested is false. Figures apply each vendor's published fee formula to a one-time US domestic card sale. This is general information, not tax advice.