Creator Platform Fee Calculator: Gumroad vs Lemon Squeezy
Compare what you keep from one digital product sale on Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, Payhip, Etsy and Stripe, using 2026 published fees.
| Platform | Fees | You keep | Kept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon Squeezy5% + $0.50, +1.5% international | - | - | - |
| Stripe (your own checkout)2.9% + $0.30, +1.5% international card | - | - | - |
| Payhip5% + Stripe card fee 2.9% + $0.30, +1.5% international | - | - | - |
| Etsy (digital download, US shop)$0.20 listing + 6.5% + 3% + $0.25 | - | - | - |
| Gumroad (your own link)10% + $0.50, plus card fee 2.9% + $0.30 | - | - | - |
| Gumroad (sale from its Discover marketplace)30% flat, processing included | - | - | - |
Payhip Plus and Pro also cost a monthly fee that is not counted per sale here. Divide it by your monthly sales to compare fairly.
Everything you already do here stays free, with the same limits.
Estimates for one card sale in US dollars, for learning. Not included: sales tax or VAT (Lemon Squeezy takes its percentage from the total including tax), PayPal fees, payout and currency conversion fees, affiliate and marketing add-ons, Etsy Offsite Ads, refunds and chargebacks. Check each platform's fee page for current rates.
Planning to sell digital products? Follow our digital products experiment.
What this tool does
Enter your sale price above to see, side by side, how much of one digital product sale you keep on Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, Payhip, Etsy and Stripe. It shows how much of one digital product sale you keep on five popular ways to sell: Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, Payhip, Etsy and Stripe on your own site. The table sorts the platforms from the one that keeps the most for you to the one that keeps the least.
How to use it
- Enter the sale price in US dollars.
- Tick The buyer is outside the US to add the international card surcharges.
- Choose your Payhip plan to see the effect of its monthly plans.
- Read the fees, what you keep and the share you keep. The best option for that price is highlighted.
The fees we use
| Platform | Fee per sale | International buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Lemon Squeezy | 5% + $0.50 | +1.5% |
| Stripe (your own checkout) | 2.9% + $0.30 | +1.5% for international cards |
| Payhip | 5% (Free), 2% (Plus) or 0% (Pro), plus Stripe or PayPal fees | Processor's surcharge |
| Etsy, US shop | $0.20 listing + 6.5% transaction + 3% + $0.25 processing | Same |
| Gumroad, your own link | 10% + $0.50, plus 2.9% + $0.30 card processing | Not stated |
| Gumroad, Discover marketplace sale | 30%, processing included | Not stated |
A worked example for a $20 sale to a US buyer:
- Lemon Squeezy: 5% × $20 + $0.50 = $1.50, you keep $18.50.
- Stripe: 2.9% × $20 + $0.30 = $0.88, you keep $19.12.
- Payhip free plan: 5% × $20 = $1.00 plus Stripe's $0.88 = $1.88, you keep $18.12.
- Etsy: $0.20 + 6.5% × $20 ($1.30) + 3% × $20 + $0.25 ($0.85) = $2.35, you keep $17.65.
- Gumroad, own link: 10% × $20 + $0.50 ($2.50) + 2.9% × $20 + $0.30 ($0.88) = $3.38, you keep $16.62.
- Gumroad Discover: 30% × $20 = $6.00, you keep $14.00.
What the fee does not show
The cheapest fee is not always the best deal. Marketplaces such as Etsy and Gumroad Discover can bring you buyers you would not find yourself, which is what the higher percentage pays for. Platforms also differ in how they handle sales tax and VAT, payouts, refunds and file delivery. Use the numbers here to compare the cost, then pick the platform that fits how you find buyers.
Sources
Rates last checked: 3 Oct 2026. Every rate comes from the platform's own fee or pricing page:
- Gumroad: Gumroad's fees
- Lemon Squeezy: Fees
- Stripe: Pricing
- Payhip: Pricing
- Etsy: What are the Fees and Taxes for Selling on Etsy? and Payment Processing Fees
Fees change. These are estimates for learning, so check each platform for current fees before you decide.
Free, Pro and Pro+
| Free | Pro | Pro+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saved scenarios | — | Yes | Yes |
| Side-by-side comparison | — | Yes | Yes |
| CSV export | — | Yes | Yes |
| Result quality | The same on every plan | ||
| Server tools paid with credits | With a credit pack | With a credit pack | 300 credits every month |
Pro+ credits pay for server tools: fast speech to text and fast auto subtitles. A credit pack (150 credits, valid for 12 months) works on any plan. Compare plans.
Use this in your workflow
- AI Digital Products: Templates and Prompt PacksFollow our experiment on picking, building and listing templates and prompt packs with AI.
- How to Write and Publish a Book With AISelling an ebook direct? The steps we follow to write and publish a book with AI.
Frequently asked questions
Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy: which costs less?
On the same sale through your own link, Lemon Squeezy usually keeps more for you: it charges 5% + $0.50, while Gumroad charges 10% + $0.50 plus card processing. Type your own price above, because fixed per-sale fees change the gap on cheap products.
Which platform takes the lowest fees on a digital product?
On a $20 sale to a US buyer, selling through your own Stripe checkout keeps the most ($19.12), followed by Lemon Squeezy ($18.50), Payhip on the free plan ($18.12), Etsy ($17.65), Gumroad through your own link ($16.62) and Gumroad Discover marketplace sales ($14.00). The order can change with price, because fixed per-sale fees weigh more on cheap products.
What are Gumroad's fees?
For sales through your own profile or links, Gumroad charges 10% + $0.50 per sale, and card processing of 2.9% + $0.30 comes on top. Sales that come from Gumroad's Discover marketplace pay a flat 30%, which includes processing.
What are Lemon Squeezy's fees?
5% + $0.50 per sale, plus 1.5% for buyers outside the US, 1.5% for PayPal payments and 0.5% for subscription payments. The percentage is charged on the order total, including any sales tax or VAT.
Is Payhip really free?
The free plan has no monthly fee but takes 5% of each sale. Plus ($29 a month) takes 2% and Pro ($99 a month) takes nothing per sale. On every plan, Stripe or PayPal still charge their own processing fees.
Why is selling with Stripe directly not always the best choice?
Stripe only processes the payment. You still need a way to deliver files, and you are responsible for collecting and paying sales tax and VAT yourself. Some platforms handle more of this for you, which is part of what their higher fee pays for.
Why do cheap products lose a bigger share to fees?
Fixed fees like $0.50 per sale stay the same whatever the price. On a $5 product, Gumroad's fixed $0.80 alone is 16% of the price; on a $50 product it is under 2%.