Digital Product Platform Fees Compared (2026 Breakdown)
Pricing pages in this category are designed to be hard to compare. Some platforms quote a per-sale percentage, others a monthly fee, others both — and the merchant-of-record platforms fold payment processing into one number while the rest leave it separate. This guide normalizes all of it so you can see what you'd actually pay.
We'll cover the two fee models, a side-by-side table, the hidden costs to watch for, and how to pick based on your sales volume.
The two fee models
Almost every platform falls into one of two camps:
- Per-sale percentage — the platform takes a cut of every transaction (e.g., Gumroad 10%, Payhip 5% on free). Your cost rises automatically with your revenue.
- Flat subscription — you pay a fixed monthly fee and the platform takes 0% per sale (e.g., Sellisy from $9/mo). Your cost stays constant no matter how much you sell.
There's also a second axis that matters just as much: who processes the payment. Merchant-of-record (MoR) platforms like Lemon Squeezy become the seller of record, handle global tax for you, and pay you out on their schedule. Own-processor platforms let you connect your own Stripe/PayPal so money lands directly in your account.
Side-by-side: what each platform charges
Below is the platform's own cut (separate from the ~2.9% + $0.30 payment-processor fee that any card-accepting business pays). Always confirm against each platform's current pricing page — these move.
| Platform | Per-sale fee | Monthly fee | Your own Stripe/PayPal? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sellisy | 0% | $9–49 | Yes — connect both |
| Gumroad | 10% flat | $0 | No (Gumroad pays out) |
| Payhip | 5% / 2% / 0% | $0 / $29 / $99 | Yes |
| Lemon Squeezy | 5% + $0.50 (MoR) | $0 | No (MoR) |
| Sellfy | 0% | $29–159 | Yes |
| Ko-fi | 0% (5% on free shop) | $0 / $8 | Yes |
| Podia | 0% (8% on free) | $0 / $39+ | Yes |
The column most comparisons skip
"Do you keep your own customer + checkout?" On per-sale and MoR platforms, the platform often owns the buyer relationship and the payout. With own-processor platforms, the customer and the money are yours from the first sale — which matters enormously if you ever want to leave.
Cheapest for low volume vs. high volume
There's no single "cheapest" — it depends entirely on how much you sell:
- Just starting (under ~$300/mo): a free per-sale tier (Gumroad, Payhip free, Ko-fi) costs you nothing upfront. The percentage is small in absolute dollars while volume is low.
- Growing ($500–5,000/mo): this is where a flat fee starts winning decisively. A 10% cut on $5,000 is $500/mo; a flat plan is a fraction of that.
- Scaling ($5,000+/mo): flat-fee, own-processor platforms win by a wide margin — the percentage platforms are now taking four figures a month for the same hosting.
Run your own number
Multiply your monthly sales by the per-sale percentage. If that's more than a flat plan's monthly price, the flat plan is cheaper — and the gap grows every month you scale. See the full math in our guide to keeping 100% of your sales.
Hidden fees to check for
- Payout / instant-payout fees — some platforms charge to move your money out faster.
- PayPal vs card fee differences — PayPal's per-transaction fee is often higher than Stripe's.
- Marketplace / discovery fees — a few platforms take an extra cut on sales that come from their marketplace.
- Feature gating — "0% fees" sometimes only applies on the most expensive monthly tier (Payhip's 0% is the $99 plan).
- Currency conversion — international sales can carry an FX markup, especially via PayPal.
How to choose
- 1Estimate your monthly revenue for the next 6–12 months, honestly.
- 2Decide if you want to own your checkout (your Stripe, your customer list) or prefer a hands-off merchant of record that handles tax.
- 3Compare total cost at your expected volume, not at $0. The free tier that's cheapest today is rarely cheapest at scale.
- 4Factor in lock-in. Can you export customers and leave? Own-processor platforms make this painless.
0% per-sale, flat from $9/mo
Sellisy connects your own Stripe or PayPal and takes 0% on top — the storefront, delivery, courses, and memberships included.
Explore SellisySwitching from a specific platform? See our best Gumroad alternatives guide, or compare Sellisy directly to Gumroad, Payhip, and Lemon Squeezy.
Frequently asked questions
Which platform has the lowest fees for selling digital products?+
It depends on volume. Free per-sale tiers (Gumroad, Payhip free) cost nothing upfront but take a percentage of every sale. Flat-fee platforms like Sellisy ($9/mo, 0% per sale) cost less overall once your monthly sales exceed roughly the subscription price divided by the competitor's percentage.
What's the difference between a percentage fee and a merchant of record?+
A percentage fee is the platform's cut on top of payment processing. A merchant of record (like Lemon Squeezy) becomes the legal seller, bundles processing into its fee, and handles global sales tax for you — convenient, but it owns the payout and the buyer relationship.
Do any platforms charge 0% fees?+
Several charge 0% per sale in exchange for a flat monthly subscription — Sellisy from $9/mo, Sellfy from $29, and Payhip on its $99 plan. You still pay your payment processor (~2.9% + $0.30) on all of them.
Can I use my own Stripe account?+
On own-processor platforms (Sellisy, Payhip, Sellfy, Ko-fi, Podia) yes — payouts go straight to your account. On Gumroad and merchant-of-record platforms, the platform processes payments and pays you out instead.