How to Sell on Payhip vs Gumroad (Comparison)

If you’ve been thinking about selling digital products—like eBooks, templates, online courses, or memberships—you’ve probably come across Payhip and Gumroad.

These two platforms have become some of the easiest ways for creators, freelancers, and small business owners to start selling online without dealing with complicated website setups.

I’ve personally used both, and while they share a lot in common, there are key differences that can make one a better fit depending on what you’re selling and how you plan to grow.

In this post, I’ll break down how Payhip compares to Gumroad in terms of features, pricing, customization, and ease of use—so you can decide which platform suits your business best.

Why Choosing the Right Platform Matters

The platform you choose to sell your products on can shape your entire customer experience. From how easily someone can buy your product to how much you actually earn after fees—these details matter.

Payhip and Gumroad both target solo creators who want something simple. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find subtle differences in things like transaction fees, flexibility, and how they handle marketing tools. Let’s look at how they stack up.

Ease of Use

Payhip

Payhip is incredibly straightforward. Once you sign up, you can upload a product, set your price, and start selling almost instantly. The dashboard is clean and beginner-friendly, and it integrates automatically with PayPal and Stripe for payments.

I like that Payhip gives you an instant storefront—even if you don’t have a website. You can use their link as your online shop or embed their checkout on your existing website.

Gumroad

Gumroad also makes setup simple. You can add your product, set a price, and share the link in minutes. What makes Gumroad popular is its minimalist design—everything feels quick and easy.

However, Gumroad’s customization options are a bit limited. You can change colors and branding slightly, but your store will still look like a “Gumroad store.”

Verdict:
If you want simplicity and don’t mind a standardized look, Gumroad is great. But if you prefer having more control over your storefront’s design, Payhip gives you that extra flexibility.

Pricing and Transaction Fees

This is where most creators really start comparing.

Payhip Pricing

Payhip offers three plans:

• Free Plan – No monthly fee, but Payhip takes a 5% transaction fee.

• Plus Plan ($29/month) – 2% transaction fee.

• Pro Plan ($99/month) – 0% transaction fee.

No matter which plan you choose, Payhip gives you access to all features. The difference is simply how much of your sales you keep.

Gumroad Pricing

Gumroad used to have a free plan, but now it takes 10% per transaction (plus standard payment processing fees). There’s no monthly cost, but that percentage can add up quickly if you’re making steady sales.

Verdict:
If you’re just starting out, both are fine. But if you’re planning to grow and sell consistently, Payhip’s Pro plan gives you more earnings over time since you can reduce or remove the transaction fee.

Product Types

Both Payhip and Gumroad allow you to sell digital downloads, physical products, and subscriptions. But Payhip takes it a step further.

Payhip Supports:

• Digital products (PDFs, music, software, etc.)

• Physical items

• Online courses

• Coaching sessions

• Memberships and subscriptions

I like that you can manage all of this under one dashboard—it’s great if you want to expand your business later.

Gumroad Supports:

• Digital downloads

• Memberships

• Physical products (in a limited way)

Gumroad doesn’t have built-in tools for online courses or coaching. You’d need to use external platforms for that.

Verdict:
If you want to sell a wider range of products, Payhip clearly wins here.

Customization and Branding

Payhip

Payhip lets you personalize your storefront and checkout pages. You can use your own domain, adjust colors, add sections, and even build simple website pages (like About or Contact).

If you’re someone who cares about branding or wants a professional-looking shop, this matters a lot.

Gumroad

Gumroad focuses on simplicity, but that also means you have limited control over the look and feel of your store. You can’t use a custom domain without redirecting, and the layout is mostly fixed.

Verdict:
Payhip gives you more creative freedom. Gumroad keeps things minimal but less customizable.

Marketing and Growth Tools

Marketing is where you can really grow your sales, and both platforms offer a few tools to help.

Payhip

• Built-in email marketing and customer management

• Coupon codes and discounts

• Affiliate program support

• Social discounting (customers get discounts for sharing your link)

• Upsells and cross-sells

• SEO settings for products

These tools make Payhip more like an all-in-one business platform, especially if you combine it with something like Systeme.io for email automation and funnels.

Gumroad

• Basic email updates to followers

• Discount codes

• Affiliate programs

• Analytics

Gumroad covers the essentials but doesn’t have as many built-in marketing features.

Verdict:
If you want to actively grow your business and run promotions, Payhip offers a better toolkit.

Payouts and Payment Methods

Payhip

Payhip pays directly through PayPal or Stripe. You receive your money immediately after a sale—no waiting period.

Gumroad

Gumroad processes payments weekly, and you’ll need to reach a minimum payout threshold depending on your country.

Verdict:
If quick payouts matter to you, Payhip is more convenient.

Analytics and Customer Insights

Both platforms provide basic analytics such as sales numbers, revenue, and conversion rates.

However, Payhip also lets you connect Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel for deeper tracking, which is helpful if you run ads. Gumroad’s analytics are more limited to internal reporting.

Verdict:
Payhip gives you more control and flexibility with data.

Support and Community

Gumroad has a large, active creator community and is well-known among artists, writers, and digital creators. Support is done through email.

Payhip also has responsive email support and a helpful knowledge base, but its community is smaller. That said, I’ve found Payhip’s support team to be faster and more personal.

Verdict:
Gumroad has community reach, while Payhip has more personal support.

Which Is Better for You?

Here’s a quick summary based on what kind of creator you are:

FAQs

Can I use both Payhip and Gumroad at the same time?

Yes. Some creators use both platforms for different products or audiences. For example, you might sell quick downloads on Gumroad and full courses or memberships on Payhip.

Which platform pays faster?

Payhip pays instantly via Stripe or PayPal. Gumroad pays weekly.

Does Payhip or Gumroad handle VAT and taxes?

Both platforms automatically calculate and handle VAT for EU customers, so you don’t need to manage that manually.

Can I connect Payhip to my website?

Yes. You can embed Payhip checkout buttons or use your custom domain for a fully branded experience.

Do I need technical skills to use either platform?

Not at all. Both are built for non-technical users. If you can upload a file and fill out basic info, you can sell online in minutes.

Final Thoughts

Both Payhip and Gumroad are excellent platforms for selling digital products, but they cater to slightly different needs.

If you’re looking for simplicity, minimal setup, and a trusted platform, Gumroad is great. But if you want more control, flexibility, instant payouts, and better long-term earnings, Payhip is the smarter choice.

At the end of the day, the best platform is the one that helps you sell more and stress less.

So, if you were to launch your first product today—which platform would you choose: the simple familiarity of Gumroad or the flexibility and freedom of Payhip?