Gumroad vs Payhip for Selling Ebooks
Both let you sell an ebook from your own link, but they charge in different shapes: Gumroad takes a cut of each sale, Payhip lets you trade a monthly fee for a lower cut. Here is what each page says, read on 2026-10-11.
By Shri and Sarath · 5 min read · Updated 11 October 2026 · Facts checked 11 October 2026
Gumroad and Payhip are the two names that come up when you want to sell a PDF or EPUB from your own link instead of through a marketplace. This post sets out what each platform's own pages say about fees, tax, payouts and files. Fees change, so check the current pages before you commit. Everything below was read on 2026-10-11.
What each one charges
Monthly fee
- Gumroad
- None
- Payhip
- Free plan 0 USD; Plus $29; Pro $99
Per-sale fee
- Gumroad
- 10% + $0.50 on direct sales; 30% on Discover sales
- Payhip
- Free plan 5%; Plus 2%; Pro none
Card and PayPal fees
- Gumroad
- Direct sales: card processing 2.9% + $0.30 and PayPal fees are not included; Discover's 30% includes processing
- Payhip
- PayPal and Stripe charge their standard rates on top, on every plan
Volume discount
- Gumroad
- Direct sales fall to 5% + $0.50 once a month's paid sales reach 20,000 USD
- Payhip
- Higher plans lower the percentage instead
Gumroad's pricing page says 10% + $0.50 applies to all sales through your profile or direct links, and 30% applies when new customers find you through its Discover marketplace. Its fees help article adds that card processing and PayPal fees are on top of the direct-sale fee. Payhip's pricing page lists three plans with all features on each, and says PayPal and Stripe still charge their standard rates after each transaction.
One sale, worked through
Take a $19.00 ebook. This is an example built from the fees above, not a forecast, and other deductions may apply, such as currency conversion, refunds or your own taxes.
Gumroad, direct link
- Platform fee
- $2.40
- Processing fee
- $0.85 (2.9% + $0.30)
Gumroad, Discover
- Platform fee
- $5.70
- Processing fee
- Included in the 30%
Payhip, Free plan
- Platform fee
- $0.95
- Processing fee
- PayPal or Stripe's standard rate
Payhip, Plus plan
- Platform fee
- $0.38
- Processing fee
- PayPal or Stripe's standard rate
Payhip, Pro plan
- Platform fee
- $0.00
- Processing fee
- PayPal or Stripe's standard rate
Payhip's page doesn't quote the PayPal or Stripe rates, so we haven't put a processing figure on those rows; they are an extra cost. On Payhip the plans trade a fixed monthly fee for a lower percentage. Going from Free to Plus saves 3 points of every sale, so the 29 USD fee equals the saving at about 967 USD of sales a month. Plus to Pro saves 2 points for 70 USD more, at about 3,500 USD. Below those volumes the lower plan costs less in platform fees.
Tax, payouts and files
Tax. Gumroad's pricing page says that since January 1, 2025 it handles all your tax obligations, collecting taxes in regions where it has obligations as a merchant of record. Payhip's tax page says it takes responsibility for digital EU and UK VAT, and for US and Canadian sales tax, and that other taxes you set up are collected by Payhip but reported and paid by you. Both are statements about what the platform handles; confirm that they cover your situation.
Payouts. Payhip's pricing page says it deposits your sales to you immediately after a transaction, through PayPal or Stripe. Gumroad's payout article says you need a minimum balance of 100 USD, can choose daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly payouts, and that on weekly, monthly and quarterly schedules a sale has a minimum 7-day holding period. Daily payouts are limited to eligible US accounts. How you are paid varies by country.
Files. Gumroad's help article gives 250 MB for free products and 20 GB for the largest single file on paid products, with as many files per product as you like. Payhip's two help articles differ slightly: one says each file can be up to 5GB, the other says 5GB per digital product, so check which applies. Payhip also says buyers can download immediately from the download page and get a receipt email with a link. For a text ebook, none of these limits is likely to matter.
How we'd choose
This is judgment, not data. If you have an audience and sell a few copies, Gumroad's flat percentage means no monthly commitment. If you expect steady sales, work out whether a Payhip plan lowers your total. If a stranger finding you on Discover is what you want, remember the 30% rate applies to those sales. We haven't compared how many buyers either platform sends you, and don't claim either sells more.
Either way, you need the files. SuperEbook plans an ebook for free (three title options, a brief and an editable outline) and writes nothing until you press Write. Each chapter is written from the passages of your uploaded material that fit it. It exports a PDF, an EPUB and a DOCX with the cover you choose (six options), full commercial rights and no watermark. A free listing kit writes a KDP description, keywords and categories, plus Gumroad and Etsy copy, from the finished book. Downloads need a paid plan or a credit pack ($20) bought from the book's page. For the wider picture, see KDP vs Gumroad vs Etsy and ebook pricing strategy.
Do this now
- Decide your price, then run the example sum with it for each platform.
- Estimate your monthly sales to see where a Payhip plan breaks even.
- Look up PayPal's and Stripe's current rates for your country.
- Check how each platform's tax handling applies to your location.
- Read the payout rules, including Gumroad's 100 USD minimum balance.
- Keep your files under the limits on both platforms.
Write it from your own material.
Plan a book free and see the outline before you spend a credit.
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