Lemon Squeezy is a fairly new ecommerce platform created by Make Lemonade for selling digital products like ebooks, online courses, software licenses, and more.
It serves the same market as Gumroad or Payhip, two more established options for creating online stores and selling digital products.
While Lemonsqueezy is still young and developing new features, it shows potential as an alternative to the more established options like Gumroad.
Here, I’ll provide an overview of Lemon Squeezy’s offerings and how it compares to its biggest competitors.
What is Lemon Squeezy?
Lemon Squeezy aims to provide creators and entrepreneurs with an all-in-one solution for selling digital products online. The platform allows you to quickly set up a customized online store, manage products and payments, leverage built-in marketing features, and more.
You can sell templates, icons packs, designs, ebooks, and much more.
Lemon Squeezy was created by Make Lemonade, a small team of developers and designers behind other popular digital product platforms.
While relatively new, Make Lemonade has experience building tools for creators, so Lemon Squeezy benefits from this expertise.
Key Features and Benefits
Here are some of the key features and benefits of using Lemon Squeezy:
- Easy store setup: You can create a professional online store in minutes without any coding. The platform provides everything you need.
- Sell any digital product: Offer downloads, memberships, subscriptions, online courses, software licenses, and more.
- Recurring payments: Provide subscription options and charge automatically on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis.
- Built-in marketing: Use email marketing, lead magnets, bundles, affiliate marketing, and promo codes to boost sales.
- Global payments: Get paid no matter where you or your customers are located with support for 270+ countries.
- Tax handling: Lemon Squeezy handles VAT, sales tax, and compliance for you in supported regions.
- Discounts available: The free plan lets you start selling right away, while paid plans give bulk discounts.
- Upcoming features: Website builder, drag and drop editor, more integrations, and other features are in development.
How Lemon Squeezy Compares to Alternatives
Lemon Squeezy joins a competitive space with established options like Gumroad, Payhip, and others. Here’s a look at how it compares:
Vs. Gumroad*
- Lower fees (5% + $0.50 per transaction vs. 10% for Gumroad)
- Global VAT handling
- Design options
- More payout options
Vs. Payhip*
- Recurring payments for subscriptions
- Global VAT handling features
- Email marketing automation
Vs. SendOwl
- Far more payment and payout options
- Global VAT handling included
- More marketing features
Lemon Squeezy holds its own against alternatives, with competitive pricing, global support, and a wide range of product options.
The built-in email marketing is a key advantage which does cost extra, though.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Affordable, especially for high-volume sellers
- Sell a wide variety of digital product types
- Built-in email marketing and automation
- Worldwide payment and payout support
- Handles taxes and compliance
Cons
- Still in early development stages
- Some key features not yet released
- Less customization for store designs than Payhip
While the platform shows promise, it is still missing some functionality only in development. Customization options are currently limited as well.
Is Lemon Squeezy Right for You?
Lemon Squeezy is a compelling new option, but may be better suited for some users compared to others:
Good for:
- New sellers wanting an affordable, no-commitment option
- Selling globally with customers worldwide
- Offering subscriptions, memberships, or SaaS
- Leveraging built-in email marketing features
- People who want to switch from Gumroad
May want to wait:
- Sellers needing more advanced customization
- Reliant on complex marketing tools
- Want established company
Users selling digital products globally on a budget will find Lemon Squeezy provides excellent value. But those needing more mature functionality may want to wait for more features.
The Bottom Line
While Gumroad still edges out Lemon Squeezy in some areas like email automation, growth, or discoverability, Lemon Squeezy shows promise as an affordable digital product platform with global reach.
The built-in email marketing automation gives it a leg up on competitors lacking this feature. Lemon Squeezy seems poised to mature into a top contender in this space if development continues steadily.
For new and budget-conscious sellers, Lemon Squeezy is worth testing out, especially with the free plan available.
More established sellers may want to wait until more advanced capabilities are released. But with its maker-friendly approach, Lemon Squeezy is a platform to watch closely in the months and years ahead.
If Lemonsqueezy isn’t for you, Payhip* or Gumroad* are woth a look.
