If you’re a digital product creator or an online course instructor, chances are you’ve felt the ripple effects of Gumroad’s 10% flat fee introduction back in early 2023.
For many high-volume sellers, this meant a substantial hike in platform fees and a huge chunk of money lost. For some, this has prompted an exodus to seek out more affordable alternatives.
This search for the perfect Gumroad replacement is still on for countless creators.
I am still happy with Gumroad. I love the feature set and the experience overall, but I can’t say that those 10%+ fees don’t hurt.
So, there’s no harm in looking elsewhere.
That’s why I curated a list of the top 5 Gumroad alternatives that could be your jam in 2024.
Whether you’re looking for a platform with robust e-commerce capabilities, seamless VAT handling, or a focus on online course delivery, this should have got you covered.
#1 My Trusted Frontrunner
If you’ve been following my journey, you know I’ve been enjoying one particular alternative for a couple of years now.
Payhip*.
In fact, when Gumroad increase the fees, I jumped over to Payhip* and released my biggest new product back then there. And it was a great success.
Payhip* has been my go-to recommendation for digital product sales, and I’ve successfully sold on Payhip throughout 2023.
With its lightning-fast and responsive checkout page, Payhip makes selling digital products a breeze.
Customers can pay via PayPal or credit card, and you’ll have access to features like affiliate marketing, coupons, and pay-what-you-want pricing models.
Plus, you can rest easy knowing Payhip handles UK VAT and EU VAT compliance for your European customers.
All for free!
The only real downside: Email marketing isn’t great on Payhip. You might need a separate tool for that, like ConvertKit*, MailerLite*, or EmailOctopus*, all of which you can actually integrate with Payhip easily.
Fees
While Payhip offers a free plan with a 5% transaction fee, the real value lies in their Plus and Pro plans, priced at $29/month and $99/month respectively in 2024.
These paid plans come in really handy for high-volume sellers that effectively pay a flat-fee of $99 on the highest plan without additional Payhip fees on transactions. Payment processor fees still apply, though!
#2 The Rising Star
If I hadn’t already invested in Payhip, Lemon Squeezy would have been my top pick for a Gumroad alternative in 2024.
With its quirky name and impressive feature set, this e-commerce platform is quickly gaining traction among digital product sellers.
Lemon Squeezy allows you to create an online store effortlessly, selling digital products, software, and subscriptions.
But what sets it apart is its powerful marketing tools, including email marketing and automation for up to 500 contacts – a feature that rivals Gumroad’s workflow system.
And just like Payhip, it takes care of those pesky UK and EU VAT requirements.
Fees
Lemon Squeezy operates on a transaction fee model – 5% plus 50 cents per sale.
No monthly charges to worry about (unless you want email marketing for more than 500 contacts), making it an attractive option for sellers of all sizes.
In my book, Lemon Squeezy is a nice alternative for beginners and low to mid-volume sellers. For high-volume sellers, the 5% will still get pretty pricey. A flat fee like Payhip’s $99 a month plan make more sense to me here.
#3 The All-Rounder
If you’re looking for a platform that caters to both digital and physical products, Sellfy should be on your radar in 2024.
While it doesn’t offer a free plan (only a 14-day trial), its affordable monthly subscriptions and comprehensive feature set make it a viable option for high-volume sellers.
With Sellfy, you can sell digital products, subscriptions, on-demand video streaming, and even create print-on-demand merchandise.
It comes equipped with a website builder, automatic translation capabilities, mobile optimization, and robust marketing features.
Plus, you can embed your Sellfy store on any website for a seamless customer experience.
Fees
Pricing starts at $19/month in 2024, and Sellfy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, giving you ample time to test drive the platform.
Just keep in mind that it doesn’t completely handle VAT requirements, so you’ll need to manage that aspect separately.
#4 The Fee-Friendly Option
When it comes to low fees and easy-to-use tools, SendOwl* is as a strong contender in the Gumroad alternative arena.
This platform caught my eye during my search, thanks to its commitment to letting creators keep the lion’s share of their profits. In those cases where you don’t sell many products at very low prices at least.
SendOwl* boasts a modern checkout system, customizable checkout fields, and a plethora of integrations to streamline your sales process.
It also offers robust analytics, security features like 2-factor authentication, and download limits to protect your digital products.
Fees
In 2024, SendOwl offers its starter plan with a 5% transaction fee 3 months for free than at $9 per month.
Up from there is a paid plan for $15/month with $0.33 fee per transaction + $15 per month.
And finally a great top of the line plan with only $0.17 per transaction + $39 per month.
SendOwl keeps track of VAT, but doesn’t take care of the handling. That’s your responsibility.
#5 The Course Creator’s Haven
If you’re primarily focused on selling online courses, webinars, e-books, and building paid communities, Podia deserves a spot on your radar.
This platform is designed with course creators in mind, offering a comprehensive suite of tools to elevate your online teaching experience.
With Podia, you can leverage features like email marketing, live chat support, affiliate marketing, and 24/7 customer assistance. It also allows you to host webinars and bundle products for enticing course packages.
While Podia doesn’t handle UK and EU VAT requirements, its pricing plans range from a free plan with 10$ fees up to a top tier plan for (right now) $59 per month without any transaction fees.
That’s a pretty good deal at the moment. After that first year, the price will increase to $75 per month without additional fees. That’s still great value!
The Bottom Line: Embrace Change, Thrive in 2024
While Gumroad’s fee hike in 2023 is somewhat justified by the feature set, steady upgreades, and overall experience (in my opinion), it has opened the door to exploring new and exciting alternatives.
Especially for high-volume sellers, 10% is a huge chunk of cash. For those creators, platforms like Payhip and Podia offer much better packages. And for smaller creators, platforms like Lemon Squeezy, SendOwl, or Sellfy are definitely worth a look.
Never hurts to try!
