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If you want to start selling digital products like printables, planners, Notion templates or e-books, one of the first questions you'll ask is: where should I sell them?
Three of the most popular beginner-friendly platforms are Payhip, Gumroad and Ko-fi. I sell my own digital products on all three, so I've seen what each one does well and where each one falls short.
In this guide, I'll compare Payhip vs Gumroad vs Ko-fi side by side: fees, free plans, features and who each platform is best for. By the end, you'll know exactly which one to start with.
Payhip vs Gumroad vs Ko-fi: Quick Comparison
Short on time? Here's the summary. Payment processing fees from Stripe or PayPal (usually around 3% + $0.30 per sale) apply on top of the platform fees on all three.
| Payhip | Gumroad | Ko-fi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes (no paid plans) | Yes |
| Platform fee on free plan | 5% per sale | 10% + $0.50 per sale | 5% on shop sales (0% on one-time tips) |
| Paid plans | Plus $29/month (2% fee), Pro $99/month (0% fee) | None | Gold $12/month (0% fee) |
| Marketplace to get found | No | Yes, Gumroad Discover (30% fee on those sales) | Small, mostly through your own fans |
| Best for | Beginners who want their own shop | Creators who want a well-known checkout | Creators with fans and followers |
Fees checked in October 2026. Platforms change their pricing, so always check the official page before you sign up.
Payhip: Best for Beginners Who Want Their Own Shop
Payhip lets you create a simple online store for your digital products in an afternoon. You upload your PDF, add a title, a description and a price, and your product page is ready.
Fees: On the Free Forever plan, Payhip takes 5% of each sale. The Plus plan costs $29 a month and lowers the fee to 2%, and the Pro plan costs $99 a month with no Payhip fee at all. For most beginners, the free plan is the right place to start.
What I like:
- Your shop looks like your shop, not a marketplace page full of other sellers
- Lower fee on the free plan than Gumroad
- Built-in tools like discount codes and simple email marketing
- Easy to use, even if you're not technical
What to keep in mind:
- There's no marketplace, so buyers won't find you inside Payhip. You need to bring your own traffic from Pinterest, a blog or social media.
- Paid plans only make sense once you're selling regularly.
You can see how my Payhip shop looks here. Visit my Payhip shop
Gumroad: Best for a Trusted, Well-Known Checkout
Gumroad is one of the best-known platforms for selling digital downloads. Many buyers have already bought something on Gumroad before, which can make them feel safe checking out.
Fees: Gumroad has no monthly plans. Instead, it takes 10% + $0.50 on each direct sale, with payment processing on top. If a buyer finds your product through Gumroad Discover, its built-in marketplace, the fee for that sale is 30%.
What I like:
- No monthly cost, ever
- A familiar checkout that many buyers already trust
- Discover can bring you buyers you'd never reach on your own
- Simple setup, good for testing a product idea quickly
What to keep in mind:
- It's the most expensive of the three per sale, especially on cheap products. On a $5 printable, the $0.50 fixed fee alone is 10% of the price.
- Discover sales come with a much higher fee.
Take a look at my Gumroad shop here. See my Gumroad shop
Ko-fi: Best for Creators With Fans and Followers
Ko-fi started as a way for fans to "buy you a coffee", a small one-time tip. Today it also has a shop where you can sell digital products, plus memberships and commissions.
Fees: On the free plan, Ko-fi takes 0% on one-time tips and 5% on shop sales, memberships and commissions. Ko-fi Gold costs $12 a month and removes the 5% fee. Payment processing applies on top, like everywhere else.
What I like:
- Friendly and personal, it feels like your own creator page
- Fans can support you even when they don't buy a product
- Tips, shop, memberships and commissions all in one place
- Same 5% free-plan fee as Payhip
What to keep in mind:
- Ko-fi works best when you already have an audience, for example on YouTube, Instagram or a blog.
- It's less of a "store" than Payhip, so it's not ideal if you have a large catalog.
Come say hi on my Ko-fi page. Find me on Ko-fi
Which One Should You Choose?
Here's a simple example. Imagine you sell a $10 printable on each free plan. Before payment processing, the platform keeps:
- Payhip: $0.50 (5%)
- Ko-fi: $0.50 (5%)
- Gumroad: $1.50 (10% + $0.50)
So on fees alone, Payhip and Ko-fi are cheaper for small, low-priced products. But fees aren't everything. Here's how I'd decide:
- Choose Payhip if you want a real shop with many products and you plan to bring visitors from Pinterest or a blog.
- Choose Gumroad if you want a checkout buyers already know, or you hope to get extra sales through Discover.
- Choose Ko-fi if you already have followers who like your work and might also leave a tip.
Why I use all three
I don't put all my eggs in one basket. Platforms can change their rules or fees at any time, so selling in more than one place keeps my small business safer. Each platform also reaches slightly different people.
My advice: start with one, learn how it works and get your first sale. Then add a second platform when you feel ready.
Two tools that make creating printables easier
- A reliable home printer, so you can test-print every page before you sell it.
- A comfortable wireless mouse, which makes long design sessions much easier on your wrist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Payhip better than Gumroad?
For most beginners selling low-priced digital products, Payhip is cheaper: 5% per sale on the free plan, compared with Gumroad's 10% + $0.50. Gumroad's advantages are its familiar checkout and its Discover marketplace.
Can I sell digital products on Ko-fi?
Yes. Ko-fi has a built-in shop where you can sell downloads like PDFs and templates. On the free plan, Ko-fi takes 5% of shop sales.
Which platform is free to start?
All three. Payhip, Gumroad and Ko-fi all let you open a shop without paying a monthly fee. You only pay a fee when you make a sale.
Can I sell the same product on all three platforms?
Yes, as long as it's your own original work. Many creators list the same product in several places to reach more buyers.
Do I need a website to use these platforms?
No. Each platform gives you a ready-made shop page you can share anywhere, from Pinterest to Instagram. A blog helps you get more visitors, but you don't need one to start.
Final Thoughts
There's no single "best" platform for everyone. Payhip is great for building your own shop, Gumroad gives you a trusted checkout and a marketplace, and Ko-fi is perfect if you already have people who love your work.
The most important thing is to pick one and start. Your first product won't be perfect, and that's okay. You'll learn more from your first sale than from weeks of comparing platforms.
If you're selling digital products next to a full-time job, you might also like my post on how I started selling digital products with a full-time job.
Which platform are you using, or thinking about? Tell me in the comments! And save this post on Pinterest so you can find it again when you're ready to start.
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