Gumroad is one of the simplest ways to start selling digital products — you can list an ebook, course, or download and take your first sale within minutes, with hosting and checkout handled for you. Where it draws criticism is its per-sale fee structure and limited control over branding, email, and the customer relationship. Sellers scaling up, or those who want lower fees and richer tools, often look for alternatives.
Last updated 2026-07-16 · We looked at platforms that let creators sell digital products or memberships with minimal setup, comparing fee models, payout handling, tax/VAT support, and how much of the storefront and audience you own. Fees are entry terms as of the date below.
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Lemon Squeezy | From ~5% + fees per sale | Devs and SaaS makers wanting tax handled |
| Payhip | Free (5% fee) or from ~$29/mo (0% fee) | Sellers wanting low fees and simple setup |
| Podia | Freemium (paid from ~$39/mo) | Creators bundling courses, memberships and email |
| Ko-fi | Free (0% fees) or ~$8/mo Gold | Artists and creators earning via tips and support |
| Sellfy | From ~$29/mo | Creators wanting a branded store plus merch |
Merchant of record for digital goods
Lemon Squeezy handles the messy parts of selling software and digital products — acting as merchant of record so it collects and remits global sales tax and VAT for you. It's especially strong for SaaS licenses, subscriptions, and indie developers. Its fees aren't the lowest, and the trade-off for that tax convenience is a cut of each sale.
Best for: Devs and SaaS makers wanting tax handled
Simple store with flat, fair fees
Payhip lets you sell downloads, memberships, and courses with a clean storefront and EU VAT handling built in. Its free plan charges a flat percentage, and paid tiers can drop that fee to zero, which appeals to cost-conscious sellers. The design and marketing features are functional rather than flashy, so brand-obsessed sellers may want more polish.
Best for: Sellers wanting low fees and simple setup
Courses, downloads and memberships together
Podia bundles digital products, online courses, memberships, and email marketing into one hosted platform with no per-sale transaction fees on its paid plans. That makes it a good home for creators building a broader business rather than a single product. It's pricier at the entry point than a pure download tool, and its course features add complexity you may not need.
Best for: Creators bundling courses, memberships and email
Tips, memberships and shop, 0% fees
Ko-fi started as a tip jar and grew into a lightweight creator platform covering donations, memberships, commissions, and a simple shop — with 0% platform fees on its free tier. It's ideal for artists and hobbyists who want support without a corporate feel. It's less suited to a serious digital-product catalog, and advanced commerce features sit behind its Gold plan.
Best for: Artists and creators earning via tips and support
Branded store, print-on-demand built in
Sellfy gives creators a customizable storefront for digital products, subscriptions, and even print-on-demand merch under one roof. The branded store and built-in marketing emails suit sellers who want a more shop-like presence. Pricing is subscription-based with sales limits per tier, so very low-volume sellers may find flat-fee tools cheaper to start.
Best for: Creators wanting a branded store plus merch
Building something in this space? Browse the LaunchHive maker directory for more tools, or launch your own product.