Stan Store Fees (2026): Creator vs Creator Pro, and When It Beats Gumroad or Payhip
Stan takes 0% of your sales but charges $29 or $99 a month, plus processing and a payout fee. Here is the sales level where that flat price starts to pay off.
Stan Store costs $29 a month (Creator) or $99 a month (Creator Pro) and takes 0% of each sale. You still pay Stripe’s 2.9% + $0.30 per US card sale and a payout fee of 0.25% + $0.25 (minimum $1). Stan beats Gumroad from about $240 a month in sales and beats Payhip’s free plan from about $580.
Every Stan Store cost
| Cost | Creator | Creator Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly billing | $29/mo | $99/mo |
| Yearly billing | $300/yr ($25/mo) | $948/yr ($79/mo) |
| Stan’s cut of sales | 0% | |
| Stripe, US card | 2.9% + $0.30 (+1.5% international cards, +1% currency conversion, +0.5% recurring payments) | |
| PayPal | 3.49% + a fixed fee by currency | |
| Afterpay / Klarna | Not available | 6.0% + $0.30 / 5.99% + $0.30 |
| Payout fee | 0.25% + $0.25 per payout, minimum $1 | |
| Free trial | 14 days; no free plan | |
What you keep from one sale
| Price | Stan, US card | Stan, international card | Gumroad direct | Payhip Free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $9.41 | $9.26 | $7.91 | $8.91 |
| $20 | $19.12 | $18.82 | $16.62 | $18.12 |
| $50 | $48.25 | $47.50 | $42.75 | $45.75 |
Per sale, Stan keeps the most because it takes no platform cut. The monthly plan is what you have to earn back.
The real monthly bill
Average price $20, US cards, Stan Creator on monthly billing. Totals include card processing; Stan’s payout fee (about 0.25% of what you cash out) is left out.
| Monthly sales | Stan Creator | Payhip Free | Lemon Squeezy | Gumroad | Cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300 (15 sales) | $42.20 | $28.20 | $22.50 | $50.70 | Lemon Squeezy |
| $1,000 (50 sales) | $73.00 | $94.00 | $75.00 | $169.00 | Stan Creator |
| $3,000 (150 sales) | $161.00 | $282.00 | $225.00 | $507.00 | Stan Creator |
Break-even points for Stan Creator ($29/mo)
| Compared with | Stan is cheaper above about | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Gumroad | $240/mo (12 sales of $20) | Gumroad’s 10% + $0.50 is $2.50 per $20 sale |
| Payhip Free | $580/mo | Payhip’s 5% passes $29 at $580 |
| Lemon Squeezy | $940/mo (47 sales of $20) | Lemon Squeezy costs $0.62 more per $20 sale than Stripe alone |
Do you need Creator Pro?
Creator Pro costs $70 more a month on monthly billing. You need it only for these features:
- Discount codes and limited-quantity offers
- Upsells and order bumps
- Email broadcasts and automated email flows, plus contact import
- Affiliate management
- Ad pixel tracking (Meta, Google, Pinterest, TikTok)
- Afterpay and Klarna at checkout
If you only need a link-in-bio store with downloads, courses and coaching bookings, Creator covers it. Payhip includes discount codes, upsells, email marketing and affiliates on its free plan, so compare before paying $99.
Costs and catches to know
- Sales tax is not handled for you. Stan can calculate tax at checkout through Stripe in supported countries, but its help center only covers collecting it, not filing. Payhip collects and pays EU/UK VAT; Lemon Squeezy and Gumroad handle tax worldwide. See who pays sales tax.
- Refunds keep the processing fee. Stripe does not return its fee when you refund a buyer.
- Payouts cost a little each time. Cashing out $1,000 costs $2.75; small, frequent payouts hit the $1 minimum.
- No free plan. After the 14-day trial you pay $29 before your first sale.
Who should use Stan Store
- Instagram or TikTok creators selling coaching, courses or downloads from a link in bio, already selling a few hundred dollars a month: Stan Creator fits.
- Brand-new sellers with no sales yet: start on a no-monthly-fee platform such as Payhip Free and move once you pass about $580 a month.
- Selling worldwide without wanting to file VAT: Lemon Squeezy or Gumroad, which act as merchant of record.
Compare with your own numbers →
FAQ
How much does Stan Store cost?
Creator is $29 a month or $300 a year. Creator Pro is $99 a month or $948 a year. There is a 14-day free trial but no free plan.
Does Stan Store take a percentage of sales?
No. Stan’s help center says Stan earns 0% from transactions. You pay Stripe or PayPal processing, plus a payout fee of 0.25% + $0.25 (minimum $1) each time you cash out.
Is Stan Store cheaper than Gumroad?
Above roughly $240 a month in $20 sales, yes. Gumroad’s 10% + $0.50 costs more than Stan Creator’s $29 once you sell about 12 products a month at $20.
Is Stan Store cheaper than Payhip?
Below about $580 a month in sales, Payhip’s free plan costs less. Above that, Stan Creator’s flat $29 is cheaper than Payhip Free’s 5%.
Does Stan Store handle sales tax?
Stan can calculate tax at checkout through Stripe in supported countries, but it does not say it files or pays tax for you. Plan on handling registration and filing yourself.
What do I need Creator Pro for?
Discount codes, upsells and order bumps, email broadcasts and flows, affiliate management, ad pixel tracking and Afterpay/Klarna are Creator Pro only.
Not sure which platform fits your numbers? Put in your price and monthly sales and see what you keep on every platform at once. If you are just starting, a Payhip store costs $0 until you sell, so you can set it up first and decide later.
Compare my numbers →Start a free Payhip store