Creator Platform Fees 2026: Every Selling Fee in One Table
Monthly price, fee per sale, and what you keep from a $10 and a $20 digital product, on the platforms small creators actually use.
For a creator selling a few products a month to their own audience, Lemon Squeezy, Payhip Free, and Ko-fi keep the most of a $10–$20 sale with no monthly fee. Gumroad costs the most per sale because of its fixed $0.50. Monthly-fee platforms (Payhip Plus/Pro, Sellfy, Shopify) only win once sales pass a break-even line.
The fee table
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Platform | Monthly | Platform fee per sale | Payment processing | You keep on $10 | You keep on $20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon Squeezy | $0 | 5% + $0.50 | Included for US cards; extra % abroad / PayPal | $9.00 | $18.50 |
| Payhip Free | $0 | 5% | Stripe/PayPal, about 2.9% + $0.30 | $8.91 | $18.12 |
| Ko-fi (shop) | $0 | 5% | Stripe/PayPal, about 2.9% + $0.30 | $8.91 | $18.12 |
| Etsy | $0 | 6.5% + $0.20 listing | 3% + $0.25 (US) | $8.60 | $17.65 |
| Gumroad (direct) | $0 | 10% + $0.50 | 2.9% + $0.30 | $7.91 | $16.62 |
| Gumroad (Discover) | $0 | 30%, processing included | Included | $7.00 | $14.00 |
| Payhip Plus | $29 | 2% | Stripe/PayPal, about 2.9% + $0.30 | $9.21* | $18.72* |
| Payhip Pro | $99 | 0% | Stripe/PayPal, about 2.9% + $0.30 | $9.41* | $19.12* |
| Sellfy Starter | $29 ($22 yearly) | 0% (sales cap $10k/year) | Stripe/PayPal | $9.41* | $19.12* |
| Shopify Basic | $39 ($29 yearly) | 0% with Shopify Payments | Varies by country | — | — |
| Kajabi | From $143 | 0% | Varies | — | — |
US card payment assumed. *Before the monthly plan fee: divide the plan price by your monthly sales count to see the real cost per sale. Etsy’s 15% Offsite Ads fee is not included. Shopify’s Starter plan is no longer available to new stores.
Break-even lines against a 5% fee
- Payhip Plus beats Payhip Free above about $967 a month in sales.
- Payhip Pro beats Plus above $3,500 a month.
- Sellfy Starter ($29) beats a 5% fee above $580 a month.
- Shopify Basic beats a 5% fee above about $580 a month (yearly) or $780 (monthly).
Which platform should you use?
Find the line that describes you. Each answer links to the guide with the full numbers.
| Your situation | Start here | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First product, small audience, under about $580/mo in sales | Payhip Free | $0/mo, every feature included, you pay 5% only when you sell. Payhip review |
| Selling to buyers in many countries and you don’t want to deal with VAT or sales tax | Lemon Squeezy, or Payhip for EU/UK VAT | Lemon Squeezy is the merchant of record and handles global tax. Lemon Squeezy vs Payhip · Who pays sales tax |
| Already on Gumroad and losing $0.50 + 10% per sale | Compare before switching | On a $10 sale Gumroad leaves you about $7.91, Payhip Free about $8.91. Gumroad fees · Payhip vs Gumroad · Gumroad alternatives |
| No audience yet and you need buyers to find you | Etsy (marketplace) | You pay more per sale, but Etsy search brings buyers. Watch the 15% Offsite Ads fee. Etsy vs Payhip |
| Selling courses, coaching or a paid community | Payhip first; Kajabi only if it replaces other paid tools | Payhip includes courses on every plan. Kajabi starts at $143/mo and never wins on fees alone. Kajabi vs Payhip |
| Steady $2,000+/mo in sales | A flat-fee plan | Payhip Pro ($99/mo, 0% fee) caps your cost. Shopify and Sellfy can compete depending on what else you need. Payhip plan calculator · Shopify vs WordPress |
| Want your own website, not a store page | Check the total cost of a site first | A creator website that can sell · Selling without a website |
Costs that don’t show in the fee table
- Refunds: card processing fees are usually not returned when you refund, and a chargeback can add $15. Refund and chargeback calculator
- Fixed per-sale fees on cheap products: a $0.50 fee is 10% of a $5 sale before any percentage fee. Prices under $10 lose the most.
- Tax work: on platforms that are not the merchant of record, registering for and filing VAT or sales tax is your job. Who pays sales tax on digital products
- Marketplace fees: Gumroad Discover takes a flat 30%, and Etsy can charge 15% on sales it brings in through Offsite Ads.
- Lemon Squeezy extras: +1.5% for international cards, +1.5% for PayPal, +0.5% on subscriptions, and payout fees outside the US.
Run your own numbers
- Digital product fee calculator: one price, every platform.
- Payhip plan calculator: Free vs Plus vs Pro.
- Etsy fee calculator
- Refund and chargeback calculator
Detailed guides
- Gumroad fees explained · Payhip vs Gumroad · Gumroad alternatives · Gumroad switch calculator
- Lemon Squeezy vs Payhip · Etsy vs Payhip · Kajabi vs Payhip
- Shopify vs WordPress · Payhip review · Sell without a website
- Fees on $1–$5 products
- Is Shopify Basic worth it? · Shopify vs Payhip calculator
- Gumroad vs Lemon Squeezy
- Sellfy vs Payhip
- Lemon Squeezy fees
- Stan Store fees
- Etsy fees for digital downloads
- Podia vs Payhip
- Teachable vs Payhip
- Best platform to sell digital products (10 compared)
Platform links: Payhip pricing (affiliate link) · Shopify plans (affiliate link; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).
Sources: Gumroad fees, Lemon Squeezy pricing, Ko-fi fees, Etsy fees, Etsy Payments, Sellfy pricing, Shopify Starter plan, Payhip pricing. We re-check this table monthly. How we check fees.