Five Best Gumroad alternatives that are less expensive and better (2023) --
Last updated: December 20 in 2022.
Update:As from December 20, 2022 Gumroad is announcing a cost increase, and they will be charging 10 percent per sale you make on the platform (plus extra transaction charges from Paypal and Stripe). If you're caught in the middle of this shocking news and thinking of switching to other platforms Here's a checklist of Gumroad alternatives that you'll want to consider!
Gumroad is a popular platform to sell digital goods. The platform provides a fully web-based storefront, allowing you to offer digital goods online for sale in a matter of minutes. Gumroad is also equipped with additional capabilities like features that allow you to sell subscriptions, integration to Paypal and Stripe, and many more.
But, there are negatives that discourage people to staying on the platform. Reviews on the internet have revealed that amongst other things, Gumroad's expensive pricing, lack of customer support and inability to scale to handle large volumes of sales have led users to migrate to other platforms.
In this post, we'll explore Gumroad's top options for selling digital goods to help you make an informed decision for your business. There are many options that will be perfect for small businesses who are just beginning their journey However, we've also considered scalability with an eye on ensuring that you won't need change platforms when your business expands.
Below is a short list of the best Gumroad alternative options that can be more affordable and more effective:
What is Gumroad and What does it Provide?
Gumroad is an eCommerce platform that's geared towards digital products. It provides a range of capabilities, like the ability to sell various kinds of products, including subscriptions and digital downloads. It also offers analytics and marketing tools, as well as the ability to embed product pages on your website.
With Gumroad offers you a fully-hosted online store where you can sell your products via. Gumroad also provides a smaller online marketplace named "Gumroad Discover" in which you are able to showcase your product listings amongst other creators.
How Much Does Gumroad Cost?
Gumroad will charge you 10% of the amount for every sale that it makes on its platform.
Furthermore, you'll have to also pay transaction charges for transactions with Paypal and Stripe which usually cost around 2.9 percent plus $0.30 per transaction.
Be aware that Gumroad had an alternative pricing structure before 2023. However, they have decided to adopt this current pricing structure.
What are the reasons to look for Gumroad Alternatives?
1. Costly Pricing and no Scalability
Gumroad's flat rate of a 10% charge for each sale can be extremely expensive for businesses who are new to the market, but it's also more expensive when your business grows because your expenditures will rise as a percentage of your revenue.
Imagine earning $100,000 a month while having to cover the $10,000 fee - it does not seem like a lot of fun at all. Additionally to that, the 10% charge is notinclude the additional PayPal and Stripe charges (which usually cost around 2.9% + $0.30 for each transaction) that you also need to pay.
2. Inability to Customize
Even though Gumroad offers a fully hosted online storefront for you to sell your goods but you will not have the ability to modify the design of your web store to match your branding. Gumroad offers a distinct style of store that can be found on the sellers' stores. All you have to do is customize on your storefront is a single highlight color and a few small customizations like the name of your business, bio as well as your logo.
As a contrast, the alternatives to the platforms mentioned in this article offer advanced store builder capabilities which are user-friendly for beginners (no programming or design expertise needed) However, they are capable of giving you the freedom to design a highly converting online store which is in line with your brand.
3. Get Better Solutions to Sell Online Courses
If you're selling products like digital downloads, Gumroad is generally quite good at instantly delivering your documents to clients. However, if you're still running online courses, this platform does not provide robust functionalities that other online courses platforms usually offer.
Gumroad's online courses feature lets you to upload a video as well as other documents that your students can download or click to watch the video. But this isn't the engaging educational experience you'd like to see from an online course platform. There are no advanced course tools like assessment such as drip schedules or the ability to award certificates for completion.
Here's an example of a student's learning experience
Here's an example of an engaging learning experience with various lesson formats would take on (the above example is from ):
features to look for in an Gumroad alternative
In the search for alternatives to Gumroad, there are several important factors to consider.
1. The features to sell various product types
Does the platform provide robust tools to sell various digital products? This can help you increase your source of income across various industries. Take into consideration features like
- Features to sell digital download: instant file delivery, pdf stamping, download limitations, and many more
- The features to market online courses: engaging online course player with various kinds of lessons (e.g. video lessons, assignments and more) as well as a drip schedule of content and a variety of pricing options for courses including certificates and certificates.
- The features to promote coaching: integration with online meeting platforms such as Zoom and Calendly, and more
- Features to sell subscription or membership: ability to bill recurring payments
In addition, look for flexibility to be able to incorporate product pages into your site. It allows you to integrate an online shopping cart as well as a an effortless checkout process into your web page.
2. Cost-effective Prices (Little to no upfront costs)
How much does it price per transaction? Do you have any monthly charges, hidden fees, or limits?
Choose platforms that boast an established track record of stability in pricing models. While a lot of companies may offer you a favorable price structure at first it is important to make certain that you don't have unanticipated price rises later on in the future.
3. Tools for Marketing that are robust Tools
In addition to the standard marketing tools like discount coupons, you must seek out a system that can offer more complex and efficient marketing tools like affiliate marketing. This allows you to run multiple marketing campaigns in order to grow the size of your business.
This is the only option on the list which offers affiliate marketing option for no cost Some platforms also charge monthly subscription fees to use the features.
4. Easy-to-use and Custom-designed Store Builder for Beginners
Today, having an online store or web site is essential for every company or brand to build customer loyalty and display their level of professionalism. If done correctly the creation of a website is not just a way to set yourself up as an expert within your industry, but it can also help build connections with your customers since it allows them to learn about the brand more closely.
Look for platforms that allow you to build a fully custom online store that will represent your brand in the best possible way. There's a myriad of options that do not need any programming or design expertise.
5. The Tax Department will take care of VAT, so You Won't Have To
The fear of the complex tax system could prevent you from expanding your business and dampening your growth. Consider selecting a platform that is fully compliant to not only collect VAT from your customers during checkout, but also remit VAT for you so you won't need to lift a finger.
5 of the Best Gumroad Solutions to Sell Digital Products
Now let's take a glance at several of the best alternatives to Gumroad when it comes to selling digital goods. Each platform offers unique options and plans for pricing, therefore it is important to evaluate them carefully before making your selection.
1.
is the best Gumroad option for value as well as affordability.
is by far the most well-known platform and often gets compared to Gumroad because they're the closest Gumroad competitor , and they offer all the features that Gumroad has to offer at a much lower cost which is ideal for companies that are of any size.
It is well-known for its forever-free subscription that allows sellers access all of the tools which the platform can offer. In lieu of the huge 10% that Gumroad charges, only charges the buyer 5% per sale. If your business is growing and you are ready to upgrade, change to the monthly service to reduce your expenses. There is no need to fret about scaling your company's size .
If you're looking for a platform that is genuinely dedicated to the success of your enterprise, then this platform is the best choice.
PRICING:
The company has disrupted the market by offering unorthodox pricing plans which is designed to assist small businesses succeed, but also ensuring that businesses will remain cost-effective as they grow to become multimillion-dollar companies.
There are three pricing plans:
- Free for life with only 5% fee (perfect for beginners)
- $29/month with 2% fees
- Monthly payment of $99 and no fee
So why is the pricing "unconventional"? This is because all pricing plans provide all users the exact same accessibility to all of their awesome options. The company's founders founded it by embracing a belief that they can succeed in establishing a platform which assists small-scale businesses by never limiting their access to the advanced tools they require. The company's philosophy is admired by the majority of buyers on its online reviews.
If you're just starting out, you can start on the most popular Plan, Free for Lifewith no monthly fees + 5percent fees per sale (excluding shipping charges). If your company grows then you'll be able to move to's Plus plan for $29 per month for monthly fees plus 2% fees per sale or the Pro plan for $99 per month fees (no other fees per sale).
The price has been maintained over the years and now it is possible to have confidence that this price isn't going to change.
PROS :
- A more affordable alternative to Gumroad
- Key features built-in to help sell different products like:
- Unlimited product listings and unlimited revenue
- Optimized check out experience for high conversion
- Easy-to-use and powerful store builders - no coding or design expertise required
- The ability to completely customize your store's online appearance to reflect your brand
- Free fully hosted storefront (you may also join to a domain you have created)
- If you have already got your own website it is easy to embed your site on any eCommerce website.
- Payouts instantaneous and safe via Paypal and Stripe
- You can choose to pay what you want to your goods (a.k.a. Tip Jar)
- Pays for and collects UK & EU VAT on your behalf
- Store analytics & ability to join with Google Analytics
- Bonus: is also highly acknowledged for its support quality. Every user is treated with priority regardless of the price plans you're currently on.
CONS
- The shipping label is not integrated with any automated system or any software (e.g. Shippo, or ShipStation). 's platform is more geared towards digital items, but you're still able to comfortably offer physical items if you want to
2. Shopify
Being one of the biggest eCommerce platforms around the globe, Shopify is often a well-known Gumroad alternative. Shopify is an extensive e-commerce platform that allows the creation of an online shop and control the products you sell. Additionally, it offers a vast selection of tools and functions like the ability to process payments, analyze data, and marketing tools. In addition, Shopify has a variety of pricing plans that can be adapted to diverse budgets.
Because of the massive size of the online marketplace, you will find many third-party software applications over all categories of business which you can integrate with the Shopify store. This lets you equip your shop online with distinctive tools for everything from changing the look of your website to marketing tools, and many more. The only caveat is that they are usually not free, so you'll need to budget your costs with care.
Although Shopify is an effective eCommerce platform, it does offer no offer built-in functions to sell digital products because Shopify's platform is geared to selling tangible goods. It is necessary to download other third-party applications that could likely increase the costs for selling digital goods.
PRICING:
For small businesses that want to test different platforms prior to selecting one that is suitable for their needs, Shopify offers a 14-day free trial. It is not a forever-free program.
For a price of just $29 per month, Shopify's Basic Plan is the most loved plan. Other Shopify plans are available at $79/month, 299/month to use Advanced Shopify, and $2000/month for Shopify Plus/Enterprise. You will be charged an additional transaction fee that is required per sale.
As mentioned above, Shopify's platform doesn't have built-in functions to market digital goods. Most likely, you'll need to install third party apps from the Shopify app store , which typically comes with additional cost.
PROS :
- Access to thousands of third applications from third parties available on the Shopify app store
- It supports multi-channel sales. This can be particularly useful if you have a brick-and-mortar store
- Shopify is used by numerous small businesses, and also by the creators of content who are specialized in Shopify content. They will offer lots of useful tips about online companies
- While Shopify's features aren't sufficient for retailers whose catalogue is predominantly digital products Physical product sellers can gain from Shopify's eCommerce features
CONS:
- The app doesn't have built-in capabilities to sell digital products. There is the requirement to install third party apps which will most likely come with extra charges. Shopify is not a suitable choice for designers.
- The website does not come with any marketing tools such as affiliate marketing, referrals, cross-sell, upsell and much more.
3. Kajabi
Kajabi is another popular alternative to Gumroad because it provides an all-in-one platform to sell digital goods. One of the main advantages over Kajabi in comparison to Gumroad is that it also allows creators to set up an online community. The downside is that Kajabi is famous for the monthly charges which aren't ideal for small businesses that have just started out.
PRICING:
Kajabi offers the option of a 14-day trial. The trial requires you to enter your credit card information prior to being eligible to get started with your free trial.
After your trial period is over You have the option of 3 plans that are paid
- Basic: $149/month
- Growth: $199/month
- Pro: $399/month
There's a small amount of savings if you opt to sign up for the year-long subscription.
PROS :
- Kajabi offers educational tools for their users through Kajabi university (although it's worthwhile to mention that you're probably going to be able to obtain these information from free Youtube videos available online)
- The ability to access features that aren't accessible on Gumroad such as community sales funnels, community, and more
CONS:
- Not affordable for small business customers
- A complex marketing function, such as the affiliate program is only available with plans like the Growth and Pro plans
- There are numerous limitations on different items like the amount of productsavailable, the amount of contacts, of members, number of admin users, and many more. Not recommended for those of you who would like to "set-it-and-forget-it" because you'll need to keep track of your usage
4. Podia
Podia is also one of the most well-known options for designers. One of the biggest benefits of Podia is the fact that they provide a lifetime-free plan. However, keep in mind you won't be able to publish multiple products on the free plan.
PRICING:
- Free: 8% fee
- Mover: $39/month
- Shaker: $89/month
- Earthquaker: $199/month
PROS :
- The features are designed to help sell additional kinds of products that aren't offered through Gumroad like community or webinars
- Chat widget on the page to let to interact with website customers
CONS
- The free plan comes with 8% transaction fees and allows you to sell 1 digital download (you'll most likely have upgrade to Podia's premium plans in order to have a functioning eCommerce store)
- Advanced marketing tools like affiliate marketing can only be found with the Shaker ($75/month) or the Earthquaker ($166/month) plans
- It is necessary to pay an additional $20/month for additional seats in the team
- There is no way to disable Podia logo unless you subscribe to an annual fee for Shaker ($75/month) or Earthquaker ($166/month) plans.
5. Mighty Networks
If you're looking for a Gumroad alternative for establishing an online community, offer classes, or even sell the services of a coach, Mighty Networks is a popular option. While this platform might not be suitable for selling digital downloads, you could find this a better Gumroad alternative to selling your courses.
PRICING:
There is a selection of two paid plans:
- The community plan The community plan: $39/month
- The business plan: $119/month
- Mighty Pro: You'll have to contact the team for prices.
PROS :
- Mighty Networks' community feature is more advanced than the other platforms listed in this article The interface is similar to that of the social media platforms.
- Members can see each other's posts through content feed which could encourage genuine interaction
CONS:
- Lack of robust features for the sale of product types like digital downloads
- Course features on online courses aren't as strong as the other platforms for online courses since they do not offer any type of lesson such as assessments or quizzes along with the certificates of achievement
- It is not integrated with PayPal
Final Thoughts - Finding the best solution for your business
You've got it! There's a wide range of Gumroad alternatives to test and don't forget to take advantage of every one of their free trials to find out what options offer the best combination of features and price plans to meet your company's needs.