Our picks
| Platform | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Payhip | Best overall Every feature on every plan + VAT handling | Free + 5% · $29 + 2% · $99 + 0% |
| Stan Store | Best for social Courses, calls & downloads from link-in-bio | $29/mo · 0% Stan fee |
| Lemon Squeezy | Best for software Licence keys, global tax (MoR) | 5% + 50¢ |
| Gumroad | Zero-commitment first product + marketplace | 10% + $0.50 + card fees |
| Beacons | All-in-one creator link-in-bio | Free (9%) · from $10/mo |
| Kit | Selling to an email list | Free plan · 3.5% + $0.30 |
Official sources, checked Nov 2026. Payhip · Stan Store · Stan Store help · Lemon Squeezy · Gumroad · Gumroad help · Beacons · Kit · Kit help. Prices in USD unless shown otherwise. Vendors change pricing, so confirm on their site before buying.
What you keep, 50 sales of a $29 product
*Stripe processing assumed at its standard US card rate of 2.9% + $0.30 where the vendor says processor fees are charged separately. International cards, PayPal and currency conversion can cost more.
What you keep, 200 sales of a $29 product
*Stripe processing assumed at its standard US card rate of 2.9% + $0.30 where the vendor says processor fees are charged separately. International cards, PayPal and currency conversion can cost more.
Payhip
Best for most sellersFree + 5%, $29/mo + 2%, or $99/mo + 0%
- Same features on every plan, no feature-gating
- Handles EU/UK VAT and US/Canada sales tax
- Immediate payouts after a sale
- Stripe/PayPal fees apply on top of Payhip's %
- 5% on the free plan adds up at volume
Stan Store
Best for social-first creators$29/mo Creator or $99/mo Creator Pro; 0% Stan transaction fees
- 0% platform transaction fees
- Courses, bookings and downloads in one link-in-bio store
- Simple, mobile-first checkout
- No free plan (14-day trial only)
- Discount codes and pixel tracking need $99/mo Pro
- Processor fees are still on top
Lemon Squeezy
Best for software & licencesNo monthly fee; 5% + 50¢ per transaction
- Merchant of record, handles tax liability
- Licence keys, subscriptions, discounts built in
- No monthly fee
- 5% + 50¢ per sale
- Some payments may incur additional fees
Gumroad
Best for testing a first productNo monthly fee; 10% + $0.50 per sale
- No monthly fee, you pay only when you sell
- Merchant of record. Gumroad handles sales tax/VAT
- Optional marketplace exposure
- 10% + $0.50 plus card processing gets expensive as sales grow
- Marketplace sales cost 30%
- Less control over storefront design than site builders
Beacons
Best for link-in-bio on a budgetFree plan (9% fee); paid plans from $10/mo
- Free forever plan
- Link-in-bio, store, email and media kit together
- 0% commission on higher plans
- 9% commission on Free and Creator plans
- Higher-tier pricing is bundle-based and changes often, check the page
Kit
Best for email-first sellersFree up to 10,000 subscribers; Creator from $39/mo
- Free plan up to 10,000 subscribers
- Selling products and paid newsletters works even on Free
- Free migration service on paid plans
- No sending limits on any plan
- Automations beyond the basics need Creator
- Price rises with subscriber count
- 3.5% + $0.30 per sale, higher than raw Stripe
Payhip is the best default; Stan if you live on social
Payhip doesn’t gate features, handles VAT/sales tax, and lets you swap percentage fees for a flat plan as you grow. If your audience is on Instagram or TikTok and you sell calls and courses too, Stan’s 0%-fee store is built for that.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best free platform to sell digital products?
Payhip’s Free Forever plan includes every feature for a 5% transaction fee (plus processing). Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy and Kit also have no monthly fee.
Is Gumroad still worth it?
Gumroad is easy and handles sales tax as merchant of record, but 10% + $0.50 plus card processing is among the highest fees here. It suits testing a first product.
Which platform is a merchant of record?
Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy are merchants of record per their official pages. Payhip handles EU/UK VAT and US/Canadian sales tax.