Why look beyond Stan?
- No free plan (14-day trial only).
- Discount codes, pixel tracking, Afterpay/Klarna need Creator Pro ($99/mo).
- You may want a full website, email automation or a marketplace.
Alternatives compared
| Tool | Pricing | Free plan / trial | Fees on sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beacons | Free plan (9% fee); paid plans from $10/mo | Yes, free forever, 9% commission on sales | 9% on Free and Creator plans; 0% on Creator Plus and Creator Max |
| Payhip | Free + 5%, $29/mo + 2%, or $99/mo + 0% | Yes, Free Forever plan with 5% transaction fee | 5% / 2% / 0% by plan; PayPal and Stripe charge their standard rates on top. Payhip handles EU/UK VAT and US/Canadian sales tax. |
| Kit | Free up to 10,000 subscribers; Creator from $39/mo | Yes, up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, sell products & subscriptions | Commerce (products & paid newsletters), 3.5% + $0.30 per USD transaction, all-in, on every plan including Free |
| Gumroad | No monthly fee; 10% + $0.50 per sale | Yes, no monthly charge | 10% + $0.50 per direct sale plus card processing (2.9% + $0.30) or PayPal fees; 5% + $0.50 on direct sales after $20k/month; 30% all-in for Discover sales. Gumroad is merchant of record and handles sales tax. |
| Podia | From $42/mo billed yearly; 0% fees from Shaker up | No, 14-day free trial | 5% on Mover; none on Shaker or Earthquaker; Stripe/PayPal processing applies |
| Stan Store | $29/mo Creator or $99/mo Creator Pro; 0% Stan transaction fees | No, 14-day free trial | 0% Stan transaction fee; Stripe/PayPal processing fees apply |
Official sources, checked Nov 2026. Beacons · Payhip · Kit · Kit help · Gumroad · Gumroad help · Podia · Stan Store · Stan Store help. Prices in USD unless shown otherwise. Vendors change pricing, so confirm on their site before buying.
Beacons
Best for a free link-in-bio storeFree 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
Payhip
Best for free with every featureFree + 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
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
Podia
Best for a full course websiteFrom $42/mo billed yearly; 0% fees from Shaker up
- Courses, downloads, coaching, community and website together
- No Podia fees from Shaker up
- Sales tax handled in 230 countries
- No free plan
- Built-in email is capped by plan
- Affiliate marketing starts at Shaker
Gumroad
Best for no monthly feeNo 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
When Stan is still the best choice
If you sell coaching calls, courses and downloads from Instagram or TikTok, Stan’s mobile-first store with calendar booking and 0% transaction fees is hard to beat at $29/month. At 50 sales of $29 a month, Stan costs about $86.05 including assumed Stripe fees, vs $227.05 on Gumroad.
Beacons if you want free; Payhip if you want the lowest fees with every feature
Beacons replaces Stan’s link-in-bio store on a free plan (9% commission). Payhip gives every feature free (5%) and handles VAT. Stay on Stan if calls + courses + social are your model.
Stan vs BeaconsStan vs GumroadStan pricing
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Stan Store?
Yes, Beacons has a free plan (9% commission on sales), Payhip’s free plan charges 5%, and Kit’s free plan lets you sell products at 3.5% + $0.30.
Is Stan Store worth $29 a month?
If you sell regularly, often yes. Stan charges 0% transaction fees, so the flat price is cheaper per sale than percentage-based platforms at moderate volume.
What’s the difference between Stan and Beacons?
See our Stan vs Beacons comparison. Stan is paid-only with 0% fees; Beacons has a free plan with a 9% commission.
Keep comparing
Stan Store vs Beacons
Both are link-in-bio stores for creators. Stan is paid with no commission; Beacons is free to start but takes a commission on lower plans.
Read the guideStan Store vs Gumroad
Gumroad costs nothing until you sell; Stan costs $29 a month but takes nothing from sales. The right choice comes down to volume, and how you sell.
Read the guideStan Store pricing. Creator vs Creator Pro
Stan is the link-in-bio store many social creators use to sell courses, coaching calls and downloads.
Read the guide