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Gumroad
Gumroad is the simplest way to sell digital products online. No website builder, no inventory, no complex pricing tiers — you upload a file, set a price, and share the link. Thousands of creators use it to sell ebooks, templates, presets, courses, and more.
What you get
- Product hosting — Upload ebooks, templates, software, audio, video, or any digital file
- Payment processing — Built-in credit card and PayPal payments (no Stripe setup needed)
- Customer management — Email receipts, download links, and purchase history
- Discount codes — Create limited-time offers and coupon codes
- Affiliate program — Others can promote your products for a commission
- Analytics — Sales data, conversion rates, traffic sources
- Community — Gumroad Discover marketplace for organic discovery
Pricing
No monthly fee — pay per transaction
2.9% + $0.30 per sale — under $50K revenue
0% per-sale fee — best above $50K revenue
At $50,000 annual revenue, switching to Max saves over $4,000/year in fees.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Fastest setup of any platform
- No monthly fee on the free plan
- Customers get easy download access
- Built-in affiliate system
Cons
- 9% fee on free plan is high
- Limited customisation
- No built-in email marketing
- Customer support is minimal
Who is it for?
Good fit:
- Creators selling their first digital product
- Freelancers selling templates, presets, or tools
- Anyone who wants to launch fast without setup costs
- Lower-volume sellers (under $50K/year)
Consider alternatives:
- ConvertKit if you want integrated email + sales
- Ghost if you want a full publishing + membership platform
- Teachable if courses are your primary product
Use the Digital Product Profit Calculator to compare Gumroad’s fee structure against other platforms and find the most profitable option.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the real cost of selling on Gumroad?
Gumroad takes 10% on the free plan. On the $10/month plan, you only pay payment processing fees (roughly 2.9% + $0.30). If you sell more than $100/month, the paid plan pays for itself. Factor in additional payment processor fees from PayPal or Stripe on top of Gumroad's cut.
Is Gumroad good for selling courses?
Gumroad handles course delivery well for self-paced video and PDF courses. For cohort-based or community-driven courses, dedicated platforms like Teachable or Podia offer better student experience. Gumroad excels at simple digital products sold at a single price point.
Can I build an email list through Gumroad?
Gumroad provides basic email capabilities — you can email all customers or segment by product. For sophisticated email marketing, integrate Gumroad with ConvertKit or another dedicated email platform. Gumroad's built-in emails are fine for purchase receipts and product updates.
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