Platform fees and sources
These are the rules the calculator uses, for US-based sellers of digital products priced in USD. Each one comes from the platform's official pages, last checked on . Sales tax and VAT aren't modelled.
Gumroad
Checked
- Direct sales (your own link or profile): 10% + $0.50 per sale.
- Card processing on top: 2.9% + $0.30 per sale (PayPal sales pay PayPal's fees instead).
- Sales through the Gumroad Discover marketplace: a flat 30%, processing included.
- No monthly fee.
| Plan | Monthly | Platform fee per sale |
|---|---|---|
| Direct | Free | 10% + $0.50 |
| Discover | Free | 30% (processing included) |
Good to know
- Once your paid sales pass $20,000 in a calendar month, further direct sales that month are 5% + $0.50. Use "Advanced: edit fee %" to try it.
- Gumroad also charges its fee on the sales tax it collects, which this calculator leaves out.
Etsy
Checked
- Listing fee: $0.20, renewed automatically each time the item sells.
- Transaction fee: 6.5% of the price.
- Etsy Payments processing for US sellers: 3% + $0.25 per sale.
- No monthly fee on the Standard plan.
| Plan | Monthly | Platform fee per sale |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Free | 6.5% |
Good to know
- Etsy Plus ($10 a month) adds listing credits and ad credits but doesn't change the per-sale fees, so it isn't modelled.
- Offsite Ads (12% or 15% on sales they bring in) and Etsy's one-time shop set-up fee aren't included.
- Processing is charged on the total including sales tax, which this calculator leaves out.
Stan Store
Checked
- Creator plan: $29 a month ($300 a year), no transaction fee.
- Payments go through your own Stripe (or PayPal) account: Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30, plus 1.5% for cards from outside the US.
| Plan | Monthly | Platform fee per sale |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | $29.00 | 0% |
Good to know
- Creator Pro ($99 a month) adds marketing features but has the same 0% fee, so it isn't modelled.
- Paying yearly ($300) works out at $25 a month.
Payhip
Checked
- Free plan: 5% per sale. Plus: $29 a month and 2%. Pro: $99 a month and 0%.
- Stripe or PayPal charge their standard rates on top: Stripe is 2.9% + $0.30, plus 1.5% for cards from outside the US.
| Plan | Monthly | Platform fee per sale |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 5% |
| Plus | $29.00 | 2% |
| Pro | $99.00 | 0% |
Good to know
- PayPal's rates differ from Stripe's; this calculator uses Stripe.
Lemon Squeezy
Checked
- 5% + $0.50 per sale, card processing and sales tax handling included.
- Plus 1.5% for buyers outside the US.
- No monthly fee.
| Plan | Monthly | Platform fee per sale |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Free | 5% + $0.50 (processing included) |
Good to know
- PayPal payments add 1.5%, subscriptions 0.5%, and sales recovered by abandoned-cart emails 5%. None is included.
- The fee is charged on the order total including tax, which this calculator leaves out.
Ko-fi
Checked
- Standard: 5% service fee on shop sales, no monthly fee.
- Gold: $12 a month, 0% service fee.
- Card processing by your own Stripe or PayPal on top: Stripe is 2.9% + $0.30, plus 1.5% for cards from outside the US.
| Plan | Monthly | Platform fee per sale |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Free | 5% |
| Gold | $12.00 | 0% |
Good to know
- PayPal's rates differ from Stripe's; this calculator uses Stripe.
Beacons
Checked
- Free plan: 9% seller fee.
- Creator Plus: $30 a month ($25 a month paid yearly), 0% seller fee.
- Payouts go to your own Stripe or PayPal: Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30, plus 1.5% for cards from outside the US.
| Plan | Monthly | Platform fee per sale |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 9% |
| Creator Plus | $30.00 | 0% |
Good to know
- Creator ($10 a month) keeps the 9% fee and Creator Max ($100 a month) has the same 0% as Creator Plus, so neither is modelled.