Comparison
Let us start where most comparison pages will not: if all you need is to sell a file and email a download link, use Gumroad. You will be selling this afternoon, you will not touch a server, and nothing on this page is worth reading. This page is about the point where that stops being enough.
Gumroad's pricing is refreshingly blunt: 10% + $0.50 per transaction through your own profile or a direct link, and 30% when a new customer discovers you through the Gumroad Discover marketplace. No monthly charge.
That 30% is not a penalty, it is a customer acquisition fee, and if Discover genuinely brings you buyers you would not otherwise have had, it can be the cheapest marketing you will ever buy. The problem is that it is charged on that customer's purchases whether or not you needed the introduction.
| Annual revenue | Gumroad direct (10% + 50¢) | LicensorPro Studio |
|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | ~$500+ | $399 |
| $20,000 | ~$2,000+ | $399 |
| $50,000 | ~$5,000+ | $399 |
This is the real answer and it is not a criticism — it was never trying to. Gumroad sells files.
There is no licence key that expires, no per-site activation limit, no way to revoke access to a
refunded copy, and no update channel that reaches a customer's wp-admin.
For an ebook or a Figma template that is exactly right. For a WordPress plugin it means every buyer has a permanent copy of your zip and you have no relationship with the install after the sale.
Found something wrong on this page? Gumroad has changed its fee structure several times, and we would rather be corrected than be inaccurate. Tell us and we will fix it — [email protected].
Gumroad charges 10% + $0.50 per transaction for sales through your own profile or direct links, and 30% per transaction when a new customer finds you through the Gumroad Discover marketplace. There are no monthly charges.
The 30% rate applies only to customers who discover you through the Gumroad Discover marketplace. It is a customer acquisition fee rather than a penalty, and it can be good value if Discover is genuinely bringing you buyers you would not otherwise reach.
You can sell the zip file, but Gumroad has no software licensing. There are no licence keys with activation limits, no expiry, no revocation on refund, and no update channel that reaches a customer's WordPress admin. Buyers keep a permanent copy of whatever they downloaded.
Yes. Gumroad acts as merchant of record, so sales tax and VAT are handled on your behalf as part of the fee.
It depends entirely on revenue, and the two are not directly comparable because Gumroad also takes the payment. As a rough shape: at $20,000 a year, Gumroad's 10% is about $2,000, while a self-hosted licensing licence is a few hundred dollars plus your own gateway fees.
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