In this post, we're going to learn about seven of the best Gumroad alternatives that are worth checking out in 2021. Let's dive in!
Gumroad is one of the longest established online selling platforms around. It's also one of the simplest eCommerce checkout solutions for anyone looking to sell online. Whether you're looking to sell digital or physical products, Gumroad is a great starting point.
When I started my online journey as a visual artist, there were very few options for selling my work online. eBay was just about the only viable place. Along with a few independent online galleries. I started exploring Gumroad around 2012 before setting up my own eCommerce site with WordPress in 2014.
Fast forward to 2021, and we're now inundated with options when it comes to selling online. So, if you're looking for the best Gumroad alternatives, you've arrived at the right post!
Gumroad is great! But it's not perfect for everyone. Yes, it's simple to use, and over 80K content creators use the platform. But here are some drawbacks of using Gumroad -
So, with that said, let's dive into the 6 best Gumroad alternatives right now!
OK, let's look at each platform in a little more detail -
Platform | Transaction Fee | Monthly Fee | Free Trial? |
0% | From $19 to $129 | 14-days | |
0% up to 5% | From $0 to $99 | Free Plan Option | |
20% | 0% | No | |
10% | 0% | No | |
0.9% to 0.5% | From $79 to $299 | 14-Days | |
WooCommerce | PayPal/Stripe | 0% | Free Plugin |
Sellfy is the first platform that I recommend as a Gumroad alternative. This is a platform that I've just started to explore myself, and there no doubt about it; the site offers some impressive features.
With Sellfy, you can host and sell your digital downloads, such as eBooks, courses, subscriptions, and software, etc. You can also use the site to sell physical products such as your brand's merchandise using their print-on-demand feature, making this platform ideal for content creators.
Here's what you can do with Sellfy:
One awesome feature of Sellfy is the ability to use your own domain. Having seamless integration with your WordPress blog or website is pretty important for your brand, in my opinion.
In addition, Sellfy offers sellers some advanced features, such as -
How much does Sellfy cost?
Monthly fees start from $19 per month paid annually ($29 per month paid monthly). There are three plans to choose from - Starter, Business, and Premium. There are no additional charge fees, except for the transaction fees associated with PayPal and Stripe.
Magnet4Blogging readers special offer!
Yep, that's YOU! $19 per month is a great deal; however, the price get's better if you're a Magnet4Blogging reader! You can save an extra 10% off any plan if you signup through this special link. Use coupon code 'fabrizio' in the checkout if you don't wish to use the link! If you know someone who is just starting to sell online, please share this link with them.
Payhip is another popular alternative to Gumroad. The platform has been around since 2011 and has achieved great success in serving content creators and eCommerce businesses.
I have been using Payhip as the main platform for selling my eBooks and other digital products since around 2017 myself. Their platform is incredibly easy to use, and very none-techie friendly.
Payhip offers a host of simple tools for selling online including, analytics, marketing tools, discount codes, affiliates, and customer management.
You can also create affiliates and encourage other bloggers and influencers to help promote and sell your products for you whilst earning a nice commission for themselves.
You can sell both digital and physical goods with Payhip, including memberships and online courses. Payment is conveniently processed through PayPal or Stripe.
How much does Payhip cost?
Pricing wise, there are three plans to choose from if you decide to use Payhip:
One important benefit of using Payhip is they report and pay EU VAT on my behalf. So, if you're selling to EU customers, the last thing you want to worry about is how to pay VAT for each EU country.
Recommended: You can read my detailed review of Payhip here.
Fiverr has to be one of the most popular platforms out there. It's certainly one of the longest established platforms for selling online. The site was founded back in 2010, the same year I started my blogging venture, so when it comes to trust and credibility, you're in good hands with Fiverr.
Around 2015, I started to use Fiverr to see my eBook, which was great! However, one downside of using this popular platform is physically delivering digital products when someone makes a purchase. This is not automated!
So what can you sell with Fiverr?
The marketplace is popular for creative folks (artists, musicians, video editors, graphic designers, software and website designers, and developers, etc.). You can sell both your products or your services through the site.
The features in Fiverr are excellent, and the company is always adding something new. You get a complete dashboard for managing your customer communication, orders, and sales.
How much does it cost to use Fiverr?
Price-wise, there are zero fees for listing your products or services on Fiverr: However, there is a 20% transaction fee; you get to keep the other 80% of everything.
You can certainly find success using Fiverr because it's such a large and popular platform. However, you are competing with other entrepreneurs and content creators in the marketplace who may offer similar goods and services.
Crator is an exciting Gumroad alternative! The platform is simple and ideal for content creators. Creating an account is free, and you can upload your own content, links, and downloadable files to either sell or give away.
You can share your store via the short link, so this could be placed in your main site's navigation, your Instagram bio links, and other social media profiles.
How much does it cost to use Crator?
It's free to signup and free to host your content and offers! The platform takes 10% and 20 Cents if you make a sale. All features are thrown in, including chat support!
Next on our list of Gumroad alternatives is PayKickStart! This is two products rolled into one - A shopping cart and an affiliate management dashboard! If you're looking for a platform with a few more features and options than Batman's utility belt, this is the platform for you.
PayKickStart features everything you need to create a full-time online selling business! A basic plan includes -
How much does it cost?
PayKickStart is not the cheapest option here, but it's certainly the most comprehensive of the seven. There are three plans to choose from; the basic plan will set you back Starter, Growth, and Scale.
The starter plan costs $99 per month, or $79 if paid annually. Plus, an overage fee of 0.9% (if your revenue surpasses $10K in monthly sales.)
OK, I know that you've heard of Etsy. It's one of the biggest platforms for creators. The site is both popular and extremely cost-effective for setting up your online store and begin selling. So, if you're a crafty creator of your own physical and digital products, you can sell them on Etsy.
Unlike most of the other platforms listed in this post, you cannot sell your services on Etsy. It's more of a marketplace for hand-made goods.
How much does it cost?
Creating an account is free, and you have a host of features and options to really make your Etsy shop and listing stand out!
Listing costs around 20 cents each. Your listing stays active until sold for around four months. When you sell an item on Etsy, there is a 5% transaction fee, 4%, and a 30 cents processing fee. This is correct at the time of publishing this post, so these fees can change.
Finally, a great alternative to using Gumroad is to set up your own selling platform using a WordPress website and the WooCommerce plugin.
If you already have a WordPress site, all you need is the WooCommerce plugin and integrate PayPal and Stripe. If you don't have a WordPress site, you'll need a domain name and some hosting. You can find information on how to obtain both of these in this post.
There is a bit more work involved in going down the WordPress website route, especially if you're starting from complete scratch. It can be even more challenging if you're not too savvy with website design or customization.
You'll need to customize your site's look and design, the product pages, sales pages, checkout pages, payment pages, etc. For the most part, you can do this using a drag and drop theme builder like Thrive Theme Builder or Elementor, but these tools aren't free.
That being said, once you're set up, you won't have any monthly subscription fees to tie you down. You'll also have an eCommerce outlet that's highly scalable and requires minimal maintenance. And you'll be selling on a platform that you own!
How much does it cost?
WordPress open-source (WordPress.org) is free. The WooCommerce plugin is also free. As mentioned, you'll need a domain name and some hosting if you don't have a WordPress website. There are also third-party premium plugins you can install to enhance your seller interface.
For example, LearnDash is great for creating and selling online courses. Memberpress is great for selling memberships, and so on. The cost really comes down to how much you're willing to invest in your online selling business.
You also have to take care of marketing yourself. Your new online selling platform will not be known to anyone other than yourself. So regular promotion on social media, email, etc., all of this is up to you.
So, there you have it. We've looked at seven Gumroad alternatives to explore and consider. Hopefully, this will be enough to help you make the right decision for your needs. Whatever you decide to do, I want to wish you the best of luck in creating your online selling business.
Affiliate Disclaimer: For the purpose of transparency, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you use them and make a purchase, I will be paid a small commission at no additional cost to you. I never endorse or recommend any products or services that I haven't used in my business or 100% trust.
