5 Best Gumroad Alternatives that are Cheaper and better (2023) --
Updated: December 20 20, 2022
Update:As from December 20, 2022 Gumroad has announced a cost increase, and they will be charging a 10% flat for each sale users make through the platform (plus any additional fees for transactions that come from Paypal and Stripe). If you're affected by the devastating news and are thinking of switching to other platforms, here is the checklist of Gumroad alternatives that you'll need to check out!
Gumroad is a well-known platform that sells digital items. The platform provides a fully web-based storefront, allowing you to offer digital goods online for sale in just a few minutes. Gumroad is also equipped with additional options like the ability for selling subscriptions, integration of Paypal and Stripe, and many more.
That said, Gumroad has disadvantages that deter people from staying on the platform. Reviews on the internet have revealed among other issues prices that are expensive for Gumroad and lack of support for customers as well as the inability of scaling to handle large volumes of sales are causing users to switch to other platforms.
In this article this article, we'll review Gumroad's top alternatives for selling digital products to help you choose the best option for your company. We have included many alternatives that will be perfect for small businesses that are just starting out, but we've also considered scalability in mind so you don't have change platforms as your business grows.
This is a brief overview of the top Gumroad alternatives that are more affordable and better:
What exactly is Gumroad and What does it offer?
Gumroad can be described as an eCommerce platform that is geared to digital products. It offers many features, such as the ability to sell various categories of digital products like digital downloads as well as subscriptions. The software also provides analytics and marketing tools, as well as the possibility of embedding product pages on your website.
With Gumroad offers you an entirely hosted online store which you can sell your products from. Gumroad also provides a smaller online marketplace called "Gumroad Discover" where you can display your listings of products among other artists.
How Much Does Gumroad cost?
Gumroad charges a flat rate of 10% for every sale that you make on the platform.
Furthermore, you'll have to also pay transaction charges from Paypal and Stripe which usually cost around 2.9 percent plus $0.30 per transaction.
Be aware that Gumroad used to have a different pricing structure prior to 2023. they had decided to adopt this current pricing structure.
What are the reasons to look to Gumroad Alternatives?
1. Costly Pricing and no Scalability
Gumroad's standard rate of 10% charge for each sale can be extremely expensive for businesses who are new to the market, but it's also more expensive when your company grows, as your costs will only rise as a percentage of your revenue.
Imagine making $100,000 per month while having to cover $10,000 fees - that doesn't seem like a lot of fun at all. Furthermore, the 10% fee is notinclude any additional Paypal or Stripe charges (which typically cost about 2.9 percentage plus $0.30 for each transaction) that you also need to pay.
2. Lack of Customizability
Even though Gumroad offers a fully hosted storefront to sell your products on, you won't be able to customize the design of your web store to match your branding. Gumroad is a unique design for its storefronts that is used on every seller's storefronts. There is nothing you can customize on your storefront is one color for your highlight along with a few minor customizations including your bio, name, as well as your logo.
Contrary to this, alternatives that are discussed in this post have sophisticated store builder capabilities which are user-friendly for beginners (no coding or design skills required) however, they're able to give you the full freedom to create an online store that is highly profitable which is in line with your brand.
3. Find Better Alternatives to sell online courses
If you're selling goods such as digital downloads, Gumroad is generally quite proficient in providing your documents to clients. However, if you're still taking online classes, this platform doesn't offer the robust features that online courses platforms usually provide.
Gumroad's online course features allow the upload of a video as well as other documents that your students can download and then click on to watch the video. It's not the exciting learning experience that you'd expect to receive through an online learning platform. There are no advanced course tools like assessment such as drip schedules or the ability to award certificates for completion.
Here's an example from a student's course experience:
Here's an example of an engaging learning experience with different lesson format options would take on (the illustration below comes taken from ):
Features to Look For in a Gumroad Alternative
When looking for an alternative to Gumroad, there are several essential aspects to be considered.
1. The features to sell various product Types
Does the platform offer powerful tools for selling diverse digital products? This can help you increase the revenue you can earn from various verticals. Think about features like:
- Digital downloads can be sold with features that include: instant file delivery, the PDF stamping process, download limit and much other features.
- Online course features that can be sold: engaging online course player, with a range of lesson types (e.g. videos, assignment or assignments) and drip content schedule, various course pricing options including certificates and certificates.
- The features to promote coaching including integration with online meetings platforms like Zoom and Calendly and many more.
- Options to sell subscriptions or memberships: the ability to bill recurring payments
Also, search for flexibility to be able to integrate product pages onto your site. This allows you to embed an online shopping cart as well as a an effortless checkout process into your site.
2. Affordable Price (Little to No Upfront Costs)
How much will it take to complete a transaction? Are there any monthly fees such as hidden charges, limit?
Choose platforms that boast good records of solid pricing structures. While a lot of companies may offer you a favorable pricing plan at the start but you'll want to be sure you're not facing unanticipated price rises later on later on.
3. The Robust Marketing Tools
Aside from the basic marketing tools like discounts, it is important to seek out a system that can offer more complex and efficient marketing tools such as affiliate marketing. This lets you run various marketing campaigns to scale your company.
It is the sole alternative on this list which offers affiliate marketing service for free Some platforms also charge monthly subscription fees to access those tools.
4. Easy-to-use and Custom-designed Store Builder for Beginners
The digital world is awash with opportunities, and an online store or website is essential for any firm or company to boost brand loyalty and show the professionalism of their business. When done properly, having your own website is not just a way to set yourself on the right path to becoming an expert in your area, but can will also aid in building relationships with customers as they can learn about your brand in a deeper way.
Look for platforms that allow users to create a completely customized online store to represent your company in the most professional possible manner. There's a myriad of options that do not require any coding or design abilities.
5. The Tax Department will take care of VAT So You Don't Have To
The fear of the complex world of VAT may hinder you from growing the scope of your business, and could slow down your growth. Consider selecting a platform which is compliant and able to not only take VAT payments from your clients at checkout and remit the VAT for you so you won't need to touch a single finger.
5 of the Best Gumroad Alternatives to Market Digital Products
Let's glance at several of the best alternatives to Gumroad for selling digital goods. Each platform offers unique characteristics and pricing plans therefore it is important to evaluate the options carefully prior to making a selection.
1.
is the best Gumroad alternative overall in terms of value and affordability.
is by far the most popular platform that is often compared with Gumroad as they are the closest Gumroad competitor , and they offer all the features that Gumroad has to offer at a much lower cost which is ideal for companies that are of any size.
is popular for having a forever-free subscription that allows sellers access to ALL of the tools which the platform can provide. In lieu of the huge 10% charge that Gumroad makes just the buyer 5% per sale. If your business is growing and you are ready to upgrade, change to the monthly service for a lower cost. There is no need to fret about scaling your company's size .
If you're looking for an online platform that's dedicated to the success of your enterprise, then this platform is your ideal choice.
PRICING:
disrupted the industry by providing an innovative pricing strategy that is geared towards helping small companies succeed while in addition, ensuring that businesses keep their costs low as they grow to become million-dollar businesses.
Offers a selection of 3 pricing plans:
- Forever-free with 5% fees (perfect for beginners)
- $29.30/month, 2% of which is fees.
- A monthly payment of $99 with no charges
Why is it "unconventional"? It's because the pricing plans offer all users the exact same accessibility to all of their amazing options. The company's founders founded it with a strong belief in creating a platform that aids small companies grow through never having to limit their access to the tools they require. This sentiment is greatly appreciated by a large number of sellers who have's online reviews.
If you're only starting out, you can start on the most well-known Free-forever planwith no monthly fees + 5percent fees per sale (excluding shipping charges). As your business expands then you'll be able to change to the Plus plan, which costs $29 for month fee plus 2% fees per sale, or to the Professional plan at $99 per month fees (no additional fees for sales).
The price has been maintained for years, and customers can rest in peace of mind that this pricing isn't going anywhere.
PROS :
- The most affordable alternative for Gumroad.
- Built-in key features to sell various products including:
- Unlimited product listings and unlimited revenue
- Check out experience optimized for the highest conversion
- A powerful and easy-to-use store building tool No coding or design expertise required
- The ability to completely customize the online store you have created to fit the brand you want to represent
- Free fully hosted storefront (you may also join with a customized domain)
- If you already have your own site You can embed it your site on any eCommerce website.
- Secure and instant payouts through Paypal and Stripe
- You can choose to pay what you want to your goods (a.k.a. Tip Jar)
- Remits and collects UK & EU VAT on your behalf
- Ability to store analytics and link to Google Analytics
- Bonus: is also highly praised for its customer support high-quality. All customers are given prioritization regardless of price plans you're currently on.
CONS
- No automated shipping label integration or application (e.g. Shippo and ShipStation). The platform of ShipStation is more targeted towards digital goods, however you're still able to comfortably offer physical goods if wish to
2. Shopify
One of the most popular eCommerce platforms in the world, Shopify is often a well-known Gumroad alternative. Shopify is an extensive e-commerce platform that allows you to create an online store and manage the products you sell. It also offers a wide range of software and features, such as the ability to process payments, analyze data, as well as marketing tools. Furthermore, Shopify has a variety of pricing plans to suit different budgets.
Because of the massive size of the eCommerce platform, there are many third-party software applications across all business categories that can be connected to the Shopify store. This lets you equip your store's online shop with exclusive software , from tweaking the appearance of your site to advertising tools and much more. There is one caveat: they are usually not free, so you'll need to budget your costs with care.
While Shopify is a powerful eCommerce platform, it's have a few limitations. Shopify does not offer built-in functions for selling digital items because Shopify's platform is geared to selling tangible goods. You will have to install additional third-party apps that would likely increase the costs for selling digital goods.
PRICING:
Small businesses who want to try different platforms before selecting one that is suitable for their needs, Shopify offers a 14-day trial at no cost. There is no forever free option.
With a monthly cost of $29, the Shopify Basic Plan is the most loved plan. Other Shopify plans are available at $79/month, 299/month in the case of Advanced Shopify, and $2000/month for Shopify Plus/Enterprise. You will be charged an additional transaction cost that will be charged per transaction.
The Shopify platform does not come with built-in features to sell digital products. It is likely that you will require third-party applications from the Shopify app store which will usually come at extra cost.
PROS :
- Access to thousands of third applications from third parties on Shopify, the Shopify app store
- It supports multi-channel sales. This is particularly helpful when your store is brick and mortar
- Shopify is utilized by a variety of small-scale businesses in addition to the creators of content who are specialized in Shopify content. They will offer lots of useful tips regarding online business
- The Shopify features may not be sufficient for retailers whose catalogue is predominantly digital products, physical product sellers could benefit from Shopify's robust eCommerce features
CONS :
- No built-in features to sell digital products. There is the requirement to install applications from third parties, which most likely come with extra costs. Shopify isn't a good option for creators
- The website does not come with any marketing instruments like affiliate marketing, referralmarketing, upsell, cross-sell, and more
3. Kajabi
Kajabi is another well-known alternative to Gumroad because it provides an all-in-one marketplace for selling digital products. The major benefit for Kajabi over Gumroad is that it allows creators to set up an online community. But, Kajabi is known for having monthly fees that are not quite friendly for businesses with small budgets who are just starting out.
PRICING:
Kajabi provides 14 days of trial. The trial requires you to enter your credit card information prior to being eligible to get started with your free trial.
After your trial period is over You have the option between 3 paid plans:
- Basic: $149/month
- Growth: $199/month
- Pro: $399/month
A small discounts if you decide to sign up for the year-long subscription.
PROS :
- Kajabi is a provider of educational materials to their customers through Kajabi University (although it's worth noting that you'll probably get this information through free YouTube videos on the internet)
- The ability to access features that aren't available through Gumroad including community services, sales funnels, and many more.
CONS:
- Not affordable for small business customers
- The more complex features of marketing, like the affiliate program are available only with the Growth and Pro plans.
- There are numerous limitations on different aspects like the number of products, amount of contacts, of members, number of admin users, and many more. Not recommended for those of you who would like to "set-it-and-forget-it" because you'll need to keep track of your usage
4. Podia
Podia is also one of the most well-known options for designers. One of the major advantages of Podia is the fact that they offer a forever-free plan, but bear in mind you won't be able to upload multiple products on the free plan.
PRICING:
- The cost is free: 8 percent of fees
- Mover: $39/month
- Shaker: $89/month
- Earthquaker: $199/month
PROS :
- Features to sell other product types that aren't available on Gumroad such as community and webinars
- A chat-on-page widget that can help users interact with their site's visitors
CONS :
- The plan for free comes with an 8% transaction cost and you'll only be able to sell one digital download (you'll most likely need to upgrade to Podia's paid plans in order to have a functioning eCommerce store)
- Complex marketing tools such as affiliate marketing can only be found with the Shaker ($75/month) or the Earthquaker ($166/month) plans
- There's an additional $20/month for additional team seats
- It is impossible to turn off Podia logo unless you subscribe to the Shaker ($75/month) or Earthquaker ($166/month) plans
5. Mighty Networks
If you're looking for an Gumroad alternative to establish communities, sell online coursesor coaches services Mighty Networks is a very popular choice. While this platform might not be suitable for the sale of digital downloads, you could discover this as a more suitable Gumroad alternative to sell classes.
PRICING:
There are two plans to choose from: two paid plans:
- The community plan is $39/month.
- The business planis $119 per month.
- Mighty Pro: You'll have to reach out to the team in order for prices.
PROS :
- Mighty Networks' community feature is more advanced than the other platforms listed in this article, the interface almost mimics that of a social media platform
- Members are able to view each other's posts by logging into a content feed, which can encourage more authentic interactions
CONS:
- Insufficient features to support selling product types such as digital downloads
- Course features on online courses aren't as strong as the other platforms for online courses since it doesn't provide lesson type including assessments, quizzes, as well as certification of successful completion
- It is not integrated with PayPal
Final Thoughts - Finding The Best Alternative For Your Company
There you have it! There are plenty of Gumroad alternatives that you can try out Don't forget to take advantage of every one of their free trials to find out which ones offer the perfect combination of features and price plans to meet your company's requirements.