Gumroad vs Paddle — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Gumroad and Paddle both start at Free on their entry tier.
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Gumroad (Per Usage) — Gumroad bills purely on usage — 10% + $0.50 per transaction. There is no fixed per-seat fee, so the monthly cost depends entirely on how much you consume.
- Paddle (Per Usage) — Paddle bills purely on usage — 5% + $0.50 per transaction. There is no fixed per-seat fee, so the monthly cost depends entirely on how much you consume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
Merchant-of-record platform for creators selling digital products (courses, ebooks, memberships). Positioned as the alternative to Stripe + Teachable + Podia for solo creators who want one tool to sell + deliver + handle tax. Distinctive for its 10% flat fee (no monthly subscription) that appeals to sellers just starting out. Founded by ex-Pinterest designer Sahil Lavingia (bootstrapped, transparently profitable). Popular with course creators, indie writers, and design assets sellers.
Merchant of Record (MoR) billing platform for SaaS, valued $1.4B private. Positioned as the alternative to Stripe for SaaS companies that don't want to handle global sales tax/VAT compliance themselves. Distinctive: Paddle becomes the seller of record, absorbing tax complexity. Priced 5% + 50¢ per transaction (higher than Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢), but includes tax handling and dunning. Popular with indie SaaS and European SaaS selling globally.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Gumroad monthly | Gumroad annual | Paddle monthly | Paddle annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | Marketplace discovery / Standard | $30 | — | $550 | — |
| Pro / power | Direct sales / — | $100.5 | — | — | — |
| Enterprise | — / Enterprise | — | — | Custom | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Gumroad is worth it if… solo creators selling digital products (courses, ebooks, memberships, downloads) who want zero monthly fee and pay only per transaction. No subscription; percentage per sale on Direct Sales tier; Marketplace Discovery adds discoverability at higher rate.
Paddle is worth it if… SaaS companies selling internationally who want a Merchant-of-Record handling global tax, VAT, and compliance — particularly if you don't want to build tax logic yourself. No monthly subscription; percentage per transaction with tiered discounts for volume.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Gumroad over Paddle if…
Choose Gumroad if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, a free entry tier).
- You match the profile Gumroad is built for: solo creators selling digital products (courses, ebooks, memberships, downloads) who want zero monthly fee and pay only per transaction.
- You need a general-purpose finance & accounting option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Paddle if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, a free entry tier).
- You match the profile Paddle is built for: SaaS companies selling internationally who want a Merchant-of-Record handling global tax, VAT, and compliance — particularly if you don't want to build tax logic yourself.
- You need a general-purpose finance & accounting option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Gumroad | Paddle | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | Free | Free |
| Enterprise available | No | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Per Usage |
| Last verified | September 11, 2026 | September 14, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 14, 2026. Tracked daily.