Gumroad vs Stan
Verdict. Stan is the better pick for anyone with steady sales. It charges $29 a month and takes 0%, while Gumroad takes 10% + 50¢ per sale before card processing. By our math, $1,000 a month in $10 sales costs about $88 on Stan and $209 on Gumroad, and the gap reaches $571 at $5,000 a month. Stan is cheaper even at $300 a month, $56 against $87. Gumroad still suits sporadic sellers, since a month with no sales costs nothing, and it handles sales tax and VAT worldwide as merchant of record.
Pick Gumroad if
your sales are small or irregular and you'd rather pay per sale than carry a $29 bill through a quiet month.
Pick Stan if
you sell coaching calls or courses to an Instagram or TikTok following and want bookings and AutoDM in a phone-first store.
Side by side
| Compared | Gumroad | Stan |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 5.3 / 10 | 6.7 / 10 |
| Best for | New sellers who want to start without a subscription | Instagram and TikTok creators selling coaching and courses |
| What it costs | You pay 10% + 50¢ per direct sale plus 2.9% + 30¢ card processing, or a flat 30% with processing included on Discover marketplace sales. | You pay $29 or $99 a month and Stan takes 0% of sales, but Stripe or PayPal processing still applies. |
| Keep from $1,000 | $791 (Direct sales) | $912 (Creator) |
| Plans from | Free | $29/month |
| Payouts | Weekly, monthly or quarterly payouts need a $100 balance, and each sale is held at least 7 days. Bank deposits go out in local currency in most countries and take 2 to 7 business days. Elsewhere you get PayPal in USD with a 2% fee. US sellers can add daily payouts or take instant payouts up to $10,000 for 3%. | Sales go to a Stripe account that Stan creates and manages, or to PayPal. US sales clear in 2 to 7 business days, international ones in up to 7. You cash out the full available balance from Stan, $10 minimum, and it arrives in 24 to 48 hours. US instant payouts open up after 30 days and $2,000 cashed out. |
| Who can join | You can sell from age 13. Sellers aged 13 to 17 need a legal guardian on the account to get paid, which only works in the US. Payouts need a bank account in a supported country or a PayPal account. | You must be 18 or older. Stan's managed Stripe accounts cover about 40 countries, mostly in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Elsewhere you need PayPal. |
| Founded | 2011 | 2020 |
Scorecards
| Criterion | Possible | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Fees$209 on $1,000 a month | 3.0 | 0.48 |
| FeaturesDepth for its category | 2.0 | 1.40 |
| EaseSignup to first sale | 1.5 | 1.35 |
| OwnershipExport, domain, own payments | 2.0 | 1.20 |
| PayoutsSpeed, methods, countries | 1.5 | 0.90 |
| Total | 10.0 | 5.3 |
| Criterion | Possible | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Fees$88 on $1,000 a month | 3.0 | 2.28 |
| FeaturesDepth for its category | 2.0 | 1.40 |
| EaseSignup to first sale | 1.5 | 1.35 |
| OwnershipExport, domain, own payments | 2.0 | 0.80 |
| PayoutsSpeed, methods, countries | 1.5 | 0.90 |
| Total | 10.0 | 6.7 |
Where Gumroad falls short
- Fees plus processing take about $3.38 of a $20 sale, nearly 17%.
- Discover marketplace sales cost a flat 30%.
- Standard payouts need $100 and wait at least 7 days per sale.
- New sellers can no longer connect their own Stripe account, except in Brazil.
- You can't email subscribers until you've earned $100 and received a payout.
Where Stan falls short
- No free plan, so you pay $29 a month before your first sale.
- No custom domain. Your store lives at stan.store/yourname.
- Stan creates and manages your Stripe account. You can't connect an existing one.
- Email marketing, discount codes and payment plans need the $99 Creator Pro plan.
- No marketplace to bring you new buyers.
Still deciding? See every option in digital product and link-in-bio stores.