Digital Sales Platforms

Lemon Squeezy vs Gumroad:
Which Platform is Right for You?

Comparing Lemon Squeezy and Gumroad for selling digital products.

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Key points

  • Lemon Squeezy excels in subscription management, while Gumroad shines with its creator marketplace.

  • Ease of use is subjective, but both platforms offer solid tools for selling online.

Lemon Squeezy vs Gumroad:
Which Platform is Right for You?

If you’re a creator or business selling digital products, you’ve likely heard of Lemon Squeezy and Gumroad. These two platforms help creators sell digital goods, offer subscriptions, and manage affiliate sales. But which one is better for your needs?

Let’s dive into a detailed comparison of pricing, features, and ease of use to help you make an informed decision.


1. Pricing & Fees

Understanding the pricing model of each platform is essential when choosing between Lemon Squeezy and Gumroad.

Lemon Squeezy

  • Cut: 5% + $0.5 per transaction. Additional fees apply: +1.5% for International Payments +1.5% for PayPal Transactions +0.5% for Subscription Payments

  • Payouts: Minimum $50, with payout fees depending on the method:
    Stripe: 0.5% + $2.5 per payout (US), 2.5% + $2.5 (outside US)
    PayPal: $0.5 flat fee (US), 3% capped at $30 (outside US)

  • Affiliates: 3% fee for orders from affiliate referrals; 2% fee for affiliate marketers.

  • Supports: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners clubs, JCB, Unionpay, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay, WeChat Pay, Cash App Pay, Bank Debits

Gumroad

  • Cut: Flat 10% fee on every sale, plus payment gateway fees:
    Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 (US), 1.5% + €0.25 (EU), 2.5% + €0.25 (UK)
    PayPal: No longer Available

  • Payouts: Minimum $10, with no additional payout fees.

  • Affiliates: No fees

  • Supports: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners clubs, JCB, Unionpay, PayPal, Apple Pay

Summary:

  • Lemon Squeezy charges lower transaction fees but has more variables (e.g., international payments).

  • Gumroad’s 10% flat fee simplifies pricing but can add up for high-ticket items.

Disclaimer: These platforms often update their fees, so always DYOR (Do Your Own Research).

Please DYOR - Do Your Own Research as well. I am human I may have missed something. My sources of these are directly from docs.lemonsqueezy. com & help.gumroad. com Personally I think that someone has to come up with an easier way to present all this information for all payment platforms...fees this fee that fee here fee there——annoying. It’s so tricky to navigate and calculate.

2. Features & Integrations

Both Lemon Squeezy and Gumroad offer essential features for selling digital products, but they differ in some key areas.


Lemon Squeezy

  • Marketplace: No (coming soon).

  • Subscriptions: Yes, with built-in renewal reminders and auto-recovery for failed payments.

  • Embeds: HTML embeds for checkout buttons or overlays; integrates with tools like Framer, Parity Deals.

  • Email Marketing: Native email marketing for up to 500 subscribers (limited, no workflow).

  • Integrations: Native integrations with ConvertKit, Mailchimp, plus hundreds of Zapier integrations for tools like Sheets, Discord, and Slack.

  • Customization: Limited store/checkout page customization.

  • Other Features: Auto - Abandoned Cart Emails, Renewal Reminders for subs, Auto-recovery for failed payments, License Keys, usage based billing.

Gumroad

  • Marketplace: Yes, featuring a community where creators can sell directly to consumers.

  • Subscriptions: Yes, with flexible subscription options.

  • Embeds: HTML embeds for checkout buttons, with integrations like Framer (although not officially listed).

  • Email Marketing: Built-in email marketing with workflows for free, supporting automation.

  • Integrations: Hundreds of Zapier integrations for Sheets, Discord, Slack, and more.

  • Customization: Limited store and checkout page customization, but more options for creators to showcase their products.

  • Other Features: Limit Quantity for Sales, Allow customers to choose quantity, publicly show # of sales, collabs with other creators, rating & commenting on products, physical products.

Summary:

  • Lemon Squeezy excels in handling subscriptions, abandoned carts, and email marketing but lacks a marketplace for additional exposure.

  • Gumroad offers more visibility through its marketplace and robust community features, while also supporting a range of product types, including physical goods.

Email workflows are embedded in Lemonsqueezy while in Gumroad they can be customized by the user.

Lemonsqueezy has been working on their marketplace so it should be coming soon. Gumroad, has had a a marketplace for some time now.


3. User Interface & Ease of Use

When it comes to ease of use, both platforms are designed with creators in mind, but personal preferences will play a big role in which interface you prefer.



Lemon Squeezy

Users praise Lemon Squeezy’s clean and intuitive interface. It’s especially user-friendly for those selling digital products, managing affiliates, and handling subscriptions. The learning curve is minimal, and its focus on simplifying global tax compliance makes it a solid choice for international sellers.

Gumroad

Gumroad is equally straightforward, with an easy-to-navigate dashboard that allows users to upload products, set prices, and manage customers in a few clicks. Gumroad’s workflow tools for email marketing make it easier for creators to keep in touch with their audience, and the built-in marketplace is a bonus for discoverability.

Summary:

Both platforms offer ease of use, but your decision may come down to design preferences and the features that matter most to you. Lemon Squeezy’s user interface feels streamlined for digital products and tax handling, while Gumroad’s marketplace and workflow tools are excellent for growing an audience and driving sales.


My observation

Being a user of both platforms, I've noticed that some types of products gavitate more towards one platform. For example, Its common to find Website Templates for framer on Lemon squeezy, and likewise, more common to find Notion Templates on Gumroad. This could be a good indicator when deciding. Find out what other creators in you niche are using to distribute their digital products and try to understand their reasoning for choosing that platform for that product.



Closing Statement

My purpose with these reviews is educate with straight to the point information.

I am human, I may have missed something. If I did please let me know in the comments in a respectful manner.

if you have questions, also let me know and ill try my best to answer them (& provide source)

All the information in this Article has be gotten through docs.lemonsqueezy. com & help.gumroad. com and empirical evidence from using both platforms.

Massive respect to both platforms and the teams behind them for empowering us creators and creating amazing products!

I hope you found this helpful!

Disclaimer: Written by a Human

This article was written by a human. As such, please always DYOR - Do your own research. No paid sponsorships are included in this article.


TL;DR Version

  • Lemon Squeezy offers lower transaction fees (5% + $0.5), but fees for international transactions and subscriptions can add up. It’s best for digital creators focusing on subscriptions and email marketing, with features like abandoned cart emails and automatic payment recovery.

  • Gumroad charges a flat 10% fee, with additional payment gateway fees (Stripe, PayPal). Its built-in marketplace offers visibility, making it a great option for creators looking for exposure and community integration. It also offers email workflows and supports physical products.

Ultimately, your choice depends on your product type, international payment needs, and whether you value community exposure via a marketplace or specialized features like detailed subscription handling. Both are great options for creators, so take the time to decide which aligns with your business model.

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Toolfolio.io

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Toolfolio.io

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