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 AvailablePayouts: 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.