Gumroad (10% + 50¢ + processing) vs. Whop (2.7% + 30¢) vs. Lemon Squeezy (5% + 50¢): what you actually keep.
Headline rates hide the real take: Gumroad’s 10% excludes card processing, Lemon Squeezy adds 1.5% for international and PayPal buyers, and Whop’s 2.7% does not include tax handling. Enter your price and volume to see net payouts side by side.
The short version: As of Oct 26, 2026, a $29 product selling 200 times a month ($5,800 gross, 30% international buyers, 10% PayPal) nets $4,892 on Gumroad ($908 in fees, 15.7%: 10% + 50¢ plus 2.9% + 30¢ card processing), $5,360 on Lemon Squeezy ($440, 7.6%: 5% + 50¢ plus surcharges and $15 per dispute) and $5,379 on Whop ($421, 7.3%, including the optional 2% “Whop collects and remits” tax service; $5,495 if you handle tax yourself). Over a year that is a $5,845 difference between Gumroad and Whop.
Net payout calculator: Gumroad vs. Whop vs. Lemon Squeezy
Prefilled with a $29 digital product, 200 sales/month. Results update as you change the inputs below.
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| Platform | Base fee / mo | Add-ons / mo | Total fees / mo | Net payout / yr | Next step |
|---|
What each platform keeps from a single sale
On a single $29 domestic card sale, Gumroad keeps $4.54, Lemon Squeezy $1.95 and Whop $1.08 (before Whop’s optional 2% tax service). Fixed per-sale fees hurt cheap products most: on a $10 sale Gumroad takes 21%.
| Sale price | Gumroad (10% + 50¢ + 2.9% + 30¢) | Lemon Squeezy (5% + 50¢) | Whop (2.7% + 30¢) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $2.09 (20.9%) | $1.00 (10.0%) | $0.57 (5.7%) |
| $29 | $4.54 (15.7%) | $1.95 (6.7%) | $1.08 (3.7%) |
| $100 | $13.70 (13.7%) | $5.50 (5.5%) | $3.00 (3.0%) |
Fee schedule, tax handling and payout rules compared
Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy are merchants of record on every sale, so tax is included in their fee. Whop is cheaper per transaction, but on direct sales you choose between paying 2% for managed tax or handling tax yourself.
| Item | Gumroad | Lemon Squeezy | Whop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline fee | 10% + $0.50 per direct sale | 5% + $0.50 per transaction | 2.7% + $0.30 (domestic cards) |
| Card processing | +2.9% + $0.30 (not included in the 10%) | Included | Included |
| International buyers | No surcharge listed | +1.5% | +1.5% international cards, +1% currency conversion |
| PayPal | PayPal fees not included | +1.5% | Not listed on fees page |
| Subscriptions | Same fee on every charge | +0.5% | Billing tool +0.5% when enabled |
| Marketplace sales | 30% flat (Discover, processing included) | No marketplace | 0% commission (Discover) |
| Volume discount | 5% + $0.50 on direct sales after $20,000 paid sales in a calendar month | Custom pricing on request | Custom pricing on request |
| Tax / merchant of record | Merchant of record since Jan 1, 2025 (included) | Merchant of record (included) | Discover sales handled; direct sales: +2% managed tax (remit option covers US, EU, UK) or do it yourself |
| Dispute / chargeback | No separate fee; you lose the sale + processing, Gumroad returns its fee | $15 per dispute | $15 per dispute; $29 per early dispute alert (RDR) |
| Payout fees | Bank: none listed; PayPal 2%; US instant 3% | US bank free; non-US bank 1%; PayPal $0.50 US / 3% (max $30) non-US | Next-day ACH $2.50; instant (RTP) 4% + $2.50; wire $23; international local banks vary |
| Payout timing & holds | $100 minimum; 7-day hold on weekly/monthly payouts; new-account review 1–3 weeks; 25% reserve if chargebacks > 1.5% | Twice-monthly payouts | Funds withdrawable in 1–4 business days; reserves possible for new or high-risk accounts (up to 180 days per Seller Terms) |
| Ownership / roadmap | Independent | Owned by Stripe since 2024; stated goal is migration to Stripe Managed Payments (+3.5% on top of Stripe processing) | Independent |
What we found in the fine print
- Gumroad’s “10%” is really 12.9% + 80¢ on card sales. Gumroad’s own help center says the 10% + $0.50 fee “does not include” credit card processing (2.9% + $0.30) or PayPal fees.
- Gumroad Discover costs 30%. Sales from new customers who find you through Gumroad’s marketplace pay a flat 30%, processing included. Whop charges 0% on its Discover marketplace.
- Lemon Squeezy’s 5% + 50¢ grows with your buyer mix. International buyers add 1.5%, PayPal adds 1.5% and subscription payments add 0.5%, so a non-US PayPal subscriber costs 8.5% + 50¢.
- Whop’s 2.7% does not include tax. For direct sales, “Whop collects and remits tax” (US, EU, UK) or “Whop collects tax, I remit” costs 2% per transaction; otherwise tax compliance stays with you.
- Disputes: Lemon Squeezy and Whop each charge a flat $15 per dispute. Gumroad lists no dispute fee, but holds 25% of your balance if chargebacks exceed 1.5% of sales over 365 days.
- Lemon Squeezy’s future runs through Stripe. In its January 28, 2026 update, Lemon Squeezy said its goal is to give users an easy way to migrate to Stripe Managed Payments, which adds 3.5% per transaction on top of standard Stripe processing fees.
Which platform should you pick?
- Whop has the lowest base rate (2.7% + 30¢) and charges 0% on marketplace sales, so it wins for mostly-US buyer mixes even with the 2% tax option. Watch the stack on international sales: 2.7% + 1.5% + 1% FX + 2% tax = 7.2% + 30¢, which is more than Lemon Squeezy’s 6.5% + 50¢ on non-US card sales priced above roughly $15–$29 (the break-even depends on whether Whop’s $0.10 Radar + 3DS fees apply). It fits sellers who either want Whop’s 2% managed tax option or already handle sales tax/VAT themselves. Budget for possible reserves on a new account.
- Lemon Squeezy is a full merchant of record at 5% + 50¢ with license keys and software subscriptions built in. Weigh the Stripe Managed Payments migration path before building a new business on it.
- Gumroad costs the most on direct sales (12.9% + 80¢ on card sales) but is the simplest way to launch with tax handled. Its fee drops to 5% + 50¢ (plus processing) on direct sales once you pass $20,000 in a month.
Sources & verification dates
- Gumroad pricing page (10% + $0.50 per direct sale; 30% via Discover; merchant of record since Jan 1, 2025) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Gumroad Help: Gumroad's fees (10% + $0.50 excludes credit card processing of 2.9% + $0.30 and PayPal fees; Discover 30% incl. processing; 5% + $0.50 after $20,000 paid sales in a calendar month; refunds keep processing portion) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Gumroad Help: Getting paid ($100 minimum payout; 7-day holding period on weekly/monthly/quarterly payouts; PayPal payouts 2% fee; US instant payouts 3% up to $10K; account review 1–3 weeks) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Gumroad Help: Chargebacks (creator covers refunded amount + processing fees, Gumroad returns platform fee; 25% balance reserve if chargebacks exceed 1.5% of 365-day sales volume) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Lemon Squeezy pricing page (5% + 50¢ per transaction; no monthly fee; merchant of record; payouts twice a month) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Lemon Squeezy Docs: Fees (+1.5% international, +1.5% PayPal, +0.5% subscriptions; payouts free to US banks, 1% outside US; PayPal payouts $0.50 US / 3% capped at $30 outside US; +5% recovered carts, +3% affiliate referrals) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Lemon Squeezy Docs: Refunds and Chargebacks ($15 dispute fee deducted from next payout; may issue refunds within 60 days to prevent chargebacks) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Lemon Squeezy blog: 2026 Update – Lemon Squeezy + Stripe Managed Payments (Jan 28, 2026; Stripe acquired Lemon Squeezy in 2024; goal is an easy migration to Stripe Managed Payments) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Stripe Managed Payments (adds 3.5% per successful transaction on top of standard Stripe processing fees; Stripe becomes merchant of record) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Whop Docs: Fees (2.7% + $0.30 domestic cards; +1.5% international; +1% currency conversion; ACH 1.5% max $5; payouts: next-day ACH $2.50, RTP 4% + $2.50, wire $23; $15 dispute; $29 RDR alert; 3DS $0.03; Radar $0.07; orchestration 0.8%, billing 0.5%, tax 2%) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Whop Docs: Taxes (direct sales: 'Whop collects and remits' covers US, EU, UK; managed options cost 2%; Discover sales handled by Whop as marketplace facilitator) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Whop Docs: Reserves (rolling and fixed reserves for new accounts / high dispute rates; release dates shown on Balances page) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Whop Seller Terms, last updated July 14, 2026 (reserves up to 100% of funds, held no longer than 180 days) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
- Whop Help: Advertising on Discover (0% commission on marketplace sales) — Verified source, checked Oct 26, 2026
Common questions
How much does Gumroad take per sale in 2026?
As checked on Oct 26, 2026, Gumroad charges 10% + $0.50 on sales through your profile or direct links, plus credit card processing of 2.9% + $0.30, so a card sale costs 12.9% + $0.80. Sales through the Gumroad Discover marketplace cost a flat 30% including processing. Once paid sales reach $20,000 in a calendar month, new direct sales that month pay 5% + $0.50 (plus processing).
What are Whop's fees for sellers?
Whop charges 2.7% + $0.30 per successful domestic card transaction, plus 1.5% for international cards and 1% when currency conversion applies. Optional add-ons are 2% for managed tax, 0.5% for Billing and 0.8% for orchestration. Disputes cost $15 each, and a next-day ACH payout costs $2.50. Marketplace (Discover) sales carry 0% commission.
Does Lemon Squeezy really charge only 5% + 50¢?
The base platform fee is 5% + 50¢, but Lemon Squeezy's docs add 1.5% for transactions outside the US, 1.5% for PayPal and 0.5% for subscription payments. Payouts to non-US bank accounts cost 1%, and each chargeback carries a $15 dispute fee.
Which is cheapest: Gumroad, Whop or Lemon Squeezy?
In our example ($29 product, 200 sales a month, 30% international, 10% PayPal), fees are $908/month on Gumroad, $440 on Lemon Squeezy and $421 on Whop with its 2% tax service ($305 without it). Whop is cheapest per transaction; Gumroad is the most expensive on direct sales.
Are Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy and Whop merchants of record?
Gumroad has been merchant of record for all sales since January 1, 2025, and Lemon Squeezy is merchant of record for every sale; both include sales tax and VAT handling in their fee. Whop handles tax on Discover marketplace sales. For direct sales you choose 'Whop collects and remits tax' (US, EU and UK, 2%), 'Whop collects tax, I remit' (2%) or handling tax yourself.
Is Lemon Squeezy shutting down after the Stripe acquisition?
No shutdown date has been announced. Stripe acquired Lemon Squeezy in 2024, and in a January 28, 2026 update Lemon Squeezy said its goal is to give users an easy way to migrate to Stripe Managed Payments, Stripe's merchant of record product, which adds 3.5% per transaction on top of standard Stripe processing fees.
How long do Gumroad and Whop hold payouts?
Gumroad requires a $100 minimum balance and holds each sale at least 7 days on weekly, monthly and quarterly schedules; new accounts go through a 1–3 week review. Whop makes sale proceeds withdrawable in 1–4 business days but can place rolling or fixed reserves on new or high-risk accounts; its Seller Terms cap reserves at 180 days.