Five Best Gumroad alternatives which are more affordable and Better (2023) --

Dec 30, 2022

HTML1Updated: Dec. 20 to 2022.

Changes:As of December 2022, Gumroad is announcing a cost increase, and they will be charging 10 percent for each sale users make through the platform (plus any fees that are added for transactions made through Paypal and Stripe). If you're caught in middle of this terrible information and considering switching to other platforms check out this alternative to Gumroad that you'll definitely need to check out!

Gumroad is one of the most popular platforms that sells digital items. The platform provides a fully online storefront that lets you offer digital goods online to sell in just some minutes. Gumroad has additional tools like features that permit you for selling subscriptions as well as the integration of Paypal and Stripe, and several more.

However, it has drawbacks that prevent users from remaining with the platform. Review sites have proven that, among other factors the high cost of pricing on Gumroad, lack of support for customers, and lack of scalability for large volume sellers has resulted in customers switching to alternative platforms.

In this post will review Gumroad's top solutions for selling digital products in order to let you pick the best option for your business. We have included many alternatives which are ideal for companies that are just beginning. However, we've considered scalability in mind so that you do not have to switch platforms as your company grows.

This is a brief outline of the best Gumroad alternatives that may cost less and be more effective:

What exactly is Gumroad and what does it provide?

Gumroad is an online marketplace which is designed to sell digital goods. Gumroad provides a range of possibilities, which include offering different types of digital goods, such as subscriptions as well as digital downloads. Gumroad also offers the tools for marketing and analytics as well as it is able to integrate the products you sell on your site.

With Gumroad provides you with an online store entirely hosted, and you're in a position to sell your merchandise through. Gumroad also has an online marketplace known as "Gumroad Discover" in which you are able to showcase your products' listings along with the other designs.

What is Gumroad's Price?

Gumroad charges a flat rate of 10% of each transaction you complete through the platform.

In addition, you'll be required to also pay transaction charges through Paypal and Stripe which usually cost around 2.9 percent plus $0.30 per transaction.

It is important to note that Gumroad was operating with an alternate pricing structure before 2023. However, they had recently settled on their current pricing structure.

Which are motives to look at Gumroad Alternatives?

    1. Prices are expensive and there is a lack of Scalability

Gumroad's fixed 10% for every sales is extremely costly in the beginning when you're just starting out on the business, however, it will become higher-cost as your business grows because the cost of operations are expected to continue rising in proportion to your earnings.

Imagine making $100,000 per month, and then having to pay $10,000 fees - that doesn't sound exciting at all. Additionally that the fee of 10% does notinclude any additional Paypal or Stripe charges (which typically cost about 2.9 percent and $0.30 per transaction) in addition to the fees you have to pay.

    2. A lack of customization

Although Gumroad is a fully hosted site that allows you to sell your items online, you will not have the ability to modify the design of your online store in order to match your brand's image. Gumroad's style is distinctive of shop that is displayed on the retail stores. It is impossible to modify on your storefront is just a single highlight color as well as some minor customizations such as your bio, name, and even your brand.

In contrast to the other platforms described in this article are affluent tools for builders of stores which make it easy for novices to use (no experience in design or programming necessary) However, they're capable of giving you the ability to create an online store that is extremely successful which is in line with your company's brand.

    3. Find Better Ways to Sell Online Courses

If you're selling items such as digital downloads, Gumroad is generally quite proficient in providing your documents to your customers. If you're providing online classes, the platform isn't provided with the robust features similar to the ones other online platforms typically provide.

Gumroad's online course allows the uploading of videos as well as other documents that students are able to download, and then click to view the video. However, this isn't exactly the exciting learning experience you'd hope to receive through an online platform that offers courses. It doesn't offer any advanced course features like assessments, drip schedule and certificates of achievement.

Here's an example of a student's educational experience

Here's an example of an exciting learning experience that includes a variety of lesson styles could look like (the image below is directly from ):

 Specific Keywords to Look For In the Gumroad alternative

If you are looking for alternative options to Gumroad There are a number of crucial aspects to take into consideration.

    1. Features to market various types of goods

Does the platform offer the necessary tools to market various digital products? It can boost the amount of money you earn through various sectors. Consider features such as:

  • The features to market digital download Instant document delivery, pdf stamping, download restrictions and more.
  • The features to market online courses include an engaging online course players that include a variety of different types of instructional material (e.g. assignment videos, video lessons and more), drip content schedule different pricing options for course as well as certificates and other
  • Marketing tools for coaching including integration with online meetings platforms like Zoom and Calendly as well as other
  • The tools to sell subscriptions or membership: ability to bill recurring payments

Also, search for flexibility to be able to integrate products pages into your website. This allows you to embed an order cart and an easy checkout procedure into your site.

    2. Cost-effective Cost (Little to No Costs Up-Front)

What price will it cost per transaction? Do you have monthly charges such as hidden charges, restrictions?

Pick platforms that have proven history of stable pricing plans. Although a majority of businesses provide a fair cost plan when you first sign up, you'd want to ensure that you don't face unexpected price increases later on.

    3. Tools for Marketing that are robust Tools

Apart from the basic marketing instruments, like discount coupons, you must look for a solution that offers more sophisticated and effective marketing tools, for instance affiliate marketing. It lets you run various marketing strategies that will help your business grow.

It is the only one available that provides the affiliate marketing service free of charge. Others require cost to subscribe to the tools.

    4. The Store Builder is a beginner-friendly store that can be fully customized and fully-customizable

The world of the internet is filled of opportunities. Having an web-based store or website is essential for any brand or business to increase the brand's popularity and demonstrate the professionalism of their employees. If done properly the creation of a site can be more than just a means to set yourself up as an expert in your industry, it could also assist in building relationships with your customers as it allows them to discover your company in a deeper way.

Find platforms that permit you to build a fully customized online store to present your company in the best possible way. There are a ton of choices that don't require any programming or design abilities.

    5. Tax-Free, so You Won't Need To

The dread of having to navigate through the maze of VAT could stop companies from growing which could slow down expansion. Consider a solution that can be fully tax-compliant, so you are able to not just accept VAT by your customers at the time of checkout, but also remit taxes on behalf of your company without having to do anything.

Five from the Best Gumroad Solutions to Sell Digital Products

Let's review several of the best alternatives to Gumroad for selling digital items. Each has its own prices and options, so it's important to evaluate the alternatives carefully before you make a choice.

    1.    

is the best Gumroad option with regards to pricing and cost.

is easily one of the most well-known platforms and is frequently compared to Gumroad since Gumroad is the most similar Gumroad competitor , and they offer the exact attributes Gumroad offers, but with a lower price which is ideal for companies regardless of size.

The company is known for its forever-free subscription that provides sellers with access to ALL of the features it has to provide. In lieu of the huge 10% fee that Gumroad is charging, they charge only 5% per sale. If your business is growing and you are ready to expand, consider monthly billing for the cost of less. You will never have to think about scaling up your business at .

If you're looking for an online platform that's committed to the growth of your business This is the best choice.

PRICING:

The company has disrupted the market by offering unorthodox pricing plans that is geared towards helping small-sized businesses grow while making sure that companies keep their costs low in the process of growing into multimillion-dollar companies.

There are three pricing plansavailable:

  • For life, you can enjoy the free service for only 5% fee (perfect for people who are only beginning)
  • The amount is $29 per month and 2% charge
  • Monthly payments of $99 with no charges

What makes it "unconventional"? It's because the pricing plans offer all users the exact same accessibility for ALL of their fantastic features.  The founders of the business because of their belief in the creation of a platform that helps small-scale companies by not restricting access to the complex capabilities they require. The company's philosophy is well-received by the majority of sellers with online reviews.

If you're only starting out it's possible to start with the most well-known Plan, Free for Lifewith no fees per month as well as 5% of the cost for each sale (excluding shipping charges). As your business expands then you may want to switch to  the Plus plan which is priced at the monthly fee of $29 plus 2percent fees per sale or the Pro plan, which costs $99 per month costs (no charges for other sales).

This price has been in place for a long time and you'll be able to be sure that it won't change anyplace.

PROS :

  • This is the cheapest alternative to Gumroad
  • The built-in key features allow you to sell various items like:
  • Infinite product listing possibilities, as well as unlimited revenues
  • Improved checkout experience to ensure the highest rate of conversion
  • Easy-to-use and powerful store builders No coding or design expertise necessary
  • It is possible to completely customize your store's appearance online to reflect the brand that you want to represent
  • Storefront is hosted at no cost (you are also able to connect with a customized domain)
  • If you already have your own site it is easy to integrate your website on any eCommerce website.
  • Instant and secure payouts via Paypal and Stripe
  • Pricing options for Pay-what-you-want for the items you purchase (a.k.a. Tip Jar)
  • The company collects and remits UK & EU VAT on your behalf
  • Store analytics & ability to be a part of Google Analytics
  • Bonus: is also highly acknowledged for its support quality. Each user receives respect, regardless of the pricing plan which you're on.

CONS CONS:

  • There is no automated integration of shipping labels in any software (e.g. Shippo and ShipStation). ShipStation is the platform. ShipStation is specifically designed for digital products, however you can still offer physical items if you wish to

    2. Shopify

It is one of the most significant online marketplaces in the world, Shopify is often a most popular Gumroad alternative. Shopify is an eCommerce platform that allows you to create your own store online as well as control your products. Additionally, it offers a vast variety of features and tools including the processing of payments, analytics and marketing tools. Additionally, Shopify has a variety of pricing plans that will fit diverse budgets.

Because of the size of this online marketplace, you will find thousands of applications from third parties in all categories of business that are able to be integrated with the functionality of your Shopify store. This allows you to equip your store online with distinct devices for anything from altering the appearance of your website , to marketing tools, and many more. One caveat is that these apps generally are not free, so you'll be required to plan your spending cautiously.

While Shopify is an effective eCommerce platform, it does isn't have built-in capabilities to offer digital items since Shopify's platform is designed to sell tangible goods. There is the requirement to install another app by third parties that can potentially add to the cost for selling digital goods.

PRICING:

Small-scale businesses looking to test various platforms before settling upon one that best suits the needs of their business, Shopify offers a 14-day free trial. It is not a forever-free service.

With a monthly cost of $29 The Shopify Basic Plan is the most well-liked plan. Additionally, Shopify plans are available for $299/month for the scenario of Advanced Shopify, and $2000/month for Shopify Plus/Enterprise. The extra transaction fee will be charged per transaction.

We've said that the Shopify platform is not equipped with integrated functions for marketing digital items. It is likely that you will require installing third-party apps through the Shopify app store , which typically comes with additional costs.

PROS :

  • You can access hundreds of third party applications accessible on Shopify, the Shopify app store.
  • It allows multi-channel sales through multi-channel. This can be particularly useful if there is a brick and mortar store
  • Shopify is used by a variety of small-scale companies, and by content creators who specialize with Shopify content. Communities you are part of can provide many useful suggestions about online companies
  • While Shopify's capabilities may not be enough for sellers whose catalog is predominantly digital products but physical sellers may gain from Shopify's wide-ranging eCommerce capabilities

CONS:

  • There are no built-in functions to market digital items. There is a requirement to install third party apps which are likely to have cost-plus. Shopify isn't the best option for those who are creative.
  • There is no integrated marketing tools such as affiliate marketing, referrals, cross-sell, upsell and much more.

    3. Kajabi

Kajabi is a different option to Gumroad as it offers an all-in-one market place to sell digital products. One of the major advantages for Kajabi as opposed to Gumroad is that it permits the creators to establish an online community. But, Kajabi is well-known for its cost per month, which could be quite expensive for businesses with small budgets who are just starting out.

PRICING:

Kajabi offers 14 days of trial time. It is necessary to enter the information of the payment before being able to start your trial for free.

After your trial period has ended, you will have the an option to choose between three paid plans:

  • Basic: $149/month
  • Growth: $199/month
  • Pro: $399/month

A small portion of savings when you choose to join the year-long subscription.

PROS :

  • Kajabi is a provider of education materials to their customers through Kajabi universities (although it's vital to keep in mind that you're likely get these materials from free Youtube videos online)
  • Access to additional features that are not available through Gumroad like community services, sales funnels, and much more.

CONS

  • It's not cost-effective for business owners with small budgets.
  • The more complex marketing options like affiliate programs are available only in those plans. Pro and Growth plans
  • Numerous limits on various items like the amount of items, the number of contacts, numbers of members, admin users as well as other. Not recommended for those of you who would like to "set-it-and-forget-it" because you'll need to keep track of your usage

    4. Podia

Podia is among the top choice for creatives. One of the biggest advantages of Podia is the fact they offer a lifetime free plan. However, keep in mind that you will not be able to publish more than one product for free.

PRICING:

  • For free, 8% of charges
  • Mover: $39/month
  • Shaker: $89/month
  • Earthquaker: $199/month

PROS :

  • The feature is designed to aid in selling additional types of product not available on Gumroad such as webinars and community-based products.
  • A chat-on-page widget that can allow you to interact with visitors to your site.

CONS CONS:

  • The free plan is accompanied by 8% transaction fees and allows you to sell one digital download (you'll likely need to upgrade to one of Podia's premium plans in order to have a functioning online store)
  • The more sophisticated marketing tools like affiliate marketing is only available for Shaker ($75/month) or Earthquaker ($166/month) plans
  • You'll need to pay an additional fee of $20 per month for more team seats
  • It is impossible to turn off the Podia logo unless you subscribe to for the Shaker ($75/month) or Earthquaker ($166/month) plans.

    5. Mighty Networks

If you're looking for an Gumroad alternative for establishing an online community, provide coursesor coaching services, Mighty Networks is a very well-known choice. While this may not be suitable for the sale of digital downloads, you might consider this to be an ideal Gumroad alternative for selling online courses.

PRICING:

There are two plans that are paid for:

  • The community plan is $39/month.
  • The plan for business: $119/month
  • Mighty Pro: Then you'll need get in touch with the team for the price

PROS :

  • Mighty Networks' community feature is the most sophisticated platform mentioned in this article Its design is very similar to the one of the social media platforms.
  • Members may view one another's posts via a feed of information that could encourage more genuine interaction

CONS

  • The absence of solid features for marketing product categories such as digital downloads
  • The online course options don't have the same quality as other platforms for online courses since they do not offer different types of lessons like tests or quizzes in addition to a certification for successful completion
  • It is not integrated with PayPal

 Last Thoughts on Choosing the Best Option for Your company

Here you go! There's plenty of options available on Gumroad and be sure not to try all of the free trials offered by these platforms to discover which provide the best mix of advantages and pricing plans to meet your company's requirements.

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