Payhip vs Gumroad vs Shopify
A fair UK and global English look at three ways indie authors sell ebooks and print books straight to readers. Payhip and Gumroad are lightweight creator checkouts aimed at digital catalogues. Shopify is a full online store — stronger for branded shops, print-on-demand apps, and growing volume, but it costs a monthly subscription. Fees below were checked on each official site in October 2026. Confirm before you launch, because plans and tax rules change.
| Payhip | Gumroad | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Authors who want a simple digital storefront with VAT handled for them | Authors who want zero monthly fee and a quick link-based checkout for ebooks and digital products | Authors building a branded store with print POD apps, merch, or higher direct volume |
| Price model | Free + 5% fee; Plus US$29/month + 2%; Pro US$99/month + 0% Payhip fee (Stripe/PayPal fees on top) | No monthly fee; 10% + US$0.50 on direct sales; flat 30% on Discover marketplace sales | UK Basic from £19/month yearly or £25/month; Grow and Advanced higher — plus card rates (Basic from 2% + 25p via Shopify Payments) |
| What you sell easily | Ebooks, audiobooks, digital files; physical products supported if you arrange fulfilment | Digital products (ebooks, courses, memberships); not aimed at physical goods | Unlimited products: digital, print, merch, bundles — with apps for POD fulfilment |
| Tax / VAT | Collects and remits digital EU/UK VAT and US/Canadian sales tax for you | Merchant of record since Jan 2025 — handles sales tax, VAT, and GST collection worldwide | Calculates tax; you register and remit unless you use a managed-markets / merchant-of-record add-on |
| Ebook delivery | Built-in downloads (limits, PDF stamping) or pair with BookFunnel | Built-in digital delivery via Gumroad | Apps or BookFunnel for polished ebook delivery — not book-native out of the box |
| Print books | Possible, but you handle fulfilment | Not the focus | Strong: Lulu Direct, Bookvault, and similar POD apps connect to the store |
| UK authors | VAT on digital sales handled; payouts via Stripe/PayPal | Open worldwide; confirm payout method for the UK | UK plans and Shopify Payments card rates in GBP; check Shopify Payments availability for your setup |
Who should choose what?
- Choose Payhip if you want the lowest-friction start for ebooks, all features on every plan, and UK/EU digital VAT taken off your plate.
- Choose Gumroad if you hate monthly subscriptions, sell mostly digital files, and are fine paying a higher per-sale cut (and Discover’s 30% if buyers find you there).
- Choose Shopify if you need a real storefront brand, print-on-demand automation, or enough monthly direct sales that a subscription beats percentage-heavy fee platforms.
Using more than one
Many authors start on Payhip or Gumroad for a single title, then move the catalogue to Shopify when print orders and branding matter. Delivery tools like BookFunnel still sit beside any of these for reader-friendly ebook downloads. For UK print fulfilment into a store, see Bookvault and Lulu.
Aside: fee maths
A free Payhip plan at 5% plus Stripe/PayPal can stay cheaper than Shopify’s Basic subscription until you sell enough each month to cover £19–£25. Gumroad’s 10% + US$0.50 (plus any processing Gumroad builds in) adds up on low-priced ebooks. Run your own numbers with your average price and monthly volume before you commit.
Related compares: Lulu vs IngramSpark vs KDP Print · Draft2Digital vs PublishDrive vs KDP vs IngramSpark · BookFunnel vs StoryOrigin vs Prolific Works · Scrivener vs Plottr vs Dabble vs Novelcrafter
Tool pages: Payhip · Gumroad · Shopify · Bookvault · BookFunnel · Lulu