Payhip vs Gumroad for teacher sellers
Both let you sell PDFs from your own link with no monthly fee. Payhip keeps more of every sale, and the difference is biggest on the cheap resources teachers sell most.
What you keep per sale
| Fees | $1.50 | $5 | $10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Payhip free plan | 5% + card fees | $1.08 | $4.31 | $8.91 |
 Gumroad, your own link | 10% + $0.50 + card fees | $0.51 | $3.56 | $7.91 |
| Gumroad, via Discover | 30% flat, card fees included | $1.05 | $3.50 | $7.00 |
 TpT Basic, for reference | 45% + $0.30 per resource | $0.53 | $2.45 | $5.20 |
Card fees at 2.9% + $0.30 on a single-item order. Payhip's paid plans (Plus $29/month at 2%, Pro $99/month at 0%) only pay off at about $970 and $3,500 a month in sales.
Gumroad's $0.50 per sale is what hurts. With the card's $0.30, $0.80 comes off before any percentage, which is more than half of a $1.50 resource. On a $1.50 sale Payhip keeps twice as much.
Where buyers come from
Neither is a teacher marketplace. Payhip has a marketplace that recommends products to new buyers at no extra fee; Gumroad has Discover, which charges a flat 30%. Teachers don't browse either the way they browse TpT, so expect nearly every sale to come from people you send: your email list, Pinterest, a blog or social media.
Sales tax
Both take it off your plate. Gumroad is the merchant of record and collects sales tax and VAT. Payhip collects and pays US sales tax on your behalf since July 1, 2026, and handles EU and UK VAT on digital products. Not tax advice.
Which one
- Payhip if you sell many resources under $5, want coupons, bundles and upsells on the free plan, or want a storefront page with all your products.
- Gumroad if you mostly sell a few higher-priced items and already have an audience there.
Neither imports products, so each listing is added by hand. Start with your 20 best sellers. Steps: moving your TpT store to Payhip. Against TpT itself: TpT vs Payhip and TpT vs Gumroad.
Questions
Is Payhip or Gumroad better for teachers?
Payhip, for most teacher sellers. On its free plan it keeps $4.31 of a $5 sale against Gumroad's $3.56, and the gap is wider on cheap resources. Both have no monthly fee and both handle US sales tax.
Is Payhip cheaper than Gumroad?
Yes, at every price. Payhip's free plan takes 5% per sale; Gumroad takes 10% + $0.50 per direct sale. Card processing (2.9% + $0.30) comes on top on both.
Do Payhip and Gumroad collect sales tax?
Yes. Gumroad is the merchant of record and collects sales tax and VAT. Payhip has collected and paid US sales tax on creators' behalf since July 1, 2026, and handles EU and UK VAT on digital products. Not tax advice.
Can a TpT Exclusive seller use Payhip or Gumroad?
Not for paid digital teaching resources. From January 1, 2027, Exclusive sellers can only sell those on TpT. Basic sellers can use either alongside TpT.
Every listing, ready to paste into Payhip or Gumroad
LessonCrate turns your TpT store into one sheet with each product's title, price, description, images, grades and keywords. Free preview, from $19.