Bandcamp vs Gumroad (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Gumroad grades higher than Bandcamp: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Bandcamp grades higher on value for money. Gumroad grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bandcamp
Music and merch store for artists, with a fan marketplace attached
Which one is for you
Pick Bandcamp if
- Fits if you sell your own music and merch direct to fans
- Works for a label that wants label accounts, from $20 a month
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you sell courses or software, as it is built around music
- Pricey if you sell a lot, with 15% on digital plus processor fees of 4 to 6%
- Tight if sales dip: the 10% digital rate needs at least $5,000 over 12 months
- Watch out: batch upload, private streaming, targeted messages and ad-free video need Pro at $10 a month
Pick Gumroad if
- Fits if you're testing a first digital product and don't want a monthly bill
- Works for sellers who want sales tax and VAT handled, at 10% + 50¢ a sale
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you sell steadily: 10% + 50¢ of each sale is $100 on $1,000, before card fees of 2.9% + $0.30
- Skip it if you sell physical goods, which Gumroad doesn't allow
- Not for you if you count on marketplace sales, since Discover takes a flat 30%
- Watch out: the iPhone and Android apps only track sales and open purchases; products are set up on the web
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABandcampFair | 2.6GPAGumroadGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo monthly fee, but Bandcamp keeps 15% of digital sales (10% after $5,000) and 10% of merch, with processor fees of typically 4 to 6% on top. | DNo monthly fee, but Gumroad keeps 10% + 50¢ of each direct sale: $100 on $1,000, plus 50¢ an order. Card processing of 2.9% + $0.30 comes on top and isn't counted. That's in this category's dearest tenth, though it does handle sales tax for you. |
| Free plan and trial | BArtist accounts are free, which one musician could live on, with Pro at $10 a month optional. | ANothing to pay until you sell, with every feature, unlimited products and no cap a normal person would reach. The fee comes out of each sale instead, and the value grade counts that. |
| Features | CDigital music, vinyl, CDs, cassettes and merch. The listing's gap: it is built around music, and batch upload, private streaming and targeted messages need Pro. | BDownloads, memberships, courses, license keys, pay-what-you-want, email broadcasts and workflows, affiliates and a Discover marketplace. Physical goods aren't allowed, but that's outside this job, so nothing's missing from the core. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and you build your own store, releases and merch listings. | CNo App Store rating on record. You build a profile store with a page editor and set up products on the web; the iPhone and Android apps only track sales and open purchases. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iPhone and Android apps, with 3 listed integrations. No desktop app on record. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, Discord and Circle, plus a checkout you can embed on your own site. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | selling music and merch to fans | a first digital product with no monthly bill |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bandcamp and Gumroad. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bandcamp starts at $10 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Gumroad has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Gumroad scores higher and starts $10 a month lower. Of the other tools for selling digital products on the chart, 6 score higher than Bandcamp for less, and none scores higher than Gumroad for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Bandcamp also covers community and online store.
- Gumroad also covers email campaigns, affiliate tracking and merchant of record.
At a glance
| Bandcamp | Gumroad | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $10 per month (Bandcamp Pro, optional) | Free |
| Free plan | Artist accounts are free. Bandcamp keeps 15% of digital sales (10% once you pass $5,000) and 10% of merch, plus payment processor fees. | No monthly fee. Gumroad keeps 10% + $0.50 of each direct sale plus card processing (2.9% + $0.30), or a flat 30% on sales made through its Discover marketplace. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Bandcamp | Gumroad, Inc. |
| Price read from | bandcamp.com | gumroad.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bandcamp
- Bandcamp's revenue share is 15% on digital items and 10% on merch, and processor fees of typically 4 to 6% are charged separately.
- The revenue share applies to the first $100 of an item, and the digital rate drops to 10% only while you keep at least $5,000 in sales over 12 months.
- Batch upload, private streaming, targeted messages and ad-free video need the $10-a-month Pro plan.
- It is built around music and music merch rather than general digital products such as courses or software.
Gumroad
- Gumroad keeps 10% + $0.50 of every direct sale plus 2.9% + $0.30 card processing; Discover marketplace sales cost a flat 30%.
- Physical goods are not allowed: Gumroad is for digital products, memberships and services only.
- Payouts go out by direct deposit or PayPal depending on the seller's country.
- The mobile apps track sales and open purchases, but accounts and products are set up on the web.
Key features
Bandcamp
- Direct-to-fan store
- A customizable artist page sells digital albums and tracks, vinyl, CDs, cassettes and apparel, priced in USD or any of about 12 other currencies.
- Flexible pricing
- Set a fixed price, a minimum with pay-what-you-want on top, or give music away in exchange for an email address. Pre-orders and discount codes are included.
- Fan marketplace and editorial
- Releases appear in tag pages, fan collections and browsing tools, and Bandcamp Daily covers records. Followers are notified of new releases and merch.
- Listening parties and messaging
- Schedule listening parties with live chat, and message fans by email and on Bandcamp. Targeting by location and spend is a Pro feature.
- Chart reporting
- Sales are submitted to SoundScan, ARIA Charts, OfficialCharts (UK and Ireland) and the Official New Zealand Music Charts.
- Merch order tools
- See orders, mark items shipped, update addresses and print shipping labels and packing slips from the artist account.
Gumroad
- Profile store or embedded checkout
- Build a storefront with Gumroad's page editor on a custom domain, or embed its checkout and follow button on a site you already have.
- Memberships and subscriptions
- Charge monthly, quarterly, twice a year or yearly, or a fixed number of payments, with members keeping access to a content library while subscribed.
- Merchant of record
- Gumroad collects and remits sales tax, VAT and GST on sales where it has an obligation, so sellers have no tax settings to manage.
- Software and file options
- License keys for software, several versions of one product (PDF, ePub or lossless audio), pay-what-you-want pricing and light DRM.
- Audience tools
- Import an email list, post updates, send email broadcasts and automated workflows, run an affiliate program and read sales analytics.
- Mobile apps
- iOS and Android apps show daily, monthly and all-time sales with push notifications, and let buyers open or download their purchases.
Plans
Bandcamp
Artist account$0
Free to open. Bandcamp keeps 15% of digital sales (10% after $5,000 in sales) and 10% of physical goods; processor fees come on top.
Bandcamp Pro$10
per month, billed monthly
Batch upload, ad-free HD video, private streaming, targeted fan messaging, city-level sales data, Google Analytics and Shopify inventory sync.
Gumroad
Direct sales$0
No subscription. The seller pays 10% + $0.50 of each sale through a profile or direct link, plus card processing of 2.9% + $0.30 or PayPal fees.
Discover marketplace$0
Sales to new customers who find you through Gumroad's Discover marketplace carry a flat 30% fee, which includes processing.
Ways to pay less
Bandcamp
No public discounts listed.
Gumroad
- Other savings
Lower fee above $20,000 in monthly sales
Once paid sales in a calendar month reach $20,000, new direct sales that month cost 5% + $0.50 instead of 10% + $0.50; it resets each month.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bandcamp or Gumroad?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Gumroad is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $10 a month for Bandcamp. Bandcamp starts at $10 per month (Bandcamp Pro, optional), and Gumroad is free.
Which has a free plan, Bandcamp or Gumroad?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Bandcamp and Gumroad have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.