Gumroad vs Leanpub (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Gumroad and Leanpub share a 2.6 GPA, both have a free plan, and Gumroad has no paid plan to buy, against $8.99 a month for Leanpub.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Gumroad grades higher on the free plan and features. Leanpub grades higher on value for money. 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.
Leanpub
Write, publish and sell ebooks and courses, with author memberships
Which one is for you
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
Pick Leanpub if
- Fits if you write a book in Markdown and want to publish it as you go
- Works for authors who'd rather use Leanpub's store than build their own
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, as 3 books, 1 course and 5 publishes a month is the cap
- Watch out: buyers use Leanpub's checkout, not your own site
- Pricey if you want custom themes or print-ready PDF, which start at Light Author
- Watch out: GitHub and Dropbox sync, Google Analytics and the API need Pro Author
- Skip it if you want one monthly bill, because prices shown are billed every 3 months
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAGumroadGood | 2.6GPALeanpubGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | BPaid plans start at $8.99 a month billed every 3 months, which is the edge of the cheapest quarter for digital products. The tools most authors want sit on Light at $13.99 and Pro at $18.99. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | BA free author plan with 3 books, 1 course, 5 previews or publishes a month and 80% royalties. One writer can get started on it. |
| Features | 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. | CThree ways to write, one-click publish, bundles, coupons, reporting and an API. But custom themes and print-ready PDF start at Light, and GitHub and Dropbox sync at Pro. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. You still have to write and format the book and set up a store page. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb app with GitHub, Dropbox, Google Analytics and InDesign links, plus an API on Pro. |
| Best for | a first digital product with no monthly bill | authors who want to write and sell ebooks or courses |
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: Gumroad and Leanpub. How we grade
Price against what you get
Gumroad has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Leanpub starts at $8.99 a month and scores 2.3.
Gumroad scores higher and starts $8.99 a month lower. Of the other tools for selling digital products on the chart, none scores higher than Gumroad for less, and 7 score higher than Leanpub 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
- Gumroad also covers email campaigns, affiliate tracking and merchant of record.
- Leanpub also covers Markdown, long-form writing, online courses and online store.
At a glance
| Gumroad | Leanpub | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $8.99 per month, billed every 3 months ($26.97) |
| Free plan | 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 Author: 3 books and 1 course, up to 5 previews or publishes a month, and 80% royalties on sales. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gumroad, Inc. | Ruboss Technology Corp. |
| Price read from | gumroad.com | leanpub.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Leanpub
- Free accounts are capped at 3 books, 1 course and 5 previews or publishes a month.
- Custom themes and print-ready PDF export start at Light Author; GitHub and Dropbox sync at Pro Author.
- Prices shown on the page are per month billed every 3 months; monthly, annual and lifetime options sit behind the page's billing tabs.
- Sales run through Leanpub's own store, so buyers meet Leanpub's checkout rather than your own site.
Key features
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.
Leanpub
- Three ways to write
- Write in a browser with the Minimal, Visual or Source editor, or upload finished PDF and EPUB files in Upload Mode.
- One-click preview and publish
- Preview or publish an ebook with one click. The Free plan allows 5 a month and Mini 20; Light and above are unlimited.
- GitHub and Dropbox writing
- Write on your own computer and sync with GitHub or Dropbox. This starts at the Pro Author membership.
- Selling and royalties
- Each book gets a landing page. Authors earn 80% on purchases of $7.99 and up, and 80% minus 50 cents below that.
- Courses, bundles and coupons
- Sell courses, bundles and tracks, and run coupons, using the marketing features included on every plan.
- Reporting and API
- Google Analytics and the Leanpub API are included with Pro and Max memberships.
Plans
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.
Leanpub
Free Author$0
Write 3 books and 1 course, preview or publish 5 times a month, and use the Minimal, Visual or Source editor.
Mini Author$8.99
per month, billed every 3 months ($26.97)
Up to 100 books and 100 courses and 20 previews or publishes a month. Page also lists a $12 yearly saving over monthly billing.
Light Author$13.99
per month, billed every 3 months ($41.97)
Unlimited previews and publishes, custom themes and print-ready PDF export.
Pro Author$18.99
per month, billed every 3 months ($56.97)
Adds GitHub and Dropbox sync, Google Analytics, InDesign export, the Leanpub API and AI Support.
Max Author$32.99
per month, billed every 3 months ($98.97)
Adds a homepage Shelf spot every six months, VIP email support and a monthly AI usage allowance.
Ultra Author$89
per month, billed every 3 months ($267)
Everything in Max with ten times the monthly AI usage.
Ways to pay less
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.
Leanpub
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Gumroad or Leanpub?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Gumroad is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $8.99 a month for Leanpub. Gumroad is free, and Leanpub starts at $8.99 per month, billed every 3 months ($26.97).
Which has a free plan, Gumroad or Leanpub?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Gumroad and Leanpub have a free plan.
Which platforms do Gumroad and Leanpub run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Gumroad lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.