Gumroad vs Payloadz (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Gumroad grades higher than Payloadz: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
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. Payloadz 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.
Payloadz
Sell digital downloads with direct PayPal payouts and no sales fee
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 Payloadz if
- Fits if you sell photos, music or writing by direct link and have a PayPal business account
- Works for sellers with large catalogues who want a flat fee, not a cut of sales
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you sell a little, as $49 a month is the only plan
- Skip it if you do not want to use PayPal, because payments go through it and its fees still apply
- Watch out: the $1 trial lasts 14 days and then bills $49 a month
- Watch out: tax collection is left to you, as it is not a merchant of record
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAGumroadGood | 2.0GPAPayloadzFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$49 a month is the only plan, above the dearer quarter ($37) of digital-product tools but under its dearest tenth ($77). |
| 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. | DA $1 trial for 14 days, which means payment details; no free plan. |
| 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. | CDirect payouts, automatic delivery, licence keys, affiliates, subscriptions and upsells. It is not a merchant of record, so tax is left to you. |
| 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 upload products, set up PayPal and your own links. |
| 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, with PayPal, Mailchimp, Google Analytics 4, Meta and TikTok listed. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | a first digital product with no monthly bill | selling downloads with direct PayPal payouts |
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 Payloadz. 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. Payloadz starts at $49 a month and scores 2.3.
Gumroad scores higher and starts $49 a month lower. Of the other tools for selling digital products on the chart, none scores higher than Gumroad for less, and 12 score higher than Payloadz 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 and merchant of record.
- Payloadz also covers online store and popups.
At a glance
| Gumroad | Payloadz | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $49 per month |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | $1 for a 14-day full-access trial, then $49 per month |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gumroad, Inc. | PayLoadz, Inc. |
| Price read from | gumroad.com | payloadz.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.
Payloadz
- The $1 trial lasts 14 days; after it the plan is $49 per month with no cheaper tier.
- Payments go through PayPal, whose standard processing fees still apply.
- Accounts include 1 TB of file transfer a month for delivered orders.
- It is not a merchant of record, so tax collection is left to the seller.
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.
Payloadz
- Direct payouts
- Payment goes straight to your PayPal account when a buyer checks out, and the file is delivered automatically.
- Automatic delivery
- Time-limited, tracked download links go out as soon as payment clears, with per-order download and IP limits.
- Flexible uploads
- Upload in the browser, by FTP for large folders, or add a whole catalog with a bulk CSV import.
- License and serial keys
- Upload a key list or connect a key generator URL so each order gets a unique serial key.
- Affiliates and tracking
- A built-in affiliate system, Mailchimp sync, and Meta, Google Ads, GA4 and TikTok purchase pixels.
- Subscriptions and upsells
- Recurring digital products with optional trials, checkout upsells and cross-sells, discount codes and free email-gated downloads.
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.
Payloadz
Seller plan$49
per month
Unlimited products, storage and transactions, with 0% Payloadz transaction fees. A $1 14-day trial comes first.
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.
Payloadz
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Gumroad or Payloadz?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Gumroad is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $49 a month for Payloadz. Gumroad is free, and Payloadz starts at $49 per month.
Which has a free plan, Gumroad or Payloadz?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Gumroad has a free plan. Payloadz does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Gumroad and Payloadz 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.