itch.io vs Lemon Squeezy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, itch.io grades higher than Lemon Squeezy: 3.2 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
itch.io grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Lemon Squeezy
Merchant of record checkout for software, subscriptions and downloads
Which one is for you
Pick itch.io if
- Fits if you make indie games or assets and want to set your own cut for the platform
- Works for developers who run jams or bundles and give out download keys
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: in Direct to you mode you are the merchant of record and liable for chargebacks and VAT
- Pricey if you sell very cheap items, because about $0.30 + 2.9% of processing comes out of each sale
- Watch out: collected payouts need a tax interview and $5 balance, and are reviewed by staff in 10 to 14 days
- Tight if you have a large catalogue, as new accounts start with 20 project pages and 10 files per page
Pick Lemon Squeezy if
- Fits if you sell software licenses or subscriptions to buyers worldwide
- Works for makers who want sales tax and VAT filed for them, with no monthly bill
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a platform with a clear road ahead, as Stripe plans to move users to Managed Payments
- Pricey if most buyers are abroad or pay by PayPal, as each adds 1.5%, and subscriptions add 0.5%
- Watch out: recovered carts add 5%, affiliate referrals 3%, and payouts to non-US banks 1% each
- Not for you if your products cost under $10, as Lemon Squeezy asks you to contact sales
- Tight if your email list grows: free to 500, then $10 a month at 1,000, $24 at 3,000 and $60 at 10,000
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAitch.ioVery good | 2.8GPALemon SqueezyGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ANo monthly fee, and the share itch.io keeps is whatever you set, down to 0%. That is under 60% of the category's cheapest quarter, though payment processing of about $0.30 + 2.9% still applies. | CNo monthly fee. Each order costs 5% + 50¢, which covers card fees and sales tax, so $1,000 of sales costs $50 plus 50¢ an order. Buyers abroad add 1.5%, PayPal 1.5% and subscriptions 0.5%. That's above this category's dearer quarter, short of its dearest tenth. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree to use with no paid plan. New accounts have a soft limit of 20 project pages and 10 files per page, which a normal seller will not reach and which can be raised on request. | ASelling is free to start with every ecommerce feature, and you only pay as orders come in. Email marketing is free up to 500 subscribers too, then $10 a month at 1,000. |
| Features | BProject pages, pay-what-you-want pricing, two payout modes, sales, bundles and jams, download keys and access control, a desktop app and an API. | BMerchant of record, subscriptions with usage billing, license keys, signed download links, a store on your own domain, affiliates, upsells, cart recovery and email marketing. It covers the whole job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Setting up pages, files and payouts is on you, and collected payouts need a tax interview and staff review of each payout. | CNo App Store rating on record. It's a web dashboard where you set up products, checkouts and a store before your first sale, with nothing in the listing to say it's quicker than that. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, plus an itch app for Windows, Mac and Linux, and an API. There is no phone app, and payments connect to PayPal, Stripe and Payoneer. | BWeb, with Zapier, ConvertKit, Mailchimp, WordPress and Laravel, checkout overlays for any site and a public API. No phone or desktop app is listed. |
| Best for | indie games, assets and tools you sell yourself | selling software and subscriptions worldwide |
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: itch.io and Lemon Squeezy. How we grade
Price against what you get
itch.io has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Lemon Squeezy starts at $10 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and itch.io starts $10 a month lower. Of the other tools for selling digital products on the chart, none scores higher than itch.io for less, and 2 score higher than Lemon Squeezy 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
- itch.io also covers community.
- Lemon Squeezy also covers email campaigns, affiliate tracking and merchant of record.
At a glance
| itch.io | Lemon Squeezy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $10 per month for email marketing to 1,000 subscribers |
| Free plan | No monthly fee. Sellers set the itch.io share of each sale from 0% to 100% (10% by default); PayPal or Stripe fees of about $0.30 + 2.9% apply too. | Selling is free to start with every ecommerce feature included; Lemon Squeezy keeps 5% + 50¢ of each order. Email marketing is free up to 500 subscribers. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | itch corp | Link, LLC (formerly Lemon Squeezy LLC) |
| Price read from | itch.io | lemonsqueezy.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
itch.io
- Payment processing fees of about $0.30 + 2.9% apply per transaction in either payout mode, so very low prices lose a large share.
- In Direct to you mode you are merchant of record and liable for chargebacks and VAT; itch.io only handles these in its collected mode.
- Collected payouts need a completed tax interview and at least $5 available, and each payout is reviewed by staff, typically in 10 to 14 days.
- New accounts have a soft limit of 20 project pages and 10 files per page, which can be raised on request.
Lemon Squeezy
- Stripe's 2026 update admits slower support and fewer updates while the team builds Stripe Managed Payments, and plans a migration path for users.
- Each order costs 5% + 50¢, plus 1.5% for buyers outside the US, 1.5% for PayPal and 0.5% for subscription payments.
- Recovered abandoned carts add 5% and affiliate referrals add 3% to the fee; payouts to non-US banks cost 1% each.
- Products priced under $10 and high-volume sellers are asked to contact sales for custom pricing.
Key features
itch.io
- Project pages
- Each project gets a page with files, images and a description, plus custom CSS and a widget you can embed on another site.
- Flexible pricing
- Charge a minimum, ask for a donation with free download allowed, or disable payments. Individual files can carry their own minimum price.
- Two payout modes
- Take payments directly into your own PayPal or Stripe account, or let itch.io collect them as merchant of record, handle VAT and pay you out later.
- Sales, bundles and jams
- Run timed sales, set a goal on a sale, join co-op bundles that split revenue, and host game jams.
- Download keys and access control
- Buyers receive a unique download key. Limited releases, access control and early access with updates for owners are supported.
- Desktop app and API
- The itch app for Windows, macOS and Linux installs and updates games, and creators can push builds. A server-side and JavaScript API are documented.
Lemon Squeezy
- Merchant of record
- Lemon Squeezy is the seller on each order: it calculates, collects, files and pays sales tax and VAT, and takes on the tax liability.
- Subscriptions and usage billing
- Weekly, monthly or yearly plans with upgrades, downgrades, free trials, PayPal subscriptions, usage-based billing and a customer portal.
- License keys and secure files
- License keys are issued after each sale and can be deactivated or reissued; download links are signed and throttled.
- Checkout anywhere
- Hosted checkout links, an overlay checkout for any website, or a store on a custom domain, taking cards, PayPal and payments in many currencies.
- Email marketing
- Broadcasts, signup forms, segments that update from purchase behavior and email reports, free up to 500 subscribers.
- Affiliates and recovery
- A built-in affiliate program, discount codes, bundles and upsells, plus abandoned cart emails and failed payment recovery.
Plans
itch.io
Open revenue share$0
Free to use. You pick what percentage of each sale goes to itch.io (default 10%); the payment processor takes about $0.30 + 2.9% as well.
Lemon Squeezy
Ecommerce$0
No monthly charge. The seller pays 5% + 50¢ of each order, covering card fees and tax, plus 1.5% abroad, 1.5% on PayPal and 0.5% on subscriptions.
Email marketing$10
per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed monthly
Free up to 500 subscribers. The price rises with the list: $24 a month at 3,000 subscribers and $60 a month at 10,000.
Ways to pay less
itch.io
No public discounts listed.
Lemon Squeezy
- Annual discount
Two months free on yearly email marketing
Lemon Squeezy prices yearly email marketing at ten times the monthly rate: $100 a year instead of $10 a month at 1,000 subscribers.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, itch.io or Lemon Squeezy?
As of Nov 12, 2026, itch.io is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $10 a month for Lemon Squeezy. itch.io is free, and Lemon Squeezy starts at $10 per month for email marketing to 1,000 subscribers.
Which has a free plan, itch.io or Lemon Squeezy?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both itch.io and Lemon Squeezy have a free plan.
Which platforms do itch.io and Lemon Squeezy run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only itch.io lists macOS, Windows and Linux 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.