itch.io vs Payhip (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Payhip: it is second in our ranking of tools for selling digital products, though itch.io grades higher (3.2 against 2.6) on value for money and features.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Payhip
Store for downloads, courses and memberships, with a free plan
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 Payhip if
- Fits if you want a free store and only pay when something sells
- Works for sellers of courses, coaching and downloads who want EU, UK and US sales tax handled
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to email your buyers from the same place, as there are no campaigns
- Pricey if you sell a lot, since only Pro at $99 a month removes Payhip's fee
- Watch out: PayPal or Stripe fees come on top of the 5% or 2%, and no yearly price is on record
- Watch out: its help center says sellers with a physical presence in a US state may still have to file a zero-dollar return there
- Not for you if you want a phone or desktop app, as only the web is listed
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAitch.ioVery good | 2.6GPAPayhipGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CPlus at $29 a month plus its 2% fee ($20 on $1,000) comes to $49, a dollar under the free plan's 5% ($50). Pro at $99 drops the fee but costs more at this size. No yearly price is on record, and PayPal or Stripe fees come on top (not counted). |
| 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. | AFree Forever has every feature, unlimited products and unlimited revenue, with no cap you'd reach. Payhip takes 5% of each sale instead, and the value grade counts that. |
| 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. | CDownloads, courses, coaching, memberships, physical products and bundles, plus coupons, affiliates and PDF stamping. The gap the listing names is email: there are no built-in campaigns, so buyers sync to ConvertKit or another service. |
| 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. Every plan has every feature, so there's nothing to unlock, but you still set up the store, your products and a PayPal or Stripe account. |
| 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 Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, Zoom, Calendly and ConvertKit, plus buy buttons for WordPress, Squarespace, Wix and Shopify sites. No phone or desktop app is listed. |
| Best for | indie games, assets and tools you sell yourself | a free store for downloads, courses and coaching |
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 Payhip. 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. Payhip starts at $29 a month and scores 2.3.
itch.io scores higher and starts $29 a month lower. Of the other tools for selling digital products on the chart, none scores higher than itch.io for less, and 7 score higher than Payhip 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.
- Payhip also covers online courses and affiliate tracking.
At a glance
| itch.io | Payhip | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $29 per month |
| 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. | Free Forever plan with all features, unlimited products and unlimited revenue; Payhip takes 5% of each sale on top of PayPal or Stripe fees. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | itch corp | Payhip |
| Price read from | itch.io | payhip.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.
Payhip
- The free plan takes 5% of each sale and Plus takes 2%, on top of PayPal or Stripe fees; only Pro at $99 a month removes Payhip's fee.
- Payhip has no built-in email campaigns: a newsletter block collects followers for export, and buyers sync to a separate email service.
- Payments go through the seller's own PayPal, Stripe or regional gateway account, such as Square, Razorpay or Paystack.
- Sellers with a physical presence in a US state may still have to file a zero-dollar sales tax return there, Payhip's help center says.
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.
Payhip
- Many product types
- Digital downloads with variants, online courses, coaching with Calendly or Zoom scheduling, memberships, physical products and bundles.
- Sales tax handled
- Payhip collects and remits EU and UK VAT on digital sales and, from July 1, 2026, US sales tax as a marketplace facilitator, at no extra charge.
- Marketing tools
- Coupons, running sales, cross-selling, upgrade discounts, a referral system, customer reviews and an affiliate program.
- Store or embedded buttons
- A hosted store on a custom domain, or buy buttons added to WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Weebly or Shopify sites.
- File protection
- Download limits, set to 5 by default, and PDF stamping that prints the buyer's email and purchase date on every page.
- Mailing list sync
- Buyers are added to lists in ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, AWeber, Drip, Flodesk, Klaviyo and other email services after a purchase.
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.
Payhip
Free Forever$0
All features, unlimited products and revenue. Payhip takes a 5% transaction fee on each sale; PayPal and Stripe charge their own fees too.
Plus$29
per month
The same features as Free Forever, with Payhip's transaction fee cut from 5% to 2% of each sale.
Pro$99
per month
The same features with no transaction fee from Payhip; only PayPal or Stripe processing fees apply.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, itch.io or Payhip?
As of Nov 12, 2026, itch.io is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $29 a month for Payhip. itch.io is free, and Payhip starts at $29 per month.
Which has a free plan, itch.io or Payhip?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both itch.io and Payhip have a free plan.
Which platforms do itch.io and Payhip 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.