itch.io review (2026): is it any good?
Open marketplace for indie games, assets and tools, pay what you want
itch.io report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for indie games, assets and tools you sell yourself
itch.io is an open marketplace for indie games and assets, with no monthly fee and a revenue share you set from 0% to 100%, defaulting to 10%. Processor fees of about $0.30 + 2.9% still apply, and tax and chargebacks fall on you unless you use the collected payout mode.
Who itch.io is for
- 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
Who itch.io is not for
- 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
Why itch.io gets a 3.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyNo 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.
- AFree plan and trialFree 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.
- BFeaturesProject pages, pay-what-you-want pricing, two payout modes, sales, bundles and jams, download keys and access control, a desktop app and an API.
- CEase of useNo 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.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from itch.io's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make itch.io? Put this grade on your site
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/itch-io#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/itch-io.svg" alt="itch.io: 3.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where itch.io stands among tools for selling digital products
itch.io's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 27 of the 28 other tools for selling digital products we grade.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 28 of 28) and worst on ease of use (C, above 1).
itch.io has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 29 tools for selling digital products we grade, cut by the letter each got. itch.io’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 28 of 28
- AFree plan and trialAbove 20 of 28, level with 8
- BFeaturesAbove 15 of 28, level with 13
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 28, level with 25
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 4 of 28, level with 24
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 20 tools for selling digital products. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep itch.io, or make your own?
Keep it
itch.io is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 27 of the 28 other tools for selling digital products we grade.
What you could make
- Digital downloads: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you.
- A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, PayPal, Stripe and Payoneer among them, and has an API.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. itch.io’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is itch.io?
itch.io is a marketplace where creators upload games, game assets, tools, comics, books and soundtracks, and sell them or give them away. Using it costs nothing: sellers choose what share of each sale goes to itch.io through an open revenue share, with 10% as the default. Pages, downloads, sales, bundles and game jams are all hosted on the site.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
itch.io pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, itch.io is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- 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 trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
Read from itch.io on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with itch.io before you buy.
Works with
itch.io alternatives
- itch.io vs Payhip
Free plan · from $29/mo
- itch.io vs Ko-fi
Free plan
- itch.io vs Sellfy
Free trial · from $22/mo
- itch.io vs Lemon Squeezy
Free plan · from $10/mo
Common questions
Does itch.io have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. itch.io is listed for Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does itch.io have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. itch.io is listed for Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Is itch.io open source?
itch.io is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does itch.io have an API?
Yes. itch.io offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.