The Payhip Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Payhip in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Payhip
The Insider’s Guide
Store for downloads, courses and memberships, with a free plan
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among tools for selling digital products, read from Payhip’s own pages.
Made by Payhip · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Payhip’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Payhip’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 6 of the 14 other tools for selling digital products we grade
Payhip gives creators a hosted store for digital downloads, online courses, coaching, memberships and physical products, with every feature on every plan. The free plan takes 5% of each sale, and paid plans lower that fee. Payhip handles EU and UK VAT on digital sales and, from July 2026, collects and pays US sales tax as a marketplace facilitator.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Payhip, taken from its own pages and our grades.
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.
- 1
Best for a free store for downloads, courses and coaching
What it lacks is email campaigns of its own, so you'll want a separate email tool.
- 2
Paid plans start at $29 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $29 per month.
- 3
There is a free plan
Free Forever plan with all features, unlimited products and unlimited revenue; Payhip takes 5% of each sale on top of PayPal or Stripe fees.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Many product types
Digital downloads with variants, online courses, coaching with Calendly or Zoom scheduling, memberships, physical products and bundles.
- 6
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.
- 7
Marketing tools
Coupons, running sales, cross-selling, upgrade discounts, a referral system, customer reviews and an affiliate program.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 6 of 14
That is against the other tools for selling digital products we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Payhip you would be making checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Payhip at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $29 per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Payhip
- Category
- Selling Digital Products
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for a free store for downloads, courses and coaching
Payhip gives you a full store for downloads, courses, coaching and memberships with every feature on the free plan, and it handles EU, UK and now US sales tax. You pay with a cut instead: 5% on the free plan, 2% on Plus. What it lacks is email campaigns of its own, so you'll want a separate email tool.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Plus 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 | A | Free 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 | C | Downloads, 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 | C | No 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 | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Payhip is for
- Great if you want a free store and only pay when something sells
- Handy when you sell courses, coaching and downloads from one place
- Good for sellers in the EU, UK or US who want sales tax taken off their hands
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- New sellers who want a free store and pay only when they sell
- Creators selling downloads, courses and coaching from one store
- Sellers who want EU, UK and US sales tax taken care of
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$29
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Payhip has a free plan. Paid plans start at $29 per month.
No yearly price is on record, and PayPal or Stripe fees come on top (not counted).
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.
The free plan
Free Forever plan with all features, unlimited products and unlimited revenue; Payhip takes 5% of each sale on top of PayPal or Stripe fees.
Read from payhip.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Store for downloads, courses and memberships, with a free plan. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: online courses, affiliate tracking, online store, digital downloads.
Downloads, courses, coaching, memberships, physical products and bundles, plus coupons, affiliates and PDF stamping.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Zapier
- Zoom
- Calendly
- WordPress
- Shopify
- ConvertKit
Payhip is made by Payhip.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/14
Other tools for selling digital products it is graded above
Payhip's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 6 of the 14 other tools for selling digital products we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 7 of 14) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $24.50 for the category: 5 of the 9 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 6 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 15 tools for selling digital products we grade, cut by the letter each got. Payhip’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 3 of 14
- AFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 14
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 14
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 14
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 14
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 14 tools for selling digital products. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Payhip is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Payhip you would be making checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $348 a year.
What you could make
- Digital downloads and online courses: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you.
- Every click and sale traced back to the right partner.
- It plugs into other products, Stripe, PayPal and Zapier among them.
- People on the other end: coaches and facilitators. No app builder makes those.
What this rests on. Payhip’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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Gumroad, Sellfy, Lemon Squeezy, SendOwl and Podia
The 5 tools Payhip is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Gumroad
Free
Sell downloads, memberships and courses for a cut of each sale.
- Only Gumroad lists iOS and Android apps.
- Payhip also covers online courses and online store.
- Gumroad also covers email campaigns and merchant of record.
- 2.4GPA
Sellfy
Free trial · from $22/mo
Store builder for selling downloads, subscriptions and print-on-demand.
- Payhip has a free plan. Sellfy does not, though it has a free trial.
- Payhip also covers online courses.
- Sellfy also covers email campaigns and print on demand.
- 2.8GPA
Lemon Squeezy
Free plan · from $10/mo
Merchant of record checkout for software, subscriptions and downloads.
- Payhip also covers online courses.
- Lemon Squeezy also covers email campaigns and merchant of record.
- 2.4GPA
SendOwl
Free trial · from $32.50/mo
Checkout and delivery for downloads, licenses and subscriptions.
- Payhip has a free plan. SendOwl does not, though it has a free trial.
- Payhip also covers online courses.
- 2.4GPA
Podia
Free trial · from $42/mo
Website, store, courses, community and email for creators in one place.
- Payhip has a free plan. Podia does not, though it has a free trial.
- Payhip also covers affiliate tracking, online store and digital downloads.
- Podia also covers marketing automation, email campaigns and community.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Payhip free?
Payhip has a free plan. Free Forever plan with all features, unlimited products and unlimited revenue; Payhip takes 5% of each sale on top of PayPal or Stripe fees.
How much does Payhip cost?
Payhip lists 3 plans. Free Forever: $0.
What platforms does Payhip work on?
Payhip is available on Web.
Does Payhip have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Payhip is listed for Web.
Does Payhip have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Payhip is listed for Web.
Is Payhip open source?
Payhip is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Payhip integrate with?
Payhip's listing names Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, Zoom, Calendly, WordPress, Shopify and ConvertKit.
Who makes Payhip?
Payhip is made by Payhip.
What are the alternatives to Payhip?
The closest alternatives to Payhip in our directory are Gumroad, Sellfy, Lemon Squeezy, SendOwl and Podia.
How does Payhip compare with other tools for selling digital products?
Payhip's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 6 of the 14 other tools for selling digital products we grade, and level with 5.
Is Payhip good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Payhip C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $24.50 for the category: 5 of the 9 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Payhip?
To replace Payhip you would be making checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Payhip’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Payhip's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Payhip. Prices change, so check payhip.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,281
Tools graded, in 73 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,281
tools graded
73
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Payhip, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/payhip
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Payhip: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/payhip
Know someone choosing between tools for selling digital products?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/payhip/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded tools for selling digital products after Payhip, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Selling Digital Products Insider's GuideEvery one of the 15 tools for selling digital products we grade, compared
- Whop Insider's GuideStorefront, checkout and payouts for paid communities and products3.4 GPA
- Patreon Insider's GuidePaid memberships, a shop and community for creators and their fans3.0 GPA
- Lemon Squeezy Insider's GuideMerchant of record checkout for software, subscriptions and downloads2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Payhip’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Payhip is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Payhip. Prices and plans change: check payhip.com before you buy.