Payhip is an all-in-one platform for selling digital downloads, online courses, memberships, coaching and physical products. Every plan includes every feature; the only difference is how much Payhip takes per sale. That makes it easy to start free and upgrade once your sales justify it.
At a glance
| What it is | A store builder for creators’ digital and physical products |
| How you earn | Selling your own products, courses and memberships |
| Plans | Free Forever $0; Plus $29; Pro $99 a month |
| Transaction fee | 5% on Free, 2% on Plus, 0% on Pro |
| Extras | Courses, memberships, coupons, affiliates and email |
| Payments | Through your own Stripe or PayPal account |
Plans and fees
Payhip has three plans with the same features. Free Forever costs nothing and takes 5% of each sale. Plus costs $29 a month and takes 2%. Pro costs $99 a month and takes nothing. Card or PayPal processing applies on top of every plan. Independent fee checks put the break-even between Free and Plus at roughly $1,000 in monthly sales.
What you can sell
Ebooks, templates, software, music, video, online courses, memberships, coaching sessions and physical products. Payhip includes a store page, embeddable buy buttons for your own site, coupons, upsells, an affiliate program for your products and basic email tools.
Tax handling
Payhip handles EU and UK VAT on digital products for you. It isn’t a full merchant of record in the way Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy are, so sales tax elsewhere can remain your responsibility. Check what applies to you, especially if you sell to US customers in states that tax digital goods.
Payhip vs Gumroad
Payhip’s free plan takes half of Gumroad’s 10% and adds no per-sale fixed fee of its own. Gumroad handles more tax worldwide and has a marketplace, Discover, that Payhip lacks. For creators bringing their own audience, Payhip is usually cheaper.
Getting sales
Like most creator stores, Payhip relies on you for traffic. Use your newsletter, social media, YouTube or blog to send buyers. Payhip’s affiliate tools let fans earn a commission by promoting your products, which can multiply your reach.
Getting started
Sign up for Free Forever, add a product and connect Stripe or PayPal. Embed buy buttons on your site or share your store link. Upgrade to Plus once your monthly sales consistently pass the break-even point, and to Pro once the 2% fee on Plus costs more than the extra $70 a month.
Courses and memberships
Payhip’s course builder lets you upload video lessons, add text and quizzes, and drip content over time. Memberships can run on monthly or yearly billing, with free trials and gated content. Because every plan has every feature, you can launch a course on the free plan and only start paying a subscription once the course brings in steady income. For many creators, that makes Payhip a cheaper alternative to dedicated course platforms early on.
Physical products and shipping
Payhip also handles physical products with stock tracking and shipping rates, so a creator selling both prints and digital files can keep everything in one store. It isn’t as advanced as Shopify for physical goods, but it covers the basics for small catalogues and lets you sell merch next to your digital products.
Owen’s take
Payhip is one of the best-value starting points for digital products: full features, no monthly fee and a lower cut than Gumroad. The upgrade path is simple maths. Just check your tax obligations outside the EU and UK.
Who it suits
It suits creators selling digital products, courses or memberships to their own audience. It suits less well sellers who want a built-in marketplace or full worldwide tax handling.
Similar options
- Gumroad is a merchant of record with a marketplace, at higher fees.
- Lemon Squeezy suits software and digital products with global tax handling.
- Kajabi is an all-in-one course and coaching platform.
- Patreon focuses on memberships.
More options are in Digital Products.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free plan with all features
- Fees fall to 0% on Pro
- Courses, memberships and physical products in one place
Cons
- 5% fee on the free plan
- Not a full merchant of record
- No marketplace traffic
FAQ
Is Payhip free?
Yes. Free Forever has no monthly fee and takes 5% per sale.
What do Payhip’s paid plans cost?
Plus is $29 a month with a 2% fee; Pro is $99 a month with no transaction fee.
When should I upgrade to Plus?
Roughly once your monthly sales pass about $1,000, when the lower fee outweighs the $29.
Does Payhip handle VAT?
It handles EU and UK VAT on digital products. Other taxes may remain your responsibility.
Can I sell physical products on Payhip?
Yes, alongside digital products, courses and memberships.
