Payhip alternatives in 2026: 8 places to sell, and what you give up
Payhip takes 5% on its free plan and handles VAT and US and Canadian sales tax. Here are 8 Payhip alternatives with fees and tax handling compared.
Payhip is free to start, takes 5% per sale on its free plan (2% on Plus at $29 a month, 0% on Pro at $99), and gives every plan every feature. Its biggest plus is tax: Payhip collects and pays EU and UK VAT and US and Canadian sales tax for you. Most alternatives don't. Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy also handle tax, and Etsy handles it for printables. Eden, Stan, Podia, Sellfy, and Ko-fi leave tax to you. Eden is the pick if you sell courses or coaching and want an AI that helps buyers use them.
This guide is for sellers on Payhip now, or choosing where to sell a first product. Full disclosure: we make Eden. Prices, fees, and tax rules were checked on each company's own site or help center in September 2026. Card processing (usually 2.9% + 30¢ per US sale) is extra everywhere unless we say it's included. This isn't tax advice.
What Payhip costs now
| Plan | Monthly | Payhip fee | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Forever | $0 | 5% | All features, unlimited products |
| Plus | $29 | 2% | All features, unlimited products |
| Pro | $99 | 0% | All features, unlimited products |
PayPal and Stripe charge their normal rates on top. Payhip says it deposits your sales right after each transaction, so there's no payout wait on its side.
Every plan can sell digital downloads, courses (with quizzes, assignments, drip, and certificates), coaching, memberships, and physical products. Marketing tools include coupons, cross-sells, upsells, an affiliate program, email marketing, and customer reviews, even on the free plan.
Payhip's big plus: it handles your tax
This is the main reason to stay, so be clear on it before you move:
- EU and UK VAT. On digital products, Payhip acts as your reseller and takes full responsibility for the VAT.
- US and Canadian sales tax. Since July 1, 2026, Payhip collects and pays sales tax in the US (as a marketplace facilitator) and Canada (as a digital platform operator).
- No extra charge. Payhip says it won't charge you anything to handle US sales tax.
One catch from Payhip's own help center: if you have a physical presence in a US state, you may still need to file a return there.
Eden does not do this. Eden isn't a merchant of record. When you sell through Eden checkout, sales tax through Stripe is yours to handle. If you sell to buyers in many countries and never want to think about tax, that alone may be a reason to stay on Payhip, or to keep Payhip as your checkout (more on that below).
Why people look for Payhip alternatives
- The fee at scale. 5% on the free plan is fair when you're starting. At $3,000 a month, that's $150. Getting to 0% costs $99 a month.
- A plain store. Payhip is a store, not a link-in-bio page built for selling from social media.
- Products that do more than deliver files. Payhip sells the course or the download. It doesn't sell an AI that teaches buyers what they bought.
The short version
| Platform | Best for | Price from | Platform fee | Handles tax? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eden | Courses, coaching, and AI products | $29/mo | 5% | No |
| Gumroad | Files, with a marketplace | Free | 10% + 50¢ | Yes, worldwide |
| Lemon Squeezy | Software and digital products | Free | 5% + 50¢ | Yes |
| Stan Store | A storefront in your link in bio | $29/mo | 0% | No (calculates it for you) |
| Podia | Courses, downloads, and community | $49/mo | 5% on Mover | No (collects, you pay it) |
| Sellfy | A branded store with 0% fees | $29/mo | 0% (up to a sales cap) | No (calculates EU VAT) |
| Ko-fi | Supporters, memberships, a small shop | Free | 5% (0% on Gold) | No |
| Etsy | Printables buyers find by search | Free | 6.5% + listing fees | US sales tax, VAT on digital |
1. Eden
Eden is a creator workspace with a store and a free link-in-bio page at your-handle.eden.so. Where Payhip sells the file, Eden can sell the file and the help: a course or guide can come with an AI that knows your material and walks each buyer through it.
What it does well:
- Every product shape. Digital downloads, courses, cohorts, coaching, memberships, bundles, and Custom AI products.
- Coaching with more structure. Packages, applications for high-ticket offers, intake questions, booking on your Google Calendar with Google Meet links (or a Calendly or Cal.com link), and a private space for each client.
- Selling tools for social. Order bumps, up to 3 one-click upsells after checkout, discount codes and share links, timed sales, testimonials, and content links that open your page with the right product on top.
- Keep Payhip as your checkout. Eden can use your Payhip product as the checkout (through Zapier's New Sale trigger) and give buyers access in Eden. Eden takes no cut on those sales, and tax stays with your checkout. See use your own checkout.
Where it falls short: Eden doesn't handle sales tax or VAT, which is Payhip's biggest strength. It has no free selling plan: publishing needs Starter at $29 a month, and Eden takes 5% per sale. It has no physical products, no custom domain, and no built-in email broadcasts. Order bumps and upsells need Eden checkout, so they're off when Payhip is your checkout.
The fee math, honestly: Eden Starter ($29 + 5%) always costs more than Payhip's free plan (5%) and Plus (2%). It beats Payhip Pro ($99, 0%) only until you sell about $1,400 a month. Choose Eden for what it sells, not to save on fees.
Price: page free. Selling from $29/mo, 5% per sale.
Best for: creators who sell courses, coaching, or guides and want buyers to get results, not just files.
2. Gumroad
Gumroad is the closest match on tax. Since January 1, 2025, it has been the merchant of record and handles sales tax collection and payment worldwide. Its Discover marketplace can also bring you buyers.
Where it falls short: 10% + 50¢ per direct sale, double Payhip's free-plan fee, and a flat 30% on Discover sales. See Gumroad fees.
Price: no monthly fee.
Best for: sellers who want tax handled worldwide and a shot at marketplace traffic.
3. Lemon Squeezy
Lemon Squeezy is a merchant of record built for software and digital products. It collects and files VAT and sales tax for you.
Where it falls short: its site now carries a 2026 update about Lemon Squeezy and Stripe Managed Payments, so its future as a standalone store is worth watching. See Lemon Squeezy alternatives.
Price: 5% + 50¢ per sale. No monthly fee.
Best for: software sellers who want tax handled.
4. Stan Store
Stan turns your link in bio into a store for downloads, courses, coaching, and memberships, with 0% transaction fees.
Where it falls short: tax is yours. Stan can turn on automatic tax calculation through Stripe, but its help center says it only collects in your registered tax region. Discount codes, upsells, and email broadcasts are on Creator Pro. See Stan Store fees.
Price: Creator $29/mo ($300/yr), Creator Pro $99/mo ($948/yr).
Best for: creators who sell from Instagram or TikTok and sell enough to beat a flat price.
5. Podia
Podia sells courses, downloads, and community from one site, with email included.
Where it falls short: Podia collects sales tax at checkout for the places you're registered, but you file and pay it yourself. Mover takes 5% and includes only 100 email subscribers. See Podia alternatives.
Price: Mover $49/mo ($42 yearly), Shaker $99/mo ($84 yearly), Earthquaker $179/mo ($150 yearly).
Best for: creators who want a website, community, and email in one login.
6. Sellfy
Sellfy is a branded store with 0% transaction fees, for digital products and print-on-demand.
Where it falls short: Sellfy says it isn't the merchant of record. It calculates EU VAT and gives you reports, but filing is yours. Each plan also has a yearly sales cap ($10,000 on Starter), with a 2% fee on sales over it.
Price: Starter $29/mo, Business $79/mo, Premium $159/mo. Billed yearly: $22, $59, $119.
Best for: sellers who want their own store look with no per-sale fee.
7. Ko-fi
Ko-fi sells memberships, commissions, and shop items to people who already support you.
Where it falls short: Ko-fi isn't the merchant of record. It can add tax at checkout, but you report and pay it. The shop is basic.
Price: free with a 5% fee on shop items and memberships, or Gold at $12/mo for 0%.
Best for: creators with fans who want to chip in and buy small extras.
8. Etsy (for printables)
Etsy is where many buyers search for planners, printables, and templates. It collects and pays US sales tax on digital orders and VAT on digital items in many countries.
Where it falls short: $0.20 per listing, a 6.5% transaction fee, and 3% + 25¢ processing for US sellers. Offsite Ads can take 15% of an attributed order (12% once you pass $10,000 a year), capped at $100 per order. You're also one listing among thousands. See how to sell templates.
Price: no monthly fee.
Best for: printables and templates people find by search.
Which one should you pick?
- Choose Eden if you sell courses, coaching, or guides and want an AI that helps buyers use them. Keep Payhip as the checkout if tax is the worry.
- Choose Gumroad if you want tax handled worldwide and marketplace traffic, and can pay 10%.
- Choose Lemon Squeezy if you sell software and want tax handled.
- Choose Stan if you sell from your link in bio and want 0% fees.
- Choose Etsy if you sell printables and your buyers search Etsy.
- Stay on Payhip if tax is what you care about most. At 5%, 2%, or 0% with VAT and US and Canadian sales tax handled, it's hard to beat on price.
How to sell on Eden and keep Payhip's tax handling
- Build the product in Eden. A course, guide, or digital download, with or without a Custom AI.
- Set the checkout to your Payhip link. On the Offer step, pick your own checkout and paste the Payhip product link.
- Connect sales. Use Zapier's Payhip New Sale trigger so each sale gives the buyer access in Eden.
- Publish. This needs Starter or above. Eden takes no cut on sales through Payhip.
Want Eden checkout's order bumps and upsells instead? Switch Take payment with to Eden checkout and connect Stripe. Tax is then yours to handle.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Payhip take per sale?
5% on the free plan, 2% on Plus ($29 a month), and 0% on Pro ($99 a month). PayPal and Stripe fees are extra.
Does Payhip handle sales tax?
Yes. It handles EU and UK VAT on digital products, and since July 1, 2026, US and Canadian sales tax. You may still owe a return in a US state where you have a physical presence.
Does Eden handle sales tax like Payhip?
No. Eden isn't a merchant of record, so tax on Eden checkout sales is yours. You can keep Payhip as your checkout and deliver the product in Eden.
What's the cheapest Payhip alternative?
For most sellers, Payhip is already the cheapest option that handles tax. Ko-fi's free plan also takes 5%, but tax is yours. Etsy has no monthly fee and handles tax, but its fees add up to more per sale.
Want to sell a course or guide that teaches itself? Start Eden free and build your first product.