If you’re selling a digital product in 2026—whether it’s a Notion template, an e-book, or a video course—you face two massive headaches: transaction fees and global sales tax (VAT).
For a long time, the advice was simple: "Just put it on Gumroad." But after a series of controversial fee hikes and the rise of more professional alternatives, the decision isn't so easy anymore.
Today, we’re pitting the two heavyweights against each other: the veteran Gumroad vs. the high-performance Lemon Squeezy. After moving my own products between both, here is the honest 2026 verdict on where you should host your store.
The "Merchant of Record" Advantage
Before we talk about fees, we have to talk about taxes. Both Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy act as a Merchant of Record (MoR).
This is the single most important feature for a solo creator. When you sell a PDF to someone in France, you are technically responsible for collecting and remitting EU VAT. As a one-person business, this is an administrative nightmare that could lead to massive fines.
How it works:
When a customer buys your product, they are technically buying it from the platform (Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy), and the platform is then "paying" you. Because they are the legal seller, they handle all the global tax compliance. You don't have to worry about VAT, GST, or US Sales Tax. You just get your payout.
The Fee Battle: 10% vs. 5%
This is where the math starts to hurt. In 2026, the pricing structures have diverged significantly.
- Gumroad: Charges a flat 10% fee on every sale. But wait—there's a catch. This doesn't include the credit card processing fee (usually ~2.9% + $0.30). By the time the money hits your account, your "effective fee" is closer to 13-14%.
- Lemon Squeezy: Charges an all-inclusive 5% + $0.50 per transaction.
The Math:
If you sell $10,000 worth of courses:
- On Gumroad, you’ll pay roughly $1,350 in fees.
- On Lemon Squeezy, you’ll pay roughly $550.
That $800 difference is your "success tax" for staying on a platform that hasn't updated its pricing model for the modern era.
What Surprised Me: The "Marketplace" Factor
You might wonder why anyone still uses Gumroad. The answer is the Gumroad Discover marketplace.
Gumroad has a built-in search engine where people actively look for products. If your product is high-quality, Gumroad’s algorithm might recommend it to new buyers. I was surprised to find that about 15% of my Gumroad sales came from people who had never heard of me—they just found me on the platform.
The Trade-off: If Gumroad "finds" the customer for you through their marketplace, they take a massive 30% cut.
Payouts: How and When Do You Get Paid?
In 2026, cash flow is king. Here is how the two handle your money:
Gumroad:
- Minimum Payout: $10.
- Frequency: Every Friday.
- Methods: Direct deposit (US/UK/EU) or PayPal (Global).
- The "Hold": There is a 7-day waiting period for funds to become "available."
Lemon Squeezy:
- Minimum Payout: $50.
- Frequency: Twice a month (1st and 15th).
- Methods: Bank Wire or PayPal.
- The "Hold": Because they are owned by Stripe, they have stricter fraud checks. Funds are usually held for 13 days before they can be paid out.
The Final Verdict: Which is Best for 2026?
Choose Gumroad if:
You are a total beginner with zero audience. If you just want to upload a $10 PDF and hope the "Discover" marketplace finds you some customers, Gumroad is the easiest, lowest-friction way to start.
Choose Lemon Squeezy if:
You are building a real brand. If you have an audience (from your blog, newsletter, or social media) and you want to keep more of your profit, Lemon Squeezy is the clear winner. The professional checkout, built-in affiliate portal, and superior email marketing features make it the "standard" for 2026 pros.