Etsy vs Gumroad: Honest Comparison
Two options, side by side, with the real costs and the honest downsides. No hype, just what I'd want my own family to know before they choose.
| Etsy | Gumroad | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4✓ | 3.5 |
| Monthly cost | $0 | $0 |
| Category | Online selling platform | Online selling platform |
| Pros | No monthly fee to open a shop; Huge built-in audience of shoppers; Great for crafts, art, vintage and digital downloads; Simple to set up and start listing | $0 a month: you only pay when you sell; Very easy to set up a product page; Handles sales tax worldwide for you; Good for ebooks, templates and small courses |
| Cons | $0.20 listing fee per item, renewed every 4 months; 6.5% transaction fee on each sale, plus payment processing; Offsite Ads can take an extra 12% to 15% on some sales; Crowded marketplace with lots of competition | Takes 10% plus 50 cents on every direct sale; Sales through its Discover marketplace cost 30%; Card processing fees can add more; You need to bring most of your own buyers |
| Verdict | Etsy is one of the easiest ways to start selling creative products from home, with buyers already searching the site every day. Fees add up, so price your items with listing, transaction and processing fees in mind. | Gumroad is one of the easiest ways to sell your first digital product. The fees are high, so it fits best while you're testing an idea or selling small amounts. |
Choose Etsy if you make handmade, vintage or digital creative products. Choose Gumroad if you want to sell a digital product with no monthly fee while you test an idea.
Etsy
An online marketplace, founded in 2005, where people sell handmade goods, vintage items, craft supplies and digital downloads.
Gumroad
A simple platform for selling digital products like ebooks, courses, templates and memberships, with no monthly fee.
What I chose for my family
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