EarnThread vs Gumroad
Gumroad is the quickest way to sell a file, but it keeps 10% + 50¢ of every direct sale, and 30% through its Discover marketplace.
On price: EarnThread costs less than Gumroad at every sales level we checked, up to $50,000 a month.
Fee calculator
About 13 sales a month. You'd keep $14.10 more a month on EarnThread.
PlatformCheapest plan for youMonthly costYou keep
EarnThreadGrowth$42.40$457.60
GumroadDirect sales$56.50$443.50
Start on the free plan and move up only when it pays for itself.
Start free →Monthly cost at a glance
Each platform on its cheapest plan for that level of sales, at an average price of $39, card processing included.
| Monthly sales | EarnThread | Gumroad | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200 | $17Launch (free) | $23Direct sales | EarnThread $5 less |
| $500 | $42Growth | $57Direct sales | EarnThread $14 less |
| $1,000 | $66Growth | $113Direct sales | EarnThread $47 less |
| $3,000 | $159Growth | $339Direct sales | EarnThread $179 less |
| $10,000 | $416Scale | $1,128Direct sales | EarnThread $712 less |
Where Gumroad is better
- Gumroad is the merchant of record, so it collects and pays sales tax and VAT for you. On EarnThread you sell through your own Stripe account and handle tax yourself (Stripe Tax can help).
- The Discover marketplace can bring buyers who've never heard of you, at a 30% fee.
Where EarnThread is better
- A smaller cut of every sale: 5% on the free plan, 1% or 0% on paid plans, plus normal card processing, instead of 10% + 50¢.
- Payments go to your own Stripe account, so your customers and payouts are yours.
- Coaching calls with calendar booking, which Gumroad doesn't offer.
- See which post, link or campaign led to each lead and sale, and share a revenue receipt for any campaign.
Features
| Feature | EarnThread | Gumroad |
|---|---|---|
| No monthly fee | ✓ | ✓ |
| Digital downloads and memberships | ✓ | ✓ |
| Coaching and booking | ✓ | — |
| Handles sales tax for you | — | ✓ |
| Marketplace discovery | — | ✓ |
| Post-to-sale attribution | ✓ | ◐ |
✓ yes · ◐ partly or on higher plans only · — no.
How we compared
- Prices are published monthly prices in US dollars, checked on 3 October 2026. Annual billing is cheaper on most platforms. Features were checked in August 2026 (course features in October).
- Where a platform's fee doesn't include card processing, we add standard US card processing (2.9% + 30¢ per sale), the same for EarnThread.
- Taxes, currency conversion, international cards, refunds and add-ons aren't included.
Sources
Spotted something out of date? Prices change, so tell us and we'll correct it.