Lisensio vs Gumroad: "free" costs 14%
Gumroad is genuinely free to start — and then takes 10% + $0.50 of every direct sale. On a $50 plugin, with card processing, you keep about $42.75. Here's the full picture.
Lisensio vs Gumroad: Gumroad charges 10% + $0.50 per direct sale (30% on Discover) — about 14.5% effective on a $50 sale. Lisensio is $89/year flat with native WordPress licensing and automatic updates, which Gumroad lacks.
At a Glance
Side-by-side comparison
| Lisensio | Gumroad | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee on a $50 sale | ≈ $1.75 (standard Stripe processing) | ≈ $7.25 (10% + $0.50 + processing) — ~14.5% effective |
| Marketplace sales | N/A — all sales are on your store | 30% flat via Gumroad Discover |
| Annual cost at $20K revenue | $89 | ≈ $2,600+ |
| WordPress auto-updates | Native wp-admin updates, license-validated | No built-in WP update integration |
| License management | Activation limits, staging, expiry, per-domain tracking | Basic license key generation only |
| Customer accounts | Full self-serve dashboard on your domain | Gumroad-hosted library |
| Refunds | Your policy; license auto-revokes | Gumroad keeps its fees on refunded sales |
| Payouts | Direct to your Stripe/PayPal/Polar account | $100 payout threshold for unverified accounts |
| Your brand | Your store, your domain, your SEO | Gumroad-branded checkout & receipts |
Gumroad figures from its published 2026 pricing: 10% + $0.50 direct, 30% Discover, processing extra. Effective rates vary with ticket size.
Be Honest
When Gumroad is the better choice
- You're validating a first product this weekend — listing live in an afternoon, zero upfront cost
- You don't sell WordPress software — courses, templates, ebooks need no license server
- You want global sales tax handled for you — Gumroad is merchant of record (though so are cheaper MoRs)
The break-even is brutal: past roughly $700/year in sales, Lisensio is cheaper — and it gives you real licensing, activations and wp-admin updates Gumroad simply doesn't have.
Graduate from "free to start"
Real licensing, real updates, your own store — $89/year, 30-day money-back guarantee.
Get Lisensio — $89/yearMore comparisons: all competitors · vs Paddle · vs Freemius