Lisensio vs Freemius: the 10.5% question
Freemius is a capable platform with a real cost: roughly 10.5% of every sale once the 7% platform fee, WordPress surcharge and gateway fees stack up. Here's when that's worth it — and when it's just expensive.
Lisensio vs Freemius: Freemius takes roughly 10.5% of every sale (7% platform + WordPress surcharge + gateway fees); Lisensio costs a flat $89/year with 0% revenue share. Lisensio becomes cheaper at about $850/year in sales.
At a Glance
Side-by-side comparison
| Lisensio | Freemius | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost model | $89/yr flat, unlimited sales | ~10.5% of every sale (7% platform + WP surcharge + gateway) |
| Cost at $25K/yr revenue | $89 | ≈ $2,625 |
| Cost at $100K/yr revenue | $89 | ≈ $10,500 |
| Where customers buy | Your store, your domain, your brand | Checkout runs on Freemius infrastructure |
| License server | Runs on your site — you own it | Their server; outages affect your customers |
| Subscriptions | Built-in engine, no extra cost | Included (within the revenue share) |
| Gateways | Stripe, PayPal, Polar built in | Processed through Freemius |
| Payouts | Instant to your own account | $100 minimum balance before withdrawal |
| Automatic updates | Included, obfuscated URLs | Included |
| Volume discounts | Not needed — flat rate | Fees drop meaningfully only after ~$50K/month |
Freemius figures based on its published fee structure (4.7% base + 2.3% WP surcharge + ~3.5% gateway) as of 2026.
Be Honest
When Freemius is the better choice
We'd rather earn your trust than your regret. Freemius genuinely wins if:
- You want zero setup — embed their checkout and SDK, skip running WooCommerce entirely
- You need built-in EU VAT handling on day one without configuring a tax plugin
- You want their affiliate program & in-dashboard upsells more than you want margin
- You're pre-revenue — before ~$850/yr in sales, revenue share costs less than $89
Past roughly $850/year in sales, Lisensio is cheaper — and the gap grows with every dollar you make. At $25K/yr you save $2,500+. Every year.
Own your store. Keep your margin.
Lisensio: $89/year flat, every feature included, 30-day money-back guarantee.
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