Ko-fi vs Gumroad for Digital Products: Fees, Sales Tax and Which to Start With

Ko-fi and Gumroad both let you upload a file, set a price and share a link in a few minutes, so they get compared a lot. They're built differently, though. On Ko-fi, the buyer pays you directly through your own Stripe or PayPal account and you're the seller. On Gumroad, Gumroad is the merchant of record: it takes the payment, handles sales tax and VAT, and pays you out later.

We sell our own product mainly through a Stripe Payment Link on our site and also list it on Gumroad. We have no affiliate deal with either platform. Every fee below comes from Ko-fi's and Gumroad's own pricing and help pages, checked October 27, 2026, for a US seller and a US card sale. Fees change, so confirm before you price. This isn't tax or legal advice.

The short answer

• Ko-fi keeps more on every sale. Its Shop fee is 5% plus your processor's fee, compared with Gumroad's 10% + 50¢ plus card processing. That works out to 75¢ more on a $5 sale, $1.85 more on $27 and $5.35 more on $97.
• Gumroad handles sales tax and VAT for you. Ko-fi doesn't: it gives you a setting to add tax at checkout, but registering, collecting and paying it is your job.
• Pick Ko-fi if your buyers are mostly in one country you understand, you already have a following on Ko-fi, or you want the money in your own account right away. Pick Gumroad if you sell worldwide and never want to think about VAT.

What you keep at six prices

Per sale, US card, no tax. Ko-fi rows use its 5% Shop service fee plus Stripe's US rate of 2.9% + 30¢ (Ko-fi says processor fees are "usually around 3% + $0.30"). Ko-fi Gold removes the 5% for $12 a month; the Gold column is per sale before that monthly charge. Gumroad direct is 10% + 50¢ plus 2.9% + 30¢ card processing. Gumroad Discover (its marketplace) is 30% flat, processing included.

When Ko-fi Gold pays off: the 5% fee equals $12 once you sell $240 a month through Ko-fi. Below that, the free setup is cheaper. Above it, Gold saves the difference. Most first products start well under $240 a month, so start without Gold and switch later if sales get there.

Run your own price through the Gumroad fee calculator, or see Ko-fi, Gumroad, Stripe, Lemon Squeezy, Payhip and Etsy ranked at once in the platform fee comparison.

Sales tax and VAT: the real difference

Gumroad has been the merchant of record since January 1, 2025. It collects and remits sales tax and VAT on your sales worldwide, and you don't register or file for them.

Ko-fi says plainly that it isn't the merchant of record on any transaction. You can list the places where you charge tax and the percentage, and Ko-fi adds it at checkout, but the money lands in your Stripe or PayPal account and reporting and paying it is up to you. If you sell digital products to buyers in the EU or UK, that can mean VAT from the first sale, so check the rules before you rely on the lower fee.

Buyers, delivery and payouts

Where buyers come from. Plan on bringing the buyers yourself on either platform. Ko-fi has no marketplace, so sales come from the links you share in your posts, streams and community. Gumroad Discover can show a product to people browsing Gumroad, at 30% of the sale, but it's not something to count on for a new product. If you have no audience yet, see how to sell digital products without an audience, and if you want a marketplace with real search traffic, compare Etsy vs Gumroad.

Cash flow. Ko-fi never holds your money, which helps if you need it quickly. Gumroad pays on a schedule, so on a weekly payout a sale made today reaches you the following week at the earliest.

A simple way to choose

1. Mostly US buyers, or you already handle sales tax: Ko-fi. Lower fees and immediate payouts.
2. Lots of EU, UK or other international buyers and you don't want to file VAT: Gumroad, or another merchant of record such as Lemon Squeezy (see Lemon Squeezy vs Stripe).
3. Already selling over $240 a month on Ko-fi: add Gold.
4. Not sure: start where your audience already is. Moving later means changing one link, as long as you keep your buyer list.

If you'd rather keep even more per sale and handle delivery yourself, Gumroad vs Stripe Payment Links covers selling from your own checkout, and Gumroad alternatives compares seven more options on a $27 sale.

Common questions

Does Ko-fi take a fee on shop sales? Yes, 5% on Shop sales and commissions on both its free and Standard setups. Only one-time tips and Goals can be fee-free, on the free setup. Ko-fi Gold ($12 a month for new members) brings the service fee to 0%. Stripe or PayPal fees apply either way.

Is Gumroad's 10% the whole fee? No. Gumroad's help page lists card processing (2.9% + 30¢) or PayPal fees on top of 10% + 50¢ for direct sales. Discover sales are 30% with processing included.

Can I sell the same product on both? Yes, if you own it and any assets you used allow it. Keep the price the same and track which platform each sale came from.

Which is better for a first digital product? The one that gets it on sale this week. On your first ten $17 sales the gap is about $13.50; finding buyers matters far more. How to get your first sale has a plan for that part.

Sources (checked October 27, 2026)

• Ko-fi pricing, Ko-fi Help: Does Ko-fi take a fee? and What is Ko-fi Gold?
• Ko-fi Help: Ko-fi Shop, How tax works on Ko-fi and Ko-fi terms
• Gumroad pricing, Gumroad Help: Gumroad's fees and Getting paid by Gumroad
• Stripe US pricing