Gumroad vs Ko-fi Fees (2026): $20 Sale Keep
Gumroad direct sales plan around a blended ~12.9% + $0.80 as of 2026-10-24. Ko-fi Free takes 0% platform on one-time tips (processing ~2.9% + $0.30 still applies); Standard is 5% on tips, and Gold can remove the tip platform cut. Gumroad fits catalog downloads; Ko-fi fits tips and lightweight memberships—compare the job, not only the percent.
Key takeaways
- Gumroad direct blend ≈ 12.9% + $0.80; Discover marketplace is 30%.
- Ko-fi Free tips: 0% platform (processing remains); shop/memberships 5%.
- On a $100 tip, Ko-fi Free keeps far more than Gumroad’s storefront cut — different jobs.
Calculate with Gumroad →Calculate with Ko-fi →
Different products behind the fee tables
Gumroad is built as a creator storefront for products, memberships, and paywalled content with a higher blended take that folds platform and processing for planning—about 12.9% + $0.80 on direct sales in our schedule as of 2026-10-24 (see gumroad.com/pricing). Discover marketplace sales are 30%. Ko-fi began as a tip jar and expanded into shop and membership features with Free-plan 0% on one-time tips (5% on shop/memberships) and a Gold path that can eliminate tip commission while processing remains.
Comparing them only on percent misses intent. If fans send gratitude payments, Ko-fi’s lower tip take usually wins. If you sell a $49 PDF with customer support expectations, Gumroad’s tooling may justify its blend—or you may prefer Stripe on your own site at 2.9% + $0.30 plus your hosting time. Use /tools/gumroad-fee-calculator/ and /tools/kofi-fee-calculator/ on the same price point.
Fee comparison
On a $100 tip-like payment: Ko-fi Free platform $0 + ~$3.20 processing estimate (net ~$96.80); Standard 5% platform ≈ $5 plus processing; Gumroad direct blend ~$12.90 + $0.80 = $13.70 (net ~$86.30). Gumroad is not trying to win the tip-jar fee contest—it is a storefront cut.
On a $100 digital product, the relevant question is whether Gumroad’s conversion and features outperform a Ko-fi shop link or a self-hosted Stripe checkout after you include your time. Feed the same $100 through both calculators, then add Gold’s subscription if you model Ko-fi Gold.
Worked example and reverse pricing
Forward Gumroad $49 product at ~12.9% + $0.80: percent ≈ $6.32, plus $0.80 ≈ $7.12 fee, net ≈ $41.88. Forward Ko-fi Free tip $49 at 0% platform + ~2.9% + $0.30 processing estimate ≈ $1.72 fee, net ≈ $47.28—different product category than Gumroad’s storefront cut.
Reverse to net $100 on Gumroad: C ≈ (100 + 0.80) ÷ (1 − 0.129) ≈ 100.8 ÷ 0.871 ≈ $115.73. Reverse to net $100 on Ko-fi Free tips (0% platform, processing ~2.9%+$0.30): ≈ $103.30; on Standard 5% platform alone ≈ $105.26 before processing. Reverse Ko-fi Gold processing estimate at 2.9% + $0.30: ≈ $103.30, Stripe-like. Publish list prices from reverse math so net goals survive the platform you actually use.
Gold break-even sketch for tips: monthly tips × 5% ≈ commission saved if Gold removes it. If that exceeds Gold’s price and you still pay processing, Gold can win. Confirm live Gold pricing on Ko-fi; do not freeze an old blog number into your model.
How to calculate which checkout to keep
Segment revenue into tips vs product sales vs memberships. Apply Ko-fi schedules to tips/memberships and Gumroad’s blend to catalog sales. If one segment is tiny, consolidating platforms may beat dual-maintaining two storefronts even if the fee table prefers a split.
Include refund rates. Higher-touch digital products refund more; a cheaper fee with high refunds can lose to a costlier platform with clearer delivery tooling. Track effective net after refunds, not only after fees.
- List each SKU’s price and expected monthly units.
- Run Gumroad blended forward/reverse for SKUs.
- Run Ko-fi free and Gold scenarios for tip volume.
- Add Gold subscription and your support time.
- Pick a primary checkout; link the secondary sparingly.
When Gumroad wins vs when Ko-fi wins
Choose Gumroad when you need a product-centric storefront, discoverability features you value, and are willing to price for ~12.9% + $0.80 blended. Choose Ko-fi when tips dominate and especially when Gold makes processing-shaped economics available on donations.
Choose neither alone when you need full merchant control: a Stripe checkout at 2.9% + $0.30 plus your site may win on fees if you can build and maintain it. Compare also Patreon vs Ko-fi vs Buy Me a Coffee for membership-first creators. Hub: /creator-fees/.
Practical tips
Do not paste a Stripe reverse price onto a Gumroad SKU. Rebuild every product price with /tools/gumroad-fee-calculator/. Do not assume Ko-fi shop fees equal tip fees—confirm the product type in Ko-fi’s documentation and our schedules.
Keep official sources handy: gumroad.com/pricing and ko-fi.com. Schedules cited here are as of 2026-10-24. Re-verify after platform emails about pricing changes. Related: hidden payment fees for stacked payout surprises.
- Reverse-price every Gumroad SKU after fee changes.
- Revisit Ko-fi Gold quarterly as tip volume grows.
- Separate tip metrics from product metrics in analytics.
- Avoid promising fans a payout percent you have not measured on a real statement.
Catalog design under high take rates
When Gumroad’s blend near 12.9% + $0.80 applies, bundling can neutralize fixed-fee pain better than selling many tiny SKUs. A $9 impulse PDF pays a painful effective rate after $0.80 fixed; a $49 bundle amortizes the fixed component and still reverse-prices cleanly toward your net goal.
Ko-fi tip culture rewards frequent small thanks. That pattern fits ~5% free-tier tips or Gold processing estimates near 2.9% + $0.30, but it is a weak match for a 40-SKU download store. If your analytics show tips out-earning product sales, invest in Ko-fi; if product sales dominate, invest in Gumroad merchandising—or a Stripe storefront.
Publish a public pricing philosophy for fans: “Tips via Ko-fi, premium packs via Gumroad,” so audiences stop asking which link is canonical. Dual links without a story create abandoned carts and support tickets that erase fee savings.
Rehearse refund policy differences too. Platforms handle refunds differently; your calculator nets assume successful settled sales. A 5% refund rate on Gumroad changes the real blend more than a 0.2% pricing tweak.
| Checkout | Planning rate | Fee on $100 | Net on $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gumroad direct (blended) | ~12.9% + $0.80 | ~$13.70 | ~$86.30 |
| Ko-fi free tips | ~5% | ~$5.00 | ~$95.00 |
| Ko-fi Gold (processing est.) | ~2.9% + $0.30 | ~$3.20 | ~$96.80 |
Sources
- Gumroad pricing (as of 2026-10-24)
- Ko-fi (as of 2026-10-24)
FAQ
Why is Gumroad so much higher than Ko-fi on $100?
Gumroad’s ~12.9% + $0.80 is a storefront blended planning rate; Ko-fi free tips near ~5% (and Gold processing near ~2.9% + $0.30) target different jobs. Compare same-job checkouts, not tip jars vs product platforms blindly.
How much should I charge on Gumroad to net $100?
About $115.73 using the ~12.9% + $0.80 blend: (100 + 0.80) ÷ (1 − 0.129). Confirm in /tools/gumroad-fee-calculator/ and on gumroad.com/pricing.
Does Ko-fi Gold remove all fees?
No. Gold can remove donation commission on eligible tips, but card processing-like fees remain. Our Gold schedule models processing near 2.9% + $0.30 for planning—verify current Gold benefits on Ko-fi.
Can I use both Gumroad and Ko-fi?
Yes. Many creators take tips on Ko-fi and sell downloads on Gumroad. Just reverse-price each catalog correctly and avoid splitting the same SKU across too many storefronts.
Should I move products to Stripe instead?
If you can host checkout and support customers yourself, Stripe US list at 2.9% + $0.30 is far cheaper than Gumroad’s blend—but you own fraud, hosting, and UX. Model engineering time honestly.