Stripe vs Gumroad — which takes less?
| Stripe | Gumroad | |
|---|---|---|
| Headline rate | 2.9% + $0.30 per online card transaction | 10% + $0.50 platform fee + 2.9% + $0.30 processing |
| $100 → fees | $3.20 | $13.70 |
| $100 → net | $96.80 | $86.30 |
SaaS billing vs Merchant-of-Record break-even
| Provider | Monthly | Annual | Eff. rate | vs cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe (+ Billing & Tax)CHEAPEST | $515.00 | $6,180.00 | 5.15% | — |
| Polar.sh | $575.00 | $6,900.00 | 5.75% | +$60.00/mo |
| Paddle | $600.00 | $7,200.00 | 6.00% | +$85.00/mo |
| Lemon Squeezy | $710.00 | $8,520.00 | 7.10% | +$195.00/mo |
| Gumroad | $1,450.00 | $17,400.00 | 14.50% | +$935.00/mo |
Side-by-side quick reference
| Amount | Stripe fees | Stripe net | Gumroad fees | Gumroad net | Difference | Stripe charge→net | Gumroad charge→net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $0.59 | $9.41 | $2.09 | $7.91 | stripe +$1.50 | $10.61 | $12.40 |
| $25.00 | $1.03 | $23.97 | $4.03 | $20.97 | stripe +$3.00 | $26.06 | $29.63 |
| $50.00 | $1.75 | $48.25 | $7.25 | $42.75 | stripe +$5.50 | $51.81 | $58.33 |
| $100.00 | $3.20 | $96.80 | $13.70 | $86.30 | stripe +$10.50 | $103.30 | $115.73 |
| $250.00 | $7.55 | $242.45 | $33.05 | $216.95 | stripe +$25.50 | $257.78 | $287.95 |
| $500.00 | $14.80 | $485.20 | $65.30 | $434.70 | stripe +$50.50 | $515.25 | $574.98 |
| $1,000.00 | $29.30 | $970.70 | $129.80 | $870.20 | stripe +$100.50 | $1,030.18 | $1,149.03 |
Stripe formula
payment processing 2.90% + $0.30
2.9% + $0.30 per online card transaction — verified 2026-11-10
Gumroad formula
10% + $0.50 platform fee + 2.9% + $0.30 processing; payment processing 2.90% + $0.30
10% + $0.50 platform fee + 2.9% + $0.30 processing — verified 2026-11-10
Stripe fee formula & hidden costs
payment processing 2.90% + $0.30
Worked example: $100.00 gross → $3.20 fees → $96.80 net. Reverse gross-up: charge = (target + fixed) / (1 − rate) → to net $100.00 charge $103.30.
Hidden fees to watch
- International cards add +1.5% in the US — a $1,000 foreign card charge costs an extra $15.
- Currency conversion adds +1% (US) or +2% (UK/EU/CA/AU) on top of the card rate.
- Stripe does not refund the processing fee on refunds — refund a $100 charge and the $3.20 fee is gone for good.
- Stripe Invoicing (+0.4%), Billing subscriptions (+0.7%) and Radar/risk tools stack on top of the headline 2.9%.
- Instant Payouts cost an extra 1% of the payout amount (minimum $0.50).
Gumroad fee formula & hidden costs
10% + $0.50 platform fee + 2.9% + $0.30 processing; payment processing 2.90% + $0.30
Worked example: $100.00 gross → $13.70 fees → $86.30 net. Reverse gross-up: charge = (target + fixed) / (1 − rate) → to net $100.00 charge $115.73.
Hidden fees to watch
- The 10% + $0.50 platform fee sits ON TOP of 2.9% + $0.30 card processing — 12.9% + $0.80 all-in.
- Discover marketplace sales cost a flat 30% total.
- On small products the $0.80 fixed stack hurts: a $5 download loses $1.45 (29%).
- Gumroad keeps processing fees on refunds.
Frequently asked questions
Which takes less on a $100 sale: Stripe or Gumroad?
Stripe takes $3.20 (net $96.80); Gumroad takes $13.70 (net $86.30). Stripe wins by $10.50 at $100.
Which is better for international sellers, Stripe or Gumroad?
Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 per online card transaction. Gumroad: 10% + $0.50 platform fee + 2.9% + $0.30 processing. Check the regional variants above — rates change materially by country.
What is the effective take rate difference between Stripe and Gumroad?
At $100, Stripe takes 3.2% vs Gumroad at 13.7% — a 10.5 point gap before modifiers.