Gumroad has been the default place to sell a PDF, a template pack or a short course for years. Whop started with communities and software, then grew into a general platform for selling digital access. If you sell digital products, both will work. The difference is mostly in fees, in how much you can do after the first sale, and in what kind of product you are building.
Fees side by side
| Gumroad | Whop | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | None | None |
| Direct sales | 10% + $0.50, plus card processing (2.9% + $0.30) | 2.7% + $0.30 domestic card |
| Marketplace sales | 30% flat on Discover sales | 0% marketplace fee on Discover |
| High volume | 5% + $0.50 on new direct sales after $20,000 in a calendar month | Same rate at every size |
| International cards | Covered by processing | +1.5%, +1% for currency conversion |
Gumroad's help center lists card processing separately from its own 10% + $0.50 on direct sales. Whop's 2.7% + $0.30 is the processing fee, with optional add-ons for billing, orchestration and managed tax that you only pay when enabled.
Worked example: a $29 template pack, 100 sales a month, US cards
- Gumroad: ($2.90 + $0.50) + ($0.84 + $0.30) = $4.54 per sale, about $454 a month
- Whop: $0.78 + $0.30 = $1.08 per sale, about $108 a month
If those 100 sales came through each platform's marketplace instead:
- Gumroad Discover: 30% of $29 = $8.70 per sale, $870 a month
- Whop Discover: same as a direct sale, about $108 a month
Tax
Gumroad says it is the merchant of record and handles sales tax collection and remittance worldwide. That is a real benefit if you sell to buyers in many countries and want no tax admin.
On Whop, Discover sales get marketplace tax handling where Whop is registered. For direct sales you choose: Whop collects and you remit, Whop collects and remits in the US, EU and UK, or you handle it yourself. The managed options cost 2% per transaction. Whop's docs also say plainly that choosing a managed option does not remove all of your own obligations.
Add one-click upsells to your Whop
Install OneClick Upsell from the Whop App Store and offer a post-purchase upsell in a few minutes.
What each platform is built for
Gumroad is built around single products. You get a clean product page, a profile, discount codes, affiliates, memberships and an audience feature for emailing customers. It is quick to set up and familiar to buyers.
Whop is built around access. A product gives members a set of apps: courses, chat, forums, events, files, Discord roles or software. You can sell one-time, subscription or free access, run free trials and waitlists, and embed checkout on your own site.
So the choice often comes down to the product:
- A single PDF, preset pack or template: Gumroad is simple, Whop is cheaper.
- A course with a community, or anything with ongoing access: Whop fits better.
- Software, bots or tools with license-style access: Whop is built for it.
Selling more after the first purchase
Gumroad lets you suggest other products and run discount codes. Whop has native upsells through locked apps that can show before checkout as an add-on, on a page after checkout, or inside the whop.
If you want a full funnel (order bump, then an upsell, then a downsell if they decline) with one-tap charges on the same card, OneClick Upsell adds that to Whop. The guide on order bumps is a good place to start if you sell low-priced products, since a small add-on at checkout lifts the average order without a second purchase.
Both platforms let you reach buyers, but neither is a full email marketing tool with flows triggered by membership events. If you move to Whop, plan how you will email buyers. WhopMail's guide to exporting your Whop members' emails covers getting your list out and keeping it in sync.
Moving from Gumroad to Whop
- Recreate each product on Whop with the same price, or as a bundle.
- Add the apps buyers should get, such as Files for downloads or Courses for lessons.
- Point your links (bio, site, emails) to Whop checkout links.
- Email past Gumroad buyers about the move, with a reason to log in on Whop.
- Add an order bump or post-purchase offer so new buyers have a next step.
Verdict
Gumroad is easy and handles global tax for you, and that is worth something. Whop costs far less per sale, charges nothing extra for marketplace buyers and is better for anything with ongoing access. For most creators doing real volume, the fee difference alone pays for the move. See Whop fees and payouts explained for the full fee list.
Sources
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