Fees and take-home
Platform Take-Home Calculator
Compare estimated take-home revenue across creator platforms and see which option leaves the most money at your sales volume.
Formula
- Gross revenue = Product price * Monthly sales
- Estimated platform fees = Percentage fees + Fixed per-sale fees + Monthly platform fees
- Net take-home = Gross revenue - Estimated platform fees - Product costs - Other fixed monthly costs
- Effective fee rate = Estimated platform fees / Gross revenue * 100
Examples
- At low sales volume, a free plan can beat a monthly paid plan even if its percentage fee is higher.
- At higher sales volume, Payhip Plus or Pro can become more attractive because the monthly fee replaces part of the percentage fee.
- Fixed per-sale fees matter most on low-ticket products.
When to use this calculator
- Compare platforms before launching a digital product.
- Check whether a paid plan is worth it at your sales volume.
- Estimate how much revenue is lost to platform fees.
Common mistakes
- Comparing only percentage fees and ignoring fixed fees.
- Forgetting that payment processing may be separate on some platforms.
- Choosing the highest take-home option without considering audience discovery, tax handling, or workflow.
Platform comparison
| Platform | Estimated fees | Net take-home | Effective fee | Assumption |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gumroad direct | $340.00 | $2,560.00 | 11.7% | 10% + $0.50 |
| Payhip Free | $145.00 | $2,755.00 | 5% | 5%, processor not included |
| Payhip Plus | $87.00 | $2,813.00 | 3% | 2% + $29/mo, processor not included |
| Payhip Pro | $99.00 | $2,801.00 | 3.4% | $99/mo, processor not included |
| Lemon Squeezy | $195.00 | $2,705.00 | 6.7% | 5% + $0.50 |
| Ko-fi Shop | $145.00 | $2,755.00 | 5% | 5%, processor not included |
| Etsy US digital | $320.50 | $2,579.50 | 11.1% | $0.20 + 6.5% + 3% + $0.25 |
Related calculators
Sources and assumptions
- Gumroad direct/profile sales: 10% + $0.50 per transaction. Gumroad Discover marketplace sales are not included.
- Payhip Free: 5% Payhip transaction fee. PayPal and Stripe processing fees are not included.
- Payhip Plus: 2% Payhip transaction fee + $29/month. PayPal and Stripe processing fees are not included.
- Payhip Pro: $99/month and no Payhip transaction fee. PayPal and Stripe processing fees are not included.
- Lemon Squeezy ecommerce: 5% + $0.50 per transaction. International, PayPal, subscription, payout, and marketing fees may add costs.
- Ko-fi Shop: 5% Ko-fi service fee. PayPal and Stripe processing fees normally apply separately.
- Etsy US digital default: $0.20 listing fee + 6.5% transaction fee + 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee. Offsite ads and currency conversion are not included.
Last checked:
Free creator pricing cheat sheet
Get a simple take-home pricing checklist.
Digital product pricing, platform fees, and take-home revenue in one quick reference.
Last updated:
This is an estimate. Platform fees may vary by country, payment method, tax handling, currency conversion, refunds, chargebacks, subscriptions, marketplace discovery, and optional platform features. Payhip and Ko-fi rows show listed platform fees and do not fully model separate PayPal or Stripe processing fees. Lemon Squeezy may add extra fees for international, PayPal, or subscription payments.