Stan Store vs. Gumroad (2025): The Best Choice for Social-First Creators

TL;DR: The quick verdict

Both Stan Store and Gumroad let you sell digital products, courses, and memberships. Stan Store is an all-in-one, mobile-first storefront with built-in funnels, upsells, booking, and email capture—excellent for social-first creators and coaches who want to squeeze more revenue out of every visitor and get paid directly via Stripe or PayPal. Gumroad is a simple, low-commitment way to sell downloads and memberships with no monthly fee, plus perks like license keys, custom domains, and occasional marketplace exposure via Gumroad Discover.

Choose Stan Store if:

• You sell coaching, services, or webinars and want integrated scheduling/booking
• You want native order bumps, one-click upsells, and email capture/automation (Pro)
• You prefer direct payouts to your Stripe/PayPal on your normal schedule
• You can justify a flat monthly fee to keep more profit as sales grow

Choose Gumroad if:

• You want zero monthly fee to start and a straightforward checkout
• You sell simple downloads/memberships and only need basic email
• You want a custom domain, embeddable checkout, and software license keys
• You’d welcome incremental marketplace sales from Gumroad Discover

Pricing and fees change—always check current rates before you decide.

Key differences at a glance

• Pricing model: Stan uses a flat monthly subscription with no platform transaction fee (you still pay payment processor fees). Gumroad has no monthly fee but charges a percentage of every sale.
• Revenue boosters: Stan includes one-click upsells, order bumps, and simple funnels. Gumroad doesn’t offer native upsells/funnel flows.
• Email tools: Stan captures leads and, on Pro, runs automated email sequences. Gumroad supports basic email broadcasts to customers/followers.
• Services and booking: Stan lets you sell services with integrated scheduling and Zoom/calendar flows. Gumroad requires a manual or third‑party booking link.
• Discovery: Stan has no built-in marketplace. Gumroad offers Discover, which can drive extra sales (with an additional fee on those orders).
• Branding: Stan gives more visual customization but no custom domain. Gumroad supports custom domains but has minimal design flexibility.
• Specialties: Gumroad supports license key distribution and basic physical products; Stan is essentially digital/services only.
• Payouts: Stan routes payments directly to your Stripe/PayPal (faster, on your processor’s schedule). Gumroad pays weekly in batches (with some exceptions for PayPal).

Who each platform is best for

Stan Store

Social-first creators and coaches who monetize TikTok/Instagram traffic with a tight offer stack. If you sell 1:1 services, run webinars, offer a course or a membership, and want upsells, lead magnets, and email flows under one roof, Stan Store is designed around your workflow and mobile conversions.

Gumroad

Indie developers, writers, artists, and hobbyist creators who want a simple, low-commitment storefront. Gumroad shines if you have a catalog of digital products, need license keys for software/plugins, prefer a custom domain, or want to embed checkout on your existing website—and you like paying only when you sell.

Why these features actually affect your income

Stan Store’s revenue-focused features

• One-click upsells and order bumps: Increase average order value by adding a complementary offer right at checkout. No extra tools, no Frankenstack.
• Lead magnets and email capture: Trade a free checklist/template for an email address and nurture leads to purchase later. On Pro, add automated sequences to convert without extra software.
• Services and booking: Sell coaching or consulting with integrated scheduling and calendar/Zoom connections so buyers can pick a time on the spot.
• Affiliate tools (Pro): Spin up affiliate links and track partner performance to expand reach.
• Social-first link-in-bio layout: Curate a clean, mobile-first page that shows your key offers and captures leads; add retargeting pixels (Pro) if you run ads.

Gumroad features that add convenience or reach

• Gumroad Discover: Optional marketplace exposure for incremental sales, especially if you have evergreen products. There’s an extra fee on these sales.
• License key distribution: Essential if you sell apps, plugins, themes, or other software that requires unique keys.
• Embeddable checkout: Keep visitors on your site with buy buttons/cards instead of sending them to a separate storefront.

A quick example

On Stan Store, a $29 digital guide plus a $19 one-click upsell video can lift an average order from $29 to $48 or more. Over dozens or hundreds of orders, that extra ~$19 per order compounds into real monthly revenue—without extra tools or complicated funnels.

Pricing and real cost (with quick break-even math)

Stan Store

• Flat monthly fee (commonly: Creator at $29/month; Creator Pro at $99/month)
• No platform percentage fee
• You still pay payment processor fees (often around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction)

Gumroad

• No monthly fee
• Platform fee on each sale (commonly cited as 10%)
• Plus payment processing fees

Simple scenarios

• $200/month in sales: Gumroad’s percentage is likely cheaper because there’s no subscription. Expect roughly $20 in platform fees plus processing.
• $500/month in sales: Gumroad’s platform fee (~$50) already exceeds Stan’s $29 Creator plan. At this level, Stan usually becomes more economical.
• $1,500+/month in sales: Stan’s flat fee often saves a lot versus a 10% platform cut.

Guidance

• If your sales are consistent and you expect $500+ per month, Stan often preserves more margin.
• If your sales are sporadic or experimental, Gumroad minimizes upfront risk and you only pay when you sell.

Always verify current pricing and fees. Both companies adjust plans and rates from time to time.

Setup and ease of use

Stan Store

You’ll get a guided onboarding checklist: add your first products, connect Stripe/PayPal, enable booking for services, set up an order bump/upsell, and add a lead capture form. The interface is modern and mobile-minded, with helpful prompts that nudge you to set up money-making features (like upsells and sequences) most creators usually skip.

Gumroad

You’ll see a minimalist dashboard that lets you list a product quickly and go live. There’s less hand-holding, which is perfect if you know what you want and prefer a lean tool. If you’re totally new, you might spend time in help docs—but the basics are simple and familiar.

Marketing tools compared

Stan Store

• Lead capture forms and freebie delivery (good for list building)
• Automated email sequences and simple flows on Pro
• One-click upsells, order bumps, and bundles to lift AOV
• Affiliate management (Pro) to expand reach
• Retargeting pixels (Pro) for ads
• Mobile-optimized link-in-bio layout designed to convert social traffic

Gumroad

• Basic email broadcasts to customers/followers
• Discount codes and simple bundles
• Embeddable checkout and buy buttons for your site
• Discover marketplace exposure (opt-in; additional fee on those sales)
• No native upsells or automated email sequences—use external tools if you need automation

What you can sell (and the limits)

Both platforms handle:

• Digital downloads, courses, and memberships/subscriptions
• Course content hosting/delivery and recurring payments for memberships

Where Stan Store excels:

• 1:1 services, coaching, webinars, and live sessions (with integrated scheduling and Zoom/calendar setup)
• Social-first presentation (link-in-bio) that prioritizes a small, clear offer stack for mobile visitors

Where Gumroad excels:

• Larger catalogs of digital products
• Software and plugins that require license keys
• Basic physical products (collect shipping info and variants; you handle fulfillment)
• Multiple payment types and currencies in practice, plus some creators accept crypto via Gumroad

If physical products are your main thing, look at Shopify or Etsy. Stan doesn’t collect shipping addresses. Gumroad supports basic physical sales, but it isn’t a full-featured ecommerce platform.

Payments and payouts

Stan Store

Connect Stripe and/or PayPal. Payments go directly to your accounts at the time of sale. Payout timing follows your processor’s schedule (often 2-day rolling for Stripe, with options for instant payouts in some regions).

Gumroad

Gumroad processes payments and sends weekly payouts (typically Fridays) to your bank or PayPal after thresholds are met. Some PayPal purchases may route directly to your PayPal, but in general, you won’t see funds instantly. The upside: you don’t need to set up a merchant account to start selling.

Branding and customization

Stan Store

Expect more visual control over your storefront (colors, banners, hero media, blocks, and a mobile-first layout) so your page feels on-brand. The tradeoff: no custom domain. Your store lives at a stan.store URL.

Gumroad

You can map a custom domain so your store lives at something like store.yourname.com. The design is mostly standardized and minimal, but recognized and trusted. Embeds keep checkout on your site. Gumroad also makes it easy to export your customer list if you ever migrate.

Four quick use cases

1) TikTok fitness coach

You sell 1:1 coaching sessions, a 7-day mini course, and a meal plan. Choose Stan Store for integrated scheduling, a clean link-in-bio layout, and built-in order bumps/upsells that increase both AOV and bookings. Add a free checklist as a lead magnet to capture emails from your social traffic.

2) Indie developer

You sell a macOS app that needs license keys and you want checkout embedded on your personal site with a custom domain. Choose Gumroad for automatic license distribution, a custom domain, and simple catalog management—with no monthly overhead.

3) Author with sporadic launches

You drop a new PDF guide a few times per year and want no fixed costs. Choose Gumroad for its pay-as-you-go model, straightforward checkout, basic email blasts to buyers, and optional Discover exposure.

4) Creator using both

You sell digital asset packs via Gumroad (license keys and site embeds), but use Stan Store in your Instagram bio for premium coaching and live workshops with native scheduling and upsells. This combo lets you optimize for both convenience and revenue.

Short decision checklist

• Do you sell coaching or services that need scheduling and Zoom/calendar?
• Do you want built-in upsells, order bumps, and automated email without extra tools?
• Are you expecting more than $500 per month in consistent sales?
• Do you need a custom domain or software license keys?
• Are your sales sporadic or experimental (no monthly fee preferred)?
• Is faster access to funds important (direct Stripe/PayPal payouts)?
• Will you run ads and need pixel tracking?

Launch in a day: simple setup paths

If you choose Stan Store:

• Connect Stripe and/or PayPal
• Add one digital product and one service (e.g., a 30-minute coaching call)
• Set an order bump or a post-purchase one-click upsell
• Create a lead magnet (free checklist) with an opt-in form
• On Pro, add a 3-email follow-up sequence to nurture leads
• Put your Stan link in your social bios and pin it on top posts

If you choose Gumroad:

• Create your profile and upload your first product
• Add a launch discount code
• Opt in to Discover (optional)
• Map a custom domain for a professional URL
• Embed a buy button on your site or blog
• Schedule a broadcast email to customers/followers announcing your launch

FAQs

Does Gumroad still charge a platform percentage fee?

Yes. Gumroad charges a platform fee on each sale (commonly cited as 10%), plus payment processing fees. Check the current rate before you publish or update your store.

Can Stan Store run upsells and order bumps natively?

Yes. Upsells, order bumps, and simple funnel flows are built in, with more advanced options on the Creator Pro plan.

Can I sell physical products?

Gumroad supports simple physical sales (it collects shipping details; you fulfill yourself). Stan is effectively digital/services only and doesn’t collect shipping addresses.

How fast are payouts on each platform?

Stan routes payments directly to your Stripe/PayPal, so you get funds per your processor’s schedule (often within a couple of days). Gumroad pays weekly (some PayPal purchases may be immediate).

Can I use a custom domain with Stan? With Gumroad?

Stan does not support custom domains. Gumroad supports custom domains for your storefront and offers embeddable checkout so you can keep purchases on your site.

Can I use both Stan Store and Gumroad together?

Yes. Many creators run both—Gumroad for software/digital packs (with license keys and embeds), and Stan for coaching, webinars, and social-first funnels with upsells and email capture.

Do either platforms offer free trials?

Stan often offers a limited free trial period. Gumroad is free to start, with a percentage fee per sale. Always check current offers and terms.

Final recommendation

Choose Stan Store if your income leans on coaching or services and you want a social-first storefront with built-in funnels, lead capture, affiliate tools, and direct payouts. Once you’re doing consistent sales (around $500/month or more), the flat monthly fee often preserves more margin and lets you boost average order value with upsells and order bumps.

Choose Gumroad if you prefer no monthly fee to start, you sell straightforward downloads or memberships, you need license keys or a custom domain, or you want to embed checkout on your existing site. Gumroad’s simplicity makes it great for testing ideas or running a lightweight digital shop without fixed costs.

Before you decide, double-check each platform’s current fees and features—they change. Then pick your stack and launch in a day:

• Stan Store: one product + one service + one upsell + one lead magnet
• Gumroad: one product + custom domain + site embed + one email broadcast

Whichever path you choose, a clear offer, mobile-friendly presentation, and consistent promotion will do more for your revenue than any single feature. Start simple. Ship something this week. Then optimize what works.