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Readfeed vs Payhip: Which Is Better for Selling Ebooks?
Payhip gives you a low-fee checkout. Readfeed gives you a checkout plus an audience of readers. Here is the honest, side-by-side comparison.
Readfeed vs Gumroad: The Best Way to Sell Ebooks Direct?
Gumroad is a great general-purpose creator checkout. Readfeed is purpose-built for books — and comes with a reader community attached. Here is the comparison.
Updated 2026-08-07 · 6 min read
Gumroad popularized selling digital products direct, and it works fine for ebooks. But it's a general creator tool — courses, presets, software, and books all live side by side. Readfeed is built specifically for authors and readers, which changes what happens after the sale.
Here's the honest side-by-side.
| Feature | Gumroad | Readfeed |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee (ebook) | 10% + payment fees | 15% |
| Monthly subscription | ✕ | ✕ |
| Ebook delivery | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email / customer capture | ✓ | ✓ |
| Direct payouts | Gumroad payouts | Stripe Connect |
| Built-in reader audience | General marketplace | Readers & book clubs |
| Book clubs can adopt your book | ✕ | ✓ |
| Live ticketed author events | ✕ | ✓ |
| Signed-copy sales | ✕ | ✓ |
| Purpose-built for books | ✕ | ✓ |
Gumroad is the better pick if you sell a range of digital products beyond books, or you already have an audience and want one checkout for everything. Its storefront, "posts" feature, and general-purpose flexibility are strong, and its flat fee is lower than Readfeed's. For a creator whose books are one product line among several, Gumroad keeps things in one place.
Readfeed is the better pick if books are your business and you want the people around the sale to be readers. Gumroad's discovery is a general marketplace where a novel competes with Notion templates; Readfeed's audience is there specifically to find and discuss books. Book clubs can pick up your title, you can ticket a live launch, and you can sell signed copies — none of which a general checkout offers. The extra fee buys a book-shaped audience.
Sell your book where readers already gather
List your ebook on Readfeed free, keep ~85%, and reach book clubs, live-event attendees, and readers built for books — not a general marketplace.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gumroad or Readfeed better for authors?+
Gumroad is better if you sell many kinds of digital products and already have traffic. Readfeed is better if books are your focus and you want a built-in reader audience, book clubs, and live events around each sale.
What does Gumroad charge to sell an ebook?+
Gumroad charges a flat 10% fee plus payment processing on each sale. Readfeed charges 15% on ebooks with no monthly fee; the difference reflects the reader audience and book-specific features Readfeed adds.
Can I move my ebook from Gumroad to Readfeed?+
Yes. Your EPUB is yours — upload it to Readfeed, set your price, connect Stripe, and you can sell on both at once if you like.