Stan Store vs Gumroad: The Complete Comparison [November 2024]

During the last few weeks, I ran extensive testing on Stan Store and Gumroad and discovered that even though these platforms cater to the same audiences there are some key differences. 

Stan Store is a solid choice for content creators and influencers who want a quick and easy way to sell digital products, subscriptions, and services directly to their social media followers. Its main strengths are simplicity and seamless integration with social platforms like Instagram and TikTok, making it ideal for creators who’d rather focus on creating than setting up a complex eCommerce store.

Gumroad, on the other hand, offers a more traditional eCommerce approach for independent creators looking to sell a variety of products without intermediaries. It supports digital goods like eBooks, music, videos, and software, as well as physical products, providing more flexibility in product types and a straightforward checkout process.

However, neither Stan nor Gumroad quite hits the sweet spot when it comes to justifying an investment in eCommerce features. That’s where Sellfy comes in, offering the best of both worlds with simplicity yet more robust customization options and broader eCommerce functionality. With Sellfy, you can sell a full range of products—digital, physical, subscriptions, and even print-on-demand—giving creators a flexible, all-in-one platform without the usual setup hassle.

Let’s explore Stan Store vs Gumroad vs Sellfy in more detail, so you can make a conclusion of your own. Here are their main areas of differentiation:

1. Creating an online store
2. Marketing and eCommerce features
3. Customization and design
4. Pricing and transaction fees

Sellfy	Gumroad	Stan Store
Price
🏆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Subscription starts at $25/month, with no transaction fees. Advanced features available only on higher plans.	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Free to start, but charges a 10% transaction fee on each sale, which can become costly with higher sales volume.	⭐️⭐️⭐️ Starts at $22/month with no transaction fees. Features like email marketing, and discounts come with the cheapest plan.
Creating an online store
🏆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Offers a straightforward setup and comprehensive features for a fully customizable store. Easy for beginners to use, with drag-and-drop functionality.	🏆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Quick and easy link-in-bio storefront setup, ideal for social media-centric sales and for creators focused on simplicity.	🏆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Simple and intuitive with minimal design options, making it great for those new to selling online.
Marketing features
🏆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Full suite of marketing tools, including discounts, email marketing, cart recovery, upselling, and affiliate marketing are available on lower-tier plans.	⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stan Store has a nice list of built-in marketing features like email marketing, discounts, upselling, and unlimited funnels, but they all are only available on the higher plan plan.	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Limited marketing tools; offers simple discount codes and product promotions, with a built-in marketplace (Gumroad Discover).
Customization and design
🏆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ High flexibility in design with customizable themes, custom pages, banners, and full white-label options.	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Minimalist store themes with limited customization; some options for colors and fonts, but primarily optimized for social media aesthetics.	⭐️⭐️⭐️ Basic customization options (cover images, color scheme), with limited layout options, yet perfect for beginners.
Ease of use
🏆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sellfy is super easy to use, even if you're not tech-savvy. The platform is straightforward, with drag-and-drop features that make it easy to build a store from scratch.	🏆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stan Store is relatively simple to use, especially for creators and influencers, making it ideal for users who want to sell directly through their social channels.	🏆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Gumroad is beginner-friendly and easy to set up. It guides sellers through the process with little need for technical skills, making it a great choice for those new to online selling.
Customer support
🏆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Basic email and chat support; good for general inquiries but lacks personalized assistance.	⭐️⭐️⭐️ Basic email support with a help center; suitable for straightforward queries but less robust for complex issues.	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Offers responsive email support and a detailed knowledge base, ideal for both beginners and experienced sellers.
Best for
Ideal for independent creators like musicians, writers, and designers wanting to sell with minimal setup and a built-in marketplace.	Perfect for influencers who need a link-in-bio tool for selling digital products through social media.	Best for digital creators seeking an all-in-one eCommerce solution with advanced customization, marketing tools, no transaction fees, and straightforward setup.
Start free trial (no card required)	Create a free account	Start free trial (no card required)

What Is Stan Store?

“Create, connect, and sell—all in one place” 🔗🛒

Stan Store, a newer eCommerce platform launched in 2022, quickly attracted over 100,000 creators, mostly from the social media sphere. It’s designed to simplify life for digital creators and social media influencers, offering a simple tool to sell products like PDFs, templates, and eBooks right from your social media profile. 

Stan Store aims to carve out a laser-focused niche in the market by catering to content creators and influencers, for whom simplicity is a big selling point. 

Do they deliver in this aspect? Well, yes, they are great when it comes to social media integrations and basic eCommerce features that won’t overwhelm beginners. Likewise, you don’t need to enter a single line of code to set up your digital storefront. 

I had a few productive hands-on sessions with Stan Store and see why it’s best suited for content creators, influencers, and small business owners. Ease of use and affordable pricing are the key reasons. However, missing features you’d expect from a modern eCommerce platform will be off-putting for those of you who run medium to large businesses and have an ambition to scale. 

What is Gumroad?

“Sell anything, simply and directly” 💸✨

Gumroad is an online platform that enables creators to sell digital products, physical goods, and memberships directly to their audience. Launched in 2011, Gumroad gained popularity for its simplicity, allowing creators to sell directly to their audience without a complex setup. With no monthly fees, Gumroad is accessible for beginners and side-hustlers who want an easy way to monetize their content. 

Like Stan Store, Gumroad offers a simple and user-friendly interface and essential features like product pages, checkout, and payment processing. This includes payments, delivery, and even EU VAT compliance, offering shipping options for creators who want to sell physical goods alongside digital products.

While Gumroad’s customization is limited compared to platforms like Shopify or Sellfy, its ease of use, flexible pricing structure, and ability to support both digital and physical products make it a go-to for independent creators.

What is Sellfy?

“Your one-stop shop for effortless online sales” 🛒✨

Launched in 2011, Sellfy is an all-in-one eCommerce platform built for creators and scaling businesses. What’s great is that you can sell a complete range of products, digital products, subscriptions, print-on-demand, and physical goods. I was pleasantly surprised by Sellfy’s beginner-friendly setup, yet it offers enough features to satisfy advanced users. 

This includes notable eCommerce features like email marketing, secure payment processing, customizable storefronts, and other built-in marketing features. There’s even integration with blogs, websites, and social media platforms. Sinking my teeth into the available options I uncovered many ways to engage my customers. 

Sellfy’s effortless setup and ease of use make Sellfy perfect for both new creators and established sellers. It seems like effortlessness is their core concept at Sellfy, which became clear from how fast I could set up my store—in under 10 minutes. I simply uploaded my digital product, chose a store theme, and connected PayPal, my go-to payment method. Before long, the store was up and running.

Stan Store vs Gumroad vs Sellfy: Creating an online store

Stan Store and Gumroad both provide straightforward setups but have limited customization options, making them ideal for quick, minimalistic stores, while Sellfy combines ease of use with greater flexibility and an extensive set of built-in features.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stan Store, Sellfy, and Gumorad offer quick setup and easy-to-use interface

Setting up your first online store can seem daunting — after all, the process requires at least some sort of technical knowledge, right?

Wrong.

That’s not the case with Stan Store, Sellfy, or Gumroad. Each platform makes things easy for you with a super low learning curve. 

For example, at Stan Store, you can edit the design of your store with previews that give you an idea of what to expect. Once you upload your product, you can choose a store theme, tweak some colors and fonts and you’re basically done! For those who get frozen by too many options, this will help move things along. 

However, the limited options at Stan Store mean that your store may end up looking quite similar to others, as most of the themes share a similar design.

Likewise, Gumroad caters to sellers who appreciate a simple and minimalistic setup. They also take a unique approach, using comic-book-style illustrations and motivational messages to guide you through setting up your store. Cool idea for beginners, but as with Stan Store, I was disappointed with the lack of creative freedom.

Then, I took a closer look at Sellfy, judging it with the same critical eye as the other eCommerce platforms. I was happy to see that it matched their ease of use but offered much better customization options and a longer list of built-in features. 

I took advantage of the extensive library of themes to customize the look of my new store. Then, I uploaded my first products, which felt intuitive because of the simple and clean interface. The entire process was completed in bout 10 minutes and without any issues. 

Stan Store and Gumroad have similar product options, while Sellfy offers more flexibility and supports larger files

Your eCommerce platform of choice must support your product range. For one, selling physical products on Gumroad and Stan Store can be challenging because both platforms lack advanced inventory management and shipping options, making it hard to track stock levels or automate shipping. Additionally, they have limited customization for product variations and shipping calculations, which can complicate handling physical orders effectively.

Sellfy, on the other hand, makes selling physical products easier by offering built-in inventory management. It allows sellers to track stock levels and automatically calculate shipping costs. It also supports product variants and taxes, making it much better.

But let’s focus on digital products. Gumroad offers a range of digital product types you can sell from your store, including eBooks, bundles, and memberships. Stan Store expands on that with cool things like Webinars via Zoom or Google Meet, hosting paid coaching classes, and even creating your eCourse. Truth be told, I was impressed with the selection of digital product types both platforms offer.

What surprised me (knowing that both Stan Store and Gumroad were built for selling digital products) was some ridiculous limitation. For example, Stan Store allows you to upload multiple file types but recommends that you keep your digital download under 500 MB—their maximum limit is just 4GB. At the same time, the file size limits are much higher at Gumroad—16GB.

Sellfy, like Stan Store and Gumroad, is tailored for digital creators but offers much more versatility, supporting digital and physical products, subscriptions, and print-on-demand—a huge advantage for creators expanding their income streams. With a digital download cap of 20GB, the ability to upload up to 50 files at once), and anti-piracy features Sellfy is ideal for content-heavy products like high-res art, videos, or music files.

Finally, for those of you who are worried about piracy, Sellfy’s got you covered with its set of anti-privacy features. They protect your files by keeping them on a secure cloud server and generate a unique download link after each purchase, with a limit of 5 downloads. 

Sellfy allows you to create a standalone online store, while Stan Store and Gumroad only provide limited storefront customization

This one is sort of self-explanatory.

Sellfy offers a fully-featured online store with options for product variations, drop-down menus, banners, videos, and more. You can effortlessly create multiple product pages and organize them into categories, listing physical products and print-on-demand merch alongside digital goods. This setup not only feels more like a traditional online store but also caters perfectly to the needs of creators on Gumroad and Stan Store, providing flexibility without losing that streamlined, creator-focused vibe.

In contrast, Gumroad and Stan Store provide simpler storefronts designed primarily for quick, link-based transactions. Don’t get me wrong, they both work perfectly for what they are—both platforms offer essential customization for creators, such as basic product descriptions and simple checkout flows. However, they lack more advanced features like product categorization, multiple page layouts, or options to showcase various product types within one store or even on one page. Stan Store focuses heavily on link-in-bio sales and clearly emphasizes simplicity and visual “link-in-bio” appeal over creative customization. Meanwhile, Gumroad provides slightly more flexibility but still limits storefront design options compared to Sellfy.

🏆	Winner:
	All three platforms offer quick setups and minimalistic designs, perfect for simple stores, but Sellfy provides both ease of use and robust customization options.
			⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stan Store vs Gumroad vs Sellfy: Marketing and eCommerce tools

Stan Store is best for social media-centric marketing, Gumroad offers a built-in digital marketplace for broader visibility, while Sellfy stands out with a complete suite of eCommerce and marketing tools

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All three platforms are great for digital creators looking to start a business; Sellfy offers a more robust eCommerce toolkit

When it comes to marketing and eCommerce tools, Stan Store, Gumroad, and Sellfy each offer something unique for digital creators—but the approach and depth of features differ quite a bit.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the concept of Stan Store—a simple yet useful tool for selling products right from your social media account. But is it as good if we look at it as a standalone eCommerce platform? Sure, Stan Store offers some very useful built-in features like email marketing, discount codes, and affiliate marketing—but these are only available on the higher-priced Creator Pro plan. 

Sellfy, by contrast, provides essential tools such as discounts, email marketing, and custom domain connections even on its most affordable plan. For features like affiliate marketing, product upselling, and cart abandonment, you’ll need to upgrade to the mid-tier Business plan. However, even with this upgrade, Sellfy remains more cost-effective than Stan Store’s Pro plan—a comparison we’ll dive into a bit later.

Furthermore, Gumroad offers a barebones setup with a few essentials like discount codes. I won’t deny that it’s a solid choice if you’re just starting. However, if you want to do more, like run email campaigns or an affiliate program, you might find it a bit limiting and in need of outside help from other tools. 

In addition to marketing tools, Stan Store offers some useful eCommerce features like analytics, where you can track store visits, total revenue, and leads. You can also customize the data for different time periods, which is helpful. What I also find helpful is that Sellfy provides even more data, including top-performing products and traffic sources.

It’s fair to mention that Gumroad includes a basic analytics section too, with metrics on sales and the number of followers for your storefront, but it’s more simplified than Stan Store or Sellfy offers.

Stan Store focuses on social media integration, Gumroad is also a digital marketplace, while Sellfy offers built-in marketing tools

As I’ve mentioned before, Stan Store is a solid choice for creators focused on social media. Its link-in-bio style is ideal for quick, easy sales directly from platforms like Instagram or TikTok, allowing audiences to access products with just a click. It is both its strength and weakness as it arguably will be your main marketing channel if you choose this platform.  

On the other hand, Gumroad only offers even fewer built-in features. What I found out, however, is that Gumroad offers a unique feature called Gumroad Discover, which promotes your digital products to potential customers browsing its marketplace.  This is particularly beneficial for creators without an existing social media presence, as it provides exposure to a broader audience. But beware, sales made through Gumroad Discover incur an extra fee that starts at a minimum of 30% transaction fee. 

Sellfy’s approach is to offer an all-in-one eCommerce tool, so you’ll never need to look for third-party tools for basic functionality, allowing creators to handle every aspect of their online business without relying on third-party integrations. With built-in features like email marketing, discount codes, and affiliate marketing, Sellfy covers the basics of customer engagement and promotion. Then it also includes advanced tools such as cart abandonment recovery, upselling, and analytics for tracking sales and performance—all without the need for external plugins or apps.

Sellfy has a complete built-in email marketing functionality, while Stan Store’s Flows and Gumroad’s Workflows offer basic email functionality

Email marketing plays a vital role in eCommerce and it seems that all three platforms get it as they all offer some sort of built-in email marketing feature. 

Sellfy includes email marketing as a core feature even in its lowest-priced plan—you can send targeted emails, run promotional campaigns, and set up automated messages to recover lost sales from abandoned carts.

Stan Store offers email marketing too, with a feature called Email Flows. However, it’s only available on the highest-tier plan. Email Flows allows you to create sequences for upsells and send broadcasts to your list at chosen times.

Gumroad also has a basic email marketing tool called Workflows, which lets creators send simple automated messages after purchase, like thank-you notes or follow-ups. While it’s helpful for basic engagement, Gumroad’s Workflows lack advanced options like cart recovery and targeted promotions, making them less comprehensive than the other two.

🏆	Winner:
	Sellfy. Sellfy’s all-in-one toolkit includes built-in email marketing, discount codes, affiliate programs, and advanced tools like cart recovery and upselling—all without needing third-party integrations. It’s the best choice for creators wanting a robust platform to manage and grow their online business efficiently.
			⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stan Store vs Gumroad vs Sellfy: Customization and design

Stan Store sticks in its lane by focusing on design options for social media content creators, Gumroad puts simplicity over creativity, and Sellfy allows you to create a store that feels unique. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stan Store’s minimalist design is tailored for social media; Gumroad has a straightforward and basic look

Visual appearance can make or break a store’s appeal to your target audience. 

Stan Store’s minimalist design is built with social media in mind, making it ideal for creators who prioritize a clean, no-fuss experience for their audiences. The theme design is kept simple, letting your products take center stage without unnecessary distractions. It works perfectly for what it is—a link-in-bio storefront and allows for some customization of colors, fonts, and layout. However, customization is fairly basic; you won’t have extensive control over the layout or options for adding advanced features, which may result in a somewhat standard-looking store.

Customizing the visual aspects of your Gumroad store is straightforward and allows for a clean, and somewhat branded look. You can add a cover image, and profile picture, and choose a color scheme to match your brand identity. For those wanting a more personalized experience, Gumroad also supports custom domains, letting you link your own domain. In comparison, Stan Store does not offer this option. Overall, while Gumroad’s customization options work well for creators who value simplicity, those looking for a more detailed and personalized storefront may find it limited compared to other platforms.

Sellfy provides greater design flexibility for building a professional store

With Stan Store and Gumroad not offering me the depth of customization I wanted, I was curious to see what the store-building experience would be like at Sellfy. 

Sellfy, by contrast, offers a high level of design flexibility, letting you create a full online store from the ground up. Using Sellfy’s advanced Store Customizer, you can drag and drop your way to a beautifully crafted storefront. You can also add custom pages, organize product categories, and design promotional banners with clickable buttons to improve navigation and boost engagement. Plus, Sellfy provides a selection of pre-designed store themes that you can personalize to suit your brand.

🏆	Winner:
	Sellfy. Its drag-and-drop builder, custom pages, and promotional banners allow you to create a unique and professional store without coding, making it ideal for creators wanting more design control and brand individuality.
			⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stan Store Vs Gumroad Vs Sellfy: Transaction fees and pricing

Gumroad disguises a 10% commission fee with free account creation, unlike Sellfy and Stan Store, which charge monthly fees.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gumroad is free to use, while Sellfy and Stan Store charge a monthly subscription fee

Initially, Gumroad appears to be free to use, which is helpful as it lets you set up a profile and explore features at your own pace. This can be appealing for new entrepreneurs or side hustlers with limited funds.

On the other hand, Sellfy and Stan Store operate on a different model. You pay a monthly subscription fee upfront. which might seem like an upfront cost, but this fee structure can offer more predictable expenses and potentially higher profit margins, especially for those who sell a significant number of products each month. Sure, it’s an expense you must consider, but it’s steady. No surprise costs popping up. Unlike Gumroad, Sellfy and Stan Store don’t take a cut from each sale, so you can actually keep more of what you earn.

Gumroad charges a listing fee and a 10% transaction fee for each item sold

While Gumroad allows free account creation, it charges a flat 10% commission on all sales. Hence, by selling a product for $100, you’ll lose $10 in Gumroad commissions. 

I feel this will be a deal-breaker for most entrepreneurs when they run the numbers and compare the total cost of using Gumroad to subscription-based platforms like Stan Store or Sellfy. In fact, Gumroad users report getting charged more due to processing fees. 

Stan Store’s pricing is predictable and straightforward, but Sellfy offers more value for money

Stan Store offers two pricing plans: Creator at $25/month and Creator Pro at $79/month. The Creator plan includes basic features like a customizable storefront, payment processing, and product management. The Creator Pro plan, priced at $99/month, adds more features such as email marketing, upselling tools, and affiliate marketing. Both plans allow creators to sell digital products, memberships, and services, with seamless social media integrations and no transaction fees.

Creator	Creator Pro
$25/month Creator store + Unlimited Courses + 1-Tap checkout + Email list builder	$79/month Everything in Creator + Email marketing + Unlimited funnels + Discounts & Upsells + Affiliate payments

Sellfy offers three pricing tiers (monthly/yearly): Starter at $22/month, Business at $59/month, and Premium at $119/month. All plans include unlimited products, digital, physical, subscription, and print-on-demand product support, no transaction fees, store analytics, the possibility to connect custom domains, discounts, email marketing, and a 100% customizable online store. The Business plan adds features like product upselling and affiliate marketing, while the Premium plan offers priority customer support and advanced integrations.

Starter	Business	Premium
$22/month Online store + Unlimited products + Discounts & Email Marketing + Connect your own domain	$59/month Everything in Starter + Upselling + Cart abandonment + Affiliate marketing + Remove "Sellfy branding + Store design migration	$119/month Everything in Business + Product migration + Priority support

Both Stan Store and Sellfy make the pricing predictable compared with Gumroad. Every month you pay the same amount of money, no matter how much in sales you generate. This is perfect for business owners who have a limited budget they can allocate to eCommerce platforms. 

🏆	Winner:
	While Gumroad’s free account and 10% transaction fee might appeal to newcomers, its commission costs can quickly add up, especially for higher sales volumes. Sellfy and Stan Store, with their monthly subscription models, provide predictable expenses and no transaction fees, allowing creators to keep more of their revenue.
			⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stan Store vs Gumroad vs Sellfy: Pros & Cons

Pros		Cons
	Simple to set up		Limited physical product support
	Monthly subscription without transaction fees		Marketing features are available only on the higher plan
	Seamless social media integration		4GB size cap on digital products
	Only basic features for creators that keep it simple		No anti-piracy features
	Built-in marketing features
	Simple and eye-appealing store themes
	A great link-in-bio option

Pros		Cons
	No upfront costs for account creation		10% commission on sales
	Access to Gumroad Discover marketplace		Limited customization and design options
	Smooth onboarding process		Almost no marketing features
	Simple interface, ideal for beginners
	Support for physical products
	Email tool for post-purchase email automation

Pros		Cons
	All-in-one eCommerce platform		Monthly subscription fee
	Simple to set up, no learning curve		Need the Business plan to access cart abandonment, upselling, and white-label stores
	Built-in marketing tools on the Starter plan
	20GB size cap on digital products
	Built-in anti-piracy features
	Built-in  print-on-demand
	100% customizable storefront
	No transaction or listing fees
	Strong customer support

Stan Store vs Gumroad vs Sellfy: Final verdict

Best for: Creators who want an all-in-one eCommerce platform with marketing tools and advanced customization.	Best for: Creators selling digital products through a platform that offers a free account and charges commission-based fees.	Best for: Influencers who want a simple, social media-friendly platform to sell digital products.

Use Stan Store if:

• You need a link-in-bio more than a complete eCommerce platform. 
• You want self-explanatory social media integrations. 
• You are a creator or social media influencer. 

Use Gumroad if:

• You’re an independent creator, such as a musician. 
• You want an eCommerce platform with a low learning curve. 
• Are not worried about the 10% flat commission fee cutting into your profits. 

Use Sellfy if:

• You don’t want limitations on what type of products you can sell, whether you’re a small business, entrepreneur or content creator. 
• You want to avoid complicated menus and clunky user interfaces. 
• You value marketing tools that can make a difference.