Lemon Squeezy fees: what 5% plus 50 cents a sale actually costs
Lemon Squeezy takes 5% plus 50 cents on every sale and charges no monthly fee, so the cost never shows up as a bill. It is also your merchant of record, which is a real service worth naming, not just a fee. Here is the side-by-side against flat $29/mo, 0% platforms, at three revenue levels, with the breakeven stated plainly.
At a glance
| Platform | Monthly fee | Per-sale platform fee | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon Squeezy | $0 | 5% + $0.50/sale (the $0.50 not counted below) | Percentage |
| Stan | $29 | 0% | Flat |
| Creatdrop | $29 | $0 | Flat |
Lemon Squeezy is a merchant of record. It collects and remits sales tax and VAT for you. Stan and Creatdrop do not do that. If tax handling matters to you, that is a product difference, not just a price difference, and you should weigh it separately from the fee math below.
The 12-month cost, at three revenue levels
Lemon Squeezy modeled on 5%, its 50 cents per sale left out in its favor; flat platforms charged the subscription only.
At $500/month in sales ($6,000/year)
| Platform | Paid to the platform in a year |
|---|---|
| Lemon Squeezy (5%) | $300 |
| Stan ($29/mo, 0%) | $348 |
| Creatdrop ($29/mo, 0%) | $348 |
At $2,000/month in sales ($24,000/year)
| Platform | Paid to the platform in a year |
|---|---|
| Lemon Squeezy (5%) | $1,200 |
| Stan ($29/mo, 0%) | $348 |
| Creatdrop ($29/mo, 0%) | $348 |
At $5,000/month in sales ($60,000/year)
| Platform | Paid to the platform in a year |
|---|---|
| Lemon Squeezy (5%) | $3,000 |
| Stan ($29/mo, 0%) | $348 |
| Creatdrop ($29/mo, 0%) | $348 |
Who is actually cheapest? (the honest read)
Like every percentage platform, Lemon Squeezy is cheaper when you are small. At $500/month in sales its 5% is about $300 a year, less than Creatdrop's $348. Below roughly $580/month in sales the percentage is the cheaper choice, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. Above that line the flat fee wins, and the percentage keeps scaling against you.
There is a real caveat in Lemon Squeezy's favor. As merchant of record it takes on sales tax and VAT compliance, which a flat storefront does not. If that work is worth 5% to you, the fee comparison is not the whole decision. We are flagging it rather than burying it. Stan and Creatdrop remain tied on fee math at $29/month and 0%.
The breakeven, stated plainly
A flat $29/month is $348/year. Lemon Squeezy's 5%, with no monthly fee, stays cheaper until your sales pass that.
- vs Lemon Squeezy (5%): breakeven at $6,960/year in sales, about $580/month, before its 50 cents per sale, which would move breakeven slightly lower. Below that, Lemon Squeezy is cheaper. Above it, the flat fee wins and the gap widens every month.
Run your own numbers
Enter your monthly sales and current platform and see your exact 12-month difference.
Want the full first-person breakdown? Read the analysis, or compare every platform side by side on the creator platform fee hub.
Lemon Squeezy: 5% + $0.50 per transaction, no monthly fee, merchant of record, per lemonsqueezy.com/pricing (verified 2026-05-17). Figures exclude payment processing (Stripe/PayPal, about 2.9% + $0.30/sale), which is similar on every platform. Lemon Squeezy's additional $0.50 per sale is not counted, so its real cost is slightly higher than shown.
See all comparisons — full Gumroad vs Creatdrop fee calculator