Payhip fees: what the 5% free-plan cut actually costs you
Payhip's free plan takes 5% of every sale with no monthly fee, so the cost never shows up as a bill. Payhip also sells paid tiers that lower or remove that cut. 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 / plan | Monthly fee | Per-sale platform fee | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payhip (Free Forever) | $0 | 5% | Percentage |
| Payhip (Plus) | $29 | 2% | Hybrid |
| Payhip (Pro) | $99 | 0% | Flat |
| Stan | $29 | 0% | Flat |
| Creatdrop | $29 | $0 | Flat |
The 12-month cost, at three revenue levels
Payhip modeled on its free plan's 5%; flat platforms charged the subscription only.
At $500/month in sales ($6,000/year)
| Platform | Paid to the platform in a year |
|---|---|
| Payhip Free (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 |
|---|---|
| Payhip Free (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 |
|---|---|
| Payhip Free (5%) | $3,000 |
| Stan ($29/mo, 0%) | $348 |
| Creatdrop ($29/mo, 0%) | $348 |
Who is actually cheapest? (the honest read)
This one is genuinely close at the low end, so we will say it straight. At $500/month in sales, Payhip's free plan costs about $300 a year, which is less than Creatdrop's $348. Below roughly $580/month in sales, Payhip Free's 5% is the cheaper choice, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. The flat model only pulls ahead once you cross that line, and then the percentage keeps scaling against you while $348 stays put.
Two more honest notes. Payhip's own Pro tier ($99/month, 0%) is a flat model, the same shape as Creatdrop, just at a higher monthly price. And Stan and Creatdrop are tied: both are $29/month with 0% platform commission, so fee math will not separate them. Choose those two on the product, not the price.
The breakeven, stated plainly
A flat $29/month is $348/year. Payhip's free plan, with its 5% cut and no monthly fee, stays cheaper until your sales pass that.
- vs Payhip Free (5%): breakeven at $6,960/year in sales, about $580/month. Below that, Payhip Free 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.
Payhip: free plan 5%, Plus $29/mo + 2%, Pro $99/mo + 0%, per payhip.com/pricing (verified 2026-05-17). Figures exclude payment processing (Stripe/PayPal, about 2.9% + $0.30/sale), which is similar on every platform.
See all comparisons — full Gumroad vs Creatdrop fee calculator