How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Amazon KDP offers maximum reach with 70 percent royalty in the $2.99 to $9.99 price band and 35 percent outside it, minus delivery costs near $0.15 per megabyte on the 70 percent tier.
- Gumroad charges 10 percent plus $0.50 per sale, or 30 percent via its Discover marketplace, making it best for fast direct sales with no monthly fee.
- Payhip charges 5 percent on its free plan, 2 percent on mid plans, and 0 percent on Pro, with PDF stamping and an affiliate system.
- On 100 copies of a $9 ebook, you keep about $843.90 from your own store, $855 from Payhip free before gateway fees, $760 from Gumroad, $630 from Apple Books or Kobo, and $609 from KDP.
- The strategy most successful authors converge on is Amazon for discovery plus your own store for margin and the mailing list, not either or.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Amazon KDP | Maximum reach | See website | Yes |
 Gumroad | Fast direct sales | See website | Yes |
 Payhip | Branded shopfront on a budget | See website | Yes |
 Shopify | Large catalogues and brands | See website | Yes |
 Etsy | Marketplace traffic | See website | Yes |
 Lemon Squeezy | Global tax compliance | See website | Yes |
 Draft2Digital | Wide distribution | See website | Yes |
 SendOwl | Secure delivery and stamping | See website | Yes |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is free to publish with royalty rates of 35 percent or 70 percent, and it offers the largest ebook audience in the world. The 70 percent tier applies at $2.99 to $9.99, with delivery costs near $0.15 per megabyte subtracted, while prices below $2.99 or above $9.99 earn 35 percent with no delivery charge. KDP Select adds promotional tools in exchange for exclusivity.
You never get the reader's email on Amazon, which limits direct marketing, and on 100 copies of a $9 ebook you keep about $609 after delivery costs. For authors with no audience yet, KDP is the essential discovery channel.
What we like- Free to publish
- Huge audience reach
- 70 percent royalty in the $2.99 to $9.99 band
- Promotional tools including KDP Select
Watch out for- You never get the reader's email
- Delivery costs near $0.15 per megabyte on the 70 percent tier
- 35 percent royalty outside the price band
#2Gumroad
Best for: Fast direct sales4.2/5 on
G2 (16 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit gumroad.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Gumroad is the fastest way to start selling with no website and no monthly fee, charging 10 percent plus $0.50 per sale, or 30 percent via its Discover marketplace. It sells multiple formats, offers lightweight DRM and email marketing, and suits first-time sellers validating a product before building a full store.
Discover fees at 30 percent are steep, fees exceed Payhip at scale, and store customization is limited. On 100 copies of a $9 ebook via your own link, you keep about $760. For a first ebook with a small social audience, Gumroad is the simplest start.
What we like- No monthly fees
- Fast setup in minutes
- Sells multiple formats
- Lightweight DRM and email marketing
- 10 percent plus $0.50 per sale
Watch out for- 30 percent via Discover marketplace
- Higher fees than Payhip at scale
- Limited store customization
#3Payhip
Best for: Branded shopfront on a budget4.7/5 on
G2 (5 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit payhip.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Payhip offers a fully branded shopfront on a budget, with a free plan at 5 percent plus gateway fees, mid plans at 2 percent, and Pro at 0 percent. PDF stamping adds buyer identity to each downloaded copy, an affiliate system helps recruit promoters, and VAT handling simplifies international sales. On 100 copies of a $9 ebook on the free plan, you keep about $855 before PayPal or Stripe fees.
Payhip has a smaller built-in audience than marketplaces, gateway fees apply on top of platform fees, and higher plans cost $29 or $99 per month. For authors who want a branded store without monthly fees, Payhip is the best value here.
What we like- Free plan with 5 percent fee
- Pro plans at 2 percent or 0 percent
- Fully branded shopfront
- PDF stamping
- Affiliate system
- VAT handling
Watch out for- Smaller built-in audience than marketplaces
- Gateway fees apply on top
- Higher plans cost $29 or $99 per month
#4Shopify
Best for: Large catalogues and brands4.4/5 on
G2 (5,144 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit shopify.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Shopify suits large catalogues and multi-channel brands, with a $39 per month base cost and 0 percent platform fee when using Shopify Payments, plus card processing at 2.9 percent plus $0.30. Its app ecosystem supports digital delivery, subscriptions, and bundles, and unified checkout covers physical and digital products together.
The $39 monthly cost is overkill for a single ebook, and processing fees apply on every sale. For authors with an existing Shopify store or a large catalogue, Shopify is the most scalable choice here.
What we like- All-in-one store for large catalogues
- 0 percent platform fee with Shopify Payments
- Multi-channel selling
- Strong app ecosystem
Watch out for- $39 per month base cost
- Payment processing at 2.9 percent plus $0.30
- Overkill for a single ebook
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Etsy offers built-in marketplace traffic for digital downloads, with a $0.20 listing fee plus a 6.5 percent transaction fee plus payment processing. It suits printable-adjacent content, planners, templates, and workbooks that browsers already search for, and its search discovery reduces reliance on your own marketing.
Fees add up across listing, transaction, and processing charges, listings renew for a fee, and ebook competition is intense. For printable-adjacent ebooks where shoppers already browse, Etsy is the best marketplace after Amazon.
What we like- Built-in marketplace traffic
- $0.20 listing fee plus 6.5 percent transaction fee
- Suits printable-adjacent content
- Strong search discovery
Watch out for- Transaction plus payment processing fees add up
- Listing fees per renewal
- Ebook competition is intense
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Lemon Squeezy is the best choice for international sales with tax compliance, handling global tax automatically as merchant of record. It charges 5 percent plus $0.50 per sale with no monthly fee, suiting authors who sell worldwide without wanting to register for VAT in every country.
Per-sale fees exceed Payhip Pro at scale, store customization is fewer than Shopify, and the platform is newer than rivals. For authors with international readers who want tax handled automatically, Lemon Squeezy is the simplest compliant choice.
What we like- Free to start at 5 percent plus $0.50
- Handles global tax as merchant of record
- Suits software and digital products
- No monthly fee
Watch out for- Higher per-sale fee than Payhip Pro
- Fewer store customization options
- Newer platform than rivals
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Draft2Digital offers wide marketplace distribution from a single upload, reaching Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and library networks including OverDrive. Authors earn 60 percent of retail price across wide stores, with no delivery charges subtracted, making it simpler than managing each store separately.
Royalties run lower than direct KDP at 70 percent, there is no direct customer relationship, and distribution delays affect some stores. For authors who want wide distribution without managing five dashboards, Draft2Digital is the best aggregator here.
What we like- Single upload distributes to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and library networks
- 60 percent of retail price
- No delivery charges subtracted
Watch out for- Lower royalty than direct KDP
- No direct customer relationship
- Distribution delays for some stores
#8SendOwl
Best for: Secure delivery and stamping4.2/5 on
G2 (16 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit sendowl.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
SendOwl delivers files securely from a pre-existing website, with PDF stamping that adds buyer identity to each downloaded copy, license keys, and checkout tools. Plans start around $9 to $19 per month depending on features, with gateway-only fees on some plans, making it the best choice for premium ebooks where piracy is a concern.
It needs an existing website, monthly costs apply even for low volume, and setup is more technical than Gumroad or Payhip. For authors with a website who want secure delivery and stamping, SendOwl is the strongest delivery tool here.
What we like- Secure file delivery from your existing website
- PDF stamping adds buyer identity
- License keys
- Plans from around $9 to $19 per month
- 0 percent gateway-only fees on some plans
Watch out for- Needs an existing website
- Monthly cost even for low volume
- Setup more technical than Gumroad
How we chose
We compared 2026 digital product guides that rank platforms by monthly cost, transaction fees, free plan availability, and main purpose, plus per-sale math for a $9 ebook. A platform made this list only if it serves US ebook sellers with published fees and a track record of ebook or digital product sales. Fees shown are platform fees; card or PayPal processing usually applies on top unless the platform is a merchant of record. Many successful sellers validate a product on a marketplace first, then move proven bestsellers to their own store to protect margins and build an email list.
What to check before you list
Start with your audience, not the platform. With no audience yet, list on KDP, Apple Books, and Kobo so strangers can find the book. With a small social audience and no website, use Gumroad or Payhip and send readers a link. With a blog or email list, sell from your own WooCommerce store and keep the full price minus card fees.
Next, prepare the product properly: a clean formatted PDF for direct sales, EPUB for ereader distribution, a compelling cover that reads clearly at thumbnail size, and a description optimized for the search terms buyers actually use. Finally, start with two routes, not five, since every extra platform adds a dashboard to check and a price rule to follow. Add a platform only when readers ask for it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best platform to sell ebooks?
Amazon KDP offers maximum reach, while Gumroad and Payhip offer the fastest direct sales. The best strategy is usually Amazon for discovery plus your own store for margin and the mailing list.
How much does Amazon KDP pay?
KDP pays 70 percent royalty at $2.99 to $9.99 minus delivery costs near $0.15 per megabyte, and 35 percent outside that band with no delivery charge. On 100 copies of a $9 ebook, you keep about $609.
Is Gumroad or Payhip cheaper?
Payhip is cheaper at scale, with 5 percent on its free plan and 0 percent on Pro, versus Gumroad at 10 percent plus $0.50 per sale. Gumroad is simpler to set up, while Payhip offers a branded shopfront and PDF stamping.
Can I sell ebooks on my own website?
Yes, your own store keeps about $843.90 from $900 in sales after Stripe fees of 2.9 percent plus $0.30 per sale, before hosting costs. Use WooCommerce, Shopify, or SendOwl for delivery.
What is Draft2Digital?
Draft2Digital is a distribution aggregator that uploads once and distributes to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and library networks, paying 60 percent of retail price with no delivery charges.
Do I need an ISBN to sell ebooks?
Amazon KDP provides a free ISBN for paperbacks and does not require one for ebooks, while wide distribution through Draft2Digital or IngramSpark may benefit from your own ISBN for broader retail and library reach.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://kdp.amazon.com
- https://gumroad.com
- https://payhip.com
- https://www.shopify.com
- https://www.etsy.com
- https://www.lemonsqueezy.com
- https://www.draft2digital.com
- https://www.sendowl.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.