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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.
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.
Updated 2026-08-07 · 6 min read
Both Payhip and Readfeed let you sell ebooks direct and keep far more than Amazon pays. But they solve different halves of the problem. Payhip is a lean, low-fee checkout for creators who already have an audience to send to it. Readfeed is an author platform — the same direct checkout, wrapped in a community of readers, book clubs, and live events that create discovery you don't have to manufacture yourself.
If your only question is "which takes the smallest cut per sale?", Payhip wins. If your question is "where will my book actually find readers?", read on.
| Feature | Payhip | Readfeed |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee (ebook) | 5% (free plan) | 15% |
| Monthly subscription | ✕ | ✕ |
| Ebook delivery | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email / customer capture | ✓ | ✓ |
| Direct payouts (Stripe) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-in reader audience | ✕ | ✓ |
| Book clubs can adopt your book | ✕ | ✓ |
| Live ticketed author events | ✕ | ✓ |
| Signed-copy sales | ✕ | ✓ |
| Sells any digital product | ✓ | Books-focused |
Payhip is the better pick if you already have a mailing list, social following, or website traffic to send to a checkout — and you want the lowest possible fee per sale. Its 5% free-plan fee (and lower on paid tiers) is hard to beat, and it happily sells any digital product, not just books. If your funnel is already built and you just need a cheap, reliable "buy" button, Payhip is excellent.
Readfeed is the better pick if you don't yet have a big audience to drive to a storefront. A Payhip page is an empty room — it assumes traffic you may not have. Readfeed's fee is higher because it does more than take payment: your book sits inside an active reading community, book clubs can adopt it, you can host and ticket live launch events, and you can sell signed copies. The fee buys distribution, not just a checkout. For a new or growing author, readers are worth far more than the ten-percent fee difference.
Get the checkout — and the readers
Create a free Readfeed author account, connect Stripe, and list your ebook inside a community that actually reads.
Frequently asked questions
Is Payhip or Readfeed cheaper?+
Payhip has the lower per-sale fee — 5% on its free plan versus Readfeed's 15% on ebooks. Neither charges a monthly subscription. Readfeed's higher fee reflects the built-in reader audience, book clubs, and live events it adds on top of the checkout.
Can I use both Payhip and Readfeed?+
Yes. Many authors sell "wide" — listing the same ebook on multiple direct platforms and retailers. You can run a Payhip checkout for your own traffic and use Readfeed to reach its reader community at the same time.
Do both platforms let me keep my customers' emails?+
Yes. Unlike Amazon, both Payhip and Readfeed let you capture and keep buyer contact details so you can market future books directly.