Sellfy vs Payhip:
creator stores, sales caps and fee trade-offs
Compare Sellfy and Payhip for a download or merchandise business: ongoing access, annual sales limits, platform fees and the work after checkout.
Match the operating model.
Cost the complete workflow.
Sellfy fits a creator wanting a subscription-based hosted store with integrated print-on-demand merchandise. Payhip offers ongoing selling without a monthly subscription, with a platform fee that falls on paid packages. Compare a representative product and a busy sales period: Sellfy has annual revenue boundaries, while Payhip advertises unlimited revenue across its three packages.
Seven differences that change the shortlist
| Buying question | Sellfy | Payhip |
|---|---|---|
| Starting access | 14-day trial, then a paid subscription | Free Forever with a sales-linked fee |
| Platform fee structure | 0% platform transaction fee within the subscription terms | 5% Free, 2% Plus or 0% Pro |
| Sales boundary | Annual sales scopes of $10k, $50k and $200k | Unlimited revenue advertised on all packages |
| Merchandise | Built-in print-on-demand catalogue | Physical products supported; arrange fulfilment for the intended offer |
| Marketing package | Upselling and cart recovery on Business or above | Same advertised feature set across packages |
| File acceptance | Plan table lists increasing file capacity; check the exact asset | 5GB per file, without an overall storage or bandwidth limit |
| Money movement | Payments go to the connected Stripe or PayPal account | Gateway fees apply across every package |
Four worked buying briefs
These are hypothetical scenarios with explicit assumptions. They do not establish equal capabilities, measured usability or a negotiated price.
| Buying brief | Sellfy | Payhip |
|---|---|---|
| A designer launches ten downloadable templates | Evaluate the retained subscription after the trial. | Free can remain active with its transaction fee. |
| A creator sells downloads and printed merchandise | Use a sample from the print-on-demand catalogue and price its production. | Define the physical product and external fulfilment handover. |
| A store expects a seasonal sales surge | Model the annual cap and the required larger package. | Model monthly platform fees under Free, Plus and Pro. |
| A creator moves an existing website | Evaluate embedded buttons, product widgets or the store. | Evaluate embedded checkout and download delivery. |
A designer launches ten downloadable templates
What is the ongoing minimum commitment?
Sellfy: Evaluate the retained subscription after the trial.
Payhip: Free can remain active with its transaction fee.
Import the same ten products, then request a receipt and download using an authorised test checkout.
A creator sells downloads and printed merchandise
Who supplies and fulfils the physical item?
Sellfy: Use a sample from the print-on-demand catalogue and price its production.
Payhip: Define the physical product and external fulfilment handover.
A store subscription is not the landed cost of an item: include production, shipping, replacements and a return path.
A store expects a seasonal sales surge
What changes when sales grow?
Sellfy: Model the annual cap and the required larger package.
Payhip: Model monthly platform fees under Free, Plus and Pro.
Use the actual billing currency and period; annual sales limits and monthly fee arithmetic are different boundaries.
A creator moves an existing website
Can the sales journey stay on the current site?
Sellfy: Evaluate embedded buttons, product widgets or the store.
Payhip: Evaluate embedded checkout and download delivery.
Try a mobile purchase, failed payment and product update; retain a clear customer-support owner.
Separate the subscription from each sale
Build a worksheet with twelve months of sales and order counts, including a launch peak and a quiet period. Enter Sellfy’s current subscription quote and the package required by forecast annual sales. Then calculate Payhip’s monthly subscription and platform percentage separately. For illustration, US$1,000 in monthly sales produces US$50 of Payhip Free platform fees, US$49 on Plus, or US$99 on Pro, before gateway fees, taxes and currency effects. This is arithmetic on the published packages, not a forecast of a seller’s margin.
Avoid comparing an annual-payment monthly equivalent with a cancellable monthly bill. Add payment processing, domain renewal and the cost of any external marketing or fulfilment service. Ask what happens if Sellfy’s annual cap is crossed: its FAQ describes a required upgrade and a possible overage fee if an account does not upgrade. Preserve the actual quote and threshold definition with the buying decision.
Prove the product after payment
Prepare a representative large download, a small PDF and a product update. In an authorised evaluation, inspect the receipt, access link, mobile download and the process for replacing a file. Ask the operator who handles a customer who paid but cannot access the product. Payhip’s documented per-file ceiling is a useful hard boundary; do not infer that a platform accepting a larger file will transfer it faster.
For merchandise, write a separate acceptance checklist covering the item, print area, production charge, dispatch destination and a damaged delivery. Sellfy’s built-in print-on-demand proposition may reduce the number of services being assembled, but the buyer still needs a margin calculation and a support process. For either storefront, inspect how an order, refund and fulfilment exception appear in the merchant’s records before moving an established catalogue.
Questions before you choose
Does Sellfy have an ongoing free store?
The current pricing page offers a 14-day trial followed by paid packages. It does not confirm a permanent free selling package.
Does Payhip charge a monthly subscription on Free?
No. Free has a 5% platform transaction fee. Plus and Pro exchange a monthly subscription for lower platform fees; payment processing remains separate.
Which is cheaper for a UK creator?
That depends on sales, order count, the required Sellfy tier, payment fees and exchange rates. Neither a 0% platform fee nor a free monthly package establishes the full cost.
Has SoftwareRadar tested purchase conversion on these stores?
No. The buying briefs and acceptance tasks here are proposed evaluations; they do not establish conversion, loading speed or support quality.
Turn the comparison into your own evaluation
Use the same criteria and priorities for both products, keep unknowns unassessed and record the plan and evidence behind your ratings.
Build a Sellfy vs Payhip scorecard →Keep the assumptions with the figures
Use the date, billing cycle, units and limits with each example. Check current account terms before purchasing. Unverified prices and model costs stay unpriced.
Download the buying examples as JSON ↓Share the comparison
Use these examples when discussing the shortlist with your team.