Where to sell ebooks: what you keep per sale
Enter your price to compare where to sell ebooks by what you keep from one sale on Amazon KDP, Gumroad, Etsy, Payhip and your own site, after each platform's fees. It compares fees only, not how many buyers each platform brings.
Only affects Amazon KDP's delivery cost.
Applies to Gumroad direct sales, Payhip and your own site. The default is a standard US card rate; use your processor's.
Most per sale: Your own site
$9.40
That is 94.1% of a $9.99 sale, before any monthly costs and tax.
- Your own site$9.40
Card processing only; hosting and tax handling are yours
- Payhip Free$8.90
5% transaction fee, plus card processing
- Etsy$8.59
$0.20 listing fee, 6.5% transaction fee, 3% + $0.25 processing
- Gumroad (direct sale)$7.90
10% + $0.50, plus card processing
- Amazon KDP$6.89
70% royalty, less a $0.15 delivery cost
These figures are estimates, not a promise of earnings. Free to use, no sign-up.
How this is calculated
You keep = price - platform fees - payment processing. Fees are for a US seller in US dollars, as of November 2026.
- Amazon KDP: 70% of the price minus $0.15 per MB delivery when the price is from $2.99 to $12.99, and 35% otherwise. Source: KDP ebook royalties and list price requirements.
- Gumroad: 10% + $0.50 on sales through your profile or direct links, plus card processing. 30% on sales to new customers through Discover, with no separate processing charge added here. Source: Gumroad pricing.
- Etsy: $0.20 listing fee, 6.5% transaction fee, and 3% + $0.25 payment processing for US sellers. Source: Etsy fee basics and payment processing fees.
- Payhip: 5% on the Free plan, 2% on Plus ($29 a month) and 0% on Pro ($99 a month), plus card processing. Source: Payhip pricing.
- Your own site: card processing only.
Card processing
The default of 2.9% + $0.30 is Stripe's standard US rate for domestic cards. PayPal and other processors differ, so both numbers are inputs you can change.
What is left out
- Monthly plan costs, hosting and your own time.
- Sales tax and VAT. Marketplaces usually collect these for you; on your own site that is your job.
- Etsy Offsite Ads fees, currency conversion and refunds.
- How many buyers each platform brings, which often matters more than the fee.
Questions
Where do you keep the most money selling an ebook?
Per sale, usually your own site, because you only pay card processing. On a $9.99 ebook that leaves about $9.40. The trade-off is that you bring every buyer yourself and handle sales tax yourself.
How much does Gumroad take from a sale?
As of November 2026, Gumroad charges 10% plus $0.50 on sales through your own profile or links, with card processing on top, and a flat 30% when a new customer finds you through its Discover marketplace.
How much does Etsy take from a digital download?
As of November 2026, a US seller pays a $0.20 listing fee, a 6.5% transaction fee and 3% plus $0.25 for payment processing. On a $9.99 ebook that is $1.40, so you keep $8.59. Offsite Ads fees are extra when a sale comes from one of those ads.
Is Payhip free?
Payhip has a free plan with a 5% transaction fee, as of November 2026. The Plus plan costs $29 a month with a 2% fee and the Pro plan costs $99 a month with no fee. PayPal or Stripe charge their own processing fee on every plan.
If Amazon pays less per sale, why sell there?
Amazon brings its own shoppers, so you may sell more copies there even though you keep less of each one. Many authors sell on Amazon and directly. Check the rules of any exclusive program before you do both.
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