If you're selling digital products, the platform you choose can make a surprisingly big difference to what you actually keep from each sale.
Payhip and Shopify can both be used to sell ebooks, PDFs, templates, printables, courses and other digital products, but they are built around very different approaches. Payhip is focused on digital-product selling, while Shopify is a broader ecommerce platform designed to support both physical and digital commerce.
That difference affects pricing, digital delivery, marketplace discovery, store setup and the amount of ecommerce infrastructure you may actually need.
So which one makes more sense?
The answer depends largely on how you expect people to find your products, what you're selling, how much you're likely to sell, the payment options available in your country and how much control or ecommerce functionality you need.
Prices, fees, payment-processing rates, marketplace requirements, tax arrangements and platform features can vary by country and can change. The information in this article was checked against current platform information available on 16 September 2026. All dollar calculations in this article are US-dollar examples unless specifically stated otherwise.
Payhip vs Shopify at a glance
| Feature | Payhip | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0/month + 5% Payhip transaction fee | No free full online-store plan |
| Paid plans | Plus $29/month + 2%; Pro $99/month + 0% | US monthly pricing: Basic $39; Grow $105; Advanced $399; Plus from $2,300 |
| Digital delivery | Built into the platform | Requires a digital-download solution; Shopify provides its Digital Downloads app |
| Marketplace | Payhip operates a marketplace for eligible digital products | Supports external marketplaces and sales channels but does not operate an equivalent Shopify-wide marketplace |
| Digital products | Core use case | Supported alongside physical products |
| Physical products | Supported | Major part of the broader ecommerce platform |
| Tax handling | Automatic EU and UK VAT handling, plus current US and Canadian sales-tax arrangements | Tax tools available; separate Managed Markets arrangements can provide merchant-of-record services for eligible international orders |
Payhip pricing
Payhip currently has three main plans:
- Free: $0 per month plus a 5% Payhip transaction fee
- Plus: $29 per month plus a 2% Payhip transaction fee
- Pro: $99 per month with no Payhip transaction fee
Payhip says payment processor fees still apply separately. The amount you actually pay your payment processor depends on the processor, country, payment method and transaction.
The important thing about Payhip's pricing structure is that the Free plan does not mean zero fees on a sale. There is no monthly subscription charge, but Payhip takes 5% of the transaction.
Shopify pricing
Shopify's prices vary by country, so the figures in this section are specifically US-dollar monthly prices.
- Basic: $39/month
- Grow: $105/month
- Advanced: $399/month
- Shopify Plus: starts at $2,300/month
Shopify also offers lower effective monthly prices on some plans when billed annually. The figures above use the monthly US prices so the comparison remains straightforward.
Shopify's Starter plan is sometimes described online as a $5/month option. However, Shopify currently states that Starter is not available to new stores. It is intended for simplified selling through social media and messaging rather than being the normal entry point for a new full Shopify online store.
What does a $20 sale look like?
Payment processing is separate from the platform fees, and actual processing rates vary. To make the numbers easy to compare, the following is a US-dollar illustration using 2.9% + $0.30 for payment processing.
On a $20 sale, 2.9% plus $0.30 equals $0.88 in processing.
For Payhip, that $0.88 is a hypothetical processing assumption rather than a universal Payhip payment-processing rate. Shopify currently lists 2.9% + $0.30 as the online card rate for its US Basic plan when using Shopify Payments.
| Plan | Platform fee on $20 | Illustrative processing | Illustrative total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payhip Free | $1.00 | $0.88 | $1.88 |
| Payhip Plus | $0.40 | $0.88 | $1.28 |
| Payhip Pro | $0.00 | $0.88 | $0.88 |
| Shopify Basic + Shopify Payments US example |
$0.00 | $0.88 | $0.88 |
This is a fee illustration, not a prediction of what every seller will pay. Payment-processing rates and availability differ by country and provider.
Where does Shopify Basic cross Payhip Free?
Looking only at Payhip's transaction fee and Shopify Basic's US monthly subscription price:
$39 ÷ 5% = $780
That means Payhip Free's 5% platform fee equals $39 at $780 in monthly sales.
This does not mean Shopify automatically costs less at that point. It is only a comparison of Payhip's platform transaction fee with Shopify Basic's monthly subscription. Payment processing, apps and other costs still have to be considered.
Where does Payhip Plus cross Shopify Basic?
Payhip Plus costs $29/month and reduces Payhip's transaction fee from 5% to 2%. The difference is 3 percentage points.
$29 ÷ 0.03 = $966.67
Ignoring payment-processing costs and other expenses, the difference between a 5% and 2% Payhip transaction fee offsets the $29 Plus subscription at approximately $966.67 in monthly sales.
Again, this is simply the mathematical break-even point between those Payhip fee structures. It is not a statement that one platform is universally cheaper.
Monthly platform-fee examples
The following examples use Shopify Basic's current $39 US monthly price and compare it with Payhip's monthly subscription plus Payhip transaction fee. Payment-processing charges are excluded.
| Monthly sales | Payhip Free | Payhip Plus | Payhip Pro | Shopify Basic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $25 | $39 | $99 | $39 |
| $2,000 | $100 | $69 | $99 | $39 |
| $5,000 | $250 | $129 | $99 | $39 |
These numbers demonstrate why there is no single platform-fee answer that applies at every sales level. At $500 in monthly sales, for example, Payhip Free's platform fee is $25, compared with Shopify Basic's $39 monthly subscription in this US example.
Digital delivery
For digital products, what happens after someone pays is an important part of the platform comparison.
Payhip is built around digital-product selling, so digital delivery is integrated into its platform.
Shopify can absolutely sell digital products, but digital delivery is not simply part of the standard product setup in the same way. Shopify provides an official Digital Downloads app that can be used to deliver files to customers, and other third-party apps are also available.
This means both platforms can handle digital products, but the setup philosophy is different: Payhip starts with the digital-product workflow, while Shopify gives you a wider ecommerce platform that you extend for digital delivery.
Payhip's marketplace
One of Payhip's notable differences is that it operates a marketplace for eligible digital products.
Marketplace access is not immediate for a brand-new seller. Payhip currently says that sellers need at least $10 USD in genuine total sales. Self-purchases do not count.
Payhip's accounts team reviews the store, and individual products need to go through the relevant approval process. Payhip says it aims to complete approval within 10 days, although the process can take longer.
Payhip states that there is no additional marketplace fee. The normal Payhip transaction fee for your plan still applies.
The marketplace currently supports digital products.
Does Shopify have a marketplace?
Shopify supports selling through marketplaces and other sales channels, but that is different from operating a single Shopify-owned marketplace where shoppers browse a central catalogue of independent Shopify stores.
So the distinction is not that Shopify cannot connect to marketplaces. It can. The distinction is that Payhip operates its own marketplace, whereas Shopify's model is primarily based around individual stores and additional sales channels.
Tax and VAT handling
Tax is another area where older platform comparisons can become inaccurate because the services offered by ecommerce platforms change.
Payhip
Payhip states that it automatically collects and remits EU and UK VAT on behalf of sellers.
Payhip also states that, from 1 July 2026, it handles US sales tax on behalf of sellers, including collecting and paying applicable US sales tax.
There can still be seller-side obligations. Payhip notes, for example, that a seller with a physical presence in a US state may still have to file a zero-dollar return even when Payhip is collecting and paying the sales tax.
For Canada, Payhip states that from 1 July 2026 it handles GST/HST and PST on behalf of sellers. Its current documentation also notes that its Quebec QST registration was still in progress, meaning sellers with a QST obligation may still need to deal with Quebec sales tax themselves.
So it would be inaccurate to describe Payhip as leaving all VAT and sales-tax responsibilities entirely to the seller.
Shopify
Shopify provides tools for calculating and collecting taxes, but a standard Shopify store does not automatically transfer every tax registration, filing and remittance obligation to Shopify.
Shopify also offers Shopify Managed Markets. For eligible international transactions, Managed Markets uses Global-e as the merchant of record and can handle international tax registration, filing and remittance as part of that service.
Managed Markets is therefore a separate arrangement. It would be inaccurate to say that every Shopify store automatically has Shopify or Global-e acting as its merchant of record.
Tax obligations depend on factors including where your business is established, where your customers are located, what you sell and which platform services you use. If you're unsure about your obligations, check the current rules for your circumstances or speak to a qualified tax professional.
Which matters more if you already have your own traffic?
If people already reach you through Pinterest, social media, email, a blog, YouTube or another audience you control, the marketplace difference may not be the main consideration.
You may instead care more about:
- Monthly platform costs
- Transaction fees
- Payment-processing costs
- Digital delivery
- Store customization
- Whether you also sell physical products
- The number of products you expect to sell
- How much ecommerce infrastructure you actually need
Someone selling a small catalogue of digital products from traffic they generate themselves may have very different requirements from a business operating physical inventory, shipping, multiple sales channels and a large ecommerce operation.
Payhip and Pinterest
Pinterest can send visitors directly to a product page, a landing page, a blog article or another page that explains an offer before the visitor reaches checkout.
For a digital-product seller, Payhip can sit at the end of that journey: Pinterest provides the traffic, your content explains the product and Payhip provides the storefront and digital-product selling workflow.
Shopify can also be used with Pinterest traffic. The difference is that Shopify is a broader ecommerce system, so the store can be built around a much wider range of products, sales channels and ecommerce requirements.
Want to see what Payhip looks like for selling digital products?
You can create a Payhip account and explore the platform before deciding whether it fits your setup.
Frequently asked questions
Is Payhip free?
Payhip has a Free plan costing $0 per month. It charges a 5% Payhip transaction fee on sales, and payment-processing charges still apply.
Is Shopify free?
Shopify's normal full online-store plans are paid. The current US monthly price for Basic is $39. Shopify's Starter plan is not currently available to new stores.
Can you sell ebooks on Payhip?
Yes. Payhip is built around digital products and supports products such as ebooks and downloadable files.
Can you sell ebooks on Shopify?
Yes. Shopify supports digital products such as ebooks. Digital delivery requires a suitable app or solution, including Shopify's Digital Downloads app.
Does Payhip have a marketplace?
Yes. Payhip operates a marketplace for eligible digital products. Current marketplace access requires at least $10 in genuine sales and the relevant store and product approval process.
Does Shopify have a marketplace?
Shopify supports selling through marketplaces and other channels, but it does not operate a single Shopify-wide marketplace equivalent to Payhip's own marketplace.
Does Payhip handle VAT?
Payhip states that it automatically collects and remits EU and UK VAT on behalf of sellers. Its current tax arrangements also include US sales tax and most Canadian sales taxes, subject to the specific seller obligations and Quebec QST situation described above.
Does Shopify handle tax?
Shopify provides tax calculation and collection tools. A standard Shopify store does not automatically make Shopify responsible for every tax registration, filing and remittance obligation. Eligible merchants can use Shopify Managed Markets for certain international transactions, where Global-e acts as merchant of record.
Which has the lower monthly cost?
There is no single answer for every seller. Payhip uses a combination of monthly subscription fees and transaction fees, while Shopify's full online-store plans use monthly subscriptions and may involve payment-processing and other costs. Sales volume can materially change the comparison.
Which is better for digital products?
Payhip and Shopify are designed around different models. Payhip is focused on digital-product selling, while Shopify provides a broader ecommerce platform that supports both physical and digital products. The useful comparison is therefore based on the type of products you sell, your traffic sources, your sales volume and the amount of ecommerce infrastructure you need.
Final thoughts
Payhip and Shopify can both sell digital products, but they approach the job from different directions.
Payhip concentrates on digital-product selling, with digital delivery built into the platform and a marketplace available to eligible sellers. Its pricing combines monthly plans with Payhip transaction fees.
Shopify is a much broader ecommerce platform. It can handle digital products alongside physical products, multiple sales channels, inventory and a large ecosystem of apps and integrations.
If you're primarily selling digital products and bringing your own traffic from places such as Pinterest, the relevant question is how much ecommerce infrastructure you actually need and how the different fee structures work at your expected sales level.
If you also need physical-product inventory, shipping, extensive integrations or a larger ecommerce operation, Shopify's broader platform capabilities may be relevant to your requirements.
The useful comparison is therefore not simply which platform has the lowest advertised price. It is how each platform's fees, features, delivery tools, traffic model and tax arrangements fit the way you actually intend to sell.
Last checked: 16 September 2026