The no-50-cent-fee alternative to Gumroad.
Gumroad has no monthly fee. It takes 10% + 50¢ per direct sale (30% via Discover) instead. Sensei Factory starts at $0 a month and only ever costs a cut of a real sale: 10% on Free, 5% on Starter, 0% on Pro. No student caps on any plan.
| Sensei Factory | Gumroad | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $0 · $19/mo Starter · $49/mo Pro | No monthly fee |
| Platform fee | 10% · 5% Starter · 0% Pro | 10% + 50¢ per direct sale (30% via Discover) |
| Courses & students | Unlimited students, every plan | Same 10% as Sensei Factory Free, plus a flat 50¢ per sale Free never charges |
| Payment methods | Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay | Varies by plan |
At $1,000/month in sales, you keep…
$900
Sensei Free
$931
Sensei Starter
$951
Sensei Pro
$890
Gumroad
Platform costs only. Payment processing passes through everywhere. Numbers verified 2026-07-07.
When Gumroad is the better choice
An honest comparison includes this part.
- You sell one-off downloads (PDFs, presets, templates) and don't need courses at all
- You want Discover's marketplace traffic and accept the 30% cut on it
Fair questions
How do Gumroad's fees compare?
Gumroad takes 10% + 50¢ on every direct sale. Sensei Factory Free takes 10% with no fixed fee, and Pro at $49/month takes 0%. On $1,000/month of $49 courses you keep about $889.80 on Gumroad, $900 on Sensei Free, and $951 on Sensei Pro.
Is Sensei Factory an actual course platform?
Yes, video hosting and streaming, modules and lessons, free previews, student progress, and a personal storefront. Gumroad delivers files; Sensei Factory delivers a learning experience.
Does Sensei Factory support Apple Pay or Google Pay like Gumroad supports PayPal?
Yes, card checkout via Stripe includes Apple Pay and Google Pay everywhere.
