Guide

How to sell ebooks online

A simple path from finished file to first sale, and what each platform really costs.

  1. 1

    Finish the file

    Export a PDF: it opens on every phone and computer. Add an EPUB too if your readers use e-readers, and zip them together. On NoCut any file up to 50 MB works.

  2. 2

    Make a cover and a short pitch

    One paragraph: who it is for and what they get. The cover shows on your product page and in the preview when you share the link.

  3. 3

    Pick a price

    Pick a price you can explain in one line. You can change it later; people who already bought keep their file.

  4. 4

    Choose where to sell

    Fees decide how much of each sale you keep. At $20 an ebook, NoCut costs less than Gumroad from 4 sales a month, than Payhip’s free plan from 9 and than Lemon Squeezy from 15. Below that, a platform with no monthly fee costs less. The full numbers are in the table below.

  5. 5

    Set up payments and delivery

    On NoCut you connect Stripe once. Buyers pay on Stripe Checkout, the money lands in your own Stripe, and they get a download page right away plus a receipt email with the link.

  6. 6

    Share the link

    Post it where your readers already are: X, Instagram, YouTube, your newsletter. NoCut has no marketplace, so buyers come from you. Gumroad’s Discover marketplace can bring buyers, but takes 30% of those sales.

  7. 7

    Sort out tax

    Digital sales can need VAT or sales tax, depending on where you and your buyers are. Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy handle it as the seller; Payhip collects EU/UK VAT and US/Canadian sales tax for you. On NoCut you are the seller, and Stripe Tax can calculate and collect it (0.5% a sale where you are registered). If you are unsure, ask an accountant.

Where to sell: what you keep

100 ebooks a month at $20, on each platform.

  • Gumroad

    $0 a month, 10% + $0.50 + card fee

    You keep

    $1,662

  • Lemon Squeezy

    $0 a month, 5% + 50¢, card fee included

    You keep

    $1,850

  • Payhip Free

    $0 a month, 5% + card fee

    You keep

    $1,812

  • Payhip Plus

    $29 a month, 2% + card fee

    You keep

    $1,843

  • Payhip Pro

    $99 a month, card fee only

    You keep

    $1,813

  • NoCut

    $9 a month, card fee only

    You keep

    $1,903

100 sales a month at $20 ($2,000), card payments from US buyers, no sales tax, no marketplace sales.

From Gumroad (checked 16 October 2026), Lemon Squeezy, Payhip and Stripe, checked 16 October 2026. Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy pay out on a schedule (Gumroad needs a $100 balance); Payhip and NoCut pay into your own account.

Check your own Gumroad numbers →

FAQ

  • What format should an ebook be in?

    PDF works on every device. EPUB suits e-readers. Many creators sell both in one ZIP file.

  • Where is the cheapest place to sell ebooks?

    It depends on how many you sell. At $20 an ebook, NoCut ($9 a month, 0% of sales) costs less than Gumroad from 4 sales a month, than Payhip’s free plan from 9 and than Lemon Squeezy from 15. Below that, a platform with no monthly fee costs less.

  • Do I need my own website?

    No. A product page link is enough: put it in your bio, posts and newsletter.

  • Do I have to charge VAT or sales tax?

    It depends on where you and your buyers are. Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy handle it as the seller, Payhip collects EU/UK VAT and US/Canadian sales tax, and on NoCut you are the seller, with Stripe Tax to help. Ask an accountant if unsure.

  • How do buyers get the ebook?

    On NoCut, right after paying they get a download page and a receipt email with the link. Each link works up to 25 times.

Keep reading

Keep every sale

$9 a month. 0% of your sales. Paid to your Stripe.