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The usual reason to look for a Payhip alternative is the per-sale fee on its free plan, or the moment you want email sequences and upsells around the product rather than a bare checkout. systeme.io does both free: a 0% platform fee on downloads and courses, 2,000 contacts with unlimited emails, and one upsell and order bump in the funnel. Payhip stays the simpler tool if all you need is a product page and a payment button.
Payhip’s pricing page blocked our checks today, so its plans are described here without numbers. Payhip runs a free plan that takes a percentage of each sale and paid plans that lower or remove it; confirm the current figures on payhip.com before comparing.
Payhip vs systeme.io: side-by-side comparison
| systeme.io | Payhip | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, 0% platform fee | Yes, with a per-sale fee |
| Paid plans | $17, $47, $97/mo | Monthly plans that reduce the fee (not verified today) |
| Digital downloads | Yes | Yes |
| Courses and memberships | Yes | Yes |
| Email list and sequences | Unlimited sends, 2,000 contacts free | Basic customer emails |
| Sales funnels with upsells | Yes | No |
| Affiliate program for your products | Every plan | Yes |
| EU VAT handling | Through your processor | Handled by Payhip |
| Setup time | An afternoon | Minutes |
What Payhip does well
It is fast, it hosts the files, and it handles EU VAT on digital sales for you, which systeme.io does not. Coupons, pay-what-you-want, and a storefront on a Payhip subdomain come with the free plan. For a first product it is hard to beat.
Other Payhip alternatives
| Tool | Fee model | Pick it if |
|---|---|---|
| Gumroad | 10% + 50c per sale, 30% via Discover | You want marketplace discovery |
| Kit | 3.5% + 30c on its free plan | The newsletter is already there |
| Stan Store | $29/mo, 0% | You sell from social only |
What the same setup costs on systeme.io
Free plan, no card. Affiliate link; we earn a commission on paid plans.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Payhip alternative with no transaction fees?
systeme.io charges 0% on every plan including free; you pay Stripe or PayPal processing only.
Does Payhip handle EU VAT?
Yes, Payhip acts as merchant of record for digital VAT. systeme.io does not; tax runs through your processor.
Can I sell courses on a Payhip alternative for free?
systeme.io hosts one course with 500 students on the free plan, with a checkout and email included.
Which is faster to set up?
Payhip. A product page is live in minutes. systeme.io takes an afternoon and gives you the funnel and list in return.
Related: systeme.io pricing, systeme.io review.