The best Payhip alternative in 2026 — and the exact point to switch
Payhip is the fairest of the pay-per-sale platforms, which makes this comparison a question of arithmetic rather than principle. Here is where the 5% stops being the cheaper option.
Payhip is cheaper than SitesPlaced until you reach about $300 a month in sales. Payhip's free plan takes 5% of each sale, so $300/month costs about $15 — the same as our entire monthly plan, which takes nothing. Above that we are cheaper and the gap widens with every sale. Payhip keeps a genuine advantage on EU VAT handling, which matters if you sell to Europe.
TL;DR
- • Payhip free: 5% per sale. Payhip Growth: $29/month for 2%. SitesPlaced: $14.99/month, 0%.
- • Break-even against Payhip's free tier is around $300/month in sales.
- • At $2,000/month Payhip's free plan takes $100 and we take nothing.
- • Payhip handles EU VAT for you. We do not — you can use Stripe Tax, but you stay the seller.
- • You get a website with a blog, physical products, stock, variants and shipping labels.
The arithmetic
| Monthly sales | Payhip free (5%) | Payhip Growth ($29 + 2%) | SitesPlaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | $5 | $31 | $14.99 |
| $300 | $15 | $35 | $14.99 |
| $1,000 | $50 | $49 | $14.99 |
| $2,000 | $100 | $69 | $14.99 |
| $5,000 | $250 | $129 | $14.99 |
Competitor prices are from their own pricing pages, checked late August 2026. Plans change — confirm before you switch.
Two things stand out. Payhip's own paid plan only beats its free plan above roughly $1,000 a month. And our flat fee beats both from about $300 onwards, then never stops widening.
What Payhip does better — and where it stops
- • EU VAT handling. If you sell to European customers this is real work they do for you.
- • A genuinely free plan with unlimited products, which is rare — most 'free' plans cap you.
- • Simplicity. There is very little to learn, and for some sellers that is the whole feature.
Stay on Payhip if: you sell under about $300 a month, or European VAT is a headache you would rather someone else owned.
What you gain by moving
- • A real website with a blog and your own domain, not a storefront page.
- • Physical products in the same store — stock, variants, categories, and shipping labels from around 5c through Shippo.
- • Files protected properly: private storage with no public address, expiring per-buyer links, download limits you set, and a kill switch for refunds.
- • 16 editable themes plus AI that designs the first version from a description of what you sell.
Frequently asked questions
At what point is SitesPlaced cheaper than Payhip?
Around $300 a month in sales. Payhip's free plan takes 5%, which is about $15 at that level — the same as our entire plan, which takes 0%. Below $300 the difference is a few dollars either way; above it, Payhip's cut keeps growing with your income while SitesPlaced stays flat at $14.99, and you also get a real website with a blog rather than a product page.
Does SitesPlaced handle EU VAT?
Not by itself. You can enable Stripe Tax in your own Stripe account so VAT is calculated at checkout, but you remain the seller of record. Payhip does more of this for you, and that is a real reason to choose them.
Can I sell physical products too?
Yes, in the same store, with stock, variants and shipping labels. Payhip's physical product support is basic by comparison.
Do I get a blog?
Yes. A full multi-page website with a blog on your own domain — which is how most creators actually get found.
Keep the 5%
Above $300 a month, a flat $14.99 with 0% commission beats 5% forever. Build the store free and check the maths against your own numbers.
