As my last post seems to have taken a detour towards GDPR compliance, thanks to the last poster, I’m starting a fresh post to ask a question, otherwise continued therein.
You have a ghost blog/website.
You want to sell something, anything … well low cost.
I’m after a PayPal alternative - like yesterday.
Considering Stan Store.
Anything else, low cost solutions only please that can be used on the Starter plan ideally or if we have to an integration on Creator please.
Snipcart. PayPal. Stripe payment links. SendOwl, lemon squeezy, etc if digital. All of these have embed codes.
These are the possible tools and a comparison table to make it easy for you to make a decision.
It depends on the type of products you want to sell. Some platforms, like LemonSqueezy, are best for digital and some other platforms are best for physical products.
If you want to sell courses, then there is a whole new range of tools like Podia, Teachable, Thinkific, etc.
For selling event tickets, probably Eventbrite or Snipcart will work best.
| Platform | Cost structure | Major pros | Major cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stan Store | $29/mo Creator or $99/mo Creator Pro, 0 % platform fee (uses Stripe/PayPal) | • Zero transaction fees • Handles courses, downloads, coaching calls natively | • Monthly cost is the highest on the list • No on-page button/checkout → extra click-out friction • Very limited physical-goods tooling |
| Snipcart | 2 % per sale (or flat $20 /mo if revenue < $1 k) + gateway fees | • Works with any static HTML (perfect for Ghost) • Supports physical + digital, inventory, shipping & taxes • Fully white-label with CSS | • Extra 2 % can add up • Needs a bit of HTML/JSON in each product button |
| Stripe Payment Links | Stripe card rate only (based on country) — no extra link fee | • Zero platform % on top of Stripe • Dozens of local wallets (UPI, GPay, etc.) • You own customer data | • No file-delivery or VAT automation • Very light on physical-shipping tools |
| SendOwl | Starter $39/mo (after 7 day free trial) | • Instant file delivery, drip content, upsells • Built-in EU VAT + license keys | • Monthly fee even if sales are small • Physical-goods tools are basic (no live shipping rates) |
| Lemon Squeezy (acquired by Stripe) | 5 % + 50¢ per sale, no monthly fee | • Merchant-of-record: handles global taxes & VAT • Licences + updates for software • Nice no-code overlay UX | • Flat 5 % + 50¢ hurts low-price items • Digital-first (no shipping labels) • Brand is visible unless you use a custom domain |
| Gumroad | 10 % + 50¢ on direct sales; 30 % if buyer comes via Gumroad Discover | • Free to start, instant video/file hosting • Pay-what-you-want & memberships • EU/US sales-tax handled | • Highest take-rate (10 – 30 %) • Weekly payouts only • Minimal brand control |
| Payhip | Free plan 5 %; Plus $29/mo → 2 %; Pro $99/mo → 0 % | • Digital + physical + coaching in one UI • Built-in EU VAT + piracy stamping • Coupon & affiliate tools on free tier | • 5 % until you upgrade • Checkout loads in a modal that carries Payhip branding |
| Etsy (via Etsy Mini / widgets) | $0.20 per listing + 6.5 % transaction + payment-processing fee | • Huge built-in marketplace traffic & trust • Robust physical-shipping options | • Multiple stacked fees • Buyers leave your site for Etsy checkout • Digital files limited to 20 × 1 GB |
| Podia | Mover $39/mo + 5 % fee; Shaker $89/mo (0 % fee) | • Courses, downloads, webinars, email list — all in one • Clean, mobile checkout flow | • High monthly for Shaker; 5 % on Mover • No built-in shipping calculator |
| Buy Me a Coffee | Flat 5 % platform fee, no subscription | • Fastest way to accept small tips or pay-what-you-want downloads • Supports memberships & one-off sales | • Geared to donations; no cart, no shipping • Limited product catalogue & analytics |
| Paddle | 5 % + 50¢ revenue-share (merchant-of-record) | • Handles VAT/GST worldwide + chargebacks • Subscription & SaaS-style pricing out-of-the-box • Pays out in USD, GBP or EUR | • Digital/SaaS focus – no physical-goods tools • Requires KYC approval; payouts ~monthly |
Disclaimer — pros and cons are compiled with care by ChatGPT. Features and pricing move fast—please do your own due diligence before committing. 
Thanks, Stripe payment links be suited best me thinks. Have got client on it now. Appreciate your input. 
Stipe is a better fit for these purposes booking guided walks online. Stan store is/was an option but don’t really need the $29 price tag for client. Don’t get me started on Podia. 
I must start asking AI more questions, so appreciate your input and tip there. 