Gumroad Review: No-Code E-commerce Tool

At Bubble, we want to enable potential builders to create their ideas without code, so we are exploring and reviewing the many tools and software that entrepreneurs might use to build websites.

What is Gumroad?

Gumroad refers to itself as “super-simple e-commerce for creators,” and its users sell a wide range of products, including films, online courses, music, books, crafts, cooking products, games, and much more.

With pre-built e-commerce features, Gumroad enables people to start selling right away. To help you grow your business, Gumroad provides in-depth analytics and customer management tools that make it possible to accomplish things like issuing refunds. Those who are transitioning to or from Gumroad can import existing email lists, as well as export followers and customers.

If you want to personalize your Gumroad site, you can choose from a list of pre-selected color schemes or use CSS to style your landing page. Alternatively, Gumroad allows you to embed its flow form/widget into an existing blog or website by copying and pasting a few lines of code.

Gumroad generates license keys for those who are selling software, and for vendors selling physical products, Gumroad offers tools that help with managing inventories, tracking shipping, verifying addresses, and calculating sales tax.

Those who are selling products in a different country (e.g., US-based companies selling in Europe) can market their product in the currency that their customers are accustomed to. Your customers are able to make payments with any major credit card as well as PayPal.

Who is Gumroad for?

Users of Gumroad include online businesses, freelancers, solo entrepreneurs, artists, filmmakers, musicians, educators, and many others.

People who want to sell digital or physical products directly to customers, and who are looking to build their e-commerce website quickly, will find Gumroad helpful for launching their online businesses.

Gumroad Cost and Pricing?

(Pricing model evaluation in USD: June 2020)

Getting started: With the Getting started pricing, you make payments only when you sell your products. Gumroad takes a 5% cut of every purchase and charges you a fee (3.5% of the purchase + $0.30). This option comes with features such as real-time analytics, customer management tools, limited workflows, SD video streaming, and Gumroad branding.

Creator: The Gumroad creator plan costs $10/month and allows you to customize your website by removing Gumroad branding, stylizing the frontend with CSS, and adding your own domain. This option comes with unlimited posts and workflows, as well as HD streaming. But for every purchase that is made, you must still pay a charge fee (3.5% of the purchase + $0.30).

Gumroad vs. Bubble: A Comparison

How does the e-commerce model of Gumroad compare to a more comprehensive no-code platform like Bubble?

Similarities between Gumroad and Bubble:

Both Gumroad and Bubble integrate with PayPal.
Both can be used as e-commerce websites.
Both Gumroad and Bubble allow you to customize your website using code.
Both have subscription options that enable you to remove the Gumroad and Bubble branding.
Both come with a wide range of learning materials and documents that help you get started.

The key differences between Gumroad and Bubble are:

Users: While Gumroad and Bubble can both function as e-commerce sites that benefit freelancers, artists, solo entrepreneurs, and small businesses, Bubble enables larger businesses and companies to build scalable apps for end users, as well as internal workflows. With Bubble, you are also able to prototype and create high-fidelity MVPs quickly. In fact, many Bubble users end up forgoing traditional coding methods altogether and building scalable businesses on Bubble.

Free Option and Pricing Plan: Gumroad users must pay a charge fee for every item that they sell (3.5% of the purchase + $0.30). If you select the Getting Started option, Gumroad receives 5% of every purchase; the Creator plan charges a flat fee of $10/month. Bubble’s starting plan is free to use and includes all platform functionality; production pricing for companies building on Bubble can be either $115 or $475 a month.

Third-Party Payment Options: Bubble offers integration with PayPal, Stripe, Plaid, Coinbase (cryptocurrency payments), and other e-commerce plugins. At the moment, Gumroad only offers integration with PayPal.

Integrating with Other Platforms: With Gumroad, you can create a Gumroad button or embeddable product page that can be placed in your website; for example, you could add the Gumroad payment widget to your Squarespace website.

Using APIs, you are able to connect Bubble to other no-code platforms (like Thunkable) and use Bubble as a back-end for native web and mobile apps.

Alternatives to Gumroad

Alternative no-code CMS platforms or tools that allow you to build websites or applications without code include the following tools:

If you’re looking for a platform that has support for native or mobile apps, consider using no-code tools like Adalo, Glide, or Thunkable.

If you’re building an e-commerce site and only need landing pages or simple CMS, or would rather use customizable website templates, then take a look at Carrd, Squarespace, Wix, or Weebly as alternatives.

If your needs fall outside the scope of CMS (like building a fully customizable marketplace) and you require full backend database functionality built-in, no-code platforms like Bubble are a good alternative to Gumroad.

If you want an open-source CMS platform with plugins for Stripe and PayPal, check out WordPress.

If you’re looking for an enterprise-focused no-code platform, check out Unqork, Betty Blocks, and Dropsource.

If you need a platform that helps enterprises build or streamline internal workflows, try Microsoft Power Automate or Salesforce Lightning.

If your team uses Excel or Google Sheets and is looking for an alternative platform, consider Coda or Airtable.

About Bubble

Bubble is a leader in the no-code movement. Bubble offers a powerful point-and-click web editor and cloud hosting platform that allows users to build fully customizable web applications and workflows, ranging from simple prototypes to complex marketplaces, SaaS products, and more. Over 400,000 users are currently building and launching businesses on Bubble - some have gone on to participate in top accelerator programs, such as Y Combinator, and even raised $365M in venture funding. Bubble is more than just a product. We are a strong community of builders and entrepreneurs that are united by the belief that everyone should be able to create technology.

Join the no-code movement today.

Disclaimer: The goal of these reviews is to provide an honest, practical, differentiated comparison of features and educate readers on tools in the no-code ecosystem so that you can evaluate how these services fit together and serve your needs.