Payhip
FreemiumSimple platform for selling digital downloads, online courses, memberships, and coaching with built-in affiliate program and EU VAT handling.
What does this tool do?
Payhip is a creator-focused e-commerce platform that bundles together tools for selling digital products, online courses, coaching sessions, memberships, and physical goods—all without requiring coding skills. The platform handles the operational complexity that typically burdens individual creators: it automatically manages EU and UK VAT compliance, provides a drag-and-drop store builder with customizable themes, integrates payment processing, and includes basic email marketing capabilities. Rather than positioning itself as a general e-commerce giant like Shopify, Payhip targets the creator economy specifically, with built-in features like course drip-feeding, quiz/assignment tools, membership recurring billing, and 1:1 coaching session scheduling via Zoom/Calendly integrations. The platform emphasizes simplicity—you can start free with no credit card, build a storefront in minutes, and embed it on existing websites or connect custom domains.
AI analysis from Feb 23, 2026
Key Features
- Drag-and-drop store builder with customizable themes requiring no coding
- Automated EU and UK VAT calculation and handling for digital products
- Online course creation with video hosting, quizzes, assignments, and drip-feeding schedules
- Membership and recurring billing management with gated content access
- 1:1 coaching session booking integrated with Zoom, Calendly, and similar tools
- Digital download delivery with license key support
- Physical product inventory management with order fulfillment
- Free custom domain connection and website embedding capabilities
- Built-in affiliate program for sellers to create referral networks
- Email marketing tools for customer communication
Use Cases
- 1Digital product creators selling ebooks, templates, design assets, or software with automatic VAT handling for EU/UK customers
- 2Online course creators offering video-based courses with completion certificates, quizzes, and drip-feeding content over time
- 3Coaching professionals offering 1:1 sessions with integrated calendar and video meeting scheduling
- 4Subscription content creators managing membership communities with recurring billing and gated content access
- 5Small batch sellers managing physical inventory with order fulfillment and promotional capabilities
- 6Indie authors or niche content creators who need a simple, low-friction storefront without managing complex backend infrastructure
- 7Multi-product creators who want to sell different product types (courses + digital downloads + memberships) from a single platform
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- Automatic EU/VAT compliance is a genuine differentiator—most platforms push this burden to sellers, making this a significant operational advantage for international creators
- Free tier with no credit card requirement lowers friction for testing and getting started, with ability to connect custom domains and embed on existing websites
- Unified platform reduces tool-switching fatigue by combining store builder, course delivery, membership management, and basic email marketing in one interface
- Specifically designed for creators with features like drip courses, coaching scheduling, and membership billing rather than generic e-commerce templates adapted from retail
- Over 130,000 active sellers provides social proof and a functional marketplace ecosystem for discovering products
Limitations
- Pricing details are entirely absent from the homepage—no visibility into transaction fees, plan costs, or feature tier differences, making cost comparison impossible without signing up
- No mention of advanced analytics, inventory forecasting, or detailed reporting tools beyond basic store management, limiting visibility for data-driven decision making
- Limited payment gateway options mentioned; unclear how many processors are supported compared to Shopify or Gumroad, potentially restricting seller choice
- Email marketing capabilities described only as basic integration without specifics—likely not a replacement for dedicated platforms like ConvertKit or Mailchimp
- Marketplace presence suggests platform lock-in; unclear if sellers can easily export customer lists, course content, or membership rosters if they need to migrate
Pricing Details
Pricing details not publicly available on the website. The homepage mentions 'Get started for free' with 'No card required' and 'Cancel any time,' indicating a freemium model, but specific plan tiers, transaction fees, and feature restrictions are not disclosed.
Who is this for?
Solo creators and small teams in the digital economy—ebook authors, online course instructors, coaching professionals, template designers, membership community builders, and indie software developers. Particularly suited for sellers who prioritize simplicity over customization and those serving EU/UK audiences who need VAT compliance. Best fit for creators generating $5K–$100K annual revenue who haven't yet outgrown the need for an integrated all-in-one platform.