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GumroadvsMedium

Gumroad sells digital products, memberships, and files with no setup and no monthly fee. Medium gives writers a built-in readership and Partner Program earnings without a site.

How Gumroad and Medium compare

Gumroad is selling without ceremony. Upload a file, set a price, share a link, and Gumroad handles checkout, delivery, VAT, memberships, pay-what-you-want, discount codes, and customer emails, taking a cut only when you sell. For creators who want to sell today and not think about infrastructure, it remains the easy answer.

Medium is where a good essay can find readers on its own. The editor is calm, publications curate, the algorithm and topics surface work to members, and the Partner Program pays writers from member reading time. You bring words; Medium brings the audience and the distribution.

Where they are different

Gumroad

  • Gumroad is a storefront with a profile.
  • Gumroad emails customers about products.
  • Gumroad has no inbox or bookings.

Medium

  • Medium owns the reader relationship.
  • Medium is one publication format.
  • Medium claps and responses stay on Medium.

Choose Gumroad when you sell downloads or memberships and want zero setup and no monthly fee.

Choose Medium when you want readers and modest earnings without owning a site or a list.

Compare features

What's on Gumroad and Medium

A check means that capability is available. Gumroad and Medium are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.

Site and brand

  • Workspace site
    Gumroad: Included
    Medium: Not included
  • Custom domain
    Gumroad: Included
    Medium: Not included
  • Theme and fonts
    Gumroad: Included
    Medium: Not included

Public content

  • Blog
    Gumroad: Not included
    Medium: Included
  • Reader engagement
    Gumroad: Not included
    Medium: Included

Audience and email

  • Audience
    Gumroad: Included
    Medium: Not included
  • Marketing emails
    Gumroad: Included
    Medium: Not included

Commerce

  • Shop payments
    Gumroad: Included
    Medium: Not included

Team

  • Admin users
    Gumroad: Included
    Medium: Included

* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Gumroad or Medium, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Gumroad or Medium may add or remove features that are not shown here.

Gumroad vs Medium pricing

Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.

  • Gumroad

    Current plans and prices

    See what Gumroad charges on their pricing page.

  • Medium

    Current plans and prices

    See what Medium charges on their pricing page.

Cardel: An alternative to
Gumroad and Medium

You don't pay until you publish.

Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.

Common questions

  • Is Cardel an alternative to Gumroad or Medium?

    Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Gumroad or Medium when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Gumroad and Medium are marked.

  • Can I use Cardel with Gumroad or Medium?

    Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Gumroad or Medium for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.

  • How much does Cardel cost compared with Gumroad and Medium?

    You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Gumroad and Medium set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.

  • How do I switch from Gumroad or Medium to Cardel?

    Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.