FIRST DIGITAL PRODUCT · TOOL CHOICE
Payhip vs Systeme.io for your first digital product
Both let you sell a download or course without a developer. The real difference is how you pay: Payhip takes a cut of each sale, while Systeme.io charges no transaction fee and bundles email and funnels.
Affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission if you sign up for a paid plan with either Payhip or Systeme.io through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. PracticalPivot itself is built on Systeme.io. I may also earn a commission if you sign up for a paid Kit plan through the Kit link.
Prices and fees side by side
As listed on each company's pricing page on September 28, 2026. Payment processors (Stripe or PayPal) charge their own fees on top of either platform.
| Payhip | Systeme.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0/mo + 5% transaction fee | $0/mo, no transaction fees; 1 course, 3 funnels, 2,000 contacts |
| Entry paid plan | Plus: $29/mo + 2% fee | Startup: $17/mo, no transaction fees; 5 courses, unlimited funnels, 5,000 contacts |
| Higher plans | Pro: $99/mo, no transaction fee | Webinar $47/mo; Unlimited $97/mo |
| Feature gating | Payhip says every plan has the same features | Limits on courses, funnels and contacts by plan |
| Email marketing | Check Payhip's current plan details | "All plans include unlimited emailing" |
What that costs at real sales levels
$300 a month in sales: Payhip Free takes $15; Systeme.io Free takes $0, if its free-plan limits fit you.
$1,000 a month: Payhip Free $50, Payhip Plus $49; Systeme.io Startup $17.
$3,000 a month: Payhip Plus $89, Payhip Pro $99; Systeme.io Startup $17.
Transaction-fee math favors Systeme.io at every level. Payhip's appeal is simplicity: a clean storefront and product pages with nothing else to set up, and no monthly fee on its free plan.
Which one should you pick?
- Choose Payhip if you want a simple storefront for a few downloads and don't need email campaigns or funnels yet.
- Choose Systeme.io if you also want to build an email list, sales funnels or a course in one place, or you expect steady sales and want to avoid per-sale fees.
- Either way, check the free plan's limits against your first product before paying for anything.
Already on Payhip? Use the Payhip Free vs Plus vs Pro break-even calculator.
See Payhip's plans →See Systeme.io's plans →
Affiliate links. Each opens the company's own pricing page.
Picking Payhip but want an email list too?
Systeme.io's free plan already includes email, so you don't need a separate tool if you choose it. If you choose Payhip and want sign-up forms and newsletters, a separate email tool also keeps your list if you ever switch stores. Kit (formerly ConvertKit) listed these on its pricing page on October 12, 2026:
- Free plan: up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited landing pages and forms, unlimited broadcasts.
- Not on the free plan: automations and email sequences. Those start on the Creator plan, listed from $33 a month.
See Kit's free plan →
Affiliate link. Opens Kit's pricing page. Check current limits before you sign up; they change.