Whop Pricing 2025: Plan Comparison, Transaction Fees & Alternatives

Whop is one of the fastest-growing commerce platforms for creators in 2025, focusing on giving creators everything they need to sell subscriptions, courses, communities, SaaS tools, eBooks, or digital downloads in one place.

But is Whop’s pricing and features competitive compared to alternatives? In this detailed guide, we’ll break down Whop’s 2025 pricing, explain transaction fees, run real cost examples, and compare Whop to popular alternatives.

Whop Pricing Overview (2025)

Whop has one of the simplest pricing models in the creator economy:

• Free to use, no monthly subscription cost.
• Takes a 3% commission on every sale you make.
• Payment processor fee also applies; Stripe/PayPal add ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

In short: You don’t pay unless you sell. That’s it, no paid tiers, no hidden subscriptions.

This model is what makes Whop especially attractive to early-stage creators compared to more established platforms, which require monthly payments.

Whop Free Plan

Whop offers an impressive stack of features:

• Unlimited products (subscriptions, one-time sales, courses, memberships, downloads).
• Integrated checkout pages and storefront builder.
• Native community support: Discord, Telegram, Slack integration.
• Licensing and API management for SaaS or digital keys.
• Affiliate program tools.
• Built-in analytics and sales dashboards.
• Customer support portal and ticketing.
• Fraud detection and dispute handling.
• Marketplace exposure on Whop’s Discover feed.
  

Whop is a broad platform, making it a hybrid between a store builder, a community hub, and a SaaS licensing manager.

Whop Transaction Fees

Whop charges a flat 3% transaction fee on every sale. While this is good for a start, costs can add up significantly once you start earning over $5000 monthly, for context 3% of $5,000 is $150 which is more expensive than what alternatives that charge fixed monthly subscription fees cost.

Whop’s 3% transaction fee is still lower than some other platforms that operate the transaction fee model for example, Gumroad charges a 10% flat fee on your own sales and even up to 30% on sales referred by them besides payment processing fees, Patreon also charges a 10% flat fee.

Real-World Cost Scenarios

Let’s see what Whop’s pricing looks like in practice:

Scenario 1: Small Creator ($500/month revenue)

• Platform fee (3%) = $15
• Stripe fee (~2.9% + $0.30) ≈ $15
• Net revenue: ~$470

Scenario 2: Growing Creator ($2,000/month revenue)

• Platform fee (3%) = $60
• Stripe fee ≈ $60
• Net revenue: ~$1,880

Scenario 3: Large Creator ($10,000/month revenue)

• Platform fee (3%) = $300
• Stripe fee ≈ $300
• Net revenue: ~$9,400

Whop Pros

• 3% flat fee, much lower than similar alternatives
• No monthly commitment, risk-free entry.
• Strong community and SaaS integration (great for Discord-based memberships).
• Marketplace discovery opportunities.
• Affiliate tools for scaling.
• Clean checkout experience for customers.

Whop Cons

• Limited design customization compared to building a store with Shopify or a course with SchoolMaker
• Marketplace discoverability isn’t guaranteed, competition is rising.
• No native video hosting (creators usually rely on YouTube unlisted, Vimeo, or Loom embeds).
• Scaling into enterprise features (like white-label apps or custom CRMs) may require moving platforms.

Whop vs Alternatives

Here’s how Whop compares to major alternatives in 2025:

1. Gumroad

• Fee: 10% (30% on Discover) + processing.
• Best for: Beginners testing digital products quickly.
• Whop advantage: Cheaper fees, better SaaS/community support.

2. Patreon

• Fee: 10% + processing.
• Best for: Membership-driven creators (artists, writers, podcasters).
• Whop advantage: Lower fee, more flexibility in product types.

3. Lemon Squeezy

• Fee: 5% + $0.50 (all-inclusive).
• Best for: SaaS, licensing, and global digital sales.
• Whop advantage: Slightly cheaper fee, stronger community integrations.

4. Podia

• Fee: $39–$89/month + 0–5% fee.
• Best for: Course creators wanting all-in-one marketing & community.
• Whop advantage: No upfront monthly cost; cheaper for small sellers.

5. Shopify (Digital Products App)

• Fee: $29/month + processing.
• Best for: Large stores with branding needs.
• Whop advantage: No monthly cost; built for creators not merchants.

6. SchoolMaker

• Fee:  Starts at $29/month, zero transaction fees
• Best for: Course creators who want to drive more course sales
• Whop advantage: Higher variety of digital products; free to start

Conclusion

Whop has one of the most creator-friendly pricing models in the industry in 2025. Compared to similar alternatives, Whop saves you money as you scale. If you need more course creation focused tools, better branding, and community features, platforms like SchoolMaker might be a better fit.

FAQs

Does Whop charge a monthly fee?
No, Whop is free to use. You only pay the 3% commission when you make sales.

Does Whop handle VAT and sales tax?
Yes, Whop manages international tax compliance for you.

Can I connect my Discord or Telegram?
Yes, Whop is designed for gated communities with instant role assignment.

Does Whop refund fees if I issue refunds?
Like most platforms, transaction and processing fees are non-refundable.

Does Whop support affiliates?
Yes, creators can create affiliate programs directly within Whop.