unseal.link vs Payhip
Payhip is a full digital product storefront. unseal.link is a paywall for any URL. Both handle one-time sales — but the fees and setup are very different.
Try unseal.link free4.5% per sale. No monthly fee. Any URL works.
The short version
- Payhip: A full digital product platform with storefronts, affiliate tools, EU VAT handling, and course hosting. Three tiers: Free (5% fee), Plus ($29/mo, 2% fee), Pro ($99/mo, 0% fee). File uploads required.
- unseal.link: No storefront, no course builder. Paste any URL, set a price, share the paywall. 4.5% flat, no monthly cost. No file uploads.
Payhip is the right tool if you want a feature-complete storefront with EU tax compliance and optional affiliate management. unseal.link is the right tool if you want the lowest total cost for link-based product delivery and do not need a storefront.
The fee ladder that may not help you
Payhip's pricing is:
- Free: 5% per sale
- Plus: $29/mo + 2% per sale
- Pro: $99/mo + 0% per sale
The "0% fee" on Pro sounds great. But you need to sell enough to justify $99/mo:
At $49 product:
- Payhip Free: 5% = $2.45/sale
- unseal.link: 4.5% = $2.205/sale — cheaper immediately, no monthly fee
- Payhip Pro breaks even vs. unseal.link when fees on unseal.link exceed $99/mo → that requires ~2,200 sales of a $49 product monthly
For most independent creators, Payhip Pro's $99/mo means paying for 0% fees on volume you are not doing yet.
Fee comparison
| Feature | Payhip | unseal.link |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee (free plan) | 5% per sale | 4.5% flat |
| Monthly fee to reduce rate | $29/mo (2%) or $99/mo (0%) | None |
| File upload required | Yes — PDF, zip, video, etc. | No — any URL works |
| Notion / Figma / Drive delivery | Upload file or external link workaround | Native — paste link |
| EU VAT / MoR compliance | Yes — built-in | No (Stripe handles conversion only) |
| Storefront / product catalog | Yes — full storefront | No — individual paywall links |
| Affiliate program | Yes | No |
| Course hosting | Yes (Plus and Pro) | No |
| Buyer account required | No | No |
| Payout minimum | $50 | $0 |
| Setup time | 30–45 min | Under 5 min |
When Payhip wins
International VAT compliance: Payhip is a Merchant of Record for EU VAT and UK VAT. If you sell to European buyers and want automatic tax compliance without thinking about it, Payhip handles it. This is a real advantage for creators selling globally at volume.
Full storefront: Payhip gives you a public profile with all your products, customer email collection, and branding. If buyers need to browse your catalog, Payhip supports that properly.
Affiliate marketing: Payhip's built-in affiliate program lets other creators promote your products for a commission. For products with broad appeal, this can compound distribution.
Course hosting: Plus and Pro plans include video course hosting. If you want hosted content delivery with structured lessons, Payhip does that. unseal.link does not.
When unseal.link wins
Lower total cost without a monthly fee: Payhip's free plan charges 5% — more than unseal.link's 4.5%. To get below unseal.link's rate, you need to pay at least $29/mo. Until your volume justifies that, unseal.link is cheaper.
Link-based products: If your product is a Notion template, Figma file, Google Drive folder, or any URL-accessible resource, Payhip requires you to export it to a downloadable file. unseal.link takes the URL directly.
No payout minimum: Payhip has a $50 payout minimum. Your first sales are held until you clear $50. unseal.link has no payout minimum — first sale pays out immediately via your Stripe account.
Cheaper before any monthly commitment
4.5% with no monthly fee beats Payhip's 5% free plan. You do not need to hit a volume threshold to access the lower rate.
No export required
Payhip requires a file. unseal.link takes any URL. Notion page, Figma file, Drive folder — paste it as-is.
No payout minimum
Your first sale pays out via Stripe immediately. No $50 threshold to clear before accessing your earnings.
Frequently asked
Does Payhip handle EU VAT automatically?
Yes. Payhip is a Merchant of Record and handles EU VAT, UK VAT, and US sales tax on your behalf. unseal.link does not — you are responsible for your own tax compliance. For high-volume sellers with significant EU customer bases, this is a meaningful advantage for Payhip.
Is unseal.link cheaper than Payhip?
On the free tier, yes — 4.5% vs 5%. To beat unseal.link's rate on Payhip, you need to pay $29/mo (2%) or $99/mo (0%). At modest volumes, the monthly fee makes Payhip more expensive overall.
Can I use Payhip for Notion templates or Figma files?
You can link out to Notion or Figma from a Payhip product page after purchase, but Payhip is built around file uploads, not URL delivery. unseal.link handles URL delivery natively — the buyer receives the link by email immediately after payment.
What is the payout minimum on unseal.link?
Zero. Your Stripe account receives funds from each sale via Stripe Connect with no platform-imposed payout minimum. Payhip requires $50 before releasing funds.
4.5% flat. No monthly fee. No payout minimum. Any URL works.
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