Gumroad vs Ko-fi:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Ko-fi had more branded searches than Gumroad among digital product sales platforms worldwide. Ko-fi had about 1.1 million branded searches, while Gumroad had 673,000. Ko-fi made up 46.4% of all digital product sales platform searches we track, and Gumroad accounted for 28.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about digital product sales platforms, Gumroad appeared in all five answers and Ko-fi in none.
Who do people search for more?
Ko-fi, about 63% more searches than Gumroad
Who does AI mention more?
Gumroad, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Gumroad, the only one of the two named
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Top digital product sales platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Gumroad appeared in all five answers. Ko-fi did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Payhip1st- Gumroad2nd
Sellfy3rd
Stan Store4th
Lemon Squeezy5th- Ko-fi–
Podia–
SendOwl–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Gumroad5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Payhip5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Stan Store2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Lemon Squeezy2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Sellfy2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Ko-fi0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Podia0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- SendOwl0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about digital product sales platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which digital product sales platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best digital product sales platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best digital product sales platform for a creator selling downloads?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“digital product sales platforms”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sell digital downloads”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Gumroad or Ko-fi more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Gumroad and Ko-fi by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight digital product sales platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Ko-fi, Gumroad. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Ko-fi | Gumroad | Payhip | Stan Store | Lemon Squeezy | Podia | Sellfy | SendOwl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 43.1% | 32.2% | 9.6% | 8.1% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 0.39% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.9% | 32.1% | 9.6% | 8.1% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 0.39% |
| Dec 2025 | 39.7% | 36.3% | 10.8% | 7.2% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 0.98% | 0.24% |
| Jan 2026 | 40.4% | 36.7% | 9% | 7.6% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1% | 0.24% |
| Feb 2026 | 40.1% | 36.7% | 9% | 7.6% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 0.99% | 0.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 43.3% | 32.4% | 9.7% | 8.1% | 3.6% | 1.9% | 0.87% | 0.17% |
| Apr 2026 | 43.9% | 32.8% | 9.8% | 7% | 3.6% | 2% | 0.72% | 0.18% |
| May 2026 | 43.9% | 32.9% | 9.8% | 7.1% | 3.6% | 2% | 0.59% | 0.18% |
| Jun 2026 | 43.6% | 32.6% | 11.9% | 5.7% | 3.6% | 2% | 0.48% | 0.14% |
| Jul 2026 | 43.6% | 32.6% | 11.9% | 5.7% | 3.6% | 2% | 0.48% | 0.11% |
| Aug 2026 | 42.5% | 31.8% | 14.2% | 5.6% | 3.5% | 1.9% | 0.47% | 0.14% |
| Sep 2026 | 46.4% | 28.4% | 12.7% | 6.1% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 0.42% | 0.12% |
How has the Gumroad and Ko-fi comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Ko-fi was ahead of Gumroad in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gumroad’s share of searches among digital product sales platforms worldwide moved from 32.2% to 28.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 673K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ko-fi’s share of searches among digital product sales platforms worldwide moved from 43.1% to 46.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 900K to 1.1M.
How did search popularity change for digital product sales platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Ko-fi gained share of searches among digital product sales platforms worldwide, from 42.5% to 46.4%.
In September 2026, Gumroad lost share of searches among digital product sales platforms worldwide, from 31.8% to 28.4%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Gumroad’s and Ko-fi’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among digital product sales platforms
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