Disclosure: We sell our own digital products on Gumroad and make free tools for sellers. We have no partnership with Lemon Squeezy, Payhip, Sellfy or Etsy and aren’t paid for any link.

Fees get most of the attention, but delivery is what your buyer actually sees: a download that’s too big for the platform, a limit that locks out a buyer with a new laptop, or a fixed file that never reaches the people who already paid. Here’s how the five platforms handle it.

We read each company’s own help pages, docs and pricing pages on October 20, 2026. Limits change, and where two of a company’s own pages disagree we say so, so check the linked pages before you rely on them.

The short version

  • Big files (video courses, sample packs, 3D assets): Gumroad takes files up to 20 GB each on paid products, with no limit on the number of files. Payhip takes 5 GB per file with no storage limit. Sellfy allows 10 GB, 15 GB or 20 GB depending on the plan. Lemon Squeezy caps a product at 5 GB in total. Etsy caps each file at 20 MB, five files per listing, so 100 MB at most.
  • Download limits: Payhip limits downloads per buyer (5 by default in its help center, and you can change it). Sellfy allows 5 download or streaming attempts per file across devices, unlimited on the same device. Etsy says there are generally no limits on how many times a buyer can download. Gumroad lists no download count; its links are unique and it asks for the buyer’s email when a link is opened from a different location.
  • PDF stamping: Gumroad (buyer’s email on the first page), Payhip (email and purchase date on every page, portrait PDFs under 250 MB) and Sellfy (email on every page, PDFs up to 400 MB). Lemon Squeezy and Etsy don’t offer it.
  • License keys: built in on Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, Payhip and Sellfy. Etsy has none.
  • Updates to past buyers: Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy and Payhip say past buyers get the current files, and Sellfy says changing the file offers the update to buyers. All four let you email a product’s buyers, each with a catch (below). Etsy’s help doesn’t say what past buyers see after you swap a file, and it has no update email.

Delivery compared

  Gumroad Lemon Squeezy Payhip Sellfy Etsy
File size limit 20 GB per file (price above $0.99), any number of files; 250 MB in total for $0 products 5 GB in total per product, any number of files 5 GB per file; no storage or bandwidth limit 10 GB (Starter), 15 GB (Business), 20 GB (Premium); up to 50 files 20 MB per file, up to 5 files
Download limit none listed; unique links, email check from a new location none listed for buyers; API download URLs expire after 1 hour and are rate-limited to 10 a day per IP 5 per buyer by default (features page says 3); you choose the number and can reset it 5 attempts per file across devices; unlimited on the same device “generally no limits”
PDF stamping yes, first page only: buyer’s email + Gumroad logo no yes, every page: email + purchase date (portrait, under 250 MB) yes, every page: email (not zipped or password-protected, up to 400 MB) no
License keys yes; can add to past purchases; no importing your own keys yes; license length and activation limits yes; generated or your own list (up to 10,000 at a time); disabled automatically on refund yes; generated or your own list; activate and revoke by API no
New file reaches past buyers yes, their Library shows the product’s up-to-date files yes, they can only download the new files yes, same download link yes, Sellfy says it offers the updated version to buyers not stated
Email past buyers about an update yes, after $100 earned and a payout yes, with its email marketing (store approval; free up to 500 subscribers) yes, with a fresh download link (resets their limit) yes, Product Update email; only buyers who opted in no built-in update email

What to watch on each platform

Gumroad. Paid products take files up to 20 GB each, but a $0 or pay-what-you-want-from-$0 product is capped at 250 MB in total, and the “Download all” button only shows under 500 MB (upload one ZIP instead). Stamped PDFs can’t be password-protected and switch off “Download all”. Videos can be set to streaming only. License keys are for software; Gumroad says they won’t limit access to audio, video or ebook files, and enforcement is up to you: check the refunded and disputed fields in the verify response to shut out refunded buyers. When you replace a file, buyers see the up-to-date files in their Library; if you sell versions, each buyer sees the content of the version they bought. You can’t send an update email until you’ve earned $100 after fees and received a payout.

Lemon Squeezy. No per-file cap, but 5 GB in total per product. When you replace a file, every buyer, old and new, can only download the new one from their My Orders page, and deleting a file removes it for past buyers too (turn it off instead if you’re unsure). The developer docs say download URLs are signed, expire after one hour and are rate-limited to 10 downloads a day per IP address; the My Orders help page doesn’t mention a count. Buyers are added to your email subscribers automatically and you can send a broadcast to the buyers of one product, but your store has to be approved for email first (typically 1 to 2 business days), and email is free only up to 500 subscribers. No PDF stamping.

Payhip. 5 GB per file, no storage cap, and some file types (EXE, ISO, DMG, VBS, SCR, JAR) only go up inside a ZIP. Three help articles give the default download limit as 5, while the features page says 3, so check your own Advanced Settings. A replaced file reaches past buyers through the same download link. Email updates with the [download_link] tag reset a buyer’s limit, but EU buyers who didn’t tick the marketing box at checkout won’t receive them. License keys are switched off automatically when a sale is refunded.

Sellfy. The biggest limits on the higher plans, though Sellfy itself suggests keeping files under 5 GB so buyers on slow connections can finish the download. Its plan tables list 10, 15 and 20 GB as the single-file limit, but its FAQ describes the limit per product instead (10 GB on Starter, 20 GB on Business and Premium, “combined per product”), so plan on the lower reading if you’re close. Product Update emails only reach buyers who ticked the opt-in box at checkout. The pricing page lists email marketing on every plan (2,000 free email credits a month on Starter, 10,000 on Business, 50,000 on Premium), while an older help note names only Business and Premium, so check your plan. You can block a suspicious order’s downloads with “Restrict downloads”.

Etsy. Five files of 20 MB each per listing (100 MB in total), file names you can’t rename after upload, and no variations on digital listings. Splitting into ZIPs under 20 MB only helps up to that 100 MB. Cancelling the order is the only way to cut a buyer’s access. Etsy’s pages say how to swap a listing’s file but not whether past buyers see the new one, so test with your own account if it matters.

Best for

  • Large video or asset packs: Gumroad (20 GB per file, any number of files) or Sellfy on Business or Premium.
  • Ebooks you want to protect from casual sharing: Payhip or Sellfy (every page stamped).
  • Software with license keys: Lemon Squeezy (activation limits and license length built in), Sellfy (your own keys or generated, activate and revoke by API) or Payhip (keys disabled on refund).
  • Products you update often (templates, plugins): Lemon Squeezy, Payhip or Gumroad, where past buyers get the new file without buying again.
  • Small printables: Etsy, if your files fit in 5 × 20 MB.

Downsides

  • Gumroad: update emails locked until your first $100 and payout; first-page-only stamping; license key enforcement, including refunds, is left to your own code.
  • Lemon Squeezy: 5 GB in total per product; no stamping; email to buyers needs store approval and costs money above 500 subscribers.
  • Payhip: a download limit can lock out honest buyers; set it with care.
  • Sellfy: update emails only reach buyers who opted in, and its own pages disagree on file limits and which plans include email.
  • Etsy: tiny file limits; no license keys or stamping; no built-in update email.

Tools and kits for sellers

Sources

All checked 2026-10-20 on each company’s official site.

  • Gumroad, File size limits (20 GB per file above $0.99, as many files as you want; 250 MB total at $0; “Download all” under 500 MB): https://gumroad.com/help/article/289-file-size-limits-on-gumroad ; PDF stamping (email and logo, bottom-right of the first page only; no password protection; no “Download all”): https://gumroad.com/help/article/130-pdf-stamping ; Content protection (unique links, IP tracking with an email check, streaming-only videos): https://gumroad.com/help/article/42-content-security ; License keys (for software, not audio/video/ebooks; added to past purchases; no importing keys; refunded/disputed fields): https://gumroad.com/help/article/76-license-keys ; I’m not receiving updates (Library shows the product’s up-to-date files): https://gumroad.com/help/article/211-im-not-receiving-updates ; Setting up versions (buyers see their version’s content): https://gumroad.com/help/article/126-setting-up-versions-on-a-digital-product ; Send email updates ($100 after fees and a payout): https://gumroad.com/help/article/169-how-to-send-an-update
  • Lemon Squeezy, Adding Products (unlimited files, 5 GB in total; updated files replace old ones for all buyers; deleted files removed for past buyers): https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/products/adding-products ; My Orders (existing customers get new files; deleted files removed): https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/online-store/my-orders ; The File Object (download URLs signed, expire after 1 hour, 10 downloads a day per IP): https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/api/files/the-file-object ; Generating License Keys (license length, activation limit): https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/licensing/generating-license-keys ; Email Subscribers (buyers added automatically): https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/email/subscribers ; Segments (buyers of a specific product): https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/email/segments ; Getting Approved (store approval, 1 to 2 business days): https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/email/approval ; Pricing (email free up to 500 subscribers): https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/pricing
  • Payhip, Add Digital Products (5 GB per file; EXE, ISO, DMG, VBS, SCR, JAR only inside a ZIP): https://help.payhip.com/article/59-adding-a-digital-product ; Protect Your Products (download limit 5 by default; stamping of email and purchase date on every page, portrait PDFs below 250 MB): https://help.payhip.com/article/79-protecting-your-products ; Download Credits (default 5): https://help.payhip.com/article/80-download-credits ; Download Limit Exceeded (default 5, reset per customer): https://help.payhip.com/article/81-download-limit-exceeded ; Sell digital downloads (no storage or bandwidth limits; “3 times” default): https://payhip.com/features/sell-digital-downloads ; Software License Keys (generated or a list of up to 10,000 at a time; disabled on refund): https://help.payhip.com/article/317-software-license-keys-new ; Update a Digital Product File (same download link, new file): https://help.payhip.com/article/156-update-a-digital-product-file ; Email Updates ([download_link] resets limits; EU opt-in): https://help.payhip.com/article/82-email-updates
  • Sellfy, Selling digital products (10/15/20 GB per plan, up to 50 files, keep files under 5 GB, “combined per product” FAQ, updating files, Product Update email to opted-in buyers): https://docs.sellfy.com/article/207-selling-digital-products ; How does my customer get their digital product? (5 attempts across devices, same-device exception, Restrict downloads): https://docs.sellfy.com/article/322-how-do-customers-get-their-digital-product ; PDF file stamping (email on every page; not zipped, not password-protected, up to 400 MB): https://docs.sellfy.com/article/153-pdf-file-stamping ; Using license keys (generated or your own list; revoke; API activate/deactivate): https://docs.sellfy.com/article/404-how-to-sell-license-keys ; Pricing (maximum product file size 10/15/20 GB; email marketing on all plans with 2,000/10,000/50,000 free credits): https://sellfy.com/pricing/
  • Etsy, How to Manage Your Digital Listings (5 files, 20 MB each, file types, names can’t be edited, no variations, cancel to revoke access): https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115015628347-How-to-Manage-Your-Digital-Listings ; How to Download a Digital Item (“generally no limits” on downloads; access while the order isn’t cancelled): https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115013328108-How-to-Download-a-Digital-Item