Easy Digital Downloads vs Lemon Squeezy (2026): Which Pays Better?
Both are popular digital product & checkout platforms. Here is how Easy Digital Downloads and Lemon Squeezy stack up on requirements, what you keep, payout terms, strengths and weaknesses, and which one we would pick.
Easy Digital Downloads
WordPress plugin for selling digital products and software licences on your own site, free core plus paid extensions from $99.50/yr.
7.6 /10
Pricing: Free plan, paid from $99/mo
Pros
- Own your store on WordPress with no per-sale revenue share to EDD
- Software licensing, recurring payments and an affiliate integration via extensions
- 14-day money-back guarantee and a free Lite core plugin to start
Cons
- You maintain the WordPress site, hosting and updates yourself
- Subscriptions, licensing and affiliates all require paid extensions; tax handling needs an add-on
Lemon Squeezy
Merchant-of-record checkout for software, SaaS subscriptions and digital products, now owned by Stripe; 5% + 50c.
8.6 /10
Pricing: Free
Pros
- Global tax compliance, licence keys, subscriptions and a built-in affiliate program
- Developer-friendly API and overlay checkout
Cons
- Payout cadence and holds are slower than Stripe direct
- Some countries unsupported for sellers
Easy Digital Downloads vs Lemon Squeezy at a glance
| Easy Digital Downloads | Lemon Squeezy | |
|---|---|---|
| Editor score | 7.6 / 10 | 8.6 / 10 |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | $99/mo | Free |
| Web rank | #120k | #21k |
| Minimum traffic | None | None |
| Revenue share / fee | Free Lite core; paid EDD Pass from $99.50/yr intro (Personal, 1 site) up to $499.50/yr intro (All Access, 3 sites), full price $199-$999/yr; no per-sale cut, only your payment gateway's fee | 5% + 50c per transaction (merchant of record) |
| Commission | – | – |
| Payout | Paid out via your connected gateway (Stripe, PayPal, etc.), not by EDD directly | Every two weeks (NET-15) |
| Methods served | digital products, saas subscriptions | digital products, saas subscriptions, memberships subscriptions |
| Niches accepted | General, Tech & SaaS, Finance & Insurance, Health & Supplements, Gaming & Esports, E-commerce & Retail | General, Tech & SaaS, Finance & Insurance, Health & Supplements, Gaming & Esports, E-commerce & Retail |
| Reader upvotes | 0 | 0 |
| Best for | wordpress, digital downloads, licensing | merchant of record, saas, licence keys |
Our pick
Lemon Squeezy edges it with a score of 8.6 versus 7.6. Lemon Squeezy is the better fit if you value: global tax compliance, licence keys, subscriptions and a built-in affiliate program, developer-friendly api and overlay checkout. Choose Easy Digital Downloads instead if you need: own your store on wordpress with no per-sale revenue share to edd, software licensing, recurring payments and an affiliate integration via extensions.
Other digital product & checkout platforms to consider
Full ranking →Gumroad 🧰 PlatformFree
The simplest way to sell digital products and memberships; merchant of record, 10% flat fee, no monthly cost.
Payhip 🧰 PlatformFreemium
Sell downloads, courses, coaching and memberships with a free plan at 5% and paid plans at 0%.
SendOwl 🧰 PlatformPaid
Digital delivery and checkout with licence keys, drip and affiliates on a flat monthly plan.