FileFreightFileFreight vs Lemon Squeezy: the merchant-of-record tradeoff
Lemon Squeezy takes the simplest possible approach to pricing: one plan, 5% + 50¢ per transaction, $0 a month for all ecommerce features. Like Gumroad, it is a merchant of record — it collects and files sales tax and VAT for you. FileFreight takes the opposite trade: Free at 5% with no monthly fee, or Pro at $19/month with 0% fees, but you handle your own taxes through your own Stripe account.
Transparency note: the numbers below are from Lemon Squeezy's own pricing page, checked September 2026. "Sticky-tape solution" comparisons are their words, not ours — we only kept the 5% + 50¢ and $0/month facts.
What a $20 sale costs
| Plan | Monthly | Per-sale fee | Processing | Total per $20 sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon Squeezy | $0 | 5% ($1.00) + 50¢ | included (merchant of record) | $1.50 |
| FileFreight Free | $0 | 5% ($1.00) | ≈ $0.88 on your Stripe account | ≈ $1.88 |
| FileFreight Pro | $19 | 0% | ≈ $0.88 on your Stripe account | ≈ $0.88 |
Lemon Squeezy is $0.50 cheaper per sale than FileFreight Free on platform fees ($1.50 vs $1.00 + your own card processing) — but the 5% + 50¢ includes something FileFreight doesn't: full merchant-of-record tax handling.
Monthly cost at realistic volumes
| Sales/month | Revenue at $20/sale | Lemon Squeezy | FileFreight Free | FileFreight Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $200 | $15.00 | $10.00 | $19.00 |
| 50 | $1,000 | $75.00 | $50.00 | $19.00 |
| 200 | $4,000 | $300.00 | $200.00 | $19.00 |
| 1,000 | $20,000 | $1,500.00 | $1,000.00 | $19.00 |
Break-even math
- Pro vs Lemon Squeezy: Pro pays for itself at about 13 sales of a $20 product per month ($260 in revenue). Each Lemon Squeezy sale costs $1.50 in platform fees; once 13 × $1.50 = $19.50 exceeds Pro's $19 monthly flat, every sale after that is pure savings.
- Free vs Lemon Squeezy: FileFreight Free is $0.50 cheaper per $20 sale on platform fees ($1.00 vs $1.50) at every volume, with no monthly fee on either side — but Lemon Squeezy files your sales tax and VAT for you, and FileFreight does not.
- The real question isn't $0.50. It's whether the merchant-of-record tax service is worth the extra per-sale cost and the 5% slice at scale. At $4,000/month in sales, Lemon Squeezy takes $300 while Pro takes $19 plus your own tax obligations.
Who should stay on Lemon Squeezy
- International sales scare you. Lemon Squeezy takes on tax collection and filing liability across jurisdictions. If registering for VAT or figuring out sales-tax nexus sounds like your least favorite way to spend an afternoon, this alone is worth the fee difference.
- You use the all-in-one bundle. Built-in storefront with a custom domain, license key management, bundles and upsells, abandoned-cart and failed-payment recovery, email marketing (free up to 500 subscribers), and recurring billing are all included. FileFreight does file delivery and license keys — your storefront, email, and upsells live elsewhere.
- Volume discounts matter. Lemon Squeezy offers custom, volume-based pricing for large sellers. There is no cheaper tier to earn; the fee just scales with your revenue.
Honest caveats if you switch to FileFreight
- Taxes are yours. FileFreight is not a merchant of record — sales run through your own Stripe account and you are responsible for your own sales tax and VAT.
- No one-click importer. Migration is manual: recreate each product (name, price, file, license keys) on FileFreight.
- No storefront, no email marketing, no upsells. FileFreight delivers files and issues license keys; everything else stays where it is.
- 500 MB file cap per upload.
- Not a Shopify app. Sales happen on hosted FileFreight checkout and buy links, not inside Shopify.
Frequently asked questions
What does Lemon Squeezy charge per sale?
5% plus 50 cents per transaction, with no monthly fee for ecommerce features. Card processing is included because Lemon Squeezy is the merchant of record.
When is Pro cheaper than Lemon Squeezy?
At about 13 sales of a $20 product per month ($260 in revenue). Each Lemon Squeezy sale costs $1.50 in platform fees, so 13 sales cost $19.50 — more than Pro’s $19 monthly flat with no per-sale fee.
Does FileFreight handle sales tax like Lemon Squeezy does?
No. Lemon Squeezy is a merchant of record: it collects, files, and pays sales tax and VAT on your behalf. FileFreight is not — sales run through your own Stripe account and you handle your own taxes.
Is there an automatic Lemon Squeezy importer?
No. You recreate each product manually — name, price, file, and download or license settings — which takes a few minutes per product.
How is FileFreight Free different from Lemon Squeezy?
FileFreight Free costs $1.00 per $20 sale (5%, plus your own card processing) versus Lemon Squeezy’s $1.50 (5% plus 50 cents, processing included). The tradeoff: Lemon Squeezy handles your sales tax and VAT; with the free plan, you handle your own.
Sources
Pricing last checked September 2026.
Ready to try FileFreight? The free plan is $0 a month with a 5% per-sale fee — no card required. Upgrade to Pro ($19/month, 0% fees) whenever the math says it pays for itself.