Gumroad vs Fermion: What is the best Gumroad alternative?

Gumroad has been a popular platform for creators to sell digital products, but it may not be the ideal choice for technical instructors looking to create and sell online courses. That’s where Fermion shines. Built specifically for technical content creators, Fermion offers a suite of powerful tools to make creating and running your courses a breeze. In this post, we’ll compare Gumroad and Fermion to help you decide which platform is the best fit for your needs.

Fermion

Gumroad

Fermion is a world-class platform built for technical instructors who want to set up their online academy. It heavily focuses on developer tooling to create and sell excellent technical courses.

Gumroad is an e-commerce platform that allows creators to sell digital products like ebooks, music, and software. While it’s simple to use, it lacks specialized features for online courses.

Fermion provides a powerhouse of tools to run your next technical course, including interactive coding labs, assessments, and live classes. It’s a no-brainer for anyone building a course for aspiring developers.

Gumroad is a straightforward platform for selling digital products, but it doesn’t offer the advanced features and developer tools that technical instructors need to create engaging and interactive courses.

One of the major advantages of using Fermion is the ability to add interactive and evaluative coding labs to your course from their pre-built content library of over 3,000 questions. With just one click, you can make your coding course hands-on and engaging for your students.

Here’s a detailed comparison of the features offered on Gumroad and Fermion

Features

Fermion

Gumroad

Pricing

10% commission on every payout (negotiable)

9% + $0.30 per transaction (decreases as sales grow)

Unlimited Courses

Yes

Unlimited Students

Yes

Live Classes

Yes (in-built live infrastructure)

Online Coding Labs

Yes (in-built)

Practice Problem Content Library

Yes (3,000+ questions)

Auto Evaluation and Reporting

Yes

Online Coding Assessments

Yes (in-built)

Course Completion Certificates

Yes

Multiple Currencies

Yes

SDKs and API Access

Yes

Yes (limited)

Data Security & Piracy Protection

In-built DRM protection

No DRM protection

Coupons

Yes

Customer Support

Email, live chat, 1:1 video/audio

Email only

Why do technical course creators choose Fermion?

Fermion has been created with technical instructors in mind. Our top priority is to serve you with a beautiful, seamless experience. Here are the top reasons why course creators choose Fermion:

Coding Labs and Assessments

Hands-on technical courses packed with evaluative and interactive coding labs and assessments are the future of online learning. Fermion provides a one-click process to integrate coding labs into your course, making it interactive and engaging for your students.

Powerful Technical Tooling

Because we cater exclusively to technical instructors, building strong technical tooling to support your cohort and experience on the platform is always our top priority. From basic markdown support to world-class live infrastructure, syntax highlighting to powerful interview kits, Fermion has everything you need.

Maximize Your Earnings

By making your courses interactive and hands-on, you create a compelling learning experience that attracts a larger audience. This increased engagement enhances the value of your course and broadens your reach, ultimately leading to higher revenue. Fermion’s innovative features and seamless integration allow you to focus on teaching while we help you expand your audience and boost your earnings.

How do you get paid on Fermion?

We dispatch payouts weekly, bimonthly, or monthly. You can also request payouts on-demand. Simply share your bank account details from your dashboard and let us know your preference.

Which online course platform is best?

Choosing the right platform is like choosing a partner—you need to think about the long-term value and how well it will support your goals. Many creators choose Fermion because:

Fermion supports their technical needs
They get a smooth experience on the platform
Their audience gets the value they’ve been looking for

We’ve invested heavily in building the best technology and infrastructure to support your needs. With our multi-currency support worldwide, you don’t need to worry about managing payments. Our flexible payout options allow you to request payouts on-demand.

While Gumroad is a great platform for selling digital products, it lacks the specialized features and tools that technical instructors need to create and sell engaging online courses. Fermion has all the features you need to launch your next technical cohort.

Gumroad vs Fermion FAQs

Let’s answer some of the most frequently asked questions people have about Gumroad vs Fermion.

Is Fermion better than Gumroad?

Both Gumroad and Fermion offer useful features for selling digital products online. However, Fermion is purpose-built for technical instructors who want to set up an online academy. It provides developer-centric tools to create and sell high-quality technical courses, such as interactive coding labs, assessments, and live classes. Gumroad is a more general e-commerce platform for selling a wide variety of digital products.

Why do some creators prefer Fermion over Gumroad?

Many technical course creators choose Fermion because it caters specifically to their needs. With Fermion, instructors can easily include hands-on coding labs, interactive assessments, interview kits, and live classes right within their courses. This allows them to create engaging, interactive learning experiences for students. Fermion also provides a seamless platform to set up and manage their online academies.

What are the key differences between Fermion and Gumroad?

While both Fermion and Gumroad enable creators to sell digital products online, they have some key differences:

Fermion focuses exclusively on technical courses, while Gumroad supports various digital products
Fermion provides specialized features for hands-on learning, like coding labs and assessments
Fermion offers built-in live class infrastructure; Gumroad requires external tools like Zoom
Fermion has a content library of 3000+ practice problems; Gumroad does not have this
Gumroad charges a 10% fee per transaction; Fermion’s fee structure is different

What are some limitations of Gumroad for course creators?

Although Gumroad works well for selling digital downloads, it has some drawbacks for hosting online courses:

No built-in support for interactive elements like coding labs and auto-graded assessments
Lacks features for live coaching and cohort-based learning
No DRM content protection against unauthorized sharing
Per-transaction fees can add up, especially on lower-priced products
Many features are geared towards general digital products vs courses specifically

Which platform is more affordable, Fermion or Gumroad?

Fermion charges a 10% commission on payouts, which is negotiable. This fee structure aligns incentives between instructors and the platform.

Gumroad charges 9% + $0.30 per transaction, with fees decreasing as lifetime sales increase. So on lower-priced products, the Gumroad fees are proportionally higher.

The right choice depends on your course pricing, sales volume, and which features you need. Fermion may be more cost-effective for many instructors focused on selling premium technical courses.

You’ve heard why we believe Fermion is the best alternative to Gumroad, but the final decision is yours. Ready to give Fermion a try? Sign up and start launching your next technical cohort today.