In the age of digital entrepreneurship, the dream of making money online without showing your face is more achievable than ever. Whether you’re a blogger, content creator, or someone with a passion for designing Canva templates, planners, or digital products, setting up a simple digital storefront is the first step toward passive income. Two of the most powerful platforms in this space are Gumroad and Stan Store.
This guide will help you decide which one is right for you. We’ll compare real-life experiences, review features, uncover hidden fees, and give you everything you need to create a digital storefront with Gumroad or Stan Store in under 30 minutes—without needing a website or any tech experience.
Why Digital Creators Are Ditching Etsy, Shopify & Overwhelm in 2025
If you’ve ever tried to start a Shopify store or sell on Etsy, you already know the pain:
- Platform fees that eat your profits
- Complex integrations
- Constant competition with underpricing
- Needing a full website, branding, and trust signals
But creators today want something leaner:
- No code, no hosting
- Mobile-first for TikTok/Instagram
- Ready in 10 minutes
- Works for faceless creators
- Sells Canva templates, Notion planners, guides, eBooks, and checklists
That’s where Gumroad and Stan Store shine.
What Is Gumroad?
Gumroad is one of the original platforms to help creators sell digital products. It works like a mini e-commerce site that handles:
- Product hosting
- Payment processing
- Digital file delivery
- Affiliate links
- Customer support
You can sell:
- Canva templates
- Notion templates
- Ebooks
- Online courses
- Presets, cheat sheets, swipe files, and more
Real Experience: How I Used Gumroad as a Faceless Blogger
I launched my first faceless blog in 2009. After 10+ years of affiliate marketing and selling info products, I added Gumroad to the mix in 2022. It took just 30 minutes to launch my store with 3 digital planners. Within 30 days, I had made $580 in organic sales.
I never once showed my face. I didn’t use YouTube. All traffic came from Pinterest and blog posts like “sell Canva templates for profit.”
Gumroad Pros:
- No monthly fee (pay per sale)
- Excellent for SEO & blogs
- Customizable checkout & branding
- Instant digital delivery
- Works with affiliates
Gumroad Cons:
- 10% platform fee on free plan
- Less mobile-optimized for TikTok/IG bios
- Learning curve if you want customization
What Is Stan Store?
Stan Store is a mobile-first storefront built for influencers, coaches, and faceless creators on TikTok or Instagram. Think of it like Linktree with superpowers—it lets you:
- Sell digital products
- Collect emails
- Book calls or coaching
- Add funnels & upsells
- Deliver instantly via Dropbox/Google Drive
No website needed. No domain. All mobile.
Real Experience: How I Used Stan Store Without Showing My Face
In 2023, I tested Stan Store with a TikTok faceless account sharing tips on how to make passive income online. I uploaded a Notion finance tracker and a Canva Instagram planner. My Stan Store link was the only thing in my TikTok bio.
In the first 7 days? 23 sales. $483 in passive income. Zero videos with my face.
Stan Store Pros:
- Built for mobile (TikTok, Instagram)
- Drag-and-drop builder
- Sell instantly without branding or domain
- Book calls or collect leads
- Add funnels, upsells, and email
Stan Store Cons:
- Monthly fee ($29–$99)
- No true blog or search traffic
- Works best for warm audiences
Gumroad vs Stan Store Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | Gumroad | Stan Store |
|---|---|---|
| Ideal User | Bloggers, SEO traffic, desktop creators | TikTok/Instagram creators, mobile-first |
| Monthly Cost | Free or $10/mo | $29–$99/mo |
| Platform Fees | 10% on free plan | 0% (but monthly fee) |
| File Hosting | Yes | Yes (via Google Drive/Dropbox) |
| Affiliate Program | Yes | No native affiliate program |
| Funnel/Upsells | Limited | Yes |
| Email Capture | Via integrations | Built-in |
| Coaching/Call Booking | No | Yes |
| SEO Friendly | Yes | No |
| Mobile Design | Basic | Fully optimized |
Which One Is Best for Anonymous Creators?
If you want to:
- Drive traffic from blog posts like “how to create digital products without showing your face”
- Build an SEO-optimized storefront
- Promote passive income digital downloads on Pinterest, YouTube or Google
Then Gumroad is the better choice.
But if you:
- Use TikTok or Instagram
- Have a warm audience
- Want a plug-and-play bio storefront
Then Stan Store will help you launch and earn faster with mobile traffic.
Want the best of both worlds? Use Stan Store for social traffic + Gumroad for SEO and evergreen sales.
How to Start Selling in 30 Minutes (Step-by-Step)
For Gumroad:
- Sign up at gumroad.com
- Upload your product (PDF, Canva link, Notion template)
- Add a product description
- Set price (or pay what you want)
- Publish & get your product link
- Add the link to your blog post or Pinterest pin
For Stan Store:
- Sign up at stan.store
- Choose a template for your storefront
- Add products (use Google Drive or Dropbox links)
- Enable payment collection
- Add email capture & upsell if needed
- Share the link in your Instagram or TikTok bio
Digital Products That Sell Well in Both Stores
- Canva templates for social media
- Notion planners
- Budget trackers
- Content calendars
- Affiliate marketing checklists
- Ebooks (faceless creator niche)
- AI prompt libraries
Pro tip: You can create once and list the same product on both platforms.
What About Email Lists & Upsells?
- Stan Store includes built-in email tools for free lead magnets
- Gumroad integrates with ConvertKit, Mailchimp, and Zapier
- Upsells work best with Stan Store’s funnels
- Gumroad lets you add a “recommended” product after checkout
Grow your list while you sell, and promote future launches. This is essential for creators selling low-ticket digital downloads or running a faceless blog.
Hidden Costs to Watch Out For
- Gumroad’s free plan charges 10% per sale, so if you make $1,000, they take $100
- Stan Store has monthly fees, but no platform cut
- Both require Stripe or PayPal setup
Bottom line: Stan Store is better for volume sellers or social-first sellers. Gumroad is great for evergreen SEO traffic.
Which Platform Works Best for You?
| Goal | Best Platform |
|---|---|
| You want SEO traffic + blogging | Gumroad |
| You want to sell from TikTok or Instagram | Stan Store |
| You hate tech and want fast setup | Stan Store |
| You love writing and passive SEO traffic | Gumroad |
| You want to offer coaching or lead magnets | Stan Store |
| You want to keep costs as low as possible | Gumroad (free plan) |
Final Verdict: Gumroad vs Stan Store for Faceless Creators
Both platforms are incredible if you want to make money without showing your face, without a website, and without startup costs.
- Use Gumroad if you write blog posts like “sell Canva templates for profit” and drive long-term SEO traffic.
- Use Stan Store if you want to monetize social media with a plug-and-play digital storefront.
- Use both if you’re serious about growing multiple traffic streams.
Faceless affiliate marketers, content creators, and digital hustlers—this is your time.
Set up your storefront. Launch your first product. And let your blog, bio link, or Pinterest board do the selling for you.
Related Guides:
- Sell Canva Templates for Profit
- Start a Faceless Blog in 2025
- Gumroad Tutorial for Beginners
- Stan Store Setup Guide
- Digital Products That Sell on Autopilot
Want help creating your first product or launching your store? Just ask—I’ll build you a guide, a funnel, or a faceless creator checklist.
