The Comparison Nobody Asked For
I sell digital products on both Boosty (Russian Gumroad) and through a Telegram bot with Stars payments. Here's my honest comparison.
Setup
Gumroad
- Create account
- Upload products
- Write descriptions
- Set up payments (automatic)
- Share links
Time: 1-2 hours per product
Telegram Stars
- Create bot via @botfather
- Write Python code (~200 lines)
- Add products to catalog
- Deploy
Time: 1 day for the bot + 10 min per product
Winner: Gumroad (easier initial setup)
Fees
Gumroad
- 10% platform fee
- ~3% payment processing
- Total: ~13% per sale
Sell a $10 product → you keep $8.70
Telegram Stars
- 0% platform fee
- 0% payment processing
- Stars can be withdrawn via Fragment
- Total: ~0% per sale (small withdrawal fee)
Winner: Telegram Stars (by far)
Customer Experience
Gumroad
- Click link
- View product page
- Enter email
- Enter credit card
- Complete purchase
- Check email
- Download file
Steps: 7 | Time: 2-5 minutes
Telegram Stars
- Open bot
- Browse catalog
- Tap "Buy"
- Confirm (one tap)
- File delivered in chat
Steps: 5 | Time: 15 seconds
Winner: Telegram Stars (frictionless)
Discoverability
Gumroad
- Google indexing
- Gumroad Discover page
- Social media links
Telegram Stars
- Only through bot link
- Telegram channel promotion
- Social media posts
Winner: Gumroad (SEO advantage)
Micro-Pricing
Gumroad
- Minimum price: $1
- At $1, fees eat 43% ($0.30 + 10%)
- Micro-pricing doesn't work
Telegram Stars
- Minimum: 1 star (~$0.02)
- No per-transaction fee
- 25 stars (~$0.50) is viable
Winner: Telegram Stars (micro-pricing king)
Analytics
Gumroad
- Built-in dashboard
- Revenue graphs
- Customer data
- Email list
Telegram Stars
- DIY (SQLite + custom queries)
- Telegram user IDs
- No built-in email collection
Winner: Gumroad (better analytics)
My Verdict
| Use Case | Best Option |
|---|---|
| Products > $10 | Gumroad |
| Products < $5 | Telegram Stars |
| Global audience | Both |
| Mobile-first users | Telegram Stars |
| SEO-driven sales | Gumroad |
| Telegram community | Telegram Stars |
| Email marketing | Gumroad |
| Zero fees | Telegram Stars |
My Strategy
I use both:
- Telegram Stars for impulse purchases and community sales
- Boosty (Gumroad equivalent) for subscription-based access
The ideal setup depends on your audience and price point.
Try My Telegram Store
Bot: @SwiftUIDailyBot — 26 products, instant delivery
Channel: t.me/SwiftUIDaily
What platform do you use for selling digital products? Share in the comments!
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