itch.io fees explained: what it takes in 2026

On itch.io the revenue share is the creator's to set: anywhere from 0% to 100% of each sale, and 10% if you never change it. Payment processing is not a choice — PayPal and Stripe each charge 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, whichever of them takes the money. This guide sets out both as itch.io publishes them, with examples computed by the same engine as the itch.io fee calculator. Every rate is quoted from itch.io's payments documentation, cross-checked against its creator FAQ, and verified on 4 September 2026.

The two fees on a sale

On a $10 sale at the default share, the fee on $10.00 is $1.59 ($1.00 itch.io revenue share (creator-set, default 10%) plus $0.59 payment processor fee (PayPal or Stripe)) and you keep $8.41, an effective rate of 15.9%.

That result matches the worked example itch.io prints in its own documentation, which is the closest thing the page has to a check on itself.

You decide what itch.io takes

The share is a field in your seller settings, not a rate handed to you: itch.io says you can decide what percentage of your sales goes to the site, from 0% to 100%. Ten per cent is only what applies if you leave it alone, which is why the calculator makes it a control rather than a fixed line.

On the same $10 sale with the share set to 0%, the fee on $10.00 is $0.59 and you keep $9.41, an effective rate of 5.9%. On the same sale with the share raised to 20%, the fee on $10.00 is $2.59 ($2.00 itch.io revenue share (creator-set, default 10%) plus $0.59 payment processor fee (PayPal or Stripe)) and you keep $7.41, an effective rate of 25.9%.

Set to zero, the whole cost of a sale is the processor's. Set higher, every extra point is a straight transfer from you to itch.io, which some creators use as a standing donation.

Small prices lose most to the fixed 30 cents

The processor's charge is a percentage plus a flat 30 cents, and the flat part does not shrink with the price. That is what makes cheap items expensive to sell.

On a $2 game at the default share, the fee on $2.00 is $0.56 ($0.20 itch.io revenue share (creator-set, default 10%) plus $0.36 payment processor fee (PayPal or Stripe)) and you keep $1.44, an effective rate of 28%. On a $20 game at the default share, the fee on $20.00 is $2.88 ($2.00 itch.io revenue share (creator-set, default 10%) plus $0.88 payment processor fee (PayPal or Stripe)) and you keep $17.12, an effective rate of 14.4%.

The revenue share is 10% in both cases. Everything between those two effective rates is the 30 cents.

Pricing so you keep a round number

Both charges come out of what the buyer pays, so adding them to the amount you want lands short.

To keep $10.00 you charge $11.82, and the fee is $1.82.

The calculator's "I want to net" mode does the same for any price and any share.

What this guide leaves out

The verified schedule covers a US creator pricing in US dollars, and it holds two rules: the revenue share and the processor's per-transaction fee. Out of scope are the one-off charge itch.io makes for tax-identity verification and the maintenance fee it applies to a payouts balance left unclaimed for over a year, neither of which is a per-sale rate; the difference between being paid directly and through itch.io Payouts, which does not change either rate; and anything a buyer's own bank adds.

When these rates last changed

itch.io publishes its fees as documentation with no effective date, so this schedule is dated from the day it was checked: 4 September 2026. Confidence is medium, and for one reason: the creator FAQ confirms that you set the share yourself, but it does not restate the 10% default or the 2.9% + $0.30 processor rate, so those two numbers rest on the payments page alone and on the worked example printed there. The itch.io fee changelog holds the single entry so far; later changes are added there with the date and the rule affected, and the schedule is re-verified every 60 days. The methodology explains the check, and if a figure here disagrees with what itch.io shows you, report it.

Frequently asked questions

Does itch.io really take nothing if I set the share to 0%?

That is what the documentation says: the share is yours to set from 0% to 100%, and at zero itch.io receives nothing from the sale. The payment processor's fee is charged either way, because it is PayPal's or Stripe's charge rather than itch.io's.

Is the rate different for PayPal and for Stripe?

No. itch.io states the same 2.9% + $0.30 for most PayPal transactions and for most credit-card transactions through Stripe, so the calculator prices them identically.

How does itch.io compare with other places to sell a game or a download?

Put the same price through the Gumroad fee calculator, and read Steam Community Market fees explained for how Valve's cut is charged. itch.io is the only one of the three whose headline rate you choose.

Where do these numbers come from?

Every rate is quoted from itch.io's own documentation, saved as a dated snapshot and checked by a person. The schedule is quoted line by line, with the verbatim source text behind every rule, in the calculator's fee table.