Payhip and Trustd are both tools for small sellers who want to get products in front of customers without a complicated website setup. Payhip handles both digital and physical products, has a free plan, and is used by independent sellers worldwide — which puts it closer to Trustd’s range than most platforms in this space.
The differences come down to payment options, selling model, and what the platform is built around. Payhip started as a digital product platform and added physical products later. The physical product experience is functional but basic. Trustd was built from the ground up for boutique owners selling physical goods through Instagram and WhatsApp, with payment methods, ordering tools, and review systems designed for that specific model.
Payhip at a glance
Payhip launched in 2011 and is used by over 130,000 creators and sellers globally. It is built around a simple idea: every plan includes every feature, and you only pay more to lower your transaction fee. That structure makes the free plan workable from day one. No feature gating, no product limits, just a 5% fee on each sale.
What Payhip does well:
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Free plan with no monthly fee and no product limits. All features available regardless of plan.
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Supports digital products, courses, memberships, coaching, and physical products in one place
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Transaction fee decreases as you upgrade: 5% (Free), 2% (Plus at $29/month), 0% (Pro at $99/month)
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VAT compliance built in for EU and UK sales. Automatic calculation and remittance.
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Affiliate marketing system included on all plans
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Coupon codes, upsell options, and pay-what-you-want pricing supported
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Custom domain on all plans
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Used by bloggers, authors, course creators, and small sellers globally Where Payhip falls short for boutique sellers:
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No marketplace or built-in discovery. Payhip does not drive traffic to your store. Every customer must come from your own marketing: Instagram, WhatsApp, email, or paid ads. As one seller put it: “It’s so frustrating that they don’t help drive traffic at all on Payhip.” For a boutique seller building an audience from scratch, this means the store is only as active as your external promotion
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Customer support can be slow. Multiple sellers report delayed responses when issues arise, which is frustrating when customers are waiting to complete a purchase
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Transaction fees on the free plan are significant. At 5% per sale, selling Rs 1,000 of products costs Rs 50 in Payhip fees before Stripe or PayPal takes its cut. On Rs 25,000 in monthly sales, that is Rs 1,250 every month in platform fees alone
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No Razorpay or UPI support. Payhip processes payments through Stripe and PayPal only. For Indian sellers whose customers expect UPI at checkout, this adds friction that reduces conversion. Customers who arrive from Instagram or WhatsApp and cannot pay by UPI are likely to abandon the purchase
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Physical product support is basic. Payhip allows flat rate or weight-based shipping but has no inventory tracking, no automatic sold-out status, and no order management dashboard built for boutique selling at volume
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No WhatsApp ordering. There is no feature for connecting your Payhip store to WhatsApp or generating pre-filled cart messages for customers
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No verified review system. Payhip has basic product ratings but no email-verified review system with a public trust score
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Storefront design is limited. Payhip’s store pages are functional but not highly customisable. No drag-and-drop editor, limited visual control compared to dedicated storefront builders.
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Digital-first architecture. The platform’s strengths are in digital product delivery, VAT compliance, and creator monetisation. Physical product selling is supported but not the platform’s primary focus
Trustd at a glance
Trustd is built for boutique owners and social sellers who sell physical products through Instagram and WhatsApp and need a proper storefront connected to both channels.
What Trustd offers:
- Free plan with unlimited products, a premium shop page, WhatsApp ordering, and review management. No transaction fee from Trustd. No time limit.
- Pro plan at Rs 999 a year in India (roughly Rs 83 a month) or $25 a year internationally. Includes online payments via Razorpay, Stripe, or Direct UPI, order management dashboard, categories and collections, coupons, analytics, and a Trustd Verified badge.
- WhatsApp ordering. Customers tap a button on your storefront and a pre-filled WhatsApp message with their cart opens automatically. Available on the free plan.
- Verified reviews. Customers confirm their review via email, earning a Verified badge. Your Trust Score combines rating, verification rate, recommendation rate, and review volume, and displays publicly on your store.
- Razorpay integration. Indian sellers connect their own Razorpay account to accept cards, UPI, netbanking, and wallets natively.
- Order management dashboard. Every purchase appears with customer details, product, payment status, and fulfilment status. No manual spreadsheet tracking required.
- Instagram and WhatsApp compatibility. Your Trustd store link (trustd.shop/yourname) works as your Instagram bio link and as the external link in your WhatsApp Business catalog.
The transaction fee comparison
For sellers doing regular volume, Payhip’s free plan fee matters.
| Monthly sales | Payhip free plan fee (5%) | Trustd platform fee |
|---|---|---|
| Rs 10,000 | Rs 500 | Rs 0 |
| Rs 25,000 | Rs 1,250 | Rs 0 |
| Rs 50,000 | Rs 2,500 | Rs 0 |
| Annual at Rs 25,000/month | Rs 15,000 | Rs 999 (Pro plan) |
Trustd Pro costs Rs 999 for the entire year. Payhip’s free plan costs Rs 15,000 in fees on the same sales volume. Even Payhip Plus at $29/month ($348/year) with a 2% fee works out to Rs 6,000 in platform fees annually on the same volume, significantly more than Trustd Pro.
Side-by-side comparison
| Trustd | Payhip | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes — no transaction fee | Yes — 5% transaction fee |
| Paid plan price | Rs 999/year (~Rs 83/month) | $29/month (Plus) |
| Platform transaction fee | None | 5% (Free), 2% (Plus), 0% (Pro) |
| Physical products | Yes | Yes (basic) |
| Digital products | No | Yes |
| Inventory tracking | Yes (Pro) | No |
| WhatsApp ordering | Yes — free plan | No |
| Verified customer reviews | Yes — with Trust Score | Basic ratings only |
| Razorpay / UPI payments | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Stripe / PayPal | Yes (Pro) | Yes |
| VAT compliance | No | Yes (EU/UK) |
| Affiliate marketing | No | Yes |
| Custom domain | Yes (Pro) | Yes (all plans) |
| Storefront design | Moderate | Limited |
| Instagram/WhatsApp compatible | Yes | No |
Payhip is the better fit if…
You sell a mix of digital and physical products and want one platform that handles both without a monthly fee at the start. Payhip’s flat-rate transaction fee model means you only pay when you earn, which is a sensible structure for a new seller testing ideas. It is also the stronger choice if you sell to customers in the EU or UK and need automatic VAT compliance, or if you want a built-in affiliate program to let others promote your products.
Trustd is the better fit if…
You sell physical products through Instagram and WhatsApp and need your storefront connected to those channels. Payhip’s 5% free plan fee costs more in a month than Trustd Pro costs in a year for any seller doing meaningful volume in India. Trustd’s Razorpay and UPI integration, WhatsApp ordering button, verified review system, and order management dashboard are all built specifically for the boutique selling model that Payhip supports only at a basic level.
Start your free Trustd store — no transaction fee, unlimited products, WhatsApp ordering, and verified reviews from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Payhip support physical products?
Yes. Payhip supports physical product listings with basic shipping options — flat rate or weight-based. You can list physical items, set prices, and collect shipping addresses. However, there is no inventory tracking, no WhatsApp ordering, and no verified review system. For boutique sellers who primarily sell physical products through Instagram and WhatsApp, Trustd is built more specifically for that model.
Does Payhip have a free plan?
Yes. Payhip's free plan has no monthly fee but charges a 5% transaction fee on every sale. All features are available on every plan — the only difference between plans is the transaction fee percentage. Plus at $29/month drops the fee to 2%, and Pro at $99/month drops it to 0%.
Is Payhip available in India?
Payhip is available globally but processes payments through Stripe and PayPal only. UPI, Razorpay, and netbanking are not supported. For Indian sellers whose customers expect to pay by UPI, this creates friction at checkout. Trustd's Razorpay integration supports cards, UPI, netbanking, and wallets natively.
Which is cheaper — Trustd or Payhip?
Payhip's free plan has no monthly fee but takes 5% of every sale. On Rs 25,000 in monthly sales, that is Rs 1,250 in Payhip fees every month. Trustd's free plan has no platform fee on sales. Trustd Pro costs Rs 999 for an entire year with no transaction fee from Trustd. For Indian boutique sellers doing any meaningful volume, Trustd works out cheaper.
Does Payhip support WhatsApp ordering?
No. Payhip has no WhatsApp ordering feature. Trustd's WhatsApp ordering button generates a pre-filled cart message for customers automatically and is available on the free plan.