ChatGPT answers, unedited

For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist Payhip and Gumroad.

Payhip

Payhip has an especially straightforward implementation: put 0+ as the price and customers can download for free or choose any amount; 5+, for example, means $5 minimum but they can pay more. Payhip explicitly documents PWYW as useful for donations/generosity. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center

Its current pricing is $0/month + 5% transaction fee on the free plan, $29/month + 2% on Plus, and $99/month with no transaction fee on Pro, in addition to payment-processor fees. Payhip

That makes it a good fit if you want something resembling a small independent publishing/music shop rather than primarily a creator profile.

Gumroad

Gumroad's PWYW feature is similarly flexible. You can set a minimum amount and let buyers enter their own price, and you can specify a suggested amount. A $0 minimum can make the download free while still inviting payment. Gumroad

It also has a separate Coffee product specifically for tips/support, where supporters can choose from suggested amounts or enter another amount. Gumroad

The tradeoff is fees: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction, with a 30% fee for sales through its Discover marketplace. Gumroad

For your particular use case

I'd structure it something like:

• Zine: $0+ — “Pay what you want”
• Album/EP: $0+ — “Download free or support the artist”
• Physical/expanded edition: fixed price
• Support the project: separate optional tip/donation product

Payhip looks particularly well suited if your priority is a branded storefront with lots of PWYW digital products. Gumroad is attractive if you want the simplest creator-focused setup and don't mind the higher per-sale fee.

One important distinction: if by “optional donations” you mean a buyer purchases a $5 zine and then sees an optional “add $2/$5/$10 to support us” field at checkout, rather than simply choosing the zine's price, that's a more specific checkout feature. I can compare platforms specifically for that flow (including Shopify, WooCommerce, Lemon Squeezy, Ko-fi, etc.).

That makes it a good fit if you want something resembling a small independent publishing/music shop rather than primarily a creator profile.

Gumroad

Gumroad's PWYW feature is similarly flexible. You can set a minimum amount and let buyers enter their own price, and you can specify a suggested amount. A $0 minimum can make the download free while still inviting payment.

It also has a separate Coffee product specifically for tips/support, where supporters can choose from suggested amounts or enter another amount.

The tradeoff is fees: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction, with a 30% fee for sales through its Discover marketplace.

For your particular use case

For your use case, Payhip is probably the closest fit.

Payhip

Payhip explicitly supports pay-what-you-want pricing for digital products. You can enter:

• 0+ → customer can download for free or pay any amount
• 5+ → $5 minimum, but they can pay more

It also supports uploading PDFs, audio, video and other digital files, with automatic delivery after purchase. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center

That makes a setup like “Zine #12 — $0+” or “Album — $5+” straightforward. Payhip's free plan currently has a 5% transaction fee; paid plans reduce or eliminate that platform fee. Payhip

Gumroad

gumroad.com also has a proper PWYW feature. You can set a minimum amount and a suggested amount, which is particularly useful if you want to say “$5 suggested, pay what you can.” Gumroad

The tradeoff is cost: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 on direct/profile sales, before applicable payment-processing costs. Gumroad Gumroad

itch.io

If the zines/music are part of an independent-art/DIY publishing ecosystem, itch.io has unusually good PWYW support. Its pricing system lets you set a minimum—or make something free and explicitly solicit a donation—and users can pay above the minimum. itch.io

My practical shortlist: start with Payhip if you want a conventional storefront for both zines and music; consider Gumroad if you prioritize simplicity and its ecosystem; consider itch.io if the audience is particularly indie/DIY/creative.

One important distinction: if by “optional donations” you mean a separate donation amount in addition to purchasing the zine/music, rather than simply allowing customers to pay more than the listed price, I'd look specifically at the checkout mechanics before choosing. Payhip's PWYW model is fundamentally attached to the product purchase, while Ko-fi is more explicitly built around separate tips/support. Payhip Help Center ko-fi.com

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

• payhip.com — probably the best fit. You can set a digital product to 0+ (free or any amount) or 5+ (minimum $5, with customers able to pay more). It supports PDFs, audio, and other digital files with instant delivery. Payhip also explicitly positions PWYW for donations/support. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center
• gumroad.com — excellent for creator-focused digital sales. Its PWYW feature lets you establish a minimum price and a suggested amount, and it supports digital products including music. The tradeoff is a relatively high 10% + $0.50 direct-sale fee. Gumroad Gumroad
• ko-fi.com — particularly good if “support the artist” is central. Its Shop supports digital files and has a “Pay what you want” option where buyers can pay above your minimum. It also has Ko-fi's broader tipping/donation model. Ko-fi Help
• fourthwall.com — worth considering if you also want merch. It sells digital products such as MP3s and PDFs and supports separate donations/tips, but it's more creator-store/merch oriented than a simple zine-and-music storefront. Fourthwall Fourthwall

My pick

For your use case, I'd start with Payhip:

Zine — $5+
Pay at least $5, or more if you'd like to support the project.

Then have a separate Support / Donate option if you want people to contribute without buying another product.

Payhip's free tier is currently $0/month + 5% transaction fee, with all features included; Stripe/PayPal processing fees are additional. Payhip

If you tell me whether you want a standalone storefront, integration into an existing website, or something embedded in a zine/artist website, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 options and compare fees, tax handling, download delivery, and customization.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional donations, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Payhip

payhip.com is particularly well suited to what you're describing. You can set a zine or album to $5+, meaning $5 is the minimum but someone can pay $8, $20, etc. You can also use $0+ for completely free downloads with optional payment. It supports digital files including PDFs and audio. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center

The free plan currently has no monthly fee and a 5% transaction fee, while paid plans reduce or eliminate that platform fee. Payhip

Gumroad is the easiest alternative

gumroad.com has a very clean implementation: set a minimum amount, enable “pay what you want,” and optionally specify a suggested price. For example:

Digital Zine — $5 or more
Suggested: $10
Pay what feels right.

It also lets you set the minimum to $0, effectively making the work free with an optional contribution. Gumroad

The tradeoff is fees: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 on direct/profile sales. Gumroad

Don't overlook itch.io

itch.io is actually very interesting for an independent zine/music project. Its entire payment model is built around “pay what you want above the minimum,” including $0/free releases. It also has explicit tip functionality and lets creators choose their revenue share with the platform. itch.io itch.io

If your audience overlaps with indie publishing, experimental music, games, art, or DIY culture, I'd seriously consider it.

If donations/community are the main thing: Ko-fi

ko-fi.com combines a storefront with tips/support, and supports digital products including zines and other downloadable files. It charges a 5% service fee on shop sales, plus payment-processing fees. Ko-fi

For your use case, I'd rank them:

1. Payhip — best dedicated store for zines + music + PWYW.
2. Gumroad — simplest polished creator storefront.
3. itch.io — best if the project has a strong DIY/indie/art-culture identity.
4. Ko-fi — best if ongoing fan support/tipping is as important as product sales.

If you tell me whether you want your own branded storefront vs. a marketplace, and roughly how many sales/downloads you expect per month, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options and compare the actual fees.

payhip.com is particularly well suited to what you're describing. You can set a zine or album to $5+, meaning $5 is the minimum but someone can pay $8, $20, etc. You can also use $0+ for completely free downloads with optional payment. It supports digital files including PDFs and audio. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center

The free plan currently has no monthly fee and a 5% transaction fee, while paid plans reduce or eliminate that platform fee. Payhip

Gumroad is the easiest alternative

gumroad.com has a very clean implementation: set a minimum amount, enable “pay what you want,” and optionally specify a suggested price. For example:

Digital Zine — $5 or more
Suggested: $10
Pay what feels right.

It also lets you set the minimum to $0, effectively making the work free with an optional contribution. Gumroad

The tradeoff is fees: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 on direct/profile sales. Gumroad

Don't overlook itch.io

itch.io is actually very interesting for an independent zine/music project. Its entire payment model is built around “pay what you want above the minimum,” including $0/free releases. It also has explicit tip functionality and lets creators choose their revenue share with the platform.

If your audience overlaps with indie publishing, experimental music, games, art, or DIY culture, I'd seriously consider it.

If donations/community are the main thing: Ko-fi

For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Payhip

Payhip

Payhip is unusually well matched to what you're describing. You can set a product to 0+, meaning the zine or album can be downloaded for free while the customer chooses how much to pay. Or use 5+ to establish a $5 minimum while allowing people to pay more. help.payhip.com

It also handles digital downloads, including PDFs and audio, and specifically advertises PWYW for music/audio sales. payhip.com

The current pricing is free + 5% transaction fee, $29/month + 2%, or $99/month with no Payhip transaction fee (Stripe/PayPal fees still apply). payhip.com

Gumroad is the other strong choice

Gumroad

Gumroad has a very straightforward "pay what you want" setting. You can establish a minimum amount and a suggested amount, or set the minimum to $0 so people can get the work free while optionally paying. gumroad.com

The tradeoff is cost: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction, with a higher fee for sales through its Discover marketplace. gumroad.com

If your audience is especially arts/DIY-oriented: itch.io

itch.io

itch.io is particularly interesting for zines, experimental music, games, PDFs, and other independent creative work. Its purchasing model is fundamentally PWYW above a minimum, including a minimum of zero, and its system explicitly supports donations. itch.io

I wouldn't start with Shopify unless...

Shopify

You already want a substantial branded ecommerce site. Shopify can absolutely sell PDFs/MP3s and support PWYW, but the variable-pricing functionality generally comes through third-party apps rather than being the core product experience. www.shopify.com

Bottom line: For a small independent publisher/label, I'd start with Payhip. A setup like “$0+ — download the zine/album free, or pay what feels right” maps almost exactly to your model without needing an elaborate ecommerce stack.

If you tell me whether you need your own domain, Apple/Spotify integration, mailing-list capture, bundles, subscriptions, or physical zines too, I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 options.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

• payhip.com — probably the best overall fit. It supports digital products, lets you set a minimum such as $5+, or $0+ for completely optional payment, and handles downloadable files. Its free plan is $0/month + 5% per sale. Payhip Help Center Payhip
• gumroad.com — simplest creator-oriented option. You can enable “pay what you want,” specify a minimum and suggested price, and sell digital products including music. Current direct-sale fees are 10% + $0.50. Gumroad Gumroad
• ko-fi.com — best if “support the artist” is central. It combines a shop for digital products with tips/donations and memberships. The free setup has 5% fees on shop sales; tips can have 0% service fees on its free configuration. Ko-fi Ko-fi
• itch.io — excellent for experimental/indie publishing. Its pricing model is inherently pay-what-you-want above a minimum, including $0 + optional payment, and it supports downloadable content. It's particularly natural for zines, albums, compilations, and other independent digital work. itch.io itch.io

What I'd choose

For a proper zine/music storefront, I'd start with Payhip. You could structure products like:

Digital Zine #12 — $5+
Pay $5 minimum, or more if you'd like to support the project.

And:

New EP — $0+
Download free, or pay whatever feels right.

Payhip explicitly supports both of those patterns, and it can handle audio and document files. Payhip Help Center Payhip

If the brand is more about fans directly supporting artists, I'd lean Ko-fi. If you want a marketplace/community around independent creative work, I'd consider itch.io.

If you tell me roughly how many sales/month and your typical zine/album price, I can compare the actual fees for Payhip vs Gumroad vs Ko-fi and recommend the cheapest setup.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Payhip or Gumroad

Payhip is probably the best match if your main goal is “Here's the zine/music—pay whatever you think it's worth.” You can set a product to 0+, meaning it can be downloaded for free or the buyer can enter a higher amount; 5+ means $5 minimum with optional extra payment. Payhip Help Center

Its free plan currently charges 5% per transaction, with paid plans reducing or eliminating that platform fee. Payhip

Gumroad has a very polished version of the same model. You can set a minimum amount and enable “pay what you want,” plus a suggested amount. For example, a zine could be $3+, with $5 or $10 suggested. Gumroad Its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, plus payment processing. Gumroad

One interesting alternative: itch.io

Don't overlook itch.io for zines and music if your audience overlaps with indie games, experimental art, comics, or DIY publishing. Its entire purchasing system is built around paying the minimum or anything above it, and the minimum can be $0. itch.io itch.io

It also lets you configure individual files as higher-priced tiers—for example, the zine is free/PWYW but a bonus album or PDF edition becomes available at $10+. itch.io

For your specific model, I'd rank them:

1. Payhip — best if you're building your own small storefront.
2. Gumroad — best if you want the simplest polished creator-commerce experience.
3. itch.io — best if your work fits its indie/DIY audience and you like its donation-first culture.

If you tell me whether you want your own branded website/storefront or are happy selling through a marketplace, I can narrow this down further—including Bandcamp, Shopify, Fourthwall, Ko-fi, and Lemon Squeezy.

Payhip is probably the best match if your main goal is “Here's the zine/music—pay whatever you think it's worth.” You can set a product to 0+, meaning it can be downloaded for free or the buyer can enter a higher amount; 5+ means $5 minimum with optional extra payment. Payhip Help Center

Its free plan currently charges 5% per transaction, with paid plans reducing or eliminating that platform fee. Payhip

Gumroad has a very polished version of the same model. You can set a minimum amount and enable “pay what you want,” plus a suggested amount. For example, a zine could be $3+, with $5 or $10 suggested. gumroad.com Its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, plus payment processing. gumroad.com

One interesting alternative: itch.io

Don't overlook itch.io for zines and music if your audience overlaps with indie games, experimental art, comics, or DIY publishing. Its entire purchasing system is built around paying the minimum or anything above it, and the minimum can be $0.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Payhip

payhip.com is probably the closest match to what you're describing. You can set a zine or album to 0+, meaning people can download it free or choose any higher amount. Or use 5+ to establish a $5 minimum while allowing supporters to pay more. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center

It handles both PDFs and audio/music files, provides secure downloads, and can embed checkout into your own site. Its current free plan is $0/month with a 5% Payhip transaction fee, plus normal payment-processor fees. Payhip Payhip

If "donate extra" is central: Ko-fi

ko-fi.com is particularly attractive if you want the experience to be “here's the zine/music, pay what you feel, and optionally support us.” Its shop supports digital downloads and a “Pay what you want” option where buyers can pay above the listed minimum. Ko-fi also has separate donation functionality. Ko-fi Help Ko-fi

Gumroad is also very straightforward

gumroad.com lets you turn on “Allow customers to pay what they want,” specify a minimum, and optionally provide a suggested amount. Setting the amount to $0 allows free access while still letting people pay. Gumroad

For music specifically: Bandcamp

Bandcamp is worth considering if music discovery and artist/fan culture are important. Its “let fans pay more if they want” model is particularly well suited to albums and tracks; Bandcamp says fans pay above the minimum 40% of the time in its recent data. Bandcamp Help Center

Bottom line: If you want one storefront for both zines and music, I'd start with Payhip. If the project is more of a creator-support/community model, I'd choose Ko-fi. If it's primarily a music label/artist store, I'd choose Bandcamp.

If you tell me whether you need your own domain/branding, email collection, Apple Pay/PayPal, VAT handling, and/or multiple creators splitting revenue, I can narrow this to the best 1–2 options.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Gumroad or Ko-fi

Gumroad is probably the cleanest match if you want something like:

Zine — $3 minimum, pay what you want
Suggested price: $7
“Pay $3, $7, $15, or whatever you can.”

Gumroad explicitly supports customer-entered prices, including a minimum price and suggested price. You can even set the minimum to $0, although its documentation notes that a $0 PWYW product has a $0.99 minimum if the customer chooses to pay. Gumroad Its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, with no monthly fee. Gumroad

Ko-fi is particularly attractive if you want the store to feel like “buy my work + support the creator.” Its shop supports digital products and a PWYW option where buyers can pay more than your specified minimum. Ko-fi Help It also has dedicated one-time/monthly tips. Ko-fi

Bandcamp is the strongest choice if music is a major part of the project. It lets artists set a minimum and let fans pay more, and its music-focused storefront/player/discovery ecosystem is much better suited to albums and tracks than Gumroad or Ko-fi. Bandcamp It also supports additional fan contributions/tips. Bandcamp Help Center

If you're selling both zines and music

I'd lean toward Ko-fi as the central storefront if you want one home for everything:

• Digital zines
• Albums/EPs/downloads
• PWYW pricing
• Separate tips/donations
• Memberships later
• A creator-oriented storefront rather than a conventional ecommerce shop

Ko-fi's free plan currently charges 5% on shop sales (plus payment processing), while its Gold plan is $12/month with 0% service fee. Ko-fi

If music discovery and fan purchasing are more important than having one unified shop, use Bandcamp for music + Gumroad/Ko-fi for zines.

If you tell me whether you're a solo creator, collective/nonprofit, or small publisher/label, I can also compare Shopify, WooCommerce, Gumroad, Ko-fi, and Bandcamp specifically for fees, PWYW mechanics, subscriptions, tax handling, and ownership of customer data.

Ko-fi is particularly attractive if you want the store to feel like “buy my work + support the creator.” Its shop supports digital products and a PWYW option where buyers can pay more than your specified minimum. help.ko-fi.com It also has dedicated one-time/monthly tips.

Bandcamp is the strongest choice if music is a major part of the project. It lets artists set a minimum and let fans pay more, and its music-focused storefront/player/discovery ecosystem is much better suited to albums and tracks than Gumroad or Ko-fi. It also supports additional fan contributions/tips.

If you're selling both zines and music

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional donations, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Gumroad

Gumroad has an explicit “pay what you want” setting. You can set, for example:

• Minimum: $3
• Suggested price: $5
• Customer can enter $3, $5, $10, $25, etc.

You can also set the minimum to $0, letting someone download the zine for free while optionally paying. Gumroad

That makes a product page like:

Issue 7 — Digital Zine
Pay what you want — suggested $5
$0–∞

very straightforward.

Gumroad also handles digital-file delivery and currently charges 10% + $0.50 on direct/profile sales, with no monthly fee. Gumroad Gumroad

itch.io is surprisingly good for this

If your project has a strong indie/art/music/zine culture angle, I'd seriously consider itch.io. Its pricing model is essentially built around this concept: a product can have a minimum price, and buyers can pay more than that. A minimum of $0 allows free downloads with optional payment. itch.io itch.io

For example:

DIGITAL ZINE #12
$0 or more
Pay what you want. Every dollar helps fund the next issue.

You can also bundle bonus files—e.g. the zine + MP3s + wallpapers—at higher minimum prices. itch.io

What I'd choose

For a standalone storefront: Gumroad.

For an underground/independent publishing + music project: itch.io may actually be the more natural fit.

For a creator page centered around supporters/tips as well as products: Ko-fi.

If you tell me whether you're selling PDF zines, MP3/FLAC albums, or both, and whether you already have your own website, I can compare the fees, payment flow, branding/custom-domain options, and donation experience and recommend one.

For digital zines and music, you’ll want a platform that supports pay-what-you-want (PWYW), a minimum/suggested price, and optionally a donation/tip layer. The best fit depends on whether you want a full storefront or a lightweight creator shop.

Best options

My recommendations by scenario

• You want to launch quickly with minimal tech:

→ Gumroad or itch.io. They’re closest to a “put up a zine/album and let fans support it” model. Gumroad itch.io

• You want a long-term independent publishing storefront:

→ WordPress + WooCommerce + Name Your Price/custom pricing tools. You can create products like:

• Zine PDF — minimum $0, suggested $5
• Album download — minimum $1, suggested $10
• Deluxe bundle — fixed price or PWYW

WooCommerce’s own tools support customer-entered pricing, suggested prices, and minimums. WooCommerce

• You want community support more than sales:

→ Consider a platform where “donation” feels native, such as itch.io or a newsletter-first setup. itch.io Kit Help Center

A pricing pattern that often works well for zines/music

Instead of only saying “pay anything,” use anchors:

• Free / $0 — access the work
• $5 — supporter price
• $10 — helps fund the next release
• $25 — patron tier with bonus material

That preserves accessibility while giving fans who want to contribute a clear way to do so.

For a small independent zine + music label, I’d usually shortlist itch.io (community-first), Gumroad (simple creator sales), or WooCommerce (maximum ownership/control).

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist Payhip and Gumroad, with Payhip probably the better fit if keeping fees low matters.

Payhip

Payhip has unusually straightforward PWYW support: you enter a price such as 5+, meaning $5 minimum but the buyer can pay more. 0+ lets someone download for free while optionally paying something. It supports both PDFs and audio files, making it well suited to zines and music. Payhip Help Center Payhip

Its free plan is $0/month + 5% transaction fee, with paid plans reducing the transaction fee to 2% or 0%. Stripe/PayPal processing fees still apply. Payhip

Gumroad

Gumroad also has native PWYW. You can set a minimum amount and let buyers enter whatever they want above it—for example, $5 minimum, $10/$20/$50 if they want to support you more. You can also set a suggested amount. Gumroad

Gumroad additionally has a dedicated tip/support product, which is useful if you want a separate "support the project" button alongside your zines and albums. Gumroad

The tradeoff is fees: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 on direct/profile sales, with a 30% fee for sales through its Discover marketplace. Gumroad

What I'd choose

If your model is something like:

Zine — $5 minimum, pay more if you can
Album — $7 minimum, pay more if you want
Free download — $0+, optional support

I'd start with Payhip. Its 0+ / 5+ mechanism maps almost exactly onto that model, and the fee structure is considerably friendlier for small digital purchases. Payhip Help Center Payhip

If you care more about Gumroad's ecosystem, simplicity, and built-in support/tip functionality than transaction fees, Gumroad is also a very solid choice.

If you tell me whether you're an independent artist/collective, nonprofit, or small publisher, I can also compare Payhip vs Gumroad vs Ko-fi vs Bandcamp specifically for this use case, including fees, music downloads, zines, mailing lists, and tax handling.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Payhip

Payhip is particularly well matched to what you're describing. You can literally enter 0+ for a zine or album so someone can download it for free or choose any higher amount. Or use 5+ if you want a $5 minimum. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center

It supports digital products, including music, and has secure download delivery. Its music-specific offering explicitly advertises PWYW pricing. Payhip Payhip

For example, you could structure your shop like:

• Zine #01 — $0+ - “Free if you need it; pay more if you want to support the project.”
• Album / EP — $5+ - Suggested price: $10
• Back catalog bundle — $15+
• Support the project — separate optional contribution

One important nuance: Payhip notes that Stripe doesn't permit a standalone tip/donation transaction without something being provided in return, so I'd make the donation/support option a digital product or tie it to the purchase, rather than relying on a bare Stripe donation button. Payhip Help Center

Gumroad is the closest alternative

gumroad.com also has a very clean PWYW implementation: you set a minimum amount and customers can enter a higher amount; it can even be $0+. You can also specify a suggested amount. Gumroad

So if your priority is “upload a PDF/MP3 → give people a price field → deliver the file”, Gumroad is excellent. Its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50, according to its pricing page. Gumroad

Bottom line: I'd choose Payhip if PWYW is central to your model, particularly because you're selling both zines and music. I'd choose Gumroad if you value the simplest possible creator-sales experience.

If you tell me whether you want $0 downloads + optional tip, minimum price + optional tip, or pure donation-supported downloads, I can recommend the exact checkout setup and compare the fees.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Payhip

Payhip is particularly well suited to what you're describing. You can set a digital product to, for example:

• $0+ → people can download it free or pay whatever they want.
• $5+ → $5 minimum, with the customer free to pay more.

That PWYW functionality works specifically with digital products, and Payhip explicitly markets it for both music and magazines/digital publishing. Payhip Help Center Payhip Payhip

It also gives you an embeddable checkout/cart, so you don't necessarily have to send people to a generic marketplace—you can make it part of your own site. Payhip

The current pricing is $0/month + 5% transaction fee, $29/month + 2%, or $99/month with no Payhip transaction fee, plus payment-processor fees. Payhip

Gumroad is the simplest alternative

gumroad.com also has native PWYW: you can set a minimum and let customers enter a higher amount, including a suggested price. A $0 minimum can make the product effectively free-with-optional-support. Gumroad

The big downside is cost: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 on direct/profile sales and 30% when sales come through its Discover marketplace. Gumroad

Ko-fi is worth considering if "donate" is central

ko-fi.com combines a creator-support page with a digital shop. Its shop lets you enable Pay what you want, while Ko-fi separately supports one-time tips/monthly support. Ko-fi Help Ko-fi

So you could have:

Zine — $5+
Download the PDF

Music — $3+
Download the album

Want to support us more? → Tip/support

That separation is appealing if you want the purchase to feel like a cultural/creative exchange rather than a conventional ecommerce transaction.

Bottom line: I'd start with Payhip if the core requirement is "sell digital files, let people choose the price, optionally pay more." I'd choose Ko-fi instead if ongoing fan support/tipping is almost as important as the actual sales.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional donations, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: itch.io

Despite its gaming roots, itch.io explicitly supports digital content beyond games, and its pricing model is unusually well suited to what you're describing. You can set a $0 minimum, allowing someone to download for free while offering to pay; or set, say, $5 minimum and let people enter any higher amount. itch.io itch.io

It also has tip buttons at checkout, so you can combine the purchase amount with an additional contribution. itch.io

For example:

Digital Zine #12
Pay what you want — $0+
Suggested: $5
Includes PDF + EPUB

Music EP
Pay what you want — $3+
Suggested: $8
Includes MP3 + FLAC

The main drawback is branding: itch.io is still strongly associated with indie games, so it may feel less appropriate if you're building a polished zine/music publishing storefront.

Gumroad is probably the better branded storefront

Gumroad supports exactly the mechanics you're after: you can enable “pay what you want,” set a minimum, and specify a suggested amount. A $0 product can also be downloaded for free while giving the customer the opportunity to pay. Gumroad

Its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, with no monthly charge; Gumroad also acts as merchant of record for tax handling. Gumroad

I'd choose Gumroad if you want something that feels like a conventional independent publisher/artist shop rather than a marketplace.

Ko-fi is worth considering if “donate” is central

Ko-fi's Shop supports digital files and has a Pay What You Want option where customers can pay above your specified minimum. Ko-fi Help

It's particularly attractive if your model is:

free/cheap zines + music → fans voluntarily contribute more → ongoing creator support.

Bottom line

• Want the strongest true PWYW experience: itch.io
• Want a conventional digital storefront: Gumroad
• Want a creator-support/donation community with a shop attached: Ko-fi

For a zine + music label/publisher, I'd lean Gumroad if you care about having your own polished storefront, and itch.io if the philosophy of “everyone gets the work, pay what you can” is the core of the project.

Despite its gaming roots, itch.io explicitly supports digital content beyond games, and its pricing model is unusually well suited to what you're describing. You can set a $0 minimum, allowing someone to download for free while offering to pay; or set, say, $5 minimum and let people enter any higher amount. itch.io itch.io

It also has tip buttons at checkout, so you can combine the purchase amount with an additional contribution. itch.io

For example:

Digital Zine #12
Pay what you want — $0+
Suggested: $5
Includes PDF + EPUB

Music EP
Pay what you want — $3+
Suggested: $8
Includes MP3 + FLAC

The main drawback is branding: itch.io is still strongly associated with indie games, so it may feel less appropriate if you're building a polished zine/music publishing storefront.

Gumroad is probably the better branded storefront

Gumroad supports exactly the mechanics you're after: you can enable “pay what you want,” set a minimum, and specify a suggested amount. A $0 product can also be downloaded for free while giving the customer the opportunity to pay. gumroad.com

Its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, with no monthly charge; Gumroad also acts as merchant of record for tax handling. gumroad.com

I'd choose Gumroad if you want something that feels like a conventional independent publisher/artist shop rather than a marketplace.

Ko-fi is worth considering if “donate” is central

Ko-fi's Shop supports digital files and has a Pay What You Want option where customers can pay above your specified minimum.

It's particularly attractive if your model is:

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional donations, I’d shortlist these:

• itch.io — best fit for a true PWYW model. You can set a minimum of $0, $5, etc., and buyers can enter any higher amount. At $0, people can download for free or voluntarily pay. It also has built-in tipping, bundles, sales, and downloadable files. itch.io itch.io
• payhip.com — best if you want your own branded storefront. For digital products, you can enter 0+ for free/PWYW or 5+ for a $5 minimum with customers able to pay more. It supports PDFs, audio, and other digital files and can embed checkout on your own website. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center Payhip
• gumroad.com — another straightforward option. Its PWYW setting lets customers choose their price, with a suggested amount; $0 products can accept voluntary payment, subject to Gumroad's minimum-payment rules. Gumroad

What I'd choose

For an independent zine/music project, I'd lean itch.io if the community/DIY aesthetic fits you. Its pricing system is unusually well suited to the idea of "here's the work; pay nothing or whatever you think it's worth." It explicitly supports $0 + donations and PWYW above a minimum. itch.io itch.io

If you want something that feels more like your own online shop rather than a marketplace, I'd pick Payhip. You can make, for example, a zine $5+, an album $10+, or a free release $0+, and link/embed the store from your existing site. Payhip Help Center Payhip

If you tell me whether you already have a website (and whether you need Stripe/PayPal, mailing-list integration, Apple Pay, VAT/tax handling, or physical zines too), I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options.

For digital zines and music, you’ll want a platform that supports pay-what-you-want (PWYW), minimum/suggested prices, optional tips/donations, and automatic digital delivery. Good options:

My shortlist for your use case

• Fastest launch: Gumroad

• Upload zine PDFs, MP3s/WAVs, set “pay what you want,” share links.
• Best independent artist storefront: Easy Digital Downloads or WooCommerce

• Better if you want your own domain, archive, bundles, memberships, merch later.
• Best community-supported model: Kit

• Good if the zines/music are part of a newsletter or fan relationship.

A pricing setup that often works well for creative projects:

• Free download option ($0)
• Suggested contribution ($5–10)
• “Supporter” amount ($15–25)
• Optional tip field at checkout

For zines + music specifically, I’d lean toward Gumroad for simplicity or WordPress + Easy Digital Downloads for long-term ownership.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Payhip

Payhip is particularly clean for your use case. You can enter 0+ to let someone download a zine/album for free while paying whatever they want, or 5+ to establish a $5 floor while allowing higher payments. It supports digital files including PDFs and audio. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center

Its free plan currently has no monthly fee and a 5% transaction fee, with paid plans reducing that fee. Payhip

So you could structure a zine as:

Suggested price: $8
Pay what you want: $0+
“If you can afford to chip in more, it helps us make the next issue.”

And an album:

Pay what you want — $5 minimum
$5 / $10 / $20 / custom amount

Gumroad is also very good

gumroad.com has an explicit “allow customers to pay what they want” setting. You can set a minimum and a suggested amount, including making the minimum $0. Gumroad

The main drawback is cost: direct sales currently carry a 10% + $0.50 Gumroad fee, while marketplace-discovery sales are 30%. Gumroad Gumroad

Ko-fi may be best if “support us” is central

ko-fi.com is interesting if you want the store to feel more like “support an independent music/zine project” than a conventional ecommerce shop. It supports digital products and a Pay What You Want option, while also having built-in one-time/monthly tips. Ko-fi Help Ko-fi

That means you could have:

• Zine — $0+
• Album — $5+
• “Just support us” — tip/donation
• Membership/supporter tier — monthly

One caveat: if by “donation” you mean a completely unrestricted donation with no product/service attached, payment processors can impose restrictions. Payhip specifically notes this issue with Stripe. Payhip Help Center

What I'd choose

For an independent zine/music project, I'd rank them:

1. Payhip — best combination of PWYW + digital delivery + low cost.
2. Ko-fi — best if community support/tipping is as important as selling.
3. Gumroad — best-known/easiest conventional creator storefront, but considerably more expensive per transaction.
4. Kit — worth considering if you're building a substantial email/newsletter business alongside the downloads; it added PWYW in 2026. Kit Help Center

If you tell me whether you already have a website (and what it's built with) and roughly how many zines/albums you expect to sell per month, I can narrow this down to the cheapest/best setup and compare the actual transaction costs.

So you could structure a zine as:

Suggested price: $8
Pay what you want: $0+
“If you can afford to chip in more, it helps us make the next issue.”

And an album:

Pay what you want — $5 minimum
$5 / $10 / $20 / custom amount

Gumroad is also very good

gumroad.com has an explicit “allow customers to pay what they want” setting. You can set a minimum and a suggested amount, including making the minimum $0. gumroad.com

The main drawback is cost: direct sales currently carry a 10% + $0.50 Gumroad fee, while marketplace-discovery sales are 30%. gumroad.com gumroad.com

Ko-fi may be best if “support us” is central

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional donations, I’d shortlist these:

• gumroad.com — best general-purpose option. You can set a minimum price and let buyers enter a higher amount; with a $0 minimum, customers can even get the product free while optionally paying. You can also specify a suggested amount. Gumroad Its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50, and Gumroad handles sales-tax obligations as merchant of record. Gumroad
• itch.io — arguably the best fit for the PWYW/donation model itself. Products can have a $0 minimum, allowing free downloads with an optional payment, or a minimum such as $3 with buyers free to pay more. It also has built-in "tip" prompts at checkout. itch.io itch.io This works for music and zines even though the platform is particularly associated with games. You can also choose your own itch.io revenue-share percentage. itch.io
• Bandcamp is worth considering if music discovery, artist pages, streaming, and fan relationships are more important than selling zines. Its model is particularly music-oriented, but I'd choose Gumroad/itch.io if the same storefront needs to handle both media types.

My recommendation

If your core proposition is:

“Download this zine/album for free or pay whatever you think it's worth.”

I'd start with itch.io. It natively supports exactly that model, including $0 + donations, PWYW above a minimum, and optional extra payments. itch.io itch.io

If you instead want a more conventional storefront/creator shop where zines, albums, PDFs, ZIPs, bonuses, etc. all live together, I'd pick Gumroad.

If you tell me whether you want your own branded website/storefront versus being comfortable with a marketplace page, I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 options and compare fees, payment processing, VAT/sales tax, downloads, mailing-list integration, and customization.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing and optional generosity/donations, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Payhip or Gumroad

Payhip is particularly clean for your model. You can set a product to 0+, meaning the zine/music can be downloaded for free but the buyer can enter any amount, or 5+ to establish a $5 minimum while allowing people to pay more. Payhip explicitly supports this for digital products. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center

Gumroad does essentially the same thing: you can enable "pay what you want," set a minimum amount, and specify a suggested amount. A $0 minimum allows people to take the product for free while still giving them the opportunity to pay. Gumroad

Gumroad also has a separate tip/support product mechanism, which could be useful if you want a prominent "support the zine/music project" option in addition to PWYW purchases. Gumroad

One important consideration is fees: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction, plus payment processing, while Payhip's free plan is 5% per transaction (with paid plans reducing that percentage). Gumroad Payhip

How I'd structure your store

For example:

• Zine #1 — $0+ - "Free if you need it. Pay what you can."
• Album / EP — $5+ - Suggested price: $10
• Support the project — optional tip/donation item
• Bundle: zine + music — $10+

If your audience is primarily music fans, I'd lean toward Bandcamp. If the project is equally about zines, PDFs, artwork, music, and other digital editions, I'd lean Payhip. If you want the simplest creator-oriented setup with a large existing ecosystem, Gumroad is probably the easiest starting point.

If you tell me roughly how many products you expect, your typical price (e.g. $0–$20), and whether you need your own domain, I can compare the three specifically on fees, checkout experience, downloads, discoverability, and donation mechanics.

Gumroad also has a separate tip/support product mechanism, which could be useful if you want a prominent "support the zine/music project" option in addition to PWYW purchases. gumroad.com

One important consideration is fees: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction, plus payment processing, while Payhip's free plan is 5% per transaction (with paid plans reducing that percentage).

How I'd structure your store

For example:

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional donations, I’d shortlist these:

• payhip.com — best all-around storefront. It explicitly supports PWYW for digital products: 0+ lets someone download for free or pay any amount, while 5+ sets a $5 minimum with the option to pay more. It also gives you a conventional storefront rather than a marketplace. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center
• gumroad.com — easiest mainstream option. Its PWYW setting lets you establish a minimum and a suggested amount, and it supports digital products including music and ebooks. At $0, customers can choose to pay nothing or enter a payment (minimum $0.99). Gumroad Gumroad
• itch.io — strongest fit if your zines/music have an indie/art-community audience. Its entire pricing model is particularly friendly to this use case: products can be free with optional payment, or have a minimum price with customers paying more. It also has explicit tip buttons at checkout and lets creators choose their revenue share with itch.io. The catch is that it's primarily a game/indie-content marketplace, so it may feel less like a traditional zine/music shop. itch.io itch.io itch.io
• ko-fi.com — best if donations/support are as important as sales. It combines one-time tips with a shop for digital products, so you could have a zine/music shop alongside a general "support us" mechanism. Ko-fi

My recommendation

For your specific model, I'd choose Payhip if you want a branded, conventional ecommerce storefront:

Zine: $0+
Album: $5+
"Want to support the project? Pay whatever feels right."

Payhip's free plan currently has a 5% transaction fee, with all features available; payment processors charge their normal fees separately. Payhip

If you're deliberately going for an independent/DIY publishing aesthetic, I'd seriously consider itch.io instead. Its PWYW implementation is unusually well suited to creative work, including optional tips on top of the buyer's chosen price. itch.io itch.io

If you tell me whether you want your own branded storefront vs. a marketplace, and roughly how many zines/albums you'll sell per month, I can narrow this to the best 1–2 options and compare fees, payment processing, VAT/tax handling, downloads, and customization.

For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional generosity, I’d shortlist Payhip, Gumroad, and Ko-fi.

My pick: Payhip

For your particular use case, Payhip looks like the best fit. You can literally set a zine to 5+, meaning $5 minimum, but the buyer can choose to pay $7, $10, $25, etc. You can also use 0+ to make the zine free while allowing people to voluntarily pay. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center

It supports PDFs and audio files, so you can use essentially the same storefront for both zines and music. Payhip Help Center Payhip

payhip.com

The pricing is also attractive for small creative projects: the free plan is $0/month + 5% per transaction, with all features available; Plus is $29/month + 2%, and Pro is $99/month with no Payhip transaction fee. Payment-processor fees still apply. Payhip

When I'd choose the others

Gumroad is probably the easiest alternative if you want a very established creator-oriented storefront. Its PWYW feature lets you specify a minimum and a suggested price—for example, $5+—and it can make a product free/PWYW with a $0 base price. Gumroad The downside is the considerably higher transaction fee: currently 10% + $0.50 on direct sales. Gumroad

gumroad.com

Ko-fi is especially compelling if support/donations are as important as the actual shop. It combines a digital shop with one-time tips and memberships. Its current pricing says tips can have 0% service fee on the free-tip configuration, while shop sales generally carry a 5% service fee on the standard plan. Ko-fi Ko-fi

ko-fi.com

Bottom line:

• Best overall for PWYW digital zines/music: Payhip
• Best-known/simple creator storefront: Gumroad
• Best if “support the artist” donations are central: Ko-fi

One important distinction: if by “optional donations” you mean “buy the zine for $5, then optionally add another $3/$10 donation at checkout”, rather than simply letting them choose a higher product price, that's a more specific checkout requirement. I’d evaluate the platforms differently for that workflow.

For your particular use case, Payhip looks like the best fit. You can literally set a zine to 5+, meaning $5 minimum, but the buyer can choose to pay $7, $10, $25, etc. You can also use 0+ to make the zine free while allowing people to voluntarily pay. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center

It supports PDFs and audio files, so you can use essentially the same storefront for both zines and music. Payhip Help Center Payhip

payhip.com

The pricing is also attractive for small creative projects: the free plan is $0/month + 5% per transaction, with all features available; Plus is $29/month + 2%, and Pro is $99/month with no Payhip transaction fee. Payment-processor fees still apply. Payhip

When I'd choose the others

Gumroad is probably the easiest alternative if you want a very established creator-oriented storefront. Its PWYW feature lets you specify a minimum and a suggested price—for example, $5+—and it can make a product free/PWYW with a $0 base price. gumroad.com The downside is the considerably higher transaction fee: currently 10% + $0.50 on direct sales. gumroad.com

gumroad.com

Ko-fi is especially compelling if support/donations are as important as the actual shop. It combines a digital shop with one-time tips and memberships. Its current pricing says tips can have 0% service fee on the free-tip configuration, while shop sales generally carry a 5% service fee on the standard plan.

For digital zines + music, I’d shortlist these:

• Gumroad — best general-purpose choice. It supports true pay-what-you-want pricing, including a minimum price and a suggested amount. You can set the minimum to $0, allowing someone to download for free or voluntarily pay more. It also handles digital files and, importantly, acts as merchant of record for sales-tax obligations. Gumroad Gumroad

gumroad.com

• itch.io — best fit if your zines/music are part of an indie/DIY creative community. Its pricing model is particularly well suited to this: you can set a minimum of $0, let people download for free, and invite them to pay whatever they want. It also has explicit tip buttons and lets creators configure their revenue share with itch.io. itch.io itch.io itch.io

itch.io

• Bandcamp — strongest for music specifically. Its “let fans pay more if they want” model is very well established. Bandcamp says fans pay above the minimum 40% of the time, substantially increasing the average price paid. For music releases, this is probably the most natural customer experience. Bandcamp Help Center

bandcamp.com

• Stripe — best if you want your own branded storefront. Stripe Checkout supports pay-what-you-want products as well as tips/donations, but you'll be building more of the storefront and product-delivery experience yourself. Stripe Docs

stripe.com

My pick

If you're selling both zines and music under one project/label, I'd start with Gumroad. It gives you the cleanest combination of:

$0/free → suggested price → customer chooses higher amount → automatic digital delivery

If your audience is especially indie/DIY and you don't mind using a marketplace, I'd seriously consider itch.io instead—it arguably has the most philosophically aligned PWYW model.

If music is the primary product, use Bandcamp for the music and potentially Gumroad/itch.io for the zines.

One distinction worth making: if by “optional donations” you mean “the zine costs $5, and at checkout the customer can optionally add $2/$5/$10 as a donation on top”, that's slightly different from PWYW. Stripe is particularly flexible for that architecture; Gumroad and itch.io are more naturally oriented around the buyer choosing the purchase amount. Stripe Docs

If you tell me whether you want your own branded website vs. a marketplace, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and compare fees, payment processing, tax handling, file delivery, and donation UX.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional donations, I’d shortlist these:

1. Gumroad — probably your best fit

Gumroad explicitly supports “pay what you want” products: you can set a minimum price, let the buyer enter a higher amount, and even set a suggested price. Setting the minimum to $0 allows completely free downloads with an optional payment. gumroad.com

So you could do:

Digital Zine #12
$0 minimum — suggested $5
“Pay what you want”

It also handles digital delivery and is designed for things like ebooks and music, so you can put zines, albums, PDFs, MP3s, bundles, etc. in the same storefront. gumroad.com

The main downside is the transaction fee: currently 10% + $0.50 on sales through your profile/direct links, with no monthly fee. gumroad.com

2. Bandcamp — particularly compelling for the music side

Bandcamp lets artists set a minimum price and allow fans to pay more if they want. It also supports giving music away while allowing fans to support you. bandcamp.com

This is especially attractive if music is a major part of the project because Bandcamp gives you a music-native storefront, streaming, downloads, fan accounts, collections, discovery, etc.

Its current digital-music revenue share is 15%, plus payment-processing fees. bandcamp.com

So I'd choose Bandcamp if your model is essentially:

music label / artist → albums + tracks → fans choose what to pay

rather than:

publisher/collective → zines + PDFs + music + assorted digital works.

3. itch.io — surprisingly good for zines

itch.io's pricing model is almost tailor-made for this. You can set a $0 minimum, in which case someone can download for free but is prompted to donate; alternatively, set a minimum and let people pay more. gumroad.comitch.ioitch.io

It also lets you choose your own revenue share with itch.io, from 0% upward, rather than imposing a fixed platform percentage. itch.io

Although it's famous for games, it supports arbitrary downloadable files, so it's quite suitable for independent/experimental zines, art publications, music, PDFs, and bundles.

What I'd do

If you're building one storefront for a creative publishing project, I'd start with Gumroad:

• Zine: $0+, suggested $5
• Album: $5+, suggested $10
• Individual tracks: $1+
• Special edition/bundle: $10+
• Everything can live under the same storefront
• Link directly to each product from your own website/socials

If the music community/discovery aspect is important, I'd use Bandcamp for the music and Gumroad for the zines.

If the project has a particularly indie/DIY/art-publication/game-adjacent identity, I'd seriously consider itch.io—it has unusually good native support for the “free if you need it, pay if you can” philosophy. itch.ioitch.io

One important distinction: if by “optional donations” you mean “buy the zine for $5, then optionally add another $10 donation at checkout”, that's a slightly different requirement than PWYW. Gumroad's native PWYW handles the latter very well, but I'd evaluate the checkout experience separately if you specifically want purchase price + separate donation field.

If you tell me whether you're a single artist, a zine publisher/collective, or a nonprofit, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options based on fees, taxes, customer data, storefront customization, and donation mechanics.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

Payhip

Payhip is particularly clean for what you're describing. You can enter 0+ to let someone download a zine/album for free while allowing them to pay any amount, or 5+ to establish a $5 minimum while letting them pay more. It explicitly supports this for digital products. Payhip Help Center Payhip Help Center

So you could have:

• Zine — $0+
• Album — $5+
• Back-catalog compilation — $10+
• A supporter choosing $25 simply pays $25

One caveat: Payhip notes that Stripe doesn't permit a pure donation/tip transaction without something being provided in return. For your use case that's probably fine because the payment is attached to an actual zine/music product. Payhip Help Center

Gumroad

Gumroad has an equally good PWYW implementation. You can set a minimum/suggested amount and let customers enter their own price. Setting the amount to $0 can make the product free while still allowing payment; Gumroad also has a separate tip/support product mechanism. Gumroad Gumroad

It's especially attractive if you're selling music because it is built around creators and digital products, and it supports direct links/embeds into your own site. Gumroad

The downside is fees: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 on direct/profile sales and 30% when a customer comes through its Discover marketplace. Gumroad

My recommendation

For an independent zine/music project, I'd start with Payhip if your priority is:

“Here's the work. Pay nothing if you can't; pay $5, $10, $20, whatever you think it's worth.”

I'd choose Gumroad if you also want a more mature creator storefront, audience/discovery features, memberships, and a dedicated tipping mechanism.

If you tell me whether you already have a website (e.g. WordPress, Squarespace, Webflow, or just a static site), I can also compare Payhip vs Gumroad vs Shopify specifically for embedding the checkout into your existing site.

For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional donations, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Payhip

Payhip is particularly well suited to what you're describing. You can set a digital product to:

• $5+ → $5 minimum, customer can pay more
• $0+ → free, but customers can voluntarily pay any amount

It explicitly supports PWYW for digital products, and Payhip even describes the feature as useful for donations. help.payhip.com

It's also specifically set up for selling music tracks and magazines/digital publications, with secure digital delivery. payhip.com

The current basic plan is $0/month with a 5% transaction fee; higher plans reduce that fee. payhip.comgumroad.com

Gumroad is a close second

Gumroad has a very straightforward PWYW implementation. You can specify a minimum price and a suggested price, so something like “$5 or more — suggested $10” works nicely. gumroad.com

The downside is cost: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction, versus Payhip's 5% on its free plan. payhip.comgumroad.com

Fourthwall if you're building a larger artist brand

Fourthwall is interesting if you eventually want zines + music + merch + memberships + tips in one storefront. It supports digital products and explicitly offers donations/tips. fourthwall.com

Bottom line: I'd start with Payhip for a small independent publishing/music project. It most directly matches the “here's the work, pay $5 minimum or whatever you can afford” model without requiring a complicated ecommerce setup.

If your desired model is specifically “free download + optional donation”, rather than “$5 minimum + pay more if you want,” I can also compare the best platforms for that exact flow.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional donations, I’d look first at itch.io and Gumroad.

Best fits

• itch.io — strongest fit for true PWYW

• You can set a product’s minimum price to $0, allowing people to download for free while optionally paying whatever they want. itch.io itch.io
• You can also set a minimum price, e.g. $5+, so customers choose to pay $5, $10, $25, etc.
• The checkout supports additional tip buttons, which is particularly nice for donations on top of the purchase. itch.io
• You can upload arbitrary files, so PDFs, MP3s, ZIPs, artwork, etc. work well. itch.io itself notes that it's still adjusting the platform for non-game content, though. itch.io
• Revenue sharing is configurable—you can set itch.io's share from 0% upward—plus Stripe/PayPal processing. itch.io
• gumroad.com — better if you want a conventional creator storefront

• It explicitly supports “pay what you want.”
• You can set a minimum amount, or set the product to $0 and let people pay voluntarily.
• You can specify a suggested amount, so, for example, the checkout can effectively say “Free — suggested $10” while allowing the buyer to enter another amount. Gumroad
• This is probably the cleaner choice if you're selling zines/music alongside other types of digital products and want a more conventional storefront.

What I'd choose

If your model is:

“Download the zine/album for free, pay what you can if you want, and optionally give extra support.”

I'd choose itch.io. Its entire payment model is unusually well aligned with that philosophy: free products can accept voluntary payments, and its checkout explicitly supports extra tips. itch.io itch.io

If instead you want:

“Here's our polished online shop where we sell zines, albums, bundles, and other digital goods.”

I'd lean Gumroad.

One caveat: if music is the primary product, you may also want to consider a music-specific platform such as Bandcamp, particularly if you care about artist/music discovery and fan-oriented features. The PWYW + donation requirement, however, makes itch.io unusually compelling.

If you tell me whether you want your own branded website vs. a marketplace, and roughly how many zines/albums you're selling, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and compare fees, checkout, VAT/tax handling, downloads, and donation mechanics.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Payhip

Payhip is particularly well suited to what you're describing. Its PWYW syntax is extremely simple:

• $5+ → zine/music costs at least $5, but buyers can pay more.
• $0+ → completely free if they want, with the option to contribute anything.
• It supports digital files including PDFs and audio, and specifically markets PWYW for music and magazines. help.payhip.com
• You can also embed its checkout/cart into your existing website. payhip.com
• The free plan currently charges 5% per transaction, with paid plans reducing that to 2% or 0%. payhip.com

That makes a nice model like:

Zine — $5+
Suggested price: $10
“Pay what you can; paying more helps us make the next issue.”

And separately:

Support the project — $1 / $5 / $10 / custom

One caveat: Payhip notes that Stripe doesn't permit using its payment system for a pure donation/tip with nothing offered in return, so I'd structure the support option around the digital work/product rather than presenting it as a standalone charitable donation. help.payhip.compayhip.com

Gumroad is the closest alternative

Gumroad also has native PWYW: you can set a minimum price, or set it to $0 and let someone download for free while optionally paying more. It also lets you specify a suggested amount. gumroad.com

The big tradeoff is cost: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 on direct sales (and 30% when a customer comes through its Discover marketplace). gumroad.com

Ko-fi makes sense if "support us" is central

Ko-fi is excellent if you're building more of a fan/supporter hub around the zines and music. It supports digital products alongside one-time and monthly tips. Its free tier has 0% service fee on one-time tips, while shop sales are subject to its service fee; payments go directly through your connected PayPal/Stripe account. ko-fi.com

Bottom line: For a small independent zine/music project, I'd start with Payhip. It gives you the cleanest combination of free-or-PWYW downloads + minimum price + optional generosity + digital delivery without having to build a store.

If you tell me whether you already have a website (WordPress, Squarespace, etc.) and roughly how much you expect to sell per month, I can compare the actual fees and checkout experience of Payhip vs Gumroad vs Ko-fi for your setup.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional donations, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: itch.io

itch.io creator pricing documentation

itch.io is unusually well suited to this model. You can set a zine or album at $0, while still letting someone voluntarily pay; or set a minimum such as $5+ and let customers choose a higher amount. Its checkout can also prompt buyers with additional tip amounts. itch.io

That makes something like:

Digital Zine — $0+
Pay what you can. If you'd like to support the project, $5 is suggested.

very straightforward.

It also supports bundles and individually priced bonus files, so you could do things like a free/low-cost zine with a higher-priced bonus PDF, soundtrack, or extra material. itch.io

One particularly nice feature: you control itch.io's revenue-share percentage, rather than being locked into a fixed platform percentage. itch.io

Gumroad — best if you want your own storefront

Gumroad

Gumroad explicitly supports PWYW: you can set a minimum amount and allow customers to pay more, and it also supports $0 products where customers can voluntarily contribute. gumroad.com

For example:

• Zine: $3+
• Album: $5+
• Free zine: $0+
• Suggested amount: $10

The major downside is the transaction fee: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 on direct sales, plus payment processing. gumroad.com That's fairly significant for inexpensive zines—especially if someone pays $1.

Bandcamp — strongest for music

Bandcamp

If the music is central and the zines are complementary, Bandcamp is worth considering because the entire experience is built around independent music, digital albums, downloads, fan support, and artist discovery.

For a project that's equally literary/art publication + music, though, I'd lean toward itch.io or Gumroad because you can present PDFs, audio, bonus files, and different kinds of digital products together.

What I'd choose for your use case

If you want one platform for everything → itch.io.

If you care most about having a clean, independent storefront → Gumroad.

If you're primarily releasing music and the zines are secondary → Bandcamp.

For a collective/publisher releasing lots of zines and albums, itch.io's $0+ / PWYW model is probably the closest match to “pay what you want, with optional donations” out of the box. itch.io

If you tell me whether you need your own domain, Apple/Spotify integration, mailing-list capture, discount codes, sales analytics, or multiple creators splitting revenue, I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 options.

Yes. For digital zines + music, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: itch.io

For your specific model, itch.io is probably the strongest match. You can set a zine or album to $0 or Donate, letting people download it free while optionally contributing, or set a minimum such as $5+ and let buyers choose a higher amount. itch.io

It also has a particularly nice checkout experience for this model: buyers can enter their own amount, and itch.io can show tip buttons encouraging an additional contribution. itch.io

For example:

• Digital zine: Free / pay what you want
• Suggested contribution: $5
• Minimum: $0
• Album: $7+
• Deluxe album + bonus tracks: $12+
• Supporter tier: $25+

You can also use individually priced files for bonus material, although itch.io recommends using the project's main minimum price rather than file pricing as your primary pricing mechanism. itch.io

When I'd choose Gumroad instead

If you want something that feels more like a conventional storefront attached to your own brand, Gumroad is arguably easier. Its PWYW feature lets you set a minimum price and allow customers to enter their own amount; you can also set a suggested amount. gumroad.com

So $5+, with $10 suggested, is straightforward.

Gumroad is also explicitly designed for digital products and supports musicians, writers, and digital creators. gumroad.com

Bottom line:

• Community/indie/artist-oriented + genuinely free downloads + donations → itch.io
• Polished standalone digital storefront → Gumroad
• Donation/supporter community first, products second → Ko-fi

If you tell me whether you want your own domain/branding, email collection, subscriptions, and/or physical zines later, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional support, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Ko-fi

Ko-fi is particularly close to what you're describing. For a digital zine, you can set a minimum price and enable “Pay what you want,” so someone could pay $5, $10, $25, etc. help.ko-fi.com

It also has separate one-time tips, memberships, and a digital-product shop, so you can structure the experience as:

Zine — $5 minimum
Pay $5, $10, $20, or whatever you want
[Download]

Want to support the project further? [Leave a tip]

Ko-fi's current standard pricing is 5% on Shop sales with no monthly fee; one-time tips can be 0% service fee if you opt out of its Contributor model, though payment-processor fees still apply. help.ko-fi.com

Gumroad

Gumroad is probably the simplest if you primarily want a professional digital-download storefront. Its PWYW feature lets you set a minimum—for example, $3—and customers can enter any higher amount. You can also set a suggested amount. gumroad.com

The downside is cost: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction, with a higher fee for sales through its Discover marketplace. gumroad.com

itch.io

If your zines/music are particularly DIY, experimental, indie, or arts-community oriented, itch.io is worth serious consideration. PWYW is essentially built into its commerce model: you can set the minimum to $0, and buyers can voluntarily pay more. It also explicitly supports donations. itch.io

What I'd choose

• Ko-fi → if you want shop + donations + community/supporter relationship in one place.
• Gumroad → if you want a straightforward digital storefront and don't mind the higher transaction fee.
• itch.io → if your audience is already comfortable with indie/art/creative marketplaces.

For zines + music specifically, I'd lean Ko-fi if you want your own creator-support ecosystem, or Gumroad if the priority is making the checkout/download experience feel like a conventional digital store.

Yes. For digital zines + music, the strongest fits are:

My pick: Ko-fi

For your particular model, Ko-fi is probably the closest match. Its Shop supports digital products and lets you turn on “Pay what you want”, where you establish a minimum price and customers can pay more. It also has separate tipping/support functionality, so you can combine sales and donations in one place. help.ko-fi.com

For example:

• Zine #1 — $3 minimum, pay what you want
• Album — $5 minimum, pay what you want
• Free sampler — $0 + optional tip
• Support the project — any amount

Ko-fi's Shop has no listing fee and currently charges a 5% service fee on Shop sales, in addition to payment-processing fees. ko-fi.com

Gumroad is the other strong choice

Gumroad's PWYW implementation is particularly straightforward: you can set a minimum, and buyers can enter a higher amount. You can even set the minimum to $0, allowing someone to download for free while giving them the option to pay. gumroad.com

The downside is cost: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 on direct/profile sales, plus payment processing; marketplace-discovery sales are 30%. gumroad.com

If music is a major part of this: Bandcamp

I'd seriously consider Bandcamp alongside your zine storefront if music is important. Its “let fans pay more if they want” model is native to the platform, and Bandcamp says fans pay above the minimum frequently. It also supports additional contributions/tips. get.bandcamp.help

And itch.io is surprisingly good for zines

If your zines are aimed at an indie/art/comics/game-adjacent audience, itch.io has an unusually good PWYW model. You can set the minimum to $0 and explicitly let people donate, or establish a minimum and accept anything above it. itch.io

Bottom line:

• One storefront for everything → Ko-fi
• Best polished digital-product checkout → Gumroad
• Best music platform → Bandcamp
• Best indie/experimental zine ecosystem → itch.io

If you tell me whether you want $0/free downloads with optional support or a mandatory minimum price with optional extra donation, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options and compare fees, tax handling, branding, and checkout experience.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing and optional support, I’d shortlist Payhip, Gumroad, and Ko-fi.

My pick: Payhip

Payhip is particularly well suited to what you're describing. You can literally enter:

• 0+ → people can download for free but choose to pay whatever they want
• 5+ → $5 minimum, with the option to pay more

That's built into its product pricing, including digital products. Payhip specifically supports audio files and documents, and automatically delivers digital downloads after purchase. help.payhip.com

Its current pricing is $0/month + 5% per transaction, with paid plans at $29/month + 2% or $99/month with no Payhip transaction fee; payment-processor fees still apply. payhip.com

Gumroad is also a strong choice

Gumroad has a very similar PWYW feature. You can set a minimum amount and let buyers enter a higher amount, or set the minimum to $0 so the product can effectively be free. It also lets you specify a suggested amount, which is nice for encouraging generosity. gumroad.com

The major downside is cost: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 per transaction on sales through your own Gumroad storefront, before payment-processing costs. gumroad.com

Ko-fi makes sense if "support us" is central

Ko-fi is especially good if you want the storefront to feel more like "download our work and support the artists" than a conventional shop. It supports tips as well as selling digital products. Its free option has 0% service fee on one-time tips, while shop sales generally have a 5% service fee on the free/contributor setup, plus payment processing. shop.ko-fi.com

For your particular model, I'd rank them:

1. Payhip — best combination of PWYW + digital downloads + low fees
2. Gumroad — easiest recognizable creator-store experience, but considerably higher fees
3. Ko-fi — best if donations/support are as important as the actual sales

One important distinction: if by "optional donations" you mean someone buys a $5 zine and then gets a separate "add $10 to support us" field at checkout, that's a somewhat different requirement from PWYW. Payhip/Gumroad's native PWYW handles the latter very well; a separate donation/tip add-on may require a different checkout setup.

If you tell me whether you want $0 downloads + optional donation, $5 minimum + tip, or fixed price + separate tip, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and compare their checkout experience and fees.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

Best overall: Payhip

Payhip

Payhip is probably the closest fit for what you described. You can set a digital product to $5+, meaning $5 minimum but customers can voluntarily pay more, or $0+ for completely free access with optional payment. It supports digital files including PDFs and audio. help.payhip.com

Its current pricing is free + 5% transaction fee, with paid plans reducing the transaction fee to 2% or 0%. payhip.com

Example setup:

• Zine: $5+
• Album: $10+
• Free sampler: $0+
• Customer enters $25 → receives the download → you receive the extra support.

Best if donations/community support are central: Ko-fi

Ko-fi

Ko-fi is especially attractive if you want both a shop and a separate tipping/donation mechanism. Its Shop supports digital downloads and lets you enable PWYW above your stated minimum. help.ko-fi.com

You can also receive one-time tips, memberships, and sell products from the same creator page. help.ko-fi.com Ko-fi says its service fee is 0–5% depending on the payment type/settings, plus payment-processor fees. ko-fi.com

Good, but more expensive: Gumroad

Gumroad

Gumroad has a very straightforward PWYW feature: you can specify a minimum amount and optionally show a suggested price. It also supports genuinely free products with optional payment. gumroad.com

The downside is the current fee: 10% + $0.50 per transaction, plus payment processing, for sales through your own Gumroad storefront. gumroad.com

My recommendation

For an independent zine/music project, I'd choose Payhip if the priority is selling downloadable work, and Ko-fi if the priority is building a supporter/community model around the work.

If your ideal checkout is specifically “This zine is $5 minimum → pay $5, $10, $20, or whatever you want → optional tip/donation → instant PDF download”, Payhip is the cleanest match based on its current PWYW implementation. help.payhip.com

For digital zines + music with true pay-what-you-want pricing and optional support, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Payhip

Payhip lets you enter 0+ for a product, meaning customers can download it for free but choose to pay any amount. Or you can use 5+, for example, to establish a $5 minimum while allowing people to pay more. It explicitly supports PWYW for digital products. help.payhip.com

That's a particularly clean model for your use case:

Zine #12 — $0+
Download free, or pay what feels fair.

Payhip's free plan currently has no monthly fee, with a 5% transaction fee, while paid plans reduce or eliminate that platform fee. payhip.com

Gumroad is also very good

Gumroad has a dedicated “Allow customers to pay what they want” setting. You can specify both a minimum and a suggested amount. With a $0 product, customers can enter zero or voluntarily pay more. help.payhip.compayhip.comgumroad.comitch.ioitch.io

I'd pick Gumroad if you value a familiar, polished digital-product checkout more than having a highly customized storefront.

itch.io is surprisingly compelling for zines/music

Although it's known primarily for games, itch.io explicitly supports comics, soundtracks, and other non-game content. Its pricing system is fundamentally pay-what-you-want: you can set the minimum to $0, let people download for free, and give them an opportunity to pay you. itch.io

It also has tip buttons at checkout, bundles, sales, and an unusually flexible revenue-sharing model where you choose how much of your sales goes to itch.io. itch.io

So I'd rank them:

1. Payhip — best if you want a conventional storefront for your zines/music.
2. itch.io — best if your work has an indie/DIY/creative-community audience and you want PWYW to be central to the experience.
3. Gumroad — best if you want the simplest familiar digital-sales workflow.

One caveat: if by “optional donations” you mean a completely separate donation button unrelated to a purchase, rather than “pay more than the product's minimum,” the platform choice gets a little different. Payhip, for example, notes that Stripe doesn't permit simply using its platform for tips/donations without something being offered in return. help.payhip.com

If you tell me whether you want your own branded storefront vs. a marketplace/community site, I can narrow this to the best 1–2 options and compare fees, checkout, email collection, DRM/downloads, and music-specific features.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Payhip

Payhip is particularly well matched to what you're describing. You can set a product to $5+, meaning $5 is the minimum but customers can pay more, or $0+, allowing them to download it free and optionally pay whatever they want. Payhip explicitly supports digital products including audio and ebooks/PDFs. help.payhip.com

Its current pricing is $0/month + 5% transaction fee on the free plan, with paid plans reducing the transaction fee. payhip.com

So you could structure your catalog like:

• Zine #1 — $3+
• Album/EP — $5+
• Back catalog zine — $0+
• Support the project — $5+ (with a small digital thank-you file, if appropriate)

One caveat: Payhip notes that Stripe doesn't permit using its payment system for a bare donation/tip without something being offered in return. help.payhip.comhelp.ko-fi.comgumroad.com

Ko-fi is arguably even better for the "support us" side

Ko-fi Shop combines a digital shop with tips, memberships, and other creator-support features. Its Shop supports digital products and has a Pay What You Want option that lets buyers pay more than the listed minimum. help.ko-fi.com

That makes Ko-fi attractive if your model is less "online bookstore" and more independent artists asking their audience to support the work. The standard Shop fee is currently 5%, with no listing or monthly fee. ko-fi.com

Gumroad

Gumroad also has a very clean PWYW implementation: you can set a minimum, a suggested amount, or $0 for free access with optional payment. gumroad.com The downside is cost: Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 per transaction for sales through your own Gumroad storefront, before applicable processing/tax costs. gumroad.com

Bottom line: I'd choose Payhip if you want a proper storefront for a growing zine/music catalog, and Ko-fi if the primary goal is building a supporter community around the work. For your particular combination of digital goods + PWYW + optional generosity, Payhip is probably the strongest starting point.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

1. Payhip — probably the best fit

Payhip

Payhip has native PWYW pricing for digital products. You can set, for example:

• $0+ → customer can download for free or pay whatever they want
• $5+ → $5 minimum, with the option to contribute more

It supports digital files including PDFs and audio/music, and automatically delivers downloads after purchase. help.payhip.com

This makes it particularly nice for a zine like: “Pay $5, $10, $20—or whatever you can afford.”

One caveat: Payhip notes that Stripe doesn't allow a pure donation/tip transaction without something being offered in return. So structure the extra amount as part of the purchase price/support for the digital work rather than as a standalone donation. help.payhip.comwoocommerce.com

2. Gumroad — excellent for creator-oriented sales

Gumroad

Gumroad also has native “pay what you want” pricing. You can specify a minimum and a suggested amount, and customers can enter a higher price. It can even allow $0 access when configured appropriately. gumroad.com

I'd choose Gumroad if you also care about its broader creator ecosystem and simple product pages.

3. Ko-fi — strongest if “support us” is central

Ko-fi

Ko-fi's shop supports digital downloads and has a Pay What You Want option where customers can pay above your specified minimum. help.ko-fi.com

It's especially attractive if your model is less “online store” and more “here's our work, support the project if you like it.”

4. WooCommerce — best for a fully owned storefront

WooCommerce

If you already have WordPress, WooCommerce can do this through its Open Price extension, which supports minimum prices and contribution/donation-style pricing. woocommerce.com

It's much more customizable, but substantially more setup and maintenance than Payhip/Gumroad/Ko-fi.

My recommendation: Start with Payhip if you want a straightforward storefront for both zines and music. Its 0+ / 5+ model maps almost exactly to what you're describing, and you can embed its checkout into your own website if you want the store to feel like part of your site. payhip.com

If you tell me whether you already have a website (WordPress, Squarespace, etc.) and whether you want customers to be able to download for $0, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options and compare their fees.

Yes. For digital zines + music with pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing and optional extra support, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Payhip

Payhip is probably the cleanest fit if you want your own little storefront.

You can literally set:

• $0+ → download for free, but the buyer can voluntarily pay any amount.
• $5+ → $5 minimum, with the option to pay $7, $10, $25, etc.

Payhip explicitly supports PWYW for digital products, including audio and PDFs, and automatically delivers the files after purchase. help.payhip.com

Its free plan currently has no monthly fee and a 5% transaction fee; paid plans reduce or eliminate that platform fee. payhip.com

If "support us" is a major part of the experience: Ko-fi

Ko-fi Shop is especially attractive for an artist/collective because it combines a digital shop with separate one-time tips. Its shop supports digital files and lets you enable "Pay what you want" so buyers can pay more than your minimum. help.ko-fi.com

So you could have:

Zine #12 — $5+
Download the PDF. Pay $5 minimum, or more if you'd like to support the project.

Album — $8+
FLAC + MP3 download.

Support the collective — Tip
Give $3 / $10 / $25 / custom amount.

That last distinction—purchasing a thing vs. simply tipping the creators—makes Ko-fi particularly compelling.

Gumroad

Gumroad also handles this nicely. Its PWYW feature lets you set a minimum and a suggested amount; setting the amount to $0 allows a product to be downloaded for free while giving customers the opportunity to pay. gumroad.com

I'd choose Gumroad if you care more about a conventional digital-product storefront than about having a broader "support the artist" ecosystem.

itch.io is worth considering for zines/music

itch.io has unusually good PWYW mechanics for independent creative work. A product can have a minimum price and buyers can pay above it; it also supports $0 or Donate, where someone can skip payment and download for free. itch.io

It also has an open revenue-sharing model where you choose what percentage of sales goes to itch.io. itch.io

For an indie zine/music project, I'd rank them:

1. Payhip — best overall storefront
2. Ko-fi — best if tips/support are central to your model
3. itch.io — best if your audience overlaps with indie games/art/experimental culture
4. Gumroad — simplest established digital-product option

If you tell me whether you want $0 downloads + optional donations, a minimum price + "pay more", or both, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options and compare their fees, checkout customization, email collection, and ability to embed the shop on your own site.