Stan Store alternative with no monthly fee

By the Crato team · Prices checked Oct 5, 2026 · 4 min read

The short answer

Stan Store costs $29 a month and takes 0% of each sale. That's a good deal once you sell steadily. It's a bad deal in a month where you sell two things.

The line sits at about $580 in sales a month. Below that, a free store that takes 5% (like Crato's free plan) leaves you with more money. Above it, Stan's flat fee wins against a 5% plan, and Crato Pro ($19 a month, 0% per sale) wins against Stan by $10 a month.

If you're under that line or just starting, try Crato free. If you're well over it and using Stan's email tools, Stan is a fair choice.

What Stan Store costs

There's a 14-day free trial. Card processing is charged on top, like everywhere else. Creator Pro adds email marketing, upsells and affiliate tools.

What Crato costs

No card needed to start. Card processing is charged by Stripe on top.

What you actually keep

Here's what lands in your bank after platform fees and US card fees (2.9% + 30¢ per sale).

10 sales of a $19 guide ($190)

30 sales of a $29 template ($870)

*After platform fees and US card fees. Rounded to the nearest dollar.*

At $190 a month, Crato Free keeps you $20 more than Stan. At $870 a month, Stan beats Crato Free by $15, and Crato Pro beats Stan by $10. That's the honest picture: the free plan is for the early months, Pro is for when sales pick up, and you can switch whenever you like.

Side by side

Where Stan Store is better

• It's well known. Lots of creators use it, and there are tutorials for almost everything.
• Marketing tools on Creator Pro. Email, upsells and affiliates are in one place, if you're ready to pay $99 a month.
• A mobile app for managing your store on the go.
• Track record. Stan has been around for years. Crato is new, and that's a fair thing to weigh.

If you're already selling steadily and using those tools, staying put is reasonable.

Where Crato is different

You don't pay in a quiet month. No monthly fee on the free plan. Sell nothing, pay nothing.

Your money goes into your own Stripe account. It's a Stripe account in your name, with your own login, paying out to your bank on Stripe's schedule. There's no Crato balance and nothing for us to hold.

Digital products and merch in one store. Guides, templates, courses, calls and memberships, plus tees, hoodies, mugs and totes with your designs. Merch is printed and shipped for you, so no stock and no packing.

A listing from one sentence. Describe your product in a sentence and Crato drafts the title, description and a starting price. You edit from there.

One account for your buyers. Everything a buyer has bought from you sits in one place they log into with their email. Fewer "I lost my download" emails.

Who should switch, and who shouldn't

Crato is probably a better fit if you:

• sell less than about $580 a month right now
• are just starting and don't want a bill before your first sale
• want to sell merch alongside digital products
• want payments landing in your own Stripe account

Stan is probably a better fit if you:

• sell well over $580 a month and use Creator Pro's email and upsell tools
• want a mobile app
• would rather go with a platform that's been around longer

Try it without leaving Stan

1. Build a free Crato store. It takes a couple of minutes and no card.
2. Add one product, ideally the one that sells best on Stan.
3. Share the Crato link once, in a story or a post.
4. If it works for you, move the rest. If not, you've lost nothing.

FAQ

Is there a free alternative to Stan Store? Yes. Crato has a free plan with no monthly fee. You pay 5% when you make a sale, plus normal card fees.

Does Stan Store take a percentage of sales? No. Stan charges $29 or $99 a month and 0% per sale. Card processing is on top.

Is Crato cheaper than Stan Store? Below about $580 a month in sales, Crato Free is cheaper. Above that, Crato Pro ($19, 0%) is $10 a month cheaper than Stan Creator ($29, 0%).

Can I sell merch on Crato? Yes. Upload your design and Crato handles print-on-demand tees, hoodies, mugs and totes, printed and shipped for you.

Where does my money go on Crato? Into your own Stripe account, then to your bank. Crato never holds your money.

Can I run Stan and Crato at the same time? Yes. Plenty of people test one product on a new store before moving everything.

Sources

1. Stan Store pricing: stan.store/pricing (checked Oct 5, 2026)
2. Stripe US pricing: stripe.com/pricing (checked Oct 5, 2026)
3. Crato pricing: crato.store/pricing

Changelog: Oct 5, 2026: First published (replaces the earlier draft; adds the $870 example and the $580 break-even).