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Software · head to head

FastSpring vs GIMP

FastSpring logo

FastSpring

Software

Merchant-of-record commerce platform for global payments, subscriptions, and tax compliance

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GIMP logo

GIMP

Software

Free and open-source image editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GIMP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FastSpring pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.; GIMP gPLv3 licence requires derivative works to be open-source and freely distributed
  • They diverge on capability: FastSpring covers Global online payments, GIMP covers Photo editing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FastSpring and GIMP actually diverge.

Attributes where FastSpring and GIMP differ
AttributeFastSpringGIMP
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modeltransactionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
Platformsweb, apiGNU/Linux, macOS, Windows
Founded20061995

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in FastSpring

  • Global online payments
  • Subscription billing
  • Branded checkout
  • Tax compliance
  • Fraud prevention
  • Digital invoicing and quotes

Only in GIMP

  • Photo editing
  • Digital painting
  • Image processing
  • Batch editing
  • Filters
  • Color correction
  • Layer support
  • Script-fu automation

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

FastSpring

  • Selling software or SaaS internationally without a local tax entitynot GIMP
  • B2B invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise SaaS dealsnot GIMP
  • Recurring subscription billing for digital productsnot GIMP
  • Reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchasesnot GIMP

GIMP

  • Photo editing and retouching with professional colour managementnot FastSpring
  • Digital art creation with power and flexibility for image transformationnot FastSpring
  • Icon and UI element design for application developmentnot FastSpring
  • Batch image processing through Python, C, C++, and Scheme scriptingnot FastSpring

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

FastSpring

  • Pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.
  • As a merchant-of-record, FastSpring takes on more control of the checkout and payment relationship than a pure payment gateway like Stripe.
  • Revenue share pricing can become more expensive than flat per-transaction gateway fees at very high volumes.
  • Primarily targeted at software/digital goods sellers, so it is less suited to physical product e-commerce.

GIMP

  • GPLv3 licence requires derivative works to be open-source and freely distributed
  • Community-driven development with no commercial support tier
  • No native CMYK support for professional print workflows
  • Ecosystem depends on community plugins and scripts for advanced features

Pricing, plan by plan

FastSpring

On request
  • Custom$undefined/mo
    • All-in-one transaction-based pricing based on sales volume
    • No subscription fees or per-feature charges
    • Discounted rates for ACH and wire transfers

GIMP

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the GIMP review.

Which should you pick?

Choose FastSpring if

  • You need global online payments.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want subscription billing.
FastSpring review

Choose GIMP if

  • You need photo editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want digital painting.
GIMP review

Questions people ask

Is FastSpring or GIMP better?
Neither clearly leads. FastSpring starts at On request and GIMP at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FastSpring or GIMP?
GIMP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for FastSpring and Free for GIMP.
Does FastSpring or GIMP run on more platforms?
FastSpring runs on web, api. GIMP runs on GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use GIMP for free?
Yes. GIMP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. FastSpring starts at On request.
What is FastSpring best used for?
FastSpring is most often used for selling software or saas internationally without a local tax entity, b2b invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise saas deals, recurring subscription billing for digital products, reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchases. Of those, selling software or saas internationally without a local tax entity and b2b invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise saas deals are not what GIMP is typically brought in for.
What can FastSpring do that GIMP cannot?
FastSpring covers Global online payments, Subscription billing, Branded checkout, Tax compliance. GIMP covers Photo editing, Digital painting, Image processing, Batch editing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FastSpring: What does FastSpring cost?

FastSpring uses flat-rate, all-in-one pricing based on transaction volume, with fees withheld from payouts. There is no minimum volume or subscription fee, and pricing is typically quoted based on expected sales volume after contacting their sales team.

Source
FastSpring: Is there a free plan?

FastSpring does not offer a free plan; instead pricing is transaction-based with no upfront subscription cost, and merchants only pay a commission on completed sales.

Source
FastSpring: What does FastSpring integrate with or include compared to a payment gateway like Stripe?

FastSpring bundles international payments, subscription management, tax compliance, fraud prevention, reporting, and B2B invoicing into one price, whereas gateways like Stripe charge separately for many of these features.

Source
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