In short
- TechCrunch reported the change on March 15, 2024; Gumroad gave no effective date.
- Gumroad cites Stripe and PayPal:
we do not allow sales of sexually explicit content
. - Adult comics with nudity or sexual acts are named on the banned list.
- Flagged sellers are still paid for past sales unless the content is illegal or the sales fraudulent.
What happened
TechCrunch reported on March 15, 2024 that Gumroad had tightened its NSFW rules, pointing to its payment processors Stripe and PayPal. Gumroad's help article on adult content says: In accordance with the policies of our payment processing partners, including Stripe and PayPal, we do not allow sales of sexually explicit content.
The list of what is not allowed includes Adult comics with nudity or sexual acts
and Sketches/artwork where the content's focus is sexual gratification
. Work that is still allowed must be flagged as NSFW with a toggle, so it is only shown to buyers who opt in. Sellers whose products are flagged are still paid out unless the content itself is illegal, or the sales are fraudulent
.
Why Stripe matters here
Stripe's own list of prohibited businesses, updated September 22, 2026, includes Pornography and other mature audience content (including literature, imagery and other media) designed for the purpose of sexual gratification
. A storefront that runs on Stripe has little room to allow explicit comics, whatever its own preferences.
What it means for adult comic artists
Gumroad is out for explicit comics, and so is Ko-fi, whose guidelines ban pornography in illustrated form, censored versions included. Platforms that still accept explicit drawn work under their own rules include itch.io for direct sales (with its own processor limits since July 2025) and Patreon or SubscribeStar for subscriptions. Each has conditions, compared on creator content rules and where to publish adult comics. Fees are on creator platform fees.
For readers, a Gumroad link is no longer a way to buy an explicit comic from an artist. See how to support adult comic creators for where to pay them now, or the news page for related stories.
FAQ
Can you sell NSFW art on Gumroad?
Not sexually explicit art. Non-explicit adult work must be flagged NSFW so it only shows to buyers who opt in.
Why did Gumroad ban adult content?
Gumroad says it follows the policies of its payment partners, Stripe and PayPal.
Where can adult comic artists sell instead?
itch.io, Patreon and SubscribeStar accept adult drawn work, each with its own theme bans and payment limits.