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Creator FAQ

What does itch.io give me?

As a creator, itch.io gives you the ability to design a page where people can download any projects you've uploaded. You can optionally put a minimum price on your page (which can be 0), giving people the opportunity to pay you what they think you deserve.

Learn more about pricing options

All files and images are hosted on itch.io so you don’t need to worry about building a website or storing your project files anywhere. Usage information is collected and displayed to you, such as how many times your pages are being viewed, downloaded, and purchased.

itch.io handles all the technicalities behind hosting and selling your content.

Get a tour itch.io for developers

How much does itch.io cost?

itch.io costs nothing to use. You are free to create pages and upload your content without ever having to pay anything. Advertisements will never be placed on any of your pages.

You get to decide how much you want to support itch.io by choosing what percentage of your sales should go towards our operational costs and continued development of the platform. We call that open revenue sharing.

Read the announcement

How are payments handled? What about VAT & VAT MOSS?

itch.io never collects any sensitive payment information from buyers. Instead, it relies Stripe & Paypal to handle transactions securely.

itch.io supports two payout models depending on your needs: Direct to you, where each purchase is a transaction to your Paypal or Stripe account, and Collected by itch.io, paid later. You can pick which mode you want to use from the seller settings page on your account.

EU VAT (European Value-Added Tax) compliance is automatic when using Collected by itch.io, paid later. Direct payments involve a bit more work on your part, but itch.io gives you all the tools you need to do it.

Learn more about payment options & VAT

What limits apply to projects and accounts?

We put some limits on new accounts to prevent abuse. We can disable them by request, all you have to do is contact us.

  • There is a soft limit of 20 project pages.
  • Individual file size is limited, and you should have 10 files max per page.
    The limit can be raised to by request.

Because itch.io lets users download the files exactly as you uploaded them you can upload any kind of project for any kind of platform. There are no restrictions.

We have classifications for tools, comics, books, soundtracks, assets, and physical games. If that’s not enough, you can even customize the noun by which itch.io refers to your project.

Does itch.io take ownership of the content I upload?

No. You will always fully own your content. You are free to remove it at any time. You can read more on the terms of use. itch.io just asks for the minimum amount of rights necessary to run the site, such as permission to show your game page and host your game’s assets.

Does itch.io impose any DRM (Digital Rights Management)?

No. itch.io lets users download the games exactly as you uploaded them. No modifications are made to the files you upload.

Can I give some people access to my game without having them pay?

Sure. You can generate what itch.io calls, “download keys”. A download key is a special URL that gives someone full access to download your game without having to buy it. This is perfect for giving out copies of your game to press or backers of a crowdfunding campaign.

You can track how many times the key has been used, give the key a name to identify it, and revoke it if you think it is being abused.

Learn more about download keys

Does itch.io have a widget? Can I embed itch.io into my own webpage?

Yes, itch.io has a iframe based widget. From your dashboard you can find the Widgets link to get your game’s widget code. The widget allows someone to complete the entire purchase or download flow.

Learn more about the itch.io widget

Can I use custom CSS on my game/jam/profile

You sure can… but it’s disabled by default. First make sure what you are trying to design can’t be done with the built-in theme editor. If it can’t, then you consider applying for CSS. We manually approve accounts for CSS due to implications about accessibility and long term support of pages when using custom CSS.

Learn about applying for CSS access

Is adult content allowed?

We don’t allow hosting content that includes pornographic images or videos of real-life humans. Fictional, illustrated, and rendered content is generally fine, assuming it’s legal. Content glorifying sexual violence is not permitted. Depictions of minors, minor-presenting, or suggested minors in a sexual context are not allowed and will result in account suspension.

Our policy is not an invitation to push the boundaries of what is acceptable. Violations that result in administrative action are permanent with no chance for appeal. There is no second chance.

If you plan to collect money for your content, then you must adhere to the acceptable use policy of all respective payment processors that your account utilizes:

Read Paypal's Terms

Read Stripe's Terms

It’s almost impossible to come up with an exhaustive list of unacceptable products to sell, so often we have to take content reviews one at a time. If an issue arises with your account that isn’t already covered by our policy, then we will contact you and share what options you may have. Note that in some cases, if you've collected money while in violation of terms, we may be forced to refund all pending transactions, as we will not be able to process any more payments or payouts for your account.

See more: Terms of Service – Acceptable Payment Forms

Can I share the information itch.io collects about my buyers publicly or with third parties?

No! Sharing private, identifiable information that itch.io collects about buyers is a violation of our privacy policy. The itch.io dashboard provides sellers with tools and information to help identify any suspicious activity or abuse. This information can only be used for your personal records and for necessary bookkeeping.

Publicly sharing this information or with third-party services may result in the suspension of your account. If you have any issues or concerns, please contact us.

The information includes fields such as: Email address, Name, IP Address, Country Code, and Transaction IDs.

Do not automatically sign people up for mailing lists. If you want your buyers to subscribe to your list, you must obtain explicit consent from them. Appropriate methods for mailing-list sign-up include providing a link on your project’s description, installation instructions, or within your project itself. (Learn more about GDPR)

The email address provided by itch.io, along with the email tool, is available for you to contact buyers with news specifically related to their transaction. This information cannot be shared or sold to third parties.