Tebex vs Direct Sales for FiveM Scripts

You built a script, people want it, and now you need to figure out how to actually get paid. Sounds simple until you realize there are half a dozen ways to sell FiveM scripts — and every single one takes a cut, has trade-offs, or comes with strings attached. I’ve been selling scripts through Tebex for a while now, I’ve looked hard at the alternatives, and I’ve watched the Cfx Marketplace launch shake things up. Here’s what I’ve actually learned.

The Tebex Reality

Tebex is the default for a reason. It’s the only platform officially authorized by Cfx.re for server-to-player monetization — meaning if you’re selling VIP perks, priority queue access, or cosmetic items to players on your server, you must use Tebex. That’s not a suggestion, it’s a platform requirement.

But for script-to-developer sales (selling your code to other server owners), Tebex is one option among several. And it’s the option most people pick because it’s familiar, integrates with Keymaster and Asset Escrow, and handles the ugly parts of payment processing.

Here’s the fee breakdown as of 2026:

Tebex Platform Fee: 15% on FiveM transactions. This is significantly higher than the standard 5% Tebex charges for other games, and it’s a sore point in the community. That said, most digital marketplaces take 30% (Steam, app stores), so 15% is still below the industry average.

Gateway Fees: On top of the platform fee, payment processors take their cut. PayPal via Tebex runs about 2.49% + $0.40 per transaction. Card payments are similar.

Foreign Exchange Fee: If you withdraw in a different currency than your wallet, add another 2%.

So on a $20 script sale through Tebex with PayPal, you’re looking at roughly $3 (platform) + $0.90 (gateway) = $3.90 in fees. You keep about $16.10. On a $10 sale, that ratio gets worse — you keep around $7.60.

Those numbers add up fast if you’re doing volume.

What You Get for That 15%

Before you rage about the fees, here’s what Tebex actually handles that you’d otherwise deal with yourself:

Chargebacks and fraud. This is the big one. FiveM purchases are classified as high-risk virtual goods by most payment processors. PayPal and Stripe will freeze your account if you get too many disputes, and in this space, disputes happen. Tebex absorbs that risk and has gaming-specific fraud detection built in.

Tax compliance. If you’re selling to buyers in the EU, you need to handle VAT. Tebex acts as the merchant of record, meaning they handle tax collection and remittance. Try doing that yourself with Stripe and you’ll spend more time on tax paperwork than writing Lua.

Asset Escrow integration. Your encrypted files get locked to the buyer’s Keymaster account automatically after purchase. The buyer downloads through cfx.re, and the license validates against their server’s key on every start. No manual key management, no file sharing headaches.

Instant delivery. Purchase goes through, buyer gets the asset on their Keymaster account within seconds. No emails, no download links to manage.

If you’re just starting out and selling your first few scripts, Tebex is the path of least resistance. You set up a store, upload your resource, and it works.

The Direct Sales Route

“Direct sales” means you handle the transaction yourself — your own website with Stripe or PayPal, selling through platforms like Gumroad or Shopify, or even just invoicing people manually.

The appeal is obvious: lower fees. Stripe charges around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. No platform fee on top. On that same $20 script, you keep about $19.12 instead of $16.10. Sell a hundred scripts a month and that’s a $300 difference.

But here’s what you lose:

No Asset Escrow. This is the dealbreaker for most developers. Without Escrow, you’re delivering raw Lua files. The buyer can share them, leak them, resell them. You have zero code protection. Some developers use third-party obfuscation tools, but those add complexity, can cause performance issues, and determined people will crack them anyway.

If you’re selling premium scripts with complex systems — something like our LMX Trap & Stores with its multi-stage drug processing — you absolutely want Asset Escrow protecting that code. Months of development work shouldn’t be one Discord share away from being worthless.

Payment processor risk. Stripe and PayPal don’t love virtual goods sellers. Get a few chargebacks and your account can get restricted or frozen with funds held for 90+ days. Tebex exists specifically because mainstream processors weren’t built for this use case.

No built-in storefront. You need to build or pay for a website, handle product listings, manage download delivery, deal with customer accounts. Gumroad and Shopify simplify some of this, but neither integrates with FiveM’s ecosystem at all.

Tax burden. You’re the merchant of record now. EU VAT, US sales tax in certain states, international tax treaties — this is your problem. For hobby-level income it might not matter, but once you’re making real money, the accounting overhead is significant. If you’re making enough from FiveM to worry about taxes, the Monaco CPA guide on FiveM server taxes is worth reading.

When Direct Sales Make Sense

Direct sales work when you’re selling services, not scripts. Custom development work, server setup consulting, one-on-one commissions — these are better handled through direct invoicing because there’s no product to protect with Escrow and the relationship is personal.

They also work for open-source scripts with paid support tiers. Give away the code, charge for installation help, priority bug fixes, or custom modifications. We list plenty of resources on our free scripts page and some developers successfully monetize support around similar open-source work.

The Cfx Marketplace — The New Player

The Cfx Marketplace launched in January 2026 and changed the conversation. It’s a curated storefront run by cfx.re themselves (now under Rockstar Games), where creators sell scripts, maps, props, and server packages directly to other server owners.

What makes it different:

Built-in trust. Buyers know the marketplace is official. Scripts listed there have gone through a review process. That credibility is hard to build on your own Tebex store, especially when you’re new.

Discovery. Your script shows up alongside other vetted resources in a central location that server owners actively browse. On a standalone Tebex store, you need to drive all your own traffic through Discord, forums, YouTube, and social media.

Asset Escrow baked in. Same protection as Tebex-based Escrow sales — your code stays locked to the buyer’s account.

The downside is that the Cfx Marketplace is still maturing. Not every developer has access yet, the review process can be slow, and you’re competing for attention in a curated catalog rather than running your own branded storefront. The fee structure is also still evolving — check the latest terms before committing.

The marketplace’s launch is part of a bigger shift in how FiveM operates under Rockstar’s umbrella. If you’re curious about where the whole ecosystem is headed, our post on FiveM’s future with GTA 6 and Project ROME covers the broader picture.

What I Actually Recommend

After going through all of this, here’s what I think works best depending on where you are:

Just Starting Out

Use Tebex. Don’t overthink it. The 15% fee stings, but you get Asset Escrow, fraud protection, tax handling, and instant delivery out of the box. Your first priority should be building scripts people want, not optimizing payment processing. Spend that energy learning Lua scripting fundamentals or understanding how performance optimization works instead.

Established Developer with a Catalog

Run a hybrid setup. Keep your Tebex store for the Escrow-protected sales and the audience that already knows Tebex. Apply for the Cfx Marketplace for discovery and credibility. Use your own website (with Stripe) for services, custom work, and anything that doesn’t need code protection.

This is roughly what most successful script shops end up doing. Multiple revenue channels, each serving a different purpose.

Selling to Server Players (Not Developers)

Tebex. No alternative. This is a platform rule, not a preference. If you’re monetizing your FiveM server with in-game purchases, Tebex is mandatory.

The Fee Math People Get Wrong

I see developers do this calculation all the time: “I sold $1,000 in scripts this month, Tebex took $150, therefore I lost $150.” That’s not how it works.

The real question is: would you have made that $1,000 without Asset Escrow protecting your code? Without the built-in trust of an established platform? Without fraud protection eating chargebacks instead of your bank account?

For most developers, especially those selling complex scripts in the $15-50 range, the answer is no. The leaking problem alone would eat your revenue faster than fees ever could. I’ve watched developers try the “sell raw files cheap” approach and end up with their entire catalog on leak sites within weeks.

The 15% isn’t a fee — it’s insurance. Expensive insurance, sure. But the alternative is often making $0 because your code is everywhere for free.

That said, if you’re established enough that your brand alone drives sales, have the technical chops to run your own infrastructure, and sell primarily services or open-source-adjacent products, the math shifts. At $5,000+/month in script sales, that $750 in Tebex fees starts justifying the effort of a hybrid approach with direct sales for non-Escrow products.

Asset Escrow — The Thing That Actually Matters

Forget the platform debate for a second. The single most important factor in selling FiveM scripts profitably is code protection, and right now, Asset Escrow through Keymaster is the best option available.

Here’s how it works: you upload your resource to cfx.re and mark specific files for encryption. Those files get locked. When a buyer purchases your script (through Tebex or the Cfx Marketplace), the asset gets tied to their FiveM account. Their server validates the license key on every start. If the key doesn’t match, the resource doesn’t run.

Is it perfect? No. Nothing is. But it’s dramatically better than shipping raw Lua files and hoping nobody shares them.

If you’re deciding between platforms, your first filter should be: “Does this option support Asset Escrow?” If the answer is no, you need a very good reason to use it for selling protected scripts. When you’re building something like a restaurant management system with thousands of lines of code, Escrow isn’t optional — it’s the only thing standing between you and your script showing up on a leak forum.

Platforms I’d Skip

Fiverr — for finding freelance dev work, it’s fine. For selling scripts as products, the platform isn’t designed for it. No Asset Escrow, no FiveM integration, Fiverr takes 20%, and the buyer experience is awkward for digital game assets.

Generic e-commerce platforms — Shopify, WooCommerce, etc. They’re built for physical products and general digital downloads. None of them understand FiveM, none integrate with Keymaster, and you’ll spend more time configuring the platform than developing scripts.

Discord DMs — I’m not joking, people still sell scripts this way. “PayPal me $15 and I’ll send you the files.” This is how you get scammed (as a buyer) and how you get your code leaked everywhere (as a seller). Don’t do this. Don’t buy from people who do this.

The Bottom Line

There’s no single “best” platform. There’s the best platform for your situation:

Tebex wins on convenience, code protection, and being the only legal option for server-to-player sales. The 15% fee is the cost of those things working out of the box.

Direct sales win on margins but lose on protection, fraud handling, and tax complexity. They’re best for services and open-source support models.

The Cfx Marketplace wins on discovery and official credibility but is still new and access-limited.

Most developers who’ve been doing this for a while end up using two or three of these simultaneously. That’s not indecisive — it’s practical. Different products and different buyers need different channels.

Whatever you pick, build something worth selling first. The best distribution channel in the world doesn’t matter if your script runs at 0.5ms idle and crashes when more than 10 players use it. Nail the product, then optimize the sales channel. Not the other way around.

If you want to discuss selling strategies or need help with script development, join us on Discord. There’s a whole community of developers figuring this stuff out together.