Creator Membership Platforms

Ko-fi vs Patreon Fee Calculator

Compare your true net earnings across Ko-fi and Patreon. Test flat memberships, micropayment thresholds, and platform tier fees.

Net Monthly Comparison

Side-by-Side
You Save Extra Per Month
$34.00/mo with Ko-fi
Ko-fi Net Monthly
$449.50
Patreon Net Monthly
$415.50
Verified via Patreon Support & Ko-fi Gold.
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Ko-fi vs Patreon: Platform Economics Compared

Both Ko-fi and Patreon offer subscription membership management, community posts, Discord bot integrations, and digital download shops. However, their financial models diverge sharply: Patreon charges a percentage commission on your gross revenue, whereas Ko-fi operates primarily on a fixed software subscription fee via Ko-fi Gold ($6.00/month).

Patreon Fee Breakdown

  • Pro Plan (8%): Full membership tiers, analytics, and integrations.
  • Premium Plan (12%): Dedicated partner manager and merch-for-membership fulfillment.
  • Payment Processing: 2.9% + $0.30 on standard pledges. Pledges under $3.00 are charged 5.0% + $0.10.

Ko-fi Fee Breakdown

  • Free Plan: 0% on one-off tips, 5% on monthly memberships and digital store sales.
  • Ko-fi Gold ($6.00/month): 0% platform fee across tips, memberships, commissions, and digital shop items.
  • Direct Payment Gateway: Funds route directly into your personal Stripe or PayPal account (2.9% + $0.30 standard gateway fee).

Worked Examples with Real Numbers

Scenario: 200 Backers at $5.00/Month ($1,000.00 Gross MRR) Gross: $1,000.00
  • Patreon Pro (8% + 2.9% + 30¢):
    Platform Cut (8%): $80.00
    Processing: ($1,000 × 0.029) + (200 × $0.30) = $29.00 + $60.00 = $89.00
    Total Deductions: $169.00
    Patreon Net: $831.00/month
  • Ko-fi Gold ($6/mo flat + Stripe direct):
    Ko-fi Platform Cut (0%): $0.00
    Ko-fi Gold Flat Membership: $6.00
    Direct Stripe Processing: $29.00 + $60.00 = $89.00
    Total Deductions: $95.00
    Ko-fi Net: $905.00/month
  • Annual Savings with Ko-fi: ($905.00 - $831.00) × 12 = $888.00 extra cash in your bank every year.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, on one-off donations. For memberships and shop sales, Ko-fi is 0% platform fee if you subscribe to Ko-fi Gold ($6/month), or 5% on the Free plan. Standard payment gateway fees (Stripe/PayPal) still apply directly.

Patreon charges an 8% platform fee on their Pro plan, or 12% on the Premium tier, in addition to standard payment processing fees.

For pledges under $3.00, Patreon automatically applies a micropayment processing rate of 5.0% + $0.10 rather than the standard 2.9% + $0.30 to preserve creator margins.

Ko-fi routes payments instantly and directly into your connected Stripe or PayPal account. Patreon aggregates payouts and releases funds monthly or on request via payout schedules.

Because payment tokens cannot be transferred directly between independent processors, members must manually resubscribe on Ko-fi.