5 Patreon Alternatives – Pricing & Feature Comparison

With the digital landscape continuously evolving, content creators seek diverse methods to earn money from their work – options that cater to unique needs for a Patreon alternative. 

We’ve looked at some of the closest options to Patreon that can enhance income streams, expand your online community, and provide exclusive content with favorable transaction fees. 

The comparison table is directly below, and you can scroll down to each individual comparison further on.

	Payhip	BMAC	Gumroad	Podia	Sellfy
Patreon Features
Membership Platform		Yes	Yes	Yes	-*
Membership Tiers		Yes	Yes	Yes	–
Engagement Tools (DM’s, comments)		Yes	–	Yes	–
Analytics Tools		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Monthly and Annual Subs		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes*
Free Trial & Special Offers		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Product Selling		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pricing
Lowest Pricing Plan	Free with 5% fees	Free with 5% fees	Free with 10% fees*	Free with 10% fees	$29/month no fees
Unlimited Revenue		Yes	Yes	Yes	–
Unlimited Products		Yes	Yes	No*	Yes
Payments
Instant Payouts		–	–		Yes
Automatic UK & EU VAT Handling		–	Yes	–	Yes
Products You Can Sell
Digital Downloads		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Online Courses		–	Yes	Yes	Yes
Coaching Services		–	–	Yes	Yes
Physical Products		Yes	Yes	–	Yes
Storefront		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fully Customizeable Store Builder		–	–	Yes	Yes
Website Themes		–	–	Yes	Yes
Blog CMS		–	Yes	Yes	Yes
Custom Domain		–	Yes	Yes	Yes
Easy Embed To Any Sites		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Other Tools
Email Marketing		Yes	Yes*	Yes	Yes
Coupon Codes		-*	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cross-sell and Upsell		–	Yes	Yes	–
Affiliate Systems		–	Yes	Yes	Yes

* Sellfy does not offer a Patreon like subscription service itself, but it can integrate with Patreon.
* Gumroad only lets you send emails via newsletter after earning $100 on the platform.
* There is no official guidance on Coupons from BMAC other than an old blog from 2021 which mentions discounts if users become a member, not for actual products.
* Sellfy offer annual subscription offerings, but do not allow for a sale or discount on this for your subscribers.
* Gumroad’s memebership pricing is not mentioned in their help article, which may differ from their 10% fees.
* Podia requires you to have a higher payment subscription to offer more than one Digital Download.

If there’s anything you think we should add to this, or anything is incorrect, please let us know! If you feel any new platforms should be added to this list, contact us with references so we can update the comparison chart for everyone else’s ease of use!

Quick Links

• Overview of Patreon
  • What is Patreon
  • How does Patreon work?
  • How Much Does Patreon Cost To Use?
  • Key benefits and limitations
• Comparisons
  • Buy Me a Coffee
  • Gumroad
  • Payhip
  • Podia
  • Sellfy
• Conclusion

Overview of Patreon

What is Patreon

Patreon is a creator membership platform designed to support content creators through direct financial support from their fans, known as “patrons.” 

This innovative business model facilitates a sustainable way for creators across various domains—musicians, writers, artists, podcasters, and more—to earn a living while pursuing their passion. 

The platform’s approach to monetizing creative content and building dedicated communities has significantly impacted the industry, offering a new avenue for creators to turn their passions into sustainable careers. However, as with any industry, its users constantly look at what could be better for them.

Patreon has paved the way, but many creators seek alternatives that offer greater flexibility, reduced costs, and enhanced features for distributing digital goods and downloads.

In response to this growing demand, many platforms have emerged as viable Patreon alternatives, each providing unique benefits, from tip jar functionalities to sophisticated subscription models. 

We have dissected and compared the pricing and features of 5 of the top alternatives highlighted by Patreon users. In alphabetical order, we will examine each platform’s offerings, especially Patreon’s pricing and community-building interface.

How Patreon works

From Ezoic

At its core, Patreon operates on a subscription-based model, connecting creators with their fans to form a mutually beneficial business model. Creators can set up different membership tiers, each offering unique rewards and advantages to patrons who pledge a certain amount of money monthly. 

This structure enables creators to receive a steady income stream, alleviating financial instability and becoming their own boss. It also allows them to offer their supporters exclusive content, early access to new jobs, and other benefits. 

The platform supports a wide range of content types, including behind-the-scenes updates, exclusive videos, live streams, and digital downloads that cater to their niche audience of patrons. 

Additionally, Patreon provides creators with essential tools to manage their memberships, engage with patrons, and track earnings. This simplifies the process of building and maintaining an online community.

How much does Patreon cost to use?

IfTTT has a great breakdown of Patreon’s pricing structure, breaking down the Pro and Premium plans. 

Pro Plan:

• Platform Fee: 8% of total earnings taken by Patreon.
• Payment Processing Fee: “Patreon charges a flat fee of 5% on all pledges made to creators” and additional payment processing fees depending on the patron’s location and payment method.
• Payout Fees: They vary depending on the payout method chosen by the creator. For example, “direct deposit costs $0.25 per payout for US creators,” while PayPal charges a fee of 1% of the withdrawal amount, up to a maximum of $20.

Premium Plan:

• Platform Fee: 12% of total earnings taken by Patreon.
• Payment Processing Fee: This is similar to the Pro Plan but with additional features such as a “dedicated partner manager, merch for membership, and team accounts.”

Digital Products: Creators can also sell standalone digital products directly with Patreon, with Patreon taking “5% of monthly sales earnings plus other associated fees and taxes.”

Key benefits and limitations

Benefits

• Direct Support and Recurring Revenue: Patreon empowers creators by facilitating direct financial support from their audience. This allows them to transition from relying on ad revenue or sponsorships to a more stable, subscription-based income.
• Creative Freedom and Community Building: Creators enjoy greater creative freedom as they are funded directly by their audience, and they can build strong communities around their work by engaging with supporters through exclusive content and rewards.
• Ease of Use and Flexibility: The platform is user-friendly for creators and patrons, offering different tiers of support to attract a broader range of supporters. Additionally, Patreon’s tools and features enable creators to communicate with their patrons and manage their pages effectively.

Limitations

• Platform Fees: Depending on the plan, Patreon charges creators a fee ranging from 8% to 12% of their income, not including payment processing fees. An additional 5% is taken from monthly sales earnings for those selling through Patreon’s digital store.
• Limited Discoverability: The platform offers very limited discoverability, requiring creators to build their audience elsewhere before they can effectively monetize through Patreon. This can be a significant hurdle for new creators looking to grow their following.
• Pressure to Produce Content: Paying subscribers can sometimes create additional pressure on creators to continuously produce content to satisfy their patrons’ expectations, leading to burnout.

In conclusion, Patreon presents a unique opportunity for creators to monetize their content through a direct relationship with their fans. 

While it offers significant benefits such as recurring revenue, creative freedom, and a supportive community – creators must also navigate challenges like platform fees, limited discoverability, and the pressure to produce content consistently. Let’s go over some Patreon competitors and other platforms like Patreon.

Buy Me a Coffee

TL;DR: Buy Me a Coffee is meant to be used as a simple and cheap way to create and manage a tip jar with its functionality, but it does have limited features that Patreon has.

Buy Me a Coffee (BMC) is an American crowdfunding corporation that supports over 300,000 content creators by allowing them to monetize their craft through small gifts or donations from their subscribers. T

his platform is particularly user-friendly for creators and subscribers! This has made it an appealing Patreon alternative for many content creators, including musicians, gamers, developers, artists, writers, and podcasters. We dug into some Buy Me a Coffee vs Patreon blogs to get this:

Buy Me a Coffee Feature Comparison

1. Monetization Options:
   • Both platforms allow creators to receive direct support from their fans and offer various monetization options, such as one-time donations, memberships, and digital product sales.
2. Safe and Easy Payments:
   • Both Buy Me a Coffee and Patreon emphasize secure and convenient payment processes, providing a safe environment for creators to receive contributions from their supporters.
3. Analytics and Reporting:
   • While Buy Me a Coffee offers basic analytics and reporting tools, Patreon provides more detailed metrics such as patron retention and total earnings, aiding creators in making informed decisions about their content and engagement strategies.
4. Community Engagement Tools:
   • Both platforms offer community engagement tools; however, the specific tools provided differ. Buy Me a Coffee offers live streams, direct messaging, and rewards, while Patreon includes message boards, public posts, live streams, and personal messaging as part of its advanced community tools.
5. Flexibility in Offerings:
   • Creators on both platforms have the flexibility to offer one-time payments, memberships, and digital sales. However, Patreon is more suitable for creators who can set up tiers with unique benefits and access levels, whereas Buy Me a Coffee caters to one-off donations, subscriptions, and digital product purchases.
6. Integrations:
   • Both platforms support integrations with third-party apps to enhance the creator’s experience. Buy Me a Coffee integrates with apps like Discord and Zapier, while Patreon offers advanced integrations with platforms such as Mailchimp, Google Analytics, WordPress, and more.

How Much is Buy Me a Coffee as a Creator?

Buy Me a Coffee has a helpful article on their website here. The breakdown of payment processes is as follows:

• There are no monthly fees for its features.
• 5% transaction fee
• Standard payment processing fees (2.9% depending on location and payment method)
• Stripe standard charges

What Unique Features Does Buy Me a Coffee Have over Patreon?

Toss a cuppa to your creator!

Buy Me a Coffee stands out as a Patreon alternative with its predictable fee structure, user-friendly interface, seamless integrations, straightforward monetization options, and basic analytics. It is an attractive option for creators seeking simplicity and ease of use in receiving support from their audience.

If you’re looking for a cheap and quick way to set up one-off donations, Buy Me a Coffee is the way to go! But it does not have the same services as Patreon which you might expect from Patreon free alternatives.

We couldn’t find any up-to-date videos for Buy Me a Coffee comparisons. Still, Yamaii created an unsponsored “Why Buy Me a Coffee is BETTER than Patreon” video looking at the features two years ago.

Gumroad

TL;DR: Gumroad is an e-commerce platform that empowers creators to sell their products directly to their audience via a marketplace.

The platform allows creators to sell digital products such as e-books, music, films, online courses, and physical merchandise. Gumroad provides a simple and user-friendly interface for creators to set up products in its browseable marketplace, setting it apart as a Patreon alternative.

Gumroad Feature Comparison

1. Platform Focus:
   • Gumroad is best for smaller creators selling individual products, including courses and one-off digital downloads. Meanwhile, Patreon is geared towards creators making content with benefits for monthly subscriptions.
2. Payment Handling:
   • Patreon handles payments for creators and provides withdrawal options to PayPal or bank accounts, while Gumroad allows creators to sell products directly and distribute earnings.
3. Flat Fees:
   • Gumroad offers a simple and flat fee structure, allowing creators to sell various products.
4. Community Engagement:
   • While Patreon focuses on building a consistent audience of paying subscribers, Gumroad is less centered on community features and more on enabling creators to sell products without requiring extensive technical knowledge or platform engagement.

How Much is Gumroad as a Creator?

Gumroad has a help center addressing their flat fees here. This is the breakdown of Gumroad pricing:

• 10% flat transaction fee on every sale made through the platform. 
• Credit card processing fees of 2.9% or PayPal fees of 3.49% on all sales. 
• No monthly charges or hidden fees
• The transaction fee is charged when a user sells on the platform.
• Gumroad’s Discover marketplace feature requires a minimum 30% fee to boost product visibility.

What Unique Features Does Gumroad Have over Patreon?

A marketplace of choice!

Gumroad is product-focused, with digital and physical goods making it suitable for use where you would like a certain amount for each product you create – rather than risking subscribers paying for less than it is worth.

With similar built-in analytics and support for international payment processes, the overall experience of “set it and forget it” makes Gumroad a useful passive income generator. This comes at a 30% fee for appearing in its marketplace without the same Patreon like services.

We couldn’t find a direct Gumroad vs Patreon video review as they differ in offerings. But we do have a direct comparison chart for Payhip vs Gumroad here. Aurelius Tjin also gave a great video of what both platforms do for the GUMROAD VS PAYHIP Review.

Payhip

TL;DR: Payhip is an all-in-one e-commerce platform for creators and small business owners who want to sell digital and physical products, Patreon-like subscriptions, and more.

Payhip stands out as having maximum versatility for creators without any additional cost. While it can be daunting to see the list of features, you don’t have to worry about using them all, only the ones that suit what you are selling.  With more features coming, it makes it one of the best alternatives to Patreon.

Payhip Feature Comparison

1. Versatile Selling Platform:
   • Payhip offers a comprehensive solution for selling various products, including digital downloads, online courses, coaching services, and physical goods, making it suitable for individuals and businesses of all sizes.
2. Affordable Pricing:
   • With a simple and transparent pricing structure, Payhip provides access to its full features without gating behind a paywall, ensuring that sellers can manage transaction fees as their store grows in revenue.
3. Customizable Store Editor & Themes:
   • The intuitive store builder of Payhip allows easy customization and rearrangement of sections to create an optimal online shopping experience without requiring coding or design expertise.
4. Marketing Tools and Traffic Generation:
   • Payhip equips sellers with the necessary marketing tools to drive traffic to their online store. These include creating coupon codes, building a mailing list, and launching affiliate programs to enhance sales and customer engagement. The company is also investing in a marketplace like Gumroad or Etsy.
5. Global Selling and VAT Handling:
   • Sellers can have peace of mind when selling internationally as Payhip supports various local currencies and handles UK and EU VAT on their behalf, simplifying the selling process across borders.

How Much is Payhip as a Creator?

Payhip has a transparent pricing structure on our pricing page here. Here is the breakdown:

• Multiple plans to suit your sales
• Standard Paypal and Stripe rates
• No feature gating, regardless of plan

Free Forever Plan

• Cost: $0/mo
• Transaction Fee: +5% per sale
• Features: Unlimited products, all platform features, and unlimited revenue.

Plus Plan

• Cost: $29/mo
• Transaction Fee: +2% per sale
• Features: Unlimited products, all platform features, and unlimited revenue.

Pro Plan

• Cost: $99/mo
• Transaction Fee: No transaction fee
• Features: Unlimited products, all platform features, and unlimited revenue.

What Unique Features Does Payhip Have over Patreon?

Ultimate control!

The three distinct differences between Payhip and Patreon are versatility, affordability, and customization. Payhip is a free Patreon alternative with functionality that allows you to create similar Patreon sites.

Patreon focuses on subscription-based monetization for ongoing content creation, while Payhip offers that at a lower rate and a host of other features. Depending on how you create your space, you can engage with your community as much or as little as you like.

Advanced customization options and lower or no transaction fees mean a much more cost-effective selling solution. If you want to learn how to create a Patreon-like store with Payhip, follow this guide to learn more.

As for video reviews, the highest viewed video we could find was again from Aurelius Tjin with “Best Platform To Sell Digital Products For Beginners.” Cheers Aurelius!

If you have any questions, complaints, or feature requests for Payhip, do get in touch.

Podia

TL;DR: Podia emerges as a comprehensive Patreon alternative, offering tools designed to empower content creators to monetize their craft and build vibrant communities. 

Other sites like Patreon include Podia as an all-in-one platform for selling digital products and building in-platform e-commerce websites. Below is a detailed exploration of Podia’s offerings across various dimensions.

Podia Feature Comparison

1. Community Engagement:
   • Both platforms facilitate community engagement through posts, comments, messages, and webinars, fostering interaction and learning opportunities for creators and their audiences.
2. Integration with Other Platforms:
   • Both Podia and Patreon integrate with external platforms to enhance their functionality, such as email marketing platforms like ConvertKit and Mailchimp, providing creators with additional tools for audience engagement.
3. Membership Tiers and Exclusive Content:
   • Creators on both platforms can create different membership tiers and give fans exclusive content or rewards to thank them for their support, enhancing the sense of community and exclusivity.
4. Payment Flexibility:
   • Podia allows creators to accept one-time donations and payments, catering to supporters who prefer to avoid a monthly subscription.

How Much is Podia as a Creator?

Podia lists its pricing on its website here. Podia has several tiers, as follows:

• Multiple monthly and discounted yearly plans
• Features separated by price plans

Free Plan

• Cost: $0/mo
• Transaction Fee: +10% per sale
• Features: Limited, entire website and blog

Starter Plan

• Cost: $9/mo
• Transaction Fee: +8% per sale
• Features: Limited, gains custom domains and chat support

Mover Plan

• Cost: $39/mo
• Transaction Fee: +5% per sale
• Features: All Podia features except the Affiliate program

Shaker Plan

• Cost: $89/mo
• Transaction Fee: No transaction fees
• Features: All Podia features

What Unique Features Does Podia Have over Patreon?

Affiliate partnerships with Podia!

Podia offers several distinctive features that set it apart from Patreon. It provides more than subscription-based services to sell digital products. 

Podia’s highest tier includes an Affiliate tool that helps creators engage with their audience. Coupled with a complete website and sales page builder, it allows users to showcase their products or services. Much like Payhip, there are more options for monetization on Podia for users who create more than one type of product. 

We have got a direct comparison chart for Payhip vs Podia here.

Unfortunately, there were no direct video comparisons for Podia vs Patreon, but if you find one or want to create one, let us know, and we will feature it here.

Sellfy

TL;DR: Sellfy is an e-commerce platform tailored to creators, digital artists, and entrepreneurs. It is primarily used to sell specific products with an easy-to-use interface.

Sellfy Feature Comparison

1. Monetization Options:
   • Both Sellfy and Patreon offer diverse monetization options, including the sale of digital products, print-on-demand, and subscriptions, providing creators with flexibility in earning revenue from their digital content.
2. Marketing Tools:
   • Both platforms provide built-in marketing tools such as email marketing, discounts, and affiliate marketing, empowering creators to engage with their audience and promote their products effectively.
3. Community Engagement:
   • Sellfy and Patreon offer community engagement tools to foster interaction and meaningful connections among creators and their audience, enhancing the user experience.
4. Payment Flexibility:
   • Sellfy doesn’t have the membership flexibility that Patreon has, with limited membership features—and making too much money pushes you into a higher-tier plan.

How Much is Sellfy as a Creator?

Sellfy lists its pricing plans here. Here is the breakdown:

• No free option
• Limited amount per price plan
• Premium support in the Premium plan
• No Sellfy transaction fees at all levels
• Standard Payal and Strype transaction fees
• Features depend on price tier

Monthly Pricing:

• Starter: $29 per month, basic selling online with subscription functionality
• Business: $79 per month, affiliate marketing and removing Sellfy branding
• Premium: $159 per month, allowing up to $200k in sales a year

Yearly Pricing:

• Starter: $264 per year

• Business: $708 per year
• Premium: $1428 per year

Two-Year Pricing:

• Starter: $456 every two years
• Business: $1176 every two years
• Premium: $2376 every two years

What Unique Features Does Sellfy Have Over Patreon?

Better for Business!

Sellfy is designed as an e-commerce platform for digital and physical products, distinguishing it as a robust solution for businesses. 

However, the higher barrier to entry may not suit individuals or smaller creators looking to try things out. It offers instant payouts for better financial flexibility and similar built-in marketing tools like Patreon. 

At its core, Sellfy is for a specific audience of business owners and new entrepreneurs. Its highly renowned print-on-demand service allows its creators to sell merchandise, making it popular among Twitch and YouTube creators.

We have got a direct comparison chart for Payhip vs Sellfy here.

Again, there are few direct comparison videos between Sellfy and Patreon, but there is a good review from Online Income Toolz here.

Conclusion

What are some popular alternatives to Patreon?

Some of the best alternatives to Patreon include Payhip, Buy Me a Coffee, Gumroad, Podia, and Sellfy.

As we delve into the vast array of Patreon alternatives, it becomes evident that content creators’ digital landscape is diverse and rich with opportunities for companies like Patreon. 

At Payhip, we have been creators thinking first, whether you are tips based, do paid commission, take donations, want to run referral programs, need a crowdfunding platform, require new payment options with recurring payments or need a better experience for your followers.

Each platform offers unique features, benefits, and monetization strategies tailored to meet the varied needs of creators across different niches. We did not cover websites like Onlyfans, Kickstarter, Ko-Fi, Substack, Mighty Networks or other subscription model websites in this article, but if you think they belong here we will update this!

This exploration highlights the competitive transaction fees and available customized membership tiers. It emphasizes the significance of selecting a platform that aligns with the creator’s specific use case, such as for visual artists, educators, or podcasters.

Whether you have been a fan of Patreon and their policies have changed, or you have a new goal to hit, there are so many things to think about for new creators and entrepreneurs.