Basics

Ko-fi vs Patreon: Fees, Features, and When Neither Fits

Comparing Ko-fi and Patreon on fees, tips vs memberships, and discovery — plus when a third option fits if you’re not running a content business.

By The Pennygood team · May 2026 · 9 min read

Ko-fi vs Patreon: Fees, Features, and When Neither Fits

You’re comparing Ko-fi vs Patreon because those are the names everyone knows. One is a tip jar that grew into a shop and memberships. The other is a membership machine built around creative output and perks. The fee shapes differ, the product assumptions differ, and for some people — volunteers, carers, NGO freelancers, neighbours doing good work without an audience — neither is a clean fit. If that’s you, the pick rules below end with a soft path to a simple page — without claiming it wins every fee line.

Short answer: Pick Patreon if you want recurring memberships with tiers and gated content for an audience you already have. Pick Ko-fi if you want a low-friction tip jar, optional shop/commissions, and (with the right settings) 0% platform fee on one-time tips. Pick something else when supporters are backing who you are and what you do, not buying access to content.

Ko-fi vs Patreon at a glance

| | Patreon | Ko-fi | Pennygood | |---|---|---|---| | Built for | Creators with audiences + perks | Creators/artists; tip jar + shop | Everyday good people | | Platform fee (typical) | ~10% for new creator pages | 0% one-time tips* / 5% memberships, shop, monthly tips; Gold $12/mo for new users → can bring platform fee to 0% | 8% (you keep 92%) | | Processing | Yes (on top) | Yes (Stripe/PayPal on top) | Yes (Stripe on top) | | Content / perks expected | Usually yes | Optional | No | | Tiers | Core product | Optional memberships | No | | Discovery | Limited; you bring audience | Limited; you bring audience | Public feed + share tools | | One-time gifts | Limited | Strong (tips) | Yes | | Monthly floor | Often from $1 | Often from $1 | From about $3 |

* One-time tips are 0% platform fee on Ko-fi only when Contributor/Standard mode is off. New accounts often start with a 5% tip fee until you turn that off in Settings → Payment. Processing still applies. Fees and toggles can change, so check Ko-fi Help before you decide.

One-line definitions:

Patreon is a membership platform built around tiers, gated content, and perks for creators who already have an audience.
Ko-fi is a tip jar that also offers optional shop, commissions, and memberships — with 0% platform fee on one-time tips when Contributor is off.
Pennygood is small steady support for everyday good people, from about $3/mo, with an 8% platform fee (keep 92% before Stripe) and no tiers required.

Patreon — memberships and perks

Patreon’s model is exchange: tiers, early access, behind-the-scenes, calls. Supporters pay monthly; you produce and gate. That works for podcasters, YouTubers, artists, and writers with regular output and an audience that already cares.

It feels awkward if your “product” is showing up every weekend to clean a beach or design free materials for an NGO. There’s little to put behind a $15 tier that isn’t inventing content for the sake of the platform.

Right choice if: you have (or can grow) an audience, you publish regularly, and you want real membership perks.

Ko-fi — tip jar, shop, optional memberships

Ko-fi started as “buy me a coffee” one-time tips and expanded into memberships, shop, and commissions.

Fee shape (check Ko-fi Help for current fees):

Free plan: 0% platform fee on one-time tips if Contributor is off; 5% on memberships, shop, commissions, and monthly tips.
Ko-fi Gold: $12/month for new users (older pages or third-party blogs may still show $6 — treat $6 as stale). Gold can bring platform fees to 0% across payment types; processing still applies. Break-even vs 5% is roughly $240/month of fee-bearing (non–0%-tip) income — an orientation math, not a savings promise.
Processing (Stripe/PayPal) is separate either way — often cited around ~2.9% + $0.30, varies by country and method.

Discovery is light: you mostly bring your own audience. There’s no Patreon-style membership machine forced on you, which is the point of the tip jar.

Right choice if: you’re a creative with followers who want tips, optional shop, and flexible memberships — especially if one-time tips are your main line and you keep Contributor off.

Fee math on a small gift ($3 / $5 / $10)

Numbers below are platform fee only. Card processing still lands on top. Do not treat them as exact bank deposits.

$3

Patreon (~10% new pages): ~$0.30 platform → ~$2.70 before processing
Ko-fi one-time tip (0% platform, Contributor off): $3.00 before processing
Ko-fi membership (5%): ~$2.85 before processing
Pennygood (8%): ~$2.76 before processing

$5

Patreon 10%: ~$4.50 before processing
Ko-fi tip 0%: $5.00 before processing
Ko-fi membership 5%: ~$4.75 before processing
Pennygood 8%: ~$4.60 before processing

$10

Patreon 10%: ~$9.00 before processing
Ko-fi tip 0%: $10.00 before processing
Ko-fi membership 5%: ~$9.50 before processing
Pennygood 8%: ~$9.20 before processing

Fee honesty: A Ko-fi one-time tip at 0% platform fee can beat Pennygood’s 8% on a single tip. Pennygood is not “always cheaper.” It wins on product fit when you don’t want a tip jar or perk machine — not on every fee line.

For GoFundMe’s separate recurring model (donor often pays an extra 5% on recurring donations), see GoFundMe monthly donations (https://pennygood.me/articles/gofundme-monthly-donations).

Discovery, audience, who brings the traffic

Patreon and Ko-fi both assume you already have people to send. Public discovery is limited. If your work is offline — shifts at a shelter, weekend cleanups, NGO freelance help — “post more content” is the wrong growth advice.

Pennygood leans the other way: a public page, share tools (including QR for physical places), and a framing of backing a person rather than buying a membership. That only matters if your problem is “people who meet me don’t have a place to support me,” not “I need tier gating for Discord.”

The Share section includes a link preview card, QR code, and ready-made captions for social media. Still share responsibly — and don’t present support as a purchase or a tax-deductible donation unless that actually applies where you live.

When neither Ko-fi nor Patreon fits

Neither is wrong. They’re built for creators.

They fit poorly when:

You don’t produce gated content and don’t want to invent perks
You don’t have an online audience yet
Supporters want a small monthly habit (from about $3) for good work, not a membership ladder
You’re a volunteer, carer, NGO freelancer, or neighbour — not a media brand

Neither fits: If supporters are backing who you are — not buying content — a simple page can be a better fit than tiers or a tip-jar shop. Pennygood is built for small steady support from about $3 a month, 8% platform fee (keep 92% before Stripe processing), no tiers required, Stripe Connect in 120+ countries.

You can create a Pennygood page (https://pennygood.me/signup) when that description matches your work. Soft look at the product: pennygood.me (https://pennygood.me). Example of that kind of ask: Musa (https://pennygood.me/musa), an NGO designer — a real page, not a results promise (pages like this often start with zero backers).

If all you need is an occasional tip button, Ko-fi can still be better — and cheaper — on pure one-offs. Pennygood does not automatically replace Patreon or Ko-fi.

Which should you use?

Pick rules:

Right choice — Patreon: recurring creative memberships, perks, and an audience you already have.
Right choice — Ko-fi: tip jar first; shop/commissions; memberships optional. Watch Gold ($12 for new users) vs 5% math; turn Contributor off if you want 0% one-time tips.
Right choice — GoFundMe: crisis / deadline fundraising with recurring as an add-on (different fee shape). See the localised guide before you decide.
Right choice — Pennygood: ongoing backing for everyday good work without a content calendar.

Ask one question: are people paying for what you produce, or backing who you are and the good you do? Former → Patreon or Ko-fi. Latter → create a simple Pennygood page (https://pennygood.me/signup) (or a simple Ko-fi tip if all you need is an occasional coffee button).

FAQ

Is Ko-fi cheaper than Patreon?

Often on one-time tips (0% platform fee when Contributor is off). On memberships, Ko-fi’s 5% is usually lower than Patreon’s ~10% for new pages — before processing. Gold at $12/mo only wins if fee-bearing volume is high enough. Always check live pricing.

Can I take one-time tips on Patreon?

Patreon is membership-first; one-time options are limited compared with Ko-fi’s tip jar.

Do I need tiers?

On Patreon, tiers are the product. On Ko-fi, optional. On Pennygood, no.

What if I’m not a content creator?

That’s the gap this page calls out. Creator tools still work as tip jars; they weren’t designed for volunteers and NGO freelancers without an audience.

What if I just want a page for supporters without tiers?

If people are backing who you are — not buying content — you can create a Pennygood page (https://pennygood.me/signup) from about $3/mo, keep 92% before Stripe, with no perk ladder required. That is a fit choice, not a claim that every fee cell is cheaper than Ko-fi’s 0% tip.

Does Pennygood replace Patreon or Ko-fi?

No. Use the tool that matches the job. Choose memberships and perks if that’s what you offer; choose simple support if people are backing your everyday work.

Can fees and prices change?

Yes. Numbers here are an editorial comparison, not a substitute for each service’s pricing pages. Fees change. Check Ko-fi’s and Patreon’s pricing pages before you decide.