Best Patreon Alternatives

Are you looking for the top crowdfunding and membership platforms such as Patreon? Take a look at our list of the top Patreon alternatives.

Patreon is a wildly popular membership site that offers an easy method for creators of content to solicit donations from their followers and subscribers to purchase exclusive content.

However, issues with censorship and increasing fees have led some users to seek alternatives. There are, thankfully, a number of options there.

In this article we’ll look at comparing the top Patreon alternatives available currently. We’ll look at their main characteristics, talk about the ways the two differ from Patreon and much more.

Ready? Let’s get started!

The top Patreon alternatives Summary

TL;DR

Podia – The best Patreon alternatives overall. Create paid communities, and also sell other digital goods. There are no fees for paid plans. A limited free plan is also available.
Sellfy is a well-known ecommerce platform that allows you to sell physical and subscription products Print-on-demand items, as well as other digital goods. It is incredibly simple to use.
Purchase Me A Coffee Buy Me A Coffee – A straightforward Patreon alternative to begin using immediately. It allows you to accept donations and also sell digital items. Instant payouts via Stripe. A 5% fee plus free to use , with no extra features hidden in paid plans.

1 1. Podia

Podia is our top preferred Patreon alternative. In contrast to Patreon, Podia is an all-in-one platform you can make your own website, build communities for paid patrons, and even sell subscriptions and other digital goods, all with no transaction costs!

One of the issues when the use of Patreon can be that it is creating your community on another platform. This is not only negative for your branding, but it also means that you have only a limited amount of control and have no real control over your revenue source. Of course you’re also subject to the transaction fees charged by Patreon.

This is the reason why Podia is a better alternative. With Podia you create the community you want to be part of and then sell subscriptions through your own website.

Similar to Patreon You can make use of Podia for hosting your exclusive members-only content, and then sell paid-for memberships to those who wish to help your work as creators.

The difference is that you’ll be in complete control of everything , and you can set up your membership website exactly how you’d like it to be. You can create your own tiers of plan with various rewards, and you can create as many paid or free plans as you like.

Since you are the owner of your membership platform and community you can keep all of the profits. If you choose to sign up for an annual subscription and you do not pay charges for transactions to be concerned about.

You can engage with your followers via the community feature, which includes multimedia discussions. Members can share all messages, images videos, and text comments, among others.

In addition to memberships, you may sell other digital goods through Podia such as online courses and digital downloads.

Key characteristics

Sell memberships and other digital products
Create paid communities
Create your own creator site
Total control and ownership
It is integrated with Google Analytics
No transaction costs

Pricing

Paid podia plans that do not charge transaction charges start at $33/month. They also have a free plan that has the option of 8% transaction charges.

2. Sellfy

Sellfy is a straightforward and easy-to-use online store designed by creators. It’s a great alternative for creators looking to solicit donations and grow their fan base through their own website rather than an external platform.

You can create a stunning storefront with Sellfy in just 5 minutes. You can then modify the look to fit your brand , and then connect to your domain.

You can then create digital subscription services and give your customers access to exclusive content and other items in exchange for monthly, weekly or annual payments.

Apart from subscriptions, you can also offer various different types of products on Sellfy that include physical and digital items including video streaming, printing-on-demand items

The print-on-demand option is especially beneficial for creators since it allows you to offer your custom merchandise with your own brand name to your customers. All you need do is add your designs to Sellfy’s fulfillment catalog and then add the items into your online store.

There is no requirement to purchase the product in advance. When someone purchases, Sellfy will print the order and then deliver it to the buyer for you and then they bill you for the base price of the product and fulfillment. You decide your own profit margins.

Key characteristics

Sell subscriptions
Print-on-demand fulfillment
Sell all kinds of items
Video streaming
Store builder

Pricing

Paid plans that allow you to sell subscriptions and unlimited products begin at just $22/month.

3. Get Me Coffee

Purchase Me A Coffee is the ideal solution for creators who require a straightforward platform for collecting donations. It’s extremely simple to use, and unlike Patreon it allows you to make use of it to accept regular donations as well as one-off contributions from your fans.

The idea behind Buy Me a Coffee is extremely simple. Create an individual page on the subdomain (e.g. buymeacoffee.com/yourname), and your audience can visit it and buy you a coffee (make a donation) to say thanks for creating great content in a couple of clicks.

If they decide to make a donation you can send them an email, which you can respond to and express your gratitude. In contrast to Patreon the supporters of your account do not need to set up an account in order to purchase coffee. They simply select the amount of coffees they want to purchase you (how much they’d like to contribute) and pay with a single click.

Naturally, should you would like to give something to your supporters you are able to do that as well. Similar to Patreon, you can create subscription options and distribute exclusive content with your patrons. You can also make use of the Extras feature to market digital products such as ebooks, access to Discord and Zoom calls with you and more.

The majority of payment methods are accepted such as credit debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, etc. When someone makes a donation you money, you’ll get it right immediately. No more waiting for 30 days!

Buy Me Coffee Coffee is completely free to use however it charges the platform fee of 5% from your donations. you get to keep 95% of the money you earn. It’s on par with PayPal’s Lite plan, but less expensive than its Premium and Pro plans.

Fun fact Fun fact: The fact that you can buy Me a Coffee is the platform that we use to solicit donations. You can visit our author page on this site. Of course, if you enjoy the content we produce here on Blogging Wizard, and want to purchase us a cup of coffee Your support is always greatly appreciated!

Key characteristics

One-off payments are supported
Sell memberships and digital products
There is no account requirement to make a donation.
It is very simple to start
Transaction fees of 5% are competitive.

Pricing

It’s completely free to sign up to Buy Me a Coffee, however, a 5% platform fee will be deducted of the donations.

4 – Ko-fi

Ko-fi is a different crowdfunding platform that is similar like Buy Me A Coffee. It can be used as an easy tip jar, or as a membership site. They don’t charge fees for sales or donations, but they do cost for features of premium quality which Buy Me A Coffee customers receive for no cost.

Similar to Patreon as well, you can make use of Ko-fi to receive memberships and donations from your followers. Create a Ko-fi creator page for free in less than one minute. Set a crowdfunding goal and ask your followers to support you in reaching the goal. Additionally, you can offer incentives such as exclusive content for supporters and membership benefits to encourage donors to contribute.

It is compatible it with Discord, WordPress, and Zapier It are able to receive donations notifications as you stream.

The user interface is very like Buy Me a Coffee. However, what sets Ko-fi apart is the fact that it’s among the few platforms that are completely free. There aren’t any sign-up costs and they don’t take a portion of your earnings for their free plans.

The problem lies in the fact that this free package does not come with premium features such as memberships or the capability for selling digital downloads or physical items through your online store.

Key characteristics

There are no transaction costs for users who are free
Memberships
Sell your products
Crowdfunding goals
Donation alerts

Pricing

Ko-fi can be used as an entry-level tip jar for no cost. If you’d like to access premium features, you’ll have to upgrade to the Gold plan. It starts at $6/month , or an additional 5% transaction cost. Gold members get 7.2x more than the average.

5 – Kickstarter

Kickstarter is perhaps the most well-known crowdfunding platform the world. It’s an excellent alternative to Patreon when you’re trying to raise funds for one-time artistic endeavors, however it does not support memberships and is therefore not suitable to collect recurring donations.

Kickstarter operates a bit differently in comparison to Patreon. It’s designed specifically for creators who require funds for a single project.

When you start your campaign, you define the project you want to finance, then set the goal of funding and a deadline to achieve it (e.g. in 60 days).

If your supporters are enthusiastic about your idea, they are able to contribute money to bring it to fruition. The backers of your project will only be charged when your project is successful in achieving the goal of funding. If you don’t meet your goal in the time frame specified your backers will not be charged and you won’t be able to keep any of the donations. It’s all-or-nothing.

Another method Kickstarter is different in comparison to Patreon in that it vettes crowdfunders with a lot of care, which means that not everyone can join. If your campaign is approved and it succeeds it is possible to make huge amounts of money.

Kickstarter has a 5% fee for platform use that are on par with Patreon’s basic plan, but less expensive than plans with higher-end features.

Key characteristics

Ideal to fund one-time creative projects.
Huge user base
Funding goals
Model of all-or-nothing

Pricing

It’s completely free to start an initiative on Kickstarter however the 5% cost is taken out of the total amount collected, in addition to PayPal or Stripe payment processing charges.

6 – Hypage

Hypage falls somewhere in between an application for linking into bios and an online membership site. Hypage is a great alternative for influencers on social media particularly Instagram. It can be used to create content for your community that is gated and set up regular memberships, and even direct sell to your followers via your link-in-bio page.

Instagram allows creators to promote a single link within their profile description. This is why many Instagram creators make use of link-in-bio tools to build landing pages that contain all promotional and affiliate links. In essence, that’s precisely what Hypage is.

But, unlike other link-in-bio software, Hypage also lets you accept donations and requests directly from your customized landing page. It is also possible to use it to market recurring memberships and other products, or share exclusive content for members on your page.

It’s a dual-purpose solution that replaces both link-in bio tools such as Linktree as well as membership-based platforms such as Patreon in a neat bundle.

The most exciting aspect? No transaction fees for paid plans!

Key characteristics

Create a link-in-bio landing page
Connect your domain to your own
Collect donations
Provide premium content that is gated
Sell memberships and digital products

Pricing

Start by signing up for a free account. Paid plans that include premium features and transactions fees are available starting at just $19/month.

7 – OnlyFans

OnlyFans is the most suitable alternative for content creators of adult age. It’s a social network that is subscription-based that allows fans to support their favourite creators by purchasing an annual subscription that grants users access to premium content.

What differentiates OnlyFans in comparison to Patreon is its tolerant policies on content, which permit creators to market content that may not conform to the community guidelines of Patreon. This includes content that is only for adults.

In this way, OnlyFans has grown to become extremely popular with adult content creators and its top-earning users have millions of dollars in earnings every month.

Key characteristics

Serves as a social network
Creators are able to interact with fans
Liberal content policies
Perfect for creators of adult content.
A large user base (high visibility)

Pricing

It’s free to sign-up for OnlyFans , however the platform will take 20 percent of your subscription income.

8 . Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is a powerful community platform that allows you to sell membership to online communities and the content you offer, such as online courses and livestreams.

In contrast to Patreon, Mighty Network lets you create a community of paid subscribers on your own platform , with complete ownership and control. It’s utilized by many of the most popular YouTubers, such as Drew Binsky, Adriene Mishler and many more.

Mighty Networks also offers some advanced community-focused features you can’t find with other services. For instance, the ingenious Mighty Effect(tm) technology can personalize your members’ experiences by supplying their feeds by displaying the latest subjects members, groups and products, for example.

Key characteristics

Mighty Effect personalization technology
Welcome and Discovery sections for new members
Moderators and unlimited members for all plans
Total ownership of your community
Native course builder
Rich member profiles
Livestreaming and native video uploads
Analytics integrated

Pricing

Plans start at $33 per month with no transaction fees. A trial period of no cost is available.
The pros and pros and Patreon

Let’s take a look at the reasons why Patreon might not be the ideal choice for all creators. Like any platform there are plenty of cons and pros. These are the most important ones to know about.
Pros

Simple way to earn money for creators. If you’re a seasoned influencer or creator who has many enthusiastic followers, Patreon offers an easy method to make money from your fans through crowdfunding campaigns.
There are no upfront costs. In contrast to other platforms, Patreon does not charge an annual fee, which means you can start your page at no cost. Patreon will take a cut of your monthly earnings at the backend.
A model of recurring revenue. Patreon operates on the basis of a subscription model. Patrons make regular monthly payments, which means you will earn a steady income each month instead of having depend on single-time donations.
Tools for communication. With Patreon, you can create your own private community for members only and communicate direct with patrons via the platform. Additionally, you can grant them the ability to access exclusive content, and much more.
Flexible membership options and financing goals. With Patreon, you can create various membership levels with various benefits based on the amount your patrons are willing to pledge.
A diverse creator base. Patreon is suitable for a variety of kinds of creators, such as YouTubers streamers, musicians and podcasters, artists and writers.
Join your WordPress website. Patreon offers an WordPress plugin that can be added to your site to get the most benefit from the money you earn from Patreons.

Cons

There are no built-in marketing tools. If you don’t already have an audience or a community to make money from, it might be difficult to create one through Patreon. It’s not a great option in terms of tools for promotion and projects aren’t easily discovered.

Censorship. Patreon was the subject of controversy in the past after it shut down accounts that they claimed violated its community guidelines, which ban the use of hate speech. Some conservative commentators believe that these bans are an attack on freedom of speech, and have accused the website of bias against political parties. The platform later decided to block an account of an NGO which was raising funds to support Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian army.

Uncapped fees. Patreon will take a portion of your earnings (either 5 percent, 8%, or 12%, depending upon the subscription you choose to sign up for) instead of an uncapped fee. This means that those earning a lot might be able to pay hundreds of dollars a month in charges.

Subscriptions-only. Patreon isn’t designed to accept single-time payments. Being required to sign up for an ongoing monthly subscription could discourage potential supporters from making donations.

You have less the control of ownership and. Patreon is an external platform that doesn’t belong to you. Therefore, you don’t have the same control or ownership of your account as you would had you created your own group on your personal site.

Not good for branding. If you are using Patreon your customers will be using Patreon to view your content, not your own website with a brand name.

Selecting the most suitable Patreon alternative

This concludes our list of the top Patreon alternatives. We hope you find something that’s suitable to your target audience in this list.

If you’re not sure what platform to choose Here’s a quick overview of three top suggestions (you aren’t going to be disappointed with one of these):

Podia is the best overall Patreon alternative for the majority of creators. It is possible to create your own paid community website , and also sell memberships and other digital content without charges (on subscription plans that are paid).

Sellfy is another e-commerce platform you can use to build and sell subscriptions. It’s designed specifically for creators and includes a number of options that other platforms don’t have such as built-in print-on demand fulfillment.

Buy Me a Cup of Coffee is the most cost-effective Patreon alternative for those who need a simple way to get donations. Create your own page with just a couple of clicks and then begin collecting donations and offering digital items, with instant Stripe payments.

If you’re not sure, you can try a for free or even one of the no-cost trial plans.