Patreon
A membership platform where fans pay creators monthly for posts, video, audio and community.
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- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
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About Patreon
Patreon lets creators run paid memberships with tiers, so fans pay a recurring amount for access to posts, videos, podcasts, livestreams, downloads and chats. It also supports free members, one-time purchases, a shop for digital products and email newsletters to members. Patreon handles payments, taxes in many places, chargebacks and payouts in many currencies, which saves creators a lot of admin. It is broader than a newsletter platform: it suits podcasters, video creators, artists and game developers as much as writers, and its mobile app is where many members consume content. The costs are a platform fee of 10% of income for new creators plus payment processing and payout fees, and the creator page has limited design options. Publishing long-form writing and email is less polished than on Substack or Ghost. It runs in the browser with iOS and Android apps. It suits multimedia creators who want memberships handled end to end.
Best for: Podcasters, video creators and artists who want paid memberships handled for them.
Pros and cons
What works
- Handles payments, taxes, fraud and payouts for you
- Supports video, audio, chats and a shop, not just text
- Recognised brand that fans already trust with card details
Why people leave
- 10% platform fee plus processing and payout fees
- Writing and email tools are basic for newsletter writers
- Little control over page design
Top Patreon alternatives
See all 5- 1
Memberful66.5Same parent company, but runs memberships on your own site and brand.
- 2
Buy Me a Coffee62.6Lighter option for tips and simple memberships, quick to set up.
- 3
Substack59.6Better fit if your membership is mainly a written newsletter.
- 4
Steady57.2European membership platform with a similar 10% model and EU VAT handling.
- 5
Ghost55.3Own your site and keep subscription revenue with 0% fees from Ghost.
Why people left Patreon
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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Patreon: common questions
Is Patreon free?
Patreon has a free plan and paid plans.
Is Patreon open source?
No, Patreon is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Ghost.
What platforms does Patreon run on?
Patreon is available for Web, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Patreon?
The highest-ranked Patreon alternatives right now are Memberful, Buy Me a Coffee and Substack. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.