Ko-fi vs Buy Me a Coffee
Verdict. Pick Ko-fi. It does the same tip jar and membership job for less money and pays faster. One-time tips cost 0% on Ko-fi Free, and Gold at $12 a month removes the 5% fee on everything. At $1,000 a month in $10 payments that works out to about $71 in costs on Ko-fi against $114 on Buy Me a Coffee. Ko-fi money lands in your PayPal or Stripe account instantly, while Buy Me a Coffee's first payout waits on a manual review that can take two weeks. New Ko-fi accounts start at 5% on tips, so check your settings.
Pick Ko-fi if
you mostly take one-time tips, or you sell enough each month that the $12 Gold plan beats paying 5%.
Pick Buy Me a Coffee if
you want lifetime memberships or free trials on membership levels, and one flat 5% fee with no plan to choose suits you.
Side by side
| Compared | Ko-fi | Buy Me a Coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 7.9 / 10 | 6.4 / 10 |
| Best for | Artists and streamers who mostly take tips and commissions | Writers and makers who want a simple tip jar |
| What it costs | Ko-fi Free charges 0% on one-time tips and 5% on memberships, shop sales, commissions and monthly tips, while Ko-fi Gold costs $12 a month for 0% on everything, with PayPal or Stripe processing on top. | You pay a 5% platform fee on every payment, plus Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30, a 0.5% payout fee, 1% extra on non-US payments and 0.5% extra on subscriptions. |
| Keep from $1,000 | $929 (Gold) | $886 (Free) |
| Plans from | Free | Free |
| Payouts | There is no Ko-fi balance to withdraw. Each payment lands in your PayPal or Stripe account the moment a supporter pays, with no minimum and no schedule. Moving money from PayPal or Stripe to your bank follows their rules. | Payouts go through Stripe once your balance reaches $10. Your first request triggers a one-time manual review, so the first payout can take 7 to 14 days. After approval, money reaches your bank in a few business days depending on your Stripe account type. |
| Who can join | Open to anyone 18+ with a PayPal account or a full Stripe account. Stripe works in 40+ countries, and Stripe Express accounts are not supported. | Open to anyone 18+, or old enough to sign a contract where you live. Payouts need Stripe, which limits you to 49 supported countries. |
| Founded | n/a | 2018 |
Scorecards
| Criterion | Possible | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Fees$71 on $1,000 a month | 3.0 | 2.55 |
| FeaturesDepth for its category | 2.0 | 1.20 |
| EaseSignup to first sale | 1.5 | 1.35 |
| OwnershipExport, domain, own payments | 2.0 | 1.40 |
| PayoutsSpeed, methods, countries | 1.5 | 1.35 |
| Total | 10.0 | 7.9 |
| Criterion | Possible | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Fees$114 on $1,000 a month | 3.0 | 1.89 |
| FeaturesDepth for its category | 2.0 | 1.20 |
| EaseSignup to first sale | 1.5 | 1.35 |
| OwnershipExport, domain, own payments | 2.0 | 1.20 |
| PayoutsSpeed, methods, countries | 1.5 | 0.75 |
| Total | 10.0 | 6.4 |
Where Ko-fi falls short
- New accounts start in Standard mode, which charges 5% on tips until you opt out.
- Gold rose to $12 a month for new users, from $8, and annual billing is gone.
- PayPal and Stripe are the only options. No Payoneer, Wise or direct bank payouts.
- Membership and posting tools are simpler than Patreon's, so content-heavy creators may outgrow it.
Where Buy Me a Coffee falls short
- Non-US subscriptions pay 2.9% + $0.30 plus 1% international, 0.5% subscription and 0.5% payout fees.
- Payouts need $10 and a manual review first, so the first one can take two weeks.
- Stripe-only payouts shut out creators outside the 49 supported countries.
- The homepage promises instant payouts, but the help center says 3 to 5 business days.
Still deciding? See every option in membership platforms.