Patreon vs Buy Me a Coffee
Verdict. Buy Me a Coffee wins for most people because it takes 5% where Patreon takes 10%. At $5,000 a month in $25 payments, our math puts your costs at $480 on Buy Me a Coffee and $705 on Patreon. Its Stripe setup adds 0.5% on subscriptions, 0.5% on payouts and 1% on non-US payments, so the real gap is a little smaller. Patreon makes sense if you live outside Buy Me a Coffee's 49 payout countries, or if you want video hosting and community chat on the same page.
Pick Patreon if
you live outside the 49 countries where Buy Me a Coffee can pay you, since Patreon pays out through Payoneer, PayPal or local bank transfer.
Pick Buy Me a Coffee if
you want one flat 5% fee, free emails to your supporters and a page that goes live as soon as you connect Stripe.
Side by side
| Compared | Patreon | Buy Me a Coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 6.1 / 10 | 6.4 / 10 |
| Best for | Video creators, podcasters and artists with loyal fans | Writers and makers who want a simple tip jar |
| What it costs | New creators pay a 10% platform fee plus 2.9% + $0.30 card processing per payment, a 2.5% currency conversion fee when fans pay in another currency, and a small payout fee. | 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 | $841 (Standard) | $886 (Free) |
| Plans from | Free | Free |
| Payouts | You withdraw manually up to once every 24 hours, or turn on automatic payouts on the 5th of each month. US bank transfers cost $0.25 per payout, PayPal costs 1% capped at $20 with a $10 minimum, and Payoneer costs $1 with a $25 minimum. Money arrives in 1 to 5 days, and iOS in-app earnings stay pending for up to 75 days. | 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+, or younger with a parent's or guardian's permission. US creators get paid by bank transfer, and creators elsewhere use Payoneer, PayPal or local bank transfer in supported currencies. | 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 | 2013 | 2018 |
Scorecards
| Criterion | Possible | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Fees$159 on $1,000 a month | 3.0 | 1.23 |
| FeaturesDepth for its category | 2.0 | 1.60 |
| EaseSignup to first sale | 1.5 | 1.20 |
| OwnershipExport, domain, own payments | 2.0 | 1.00 |
| PayoutsSpeed, methods, countries | 1.5 | 1.05 |
| Total | 10.0 | 6.1 |
| 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 Patreon falls short
- New pages pay 10%, up from the old 8% Pro rate, before any processing.
- Unpublishing your page even briefly moves a legacy plan to the 10% standard plan.
- iOS in-app purchases outside the US lose 30% to Apple, or 15% after a member's first year.
- iOS in-app earnings sit pending for up to 75 days before you can withdraw.
- A $3 tier loses about 23% to the platform fee and processing combined.
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.