Patreon vs Fourthwall
Verdict. Fourthwall is the better pick for most creators, and the reason is its 5% membership fee against Patreon's 10%. At $5,000 a month in $25 payments, that puts your costs near $455 on Fourthwall and $705 on Patreon. Merch adds to the case. Fourthwall takes no platform fee on merch and handles printing, shipping and sales tax for you. Cash flow is what could send you back to Patreon. Fourthwall pays once a month above $25 with no early payouts, while Patreon lets you withdraw every 24 hours.
Pick Patreon if
you need money more often than once a month, since Patreon lets you withdraw every 24 hours and US bank transfers cost $0.25.
Pick Fourthwall if
you sell merch or plan to, and want it on the same branded site as your memberships and digital downloads.
Side by side
| Compared | Patreon | Fourthwall |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 6.1 / 10 | 6.8 / 10 |
| Best for | Video creators, podcasters and artists with loyal fans | YouTubers and streamers selling merch alongside memberships |
| 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. | Memberships cost 5% plus 2.9% + $0.30 US card processing, digital products cost 5% on Free or 0% on Pro at $19 a month, and merch earns you the sale price minus a fixed base cost. |
| Keep from $1,000 | $841 (Standard) | $891 (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 are automatic and monthly. Stripe Connect payouts go out by the 3rd business day and cover the previous month, once your balance reaches $25. Creators in countries Stripe does not support get paid through bill.com. PayPal, Wise and early payouts are not available. |
| 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 16+, with a parent or guardian agreeing to the terms if you are under 18. Payouts need Stripe Connect or bill.com, and some countries are blocked entirely. |
| Founded | 2013 | 2019 |
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$109 on $1,000 a month | 3.0 | 1.98 |
| FeaturesDepth for its category | 2.0 | 1.60 |
| EaseSignup to first sale | 1.5 | 1.05 |
| OwnershipExport, domain, own payments | 2.0 | 1.40 |
| PayoutsSpeed, methods, countries | 1.5 | 0.75 |
| Total | 10.0 | 6.8 |
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 Fourthwall falls short
- Payouts come once a month, with a $25 minimum and no early withdrawals.
- PayPal sales cost 3.49% + $0.49, noticeably more than card payments.
- Pro's 0% digital fee still leaves memberships at 5%.
- The Free plan caps you at 50 products and two team members.
Still deciding? See every option in membership platforms.