Creator platform fees, compared
Enter what you sell in a month. We pick the cheapest plan on each platform for that volume, add card processing where the platform charges it separately, and rank them by what they take.
- WhopStandard$57 taken, you keep $943
- KitFree$65 taken, you keep $935
- Ko-fiGold$71 taken, you keep $929
- StanCreator$88 taken, you keep $912
- BeaconsCreator Plus$89 taken, you keep $911
- GhostPublisher$94 taken, you keep $906
- PayhipPlus$108 taken, you keep $892
- FourthwallFree$109 taken, you keep $891
- Buy Me a CoffeeFree$114 taken, you keep $886
- beehiivLite$118 taken, you keep $882
- SkoolHobby$139 taken, you keep $861
- TeachableBuilder$148 taken, you keep $852
- MemberfulStandard$157 taken, you keep $843
- PodiaMover$158 taken, you keep $842
- PatreonStandard$159 taken, you keep $841
- SubstackPaid subscriptions$166 taken, you keep $834
- ThinkificStart$168 taken, you keep $832
- CircleProfessional$185 taken, you keep $815
- GumroadDirect sales$209 taken, you keep $791
- KajabiBasic$238 taken, you keep $762
- YouTube channel membershipsChannel memberships$300 taken, you keep $700
Cheapest plan for that volume, $10 average sale, US card processing added where the platform charges it separately, at 2.9% + 30¢ or the platform's documented rate. Taxes, currency conversion and app store fees not included. Try your own numbers.
Short answer. On $1,000 a month at $10 per sale, Whop takes the least, about $57. YouTube channel memberships takes the most, about $300. The gap grows with revenue.
Every plan we price
Percentages are the platform's own cut. Card processing is added on top unless the plan says it's included. We use 2.9% + 30¢ per payment unless the platform documents a different rate, such as Substack's extra 0.7% on renewals.
What the calculator doesn't model
- Volume discounts, such as Gumroad dropping new direct sales to 5% + 50¢ after $20,000 in a calendar month.
- Surcharges on large single payments, such as Skool's 3.9% on charges above $900.
- Plans priced by list size. Ghost, beehiiv and Kit prices here are at about 1,000 subscribers and rise as you grow.
- Different rates for tips, memberships and products on the same platform. We price each platform's main product.
- Referral commissions like Skool's Growth Boost, app store fees, taxes, currency conversion and payout fees.
| Platform | Plan | Monthly | Cut of sales | Per sale | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whop Digital products | Standard | Free | 2.7% | $0.30 | Included |
| Kit Newsletters | Free | Free | 3.5% | $0.30 | Included |
| Creator | $39 | 3.5% | $0.30 | Included | |
| Pro | $79 | 3.5% | $0.30 | Included | |
| Ko-fi Memberships | Free | Free | 5% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Standard | Free | 5% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Gold | $12 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Stan Digital products | Creator | $29 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Creator Pro | $99 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Beacons Digital products | Free | Free | 9% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Creator | $10 | 9% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Creator Plus | $30 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Creator Max | $100 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Ghost Newsletters | Publisher | $35 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Business | $239 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Payhip Digital products | Free Forever | Free | 5% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Plus | $29 | 2% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Pro | $99 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Fourthwall Memberships | Free | Free | 5% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Pro | $19 | 5% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Buy Me a Coffee Memberships | Free | Free | 5% | 0 | On top, 3.4% + 30¢ |
| beehiiv Newsletters | Lite | $59 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Pro | $109 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Skool Courses | Hobby | $9 | 10% | $0.30 | Included |
| Pro | $99 | 2.9% | $0.30 | Included | |
| Teachable Courses | Starter | $39 | 7.5% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Builder | $89 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Growth | $189 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Memberful Memberships | Standard | $49 | 4.9% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Podia Courses | Mover | $49 | 5% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Shaker | $99 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Earthquaker | $179 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Patreon Memberships | Standard | Free | 10% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Substack Newsletters | Paid subscriptions | Free | 10% | 0 | On top, 3.6% + 30¢ |
| Thinkific Courses | Start | $109 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Grow | $219 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Expand | $499 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ | |
| Circle Courses | Professional | $99 | 2% | 0 | On top, 3.6% + 30¢ |
| Business | $219 | 1% | 0 | On top, 3.6% + 30¢ | |
| Scale | $419 | 1% | 0 | On top, 3.6% + 30¢ | |
| Gumroad Digital products | Direct sales | Free | 10% | $0.50 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Kajabi Courses | Basic | $179 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Growth | $249 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.8% + 30¢ | |
| Pro | $499 | 0% | 0 | On top, 2.7% + 30¢ | |
| YouTube channel memberships Memberships | Channel memberships | Free | 30% | 0 | Included |
Questions people ask
What fees do creator platforms charge?
Most charge some mix of three things: a percentage of each sale, a monthly plan price, and card processing, usually 2.9% plus 30 cents per US card payment. Some bundle processing into their percentage. A few add a fixed fee per sale.
Is a percentage fee or a monthly plan cheaper?
It depends on volume. A 10% fee costs $10 on $100 of sales but $1,000 on $10,000, while a flat plan costs the same every month. On most platforms we track, a paid plan beats the free percentage plan once you pass a few hundred dollars a month.
Why does the average sale size matter?
Card processors charge a fixed amount per payment, typically 30 cents in the US. On a $3 tip that is 10% of the payment; on a $100 course it is 0.3%. Small, frequent payments lose more to fixed fees.