Alternatives · Digital Products
Patreon alternatives
Patreon compared with 5 alternatives: Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee, Memberful, Whop and Gumroad.
Patreon is free to use. 4 of the 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.
5 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 18, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
Price against what you get
Patreon has no paid plan and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 4 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Patreon
- Free plan
Ko-fi
Creator page for tips, memberships, a shop and paid commissions
- Only Patreon lists iOS and Android apps.
- Ko-fi also covers online store.
- Patreon also covers paid newsletters and community.
Suits: Artists and streamers who want tips and memberships on one page
- Free
Buy Me a Coffee
Creator page for tips, memberships and a simple shop
- Buy Me a Coffee is free. Patreon is free.
- Patreon also covers community.
Suits: Creators who want tips and memberships without a monthly bill
- Free trial · from $49/mo
Memberful
Membership platform for paid newsletters, podcasts and communities
- Memberful starts at $49 per month. Patreon is free.
- Patreon has a free plan. Memberful does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Patreon lists iOS and Android apps.
- Memberful also covers online courses.
Suits: Writers and publishers running a paid newsletter on their own site
- Free
Whop
Storefront, checkout and payouts for paid communities and products
- Whop is free. Patreon is free.
- Only Patreon lists an Android app.
- Whop also covers online courses and affiliate tracking.
- Patreon also covers paid newsletters.
Suits: Creators selling paid community access with courses and chat
- Free
Gumroad
Sell downloads, memberships and courses for a cut of each sale
- Gumroad is free. Patreon is free.
- Gumroad also covers email campaigns, affiliate tracking and merchant of record.
- Patreon also covers paid newsletters and community.
Suits: Creators testing a first product who want no monthly bill
Limits worth knowing in Patreon
- Patreon keeps 10% of creator income, and payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees come on top.
- Buyers need a Patreon account to purchase products, so fans pay inside Patreon rather than on your own site.
- The pricing page lists a single rate, 10% of earnings, with no monthly plan that lowers it.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Patreon?
The alternatives to Patreon in this directory are Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee, Memberful, Whop and Gumroad. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Patreon.
Is there a free alternative to Patreon?
Yes. Buy Me a Coffee, Whop and Gumroad are free to use. Ko-fi has a free plan alongside paid ones.
When were these prices checked?
Every listing on this page was checked on Oct 18, 2026, against the pages it cites. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.