Patreon vs SubscribeStar (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Patreon if

• Fits if you're a podcaster, video maker or artist funded by monthly members
• Works for creators who want payments, fraud and most sales tax handled, for 10% of earnings

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you earn a lot, as 10% of every dollar goes to Patreon with no plan to lower it
• Watch out: processing, currency conversion and payout fees come on top of the 10%
• Not for you if you want buyers paying on your own site, since they need a Patreon account
• Not for you if you want a desktop app, as it's web, iPhone and Android only

Pick SubscribeStar if

• Fits if you are a creator who wants subscriptions with no monthly fee
• Works for people who want to choose who pays the processing fee

Look elsewhere if

• Watch out: a rolling reserve of 10% of earnings is held, and more if refunds or chargebacks run high
• Pricey if you use the API, which can add 3% to 5%
• Watch out: fees are set per creator and the page says they may change
• Skip it if you want one clear rate, since processing runs from 3% + $0.30 to 10% + $0.40

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.

SubscribeStar

• Fees are set per creator and the platform may change them; the pricing page says to review it periodically.
• A rolling reserve of 10% of earnings is held, and a higher reserve can apply when refund or chargeback rates exceed stated limits.
• Creators using the API can face an extra fee of 3% to 5% according to the pricing page.
• The homepage headline reads 'Free Today' for musicians, visual artists and educators, but the pricing page does not explain it.

Patreon

Memberships

Membership tiers billed monthly or annually, one-time payments, free trials, discounts and sales, with member analytics.

Shop for digital products

Sell video, audio, images, downloadable files and collections one at a time, with no listing fee, or make them free for members.

Posts, video and newsletters

Publish audio, images and rich text, host video natively, livestream, and send posts as email newsletters.

Podcasts

Import and sync podcasts, run several shows, distribute episodes by RSS, and use the Spotify integration with synced feeds.

Community

Group chats, direct messages and comments for members, with exportable email lists and Discord integration.

Payments handled by Patreon

Patreon processes payments, handles chargebacks, disputes and fraud, collects and remits most taxes, and supports 16+ currencies.

SubscribeStar

Subscriptions for creators

Creators set a subscription price and a schedule, and subscribers are charged on that schedule.

Transaction fee model

A creator picks whether payment processing costs are covered by the creator or passed on to subscribers.

Tax handling

Where applicable the platform calculates, collects and remits VAT, GST, sales tax and similar levies.

Statistics

The site advertises comprehensive statistics and analysis for creators.

Wallet and payouts

Payouts carry a fee that depends on the withdrawal method, currency and country; the site also links to a wallet.

Patreon

• Patreon$0

  No monthly fee. Patreon keeps 10% of what creators earn from memberships and shop sales, plus processing, currency conversion and payout fees.

SubscribeStar

• Star (creator)$0

  5% platform service fee. Payment processing runs from 3% + $0.30 to 10% + $0.40, paid by the creator or the subscriber depending on the fee model chosen.