The Patreon Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Patreon in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Patreon
The Insider’s Guide
Paid memberships, a shop and community for creators and their fans
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among tools for selling digital products, read from Patreon’s own pages.
Made by Patreon · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Patreon’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Patreon’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 13 of the 14 other tools for selling digital products we grade
Patreon lets creators run paid memberships with tiers, monthly or annual billing and members-only posts, video, livestreams, podcasts and newsletters, plus a shop for one-off digital products. Patreon handles the payments itself, including chargebacks, fraud and most sales tax, and it takes a share of what creators earn instead of a monthly fee.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Patreon, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Getting started is free, and Patreon takes care of payments, chargebacks and most taxes for you.
- 1
Best for memberships funded by fans
It handles payments, fraud and most sales tax, and it's free to start.
- 2
It is free
Patreon has no paid plan at all. Starting a Patreon is free. Patreon keeps 10% of the income creators earn, plus payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees and applicable taxes.
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 4
Memberships
Membership tiers billed monthly or annually, one-time payments, free trials, discounts and sales, with member analytics.
- 5
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.
- 6
Posts, video and newsletters
Publish audio, images and rich text, host video natively, livestream, and send posts as email newsletters.
- 7
A 3.0 GPA, above 13 of 14
That is against the other tools for selling digital products we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Patreon is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Patreon at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Patreon
- Category
- Selling Digital Products
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.9 on the App Store, 579,795 ratings
The report card
Best for memberships funded by fans
Patreon is where fans pay creators every month: member tiers, posts, native video, livestreams, podcasts and newsletters, plus a shop for one-off downloads. It handles payments, fraud and most sales tax, and it's free to start. The cost is 10% of what you earn, double what Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee take, with no plan that lowers it.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Graded against its own alternatives, fan-support platforms. Patreon keeps 10% of what you earn, so $1,000 a month costs $100, with processing and payout fees on top (not counted). That's double Ko-fi's and Buy Me a Coffee's 5%, and in this category's dearest tenth. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Starting a Patreon is free, with no monthly fee and nothing held back. You only pay a share once you earn, and the value grade counts that. |
| Features | B | Against its alternatives it does the most: member tiers, free trials, a shop for downloads, native video, livestreams, podcasts with Spotify, newsletters and group chats. Not an A, because buyers need a Patreon account to purchase anything. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.9 from about 580,000 App Store ratings, the best here. Getting started is free, and Patreon takes care of payments, chargebacks and most taxes for you. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with Discord, Spotify, YouTube, Vimeo, Zapier, ConvertKit, WordPress and Crowdcast. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Patreon is for
- Great if you're a podcaster, video maker or artist funded by monthly members
- Handy when you want payments, fraud and sales tax handled for you
- Good for selling extra downloads to fans who already support you
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you earn a lot, as 10% of every dollar goes to Patreon with no plan to lower it
- Not for you if you want buyers paying on your own site, since they need a Patreon account
Good to know
Good for
- Podcasters, video makers and artists funded by monthly members
- Creators who want payments, fraud and tax handled for them
- Creators selling extra digital products to the same fans
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Patreon is free to use.
Graded against its own alternatives, fan-support platforms.
Patreon
$0
No monthly fee. Patreon keeps 10% of what creators earn from memberships and shop sales, plus processing, currency conversion and payout fees.
The free plan
Starting a Patreon is free. Patreon keeps 10% of the income creators earn, plus payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees and applicable taxes.
Read from patreon.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Paid memberships, a shop and community for creators and their fans. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: paid newsletters, community, digital downloads.
Not an A, because buyers need a Patreon account to purchase anything.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Discord
- Spotify
- YouTube
- Vimeo
- Zapier
- ConvertKit
- WordPress
- Crowdcast
Patreon is made by Patreon.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
13/14
Other tools for selling digital products it is graded above
Patreon's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 13 of the 14 other tools for selling digital products we grade.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 13 of 14) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Patreon has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 15 tools for selling digital products we grade, cut by the letter each got. Patreon’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 14
- AFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 14
- BFeaturesAbove 6 of 14
- AEase of useAbove 13 of 14
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 14
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 14 tools for selling digital products. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Patreon is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Patreon is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 13 of the 14 other tools for selling digital products we grade.
What you could make
- Paid newsletters and digital downloads: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Discord, Spotify and YouTube among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Patreon’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee, Memberful, Whop and Gumroad
The 5 tools Patreon is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Ko-fi
Free plan
Creator page for tips, memberships, a shop and paid commissions.
- Only Patreon lists iOS and Android apps.
- Patreon also covers paid newsletters and community.
- Ko-fi also covers online store.
- 2.6GPA
Buy Me a Coffee
Free
Creator page for tips, memberships and a simple shop.
- Patreon also covers community.
- 2.0GPA
Memberful
Free trial · from $49/mo
Membership platform for paid newsletters, podcasts and communities.
- 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.
- 3.4GPA
Whop
Free
Storefront, checkout and payouts for paid communities and products.
- Only Patreon lists an Android app.
- Patreon also covers paid newsletters.
- Whop also covers online courses and affiliate tracking.
- 2.6GPA
Gumroad
Free
Sell downloads, memberships and courses for a cut of each sale.
- Patreon also covers paid newsletters and community.
- Gumroad also covers email campaigns, affiliate tracking and merchant of record.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Patreon free?
Yes. Patreon is free to use.
How much does Patreon cost?
Patreon lists one plan. Patreon: $0.
What platforms does Patreon work on?
Patreon is available on Web, iOS and Android.
How is Patreon rated?
Patreon's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.9 out of 5 from 579,795 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Patreon have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Patreon is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Patreon have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Patreon is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Patreon open source?
Patreon is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Patreon integrate with?
Patreon's listing names Discord, Spotify, YouTube, Vimeo, Zapier, ConvertKit, WordPress and Crowdcast.
Who makes Patreon?
Patreon is made by Patreon.
What are the alternatives to Patreon?
The closest alternatives to Patreon in our directory are Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee, Memberful, Whop and Gumroad.
How does Patreon compare with other tools for selling digital products?
Patreon's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 13 of the 14 other tools for selling digital products we grade.
Is Patreon good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Patreon D for value for money. Patreon has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Patreon?
Patreon is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Patreon’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Patreon's own pages on 18 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Patreon. Prices change, so check patreon.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,281
Tools graded, in 73 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,281
tools graded
73
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Patreon, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/patreon
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Patreon: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/patreon
Know someone choosing between tools for selling digital products?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/patreon/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded tools for selling digital products after Patreon, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Selling Digital Products Insider's GuideEvery one of the 15 tools for selling digital products we grade, compared
- Whop Insider's GuideStorefront, checkout and payouts for paid communities and products3.4 GPA
- Lemon Squeezy Insider's GuideMerchant of record checkout for software, subscriptions and downloads2.8 GPA
- Buy Me a Coffee Insider's GuideCreator page for tips, memberships and a simple shop2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Patreon’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Patreon is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Patreon. Prices and plans change: check patreon.com before you buy.