Creators look past Patreon when the tenth of income it keeps starts to matter, when they want to sell to readers or listeners in a format Patreon treats as one feature among many, or when they would rather hold the customer relationship themselves. The options range from a flat monthly bill to a zero-commission donation service, and from a European membership tool to self-hosted publishing software.
Short answer: Where a category has smaller vendors worth recommending, they occupy the first three places and the big brands come below them. For Patreon users, the top three picks from our creator monetization platform ranking are Steady, Liberapay and Ghost. Pick Steady if you want a German operator with the same 10% headline but a European tax set-up. The 10 entries that follow are all ranked in Best Creator Monetization Platforms in 2026; each one explains what sets it apart from Patreon.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
Pricing: Percentage of creator income plus processing, currency and payout fees; no cost to start
Established in: United States
Built for: Creators who already sell memberships and want email included
Not for: Writers who need a public archive and a plain mailing list
01
Why buyers look past Patreon
01
A tenth of income, then more on top
Patreon's pricing page states that starting is free and that you pay when you earn: 10% of the income you earn on Patreon, plus payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees, and applicable taxes. The page gives no amounts for those extras. Past a certain income, a flat monthly price starts to look cheaper than a share.
02
Supporters belong to the platform's checkout
Patreon takes on the payment side itself: its pages say it handles chargebacks, disputes and fraud, and that creators need no Stripe account or tax paperwork. That is convenient, and it also means supporters pay Patreon rather than you. The page lists exportable email lists, which is the tool to use if you want a copy of your audience elsewhere.
03
One product with many jobs
Patreon bundles memberships, one-time payments, native video and livestreaming, newsletters, chats and podcast syncing under a single fee. A creator who only wants paid podcast feeds, a download shop or a paid newsletter may find a narrower tool fits better and costs less to run.
you want to charge for direct access such as messages and calls
#10
03
What each one does differently
1
Steady
Germany · Published
Steady Media GmbH works from Berlin and charges nothing until a creator earns. Then it keeps a 10% commission, the same headline figure as Patreon, with payment provider fees billed separately. Members pay monthly or annually and the creator receives a single payout. The category record warns that VAT varies with project type and the member's EU country, so check it before launch.
Switch from Patreon if you want a German operator with the same 10% headline but a European tax set-up.
Association Liberapay is a French non-profit founded in 2015 and funded by donations to its own account. It takes no commission on payments, and its source code sits on GitHub under a CC0 dedication. Processors still charge, with the FAQ putting recent averages near 3% on Stripe and 5.1% on PayPal. The pages we read show no merchandise or gated-content features.
Switch from Patreon if recurring donations matter more to you than perks, tiers or locked posts.
Ghost is published by a non-profit foundation and ships under the MIT licence, so you may host it yourself or buy a hosted tier priced by member count. The foundation adds no transaction fee of its own to paid subscriptions, which begin on the Publisher tier. Member import and export are listed. It sells reading access, not tips or downloads.
Switch from Patreon if you publish writing and want to own the software and the member list.
Supercast, formed in British Columbia, is aimed at paid podcast feeds: a subscriber landing page, analytics, and syncing of public episodes from your podcast host. The All-in plan costs $0.59 per subscriber per month, plus Stripe fees and a 0.7% billing fee on recurring payments. A flat head-count rate bites harder on cheap tiers, and no trial is named.
Switch from Patreon if your audience listens in a podcast app and you want private feeds.
Fourthwall pairs a shop builder with memberships and connects to YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Spotify. Its starter plan keeps 5% on digital products and memberships, while Pro at $15 a month removes that cut. US card payments carry 2.9% + 30 cents on every plan. Merchandise is the centre of the offer, with over 200 products in the catalogue.
Switch from Patreon if physical merchandise should sit beside your memberships.
Sellfy UAB in Vilnius charges a flat monthly plan instead of a cut: Starter, Business and Premium each carry a 0% transaction fee, with annual sales caps of $10,000, $50,000 and $200,000. Products are unlimited and each plan has a 14-day trial. Passing the cap without upgrading can trigger a 2% overage on the excess.
Switch from Patreon if you sell downloads and want a predictable bill rather than a share of sales.
Publisherr, Inc. in San Francisco runs this supporter page, whose help centre sets a 5% platform fee and no monthly charge. Stripe processing of 2.9% + $0.30 comes on top, plus 0.5% for payouts, a further 1% outside the US and 0.5% on subscription payments. Creators choose whether to absorb card fees or pass them on. Its pricing address gave an error.
Switch from Patreon if your fans mostly tip or give small monthly amounts and you want half Patreon's cut.
Gumroad takes 10% + $0.50 on sales through your own profile or links, which matches Patreon's percentage but adds a fixed amount per sale. A customer who first finds the product via Discover costs 30%. There is no monthly charge. The 50 cents weighs most on cheap items, so the model suits pricier files, courses and one-off drops better than small pledges.
Switch from Patreon if you sell files or courses at higher prices and want no recurring bill.
Substack, a US company, pays writers 90% once card fees are deducted, so its tenth rises with every paid reader. Posts can be free or paid one by one, and the vendor says content and list belong to you. Everything sells as reading, not downloads or tips. Its terms point to California law and arbitration in San Francisco County.
Switch from Patreon if your product is a written newsletter and you want paid and free posts together.
Passes, Inc. packs paid DMs, 1:1 calls, livestreams, a content vault and merchandise into one fan page. Two figures need reconciling: the homepage promises up to 90% of earnings, while the Creator Terms cited by the category record state a 20% fee on credit and debit sales, and that page errored. Expect to ask which sales qualify before relying on either number.
Switch from Patreon if you want to charge for direct access such as messages and calls.
You want a European operator and a familiar commission
Steady: Steady Media GmbH of Berlin charges nothing until you earn, then keeps 10% with provider fees billed separately.
02
You want no platform commission at all
Liberapay: Association Liberapay takes none and is funded by donations, though processors charge near 3% on Stripe and 5.1% on PayPal.
03
You run a paid podcast
Supercast: Private feeds, a landing page and analytics for $0.59 per subscriber per month on All-in, plus Stripe fees.
04
You sell downloads and want a flat bill
Sellfy: Plans carry a 0% transaction fee with annual sales caps of $10,000, $50,000 and $200,000, and a 14-day trial.
05
You publish writing and want to host it yourself
Ghost: The MIT-licensed code can be self-hosted, and the foundation adds no transaction fee to paid subscriptions.
04
When Patreon is still the right choice
Patreon remains a sound choice for a creator who wants tiers, one-time payments, video, chat and newsletters under one login, and who values having someone else carry chargebacks, disputes and tax paperwork. Its pages list 16+ currencies and payment methods such as PayPal, Apple Pay, Venmo and Sofort. If your income is modest, a tenth is an easy price for that protection.
05
What moving off Patreon involves
01
Tell supporters before you export anything
Patreon lists exportable email lists among its features, so take the export first and read what it contains. Supporters pay through Patreon's checkout, which means a new tool usually asks them to subscribe again. Announce the move well ahead and keep both pages open for a billing cycle.
02
Rebuild tiers around the new fee model
A flat plan, a per-subscriber rate and a percentage each change which tier prices make sense. Recalculate your cheapest tiers first, because fixed amounts per sale or subscriber weigh most there. Also check who handles VAT and chargebacks in the destination, since Patreon currently takes that on.
06
Questions about replacing Patreon
6 answers
How much does Patreon keep?
Its pricing page states 10% of the income you earn on Patreon, plus payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees, and applicable taxes. The page gives no figures for those extras, and starting is free.
Is there an alternative without a commission?
Liberapay takes no commission, though payment processors charge their own fees, and Sellfy charges a flat monthly plan with 0% transaction fee. Ghost adds no transaction fee of its own to paid subscriptions, though Stripe fees apply.
Which option suits podcasters leaving Patreon?
Supercast is built around paid podcast feeds and charges $0.59 per subscriber per month on its All-in plan. Patreon itself lists podcast importing, Spotify integration and RSS distribution, so compare those before switching.
Can I take my supporters with me?
Patreon's pricing page lists exportable email lists. Because supporters pay through Patreon, expect to ask them to set up payment again in the new tool, and do not assume that subscriptions transfer.
Is there a European option?
Steady Media GmbH is based in Berlin, Sellfy UAB in Vilnius and Association Liberapay in France. Ghost Foundation's record lists Singapore. Operator location does not settle where payments are processed, so read each provider's terms.
What if I mainly sell digital files?
Sellfy and Gumroad both focus on downloads. Sellfy bills a flat plan with annual sales caps, while Gumroad takes 10% + $0.50 per direct sale. Patreon also lists digital product sales among its features.
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Sources
Checked 7 November 2026
Patreon pricing: Free to start, 10% of income plus processing, currency conversion and payout fees and taxes, membership tiers, exportable email lists, podcast importing, chargebacks handled, payment methods, 16+ currencies.
Patreon home: Starting a Patreon is free, memberships and digital products.
Steady: Berlin operator, 10% commission, provider fees separate (as in our category record; the site blocked our check this session).
Liberapay: Non-profit, no commission, donation-funded.
Ghost: Foundation-run, MIT licence, hosted tiers by member count, self-hosting.
Supercast: Paid podcast feeds, All-in plan at $0.59 per subscriber per month.
Fourthwall: Shop builder with memberships, starter plan and Pro at $15 a month.
Sellfy: Starter, Business and Premium, 0% transaction fee, annual sales caps, 14-day trial.
Buy Me a Coffee: 5% platform fee, no monthly fee, Publisherr, Inc.
Gumroad: 10% + $0.50 on direct sales, 30% on Discover.
Substack: 90% to writers after card fees, free and paid posts.
Passes: Paid DMs, calls, livestreams, content vault, up to 90% claim and 20% fee in Creator Terms.
Founder of The Knowledge Engineers and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Editorially responsible for every page on this site; research and drafting are AI-assisted.
Checked and edited by Sebastiaan Smits, last on 7 November 2026. The editorial process explains the method.
