Patreon Alternative Calculator: Compare Creator Membership Platform Fees in 2026
Compare Patreon alternatives for creators including Substack, Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee, Memberful, and Ghost. Calculate net payout after platform fees and payment processing for each platform based on your subscriber count and pricing.
How Membership Platform Fees Are Calculated
Each membership platform charges a different combination of platform fee + payment processing fee. Net payout = Revenue × (1 − platform fee % − payment processing %).
Patreon Pro: 8% + 2.9% + $0.30. Substack: 10% (no payment fee). Ko-fi: 0% platform fee (5% on Gold), 2.9%+$0.30 Stripe. Ghost: $9–$199/month flat, 0% platform fee. Memberful: 4.9% + Stripe fees.
How to Use the Patreon Alternative Calculator
Enter your subscriber count and monthly price
The number of paying members and your primary monthly tier price.
Select platforms to compare
Choose from Patreon, Substack, Ko-fi, Ghost, Memberful, and Buy Me a Coffee.
Click Calculate
See net monthly payout for each platform, ranked from highest to lowest.
Real-World Scenario Example
"500 subscribers at $10/month generates $5,000 gross. Net payouts: Ko-fi = $4,705 (5.9%), Ghost = $4,801+ (flat fee only), Patreon Pro = $4,355 (12.9%), Substack = $4,500 (10%)."
Inputs
Result
Best value at this scale: Ghost (flat $29/month fee) → $4,971 net
Important Disclaimer
Platform fees change frequently. Always verify current fee structures on each platform's pricing page before making migration decisions. ToolGenieHub is not affiliated with any membership platforms mentioned.
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