GTM Tech Stack
Best ofGTMUpdated Oct 26, 2026

Best Patreon alternatives · when a 10% cut costs less than a flat fee

Patreon’s platform fee, the share of each payment Patreon keeps, is 10% of what you earn on pages published after August 4, 2025. A flat monthly plan costs less than that 10% only once your members pay you enough each month.

Notes from GTM teamsWritten by people who run outboundWe use the tools we recommend.

our pick for you

Our pick

Stay on Patreon, or use Ko-fi, while your members pay you less than about $490 a month. Pick beehiiv above that if you run a newsletter with paid tiers, the paid levels a reader can join. Pick Ghost Publisher for the lowest flat fee on paid members. It is $29 a month billed yearly at 1,000 members. Billed yearly means you pay for 12 months up front.

  • Patreon keeps 10% of income on pages published after August 4, 2025, plus processing, currency conversion and payout fees.
  • beehiiv Lite is $49 a month billed yearly, or $59 billed monthly, for up to 1,000 subscribers, with a 0% beehiiv cut on paid subscriptions.
  • Ghost Publisher is $29 a month billed yearly, or $35 billed monthly, at 1,000 members, with a 0% Ghost fee.
  • Ko-fi charges a 5% fee without Gold and 0% on tips on its Free plan.
  • Substack keeps 10% of paid revenue, the same cut as Patreon.
  • Card fees come on top of every platform fee. beehiiv lists Stripe at 2.9% plus $0.30 per card charge.

Ranked picks

  1. #1
    Beehiivtop pick

    Best for: Newsletter creators with paid tiers who earn more than about $490 a month from members.

    Free to 2,500 subscribers.Newsletter
    • A 0% beehiiv cut on paid subscriptions, against Patreon’s 10%.
    • Lite includes 1 paid tier, 3 digital products and the ad network, a service that sells ads in your newsletter for you.
    • Free costs $0 a month up to 2,500 subscribers, enough to grow a list before you charge.
    Go to the websiteRead our review
  2. #2
    Ghost

    Best for: Creators who want the lowest flat fee for paid members and a site they control.

    At 10,000 members:…Newsletter
    • Publisher costs $20 a month less than beehiiv Lite at 1,000 members on yearly billing.
    • A 0% Ghost fee on paid subscriptions.
    • Publisher includes advanced analytics, custom themes and 3 staff users.
    Read our review
  3. #3
    Ko-fi

    Best for: Creators who mostly get tips and want a 0% fee on them.

    See vendor pricingNewsletter
    • 0% on tips on the Free plan.
    • A 5% fee without Gold is half of Patreon’s 10%.
    Read our review
  4. #4
    Substack

    Best for: Writers who want no monthly bill and accept a 10% cut.

    Credit / waterfallNewsletter
    • No monthly plan price on its going paid page.
    Read our review
  5. #5
    Patreon

    Best for: Creators under about $490 a month in member income, and creators who still have legacy pricing.

    See vendor pricingNewsletter
    • Free to start, with no monthly bill.
    • At low income, 10% costs less than any flat plan listed.
    Read our review

Compare

ToolPrice bandBest forDealbreaker
#1 BeehiivFree to 2,500 subscribers.Newsletter creators with paid tiers who earn more than about $490 a month from members.Below about $490 a month in member income, Patreon’s 10% costs less than Lite at $49 a…
#2 GhostAt 10,000 members:…Creators who want the lowest flat fee for paid members and a site they control.Ghost Starter, $15 a month billed yearly, can’t take paid subscriptions, so paid members…
#3 Ko-fiSee vendor pricingCreators who mostly get tips and want a 0% fee on them.The Gold page doesn’t state Gold’s monthly price, so you can’t check the 0% deal before…
#4 SubstackCredit / waterfallWriters who want no monthly bill and accept a 10% cut.Substack keeps 10%, the same cut as Patreon, so a move saves nothing on fees.
#5 PatreonSee vendor pricingCreators under about $490 a month in member income, and creators who still have legacy pricing.Pages published after August 4, 2025 pay 10% of income, plus processing, currency…
MethodHow we scored these tools▾

Prices are each platform’s list prices as of October 26, 2026. The math counts platform fees for 200 members at $5 a month, before card processing. Each break-even point is a flat plan price divided by the percentage fee it replaces.

Who it's for

buy if

  • You sell memberships on Patreon and want to know what you would keep elsewhere.
  • Your members pay you $300 a month or more, the range where a flat fee can beat a 10% cut.
  • You write a newsletter and want paid tiers next to it.

skip if

  • Skip the switch if your members pay you less than about $290 a month, because Patreon’s 10% then costs less than Ghost Publisher at $29 a month billed yearly, the lowest flat plan listed.
  • Skip beehiiv Free if you need paid tiers. Free has none.
  • Skip Substack if the goal is a smaller cut. Substack keeps 10%, the same as Patreon.

The short answer

Stay on Patreon if your members pay you less than about $490 a month. At that size, Patreon’s 10% costs less than beehiiv Lite.

Pick Ko-fi if your income is mainly tips. Ko-fi takes 0% on tips on its Free plan.

Pick beehiiv if you run a newsletter with paid tiers and earn more than about $490 a month. Lite is $49 a month billed yearly and takes 0% of paid subscriptions.

Pick Ghost Publisher if you want the lowest flat fee for paid members. It is $29 a month billed yearly at 1,000 members, $20 less than beehiiv Lite.

What each platform keeps from $1,000 a month

A creator with 200 members at $5 a month earns $1,000 a month.

The math: on October 26, 2026 prices, platform fees only, before card processing:

Patreon: 10% of $1,000 = $100 a month.

Substack: 10% of $1,000 = $100 a month.

Ko-fi without Gold: 5% of $1,000 = $50 a month.

beehiiv Lite: $49 a month billed yearly, with a 0% beehiiv cut.

Ghost Publisher: $29 a month billed yearly, with a 0% Ghost fee.

At this size, Ghost Publisher leaves you the largest share. Card fees come on top.

The member income where a flat fee starts to win

A flat fee beats a 10% cut once 10% of your income is bigger than the fee.

The math: on October 26, 2026 prices, each line is the plan price divided by 10%:

beehiiv Lite at $49 a month billed yearly: $49 ÷ 10% = $490 a month in member income.

beehiiv Lite at $59 a month billed monthly: $590 a month.

Ghost Publisher at $29 a month billed yearly: $290 a month.

Ghost Publisher at $35 a month billed monthly: $350 a month.

Below those lines, Patreon’s 10% costs less. Ko-fi’s 5% fee costs less than beehiiv Lite at $49 a month billed yearly until about $980 a month, since $49 divided by 5% is $980.

What older Patreon pages must do by November 1, 2026

Patreon’s 10% applies to pages published after August 4, 2025. Creators who published earlier keep legacy pricing.

As of October 26, 2026, creators on legacy billing must switch to subscription billing by November 1, 2026. After that date, Patreon pauses their billing.

If you plan to leave Patreon anyway, check this date first.

Two lines to read in beehiiv’s fine print

beehiiv’s 0% cut on paid subscriptions doesn’t cover card fees. Stripe still takes 2.9% plus $0.30 per card charge.

beehiiv Free has no paid tiers and no custom domain. You need Lite, $49 a month billed yearly, to charge readers.

Common questions

What is the cheapest Patreon alternative?▾

It depends on income. Below about $290 a month, Patreon’s 10% costs less than Ghost Publisher at $29 a month billed yearly, the cheapest flat fee for paid members. Above that, Ghost Publisher costs less.

Is there a Patreon alternative with no fees?▾

Ko-fi takes 0% on tips on its Free plan. beehiiv and Ghost take 0% of paid subscriptions, and both charge a monthly plan fee. Card fees still apply on top.

Is beehiiv cheaper than Patreon?▾

Above about $490 a month in member income, yes. beehiiv Lite is $49 a month billed yearly. Below that line, Patreon’s 10% costs less.

Does Patreon take 10%?▾

Yes, for pages published after August 4, 2025. Patreon keeps 10% of income, plus processing, currency conversion and payout fees. Earlier pages keep legacy pricing.

Is Ko-fi better than Patreon?▾

For tips, Ko-fi costs less at 0% on its Free plan. Without Gold, Ko-fi charges 5%, half of Patreon’s 10%.

Sources7 references▾

what to do next

What to do next

Add up what your members paid you last month. If it was under about $490 a month, stay on Patreon or move tips to Ko-fi. If it was more and you write a newsletter, start beehiiv on Free, then move to Lite when you add paid tiers. If you want the lowest flat fee and a site you control, price Ghost Publisher on Ghost. Try beehiiv Next · beehiiv vs Ghost compares the two flat fees · beehiiv vs Substack compares a flat fee with a 10% cut · Newsletter cost prices the full bill.

Related