Ko-fi
NewsletterKo-fi is a site where fans tip creators and pay them for commissions, work a fan pays you to make. On its Free plan, Ko-fi takes no fee on simple tips. Without Ko-fi Gold, it charges a 5% service fee on commissions.
The verdict
Pick Ko-fi if your income is mainly tips. Ko-fi takes 0% on simple tips on its Free plan. A service fee is the share of a payment Ko-fi keeps. Without Gold, it is 5% on commissions.
Ko-fi Gold is a paid plan with 0% service fees on all payment options for a fixed monthly cost. Check the Gold price before you join. The math, on October 26, 2026 prices: 5% of $580 is $29. So above about $580 a month in sales, Ko-fi’s 5% fee costs more than Ghost Publisher at $29 a month billed yearly.
Best for
Creators who earn mainly from tips and want a 0% fee on them. Creators under about $580 a month in sales who want a lower fee than Patreon’s 10%.
Not for
Creators above about $580 a month in sales without Gold. Ghost Publisher at $29 a month billed yearly costs less at that size. Creators who want 0% on every payment but haven’t checked what Gold costs each month.
When we use it
- 0% fee on simple tips on the Free plan.
- Without Gold, the 5% fee is half of Patreon’s 10% on pages published after August 4, 2025.
- Below about $980 a month in sales, the 5% fee costs less than beehiiv Lite at $49 a month billed yearly, since $49 divided by 5% is $980.
Margin notes
- Ko-fi keeps a 5% service fee, its share of each payment, on commissions unless you pay for Ko-fi Gold. Above about $580 a month in sales, that 5% costs more than Ghost Publisher at $29 a month billed yearly.
- As of October 26, 2026, Ko-fi shows no Gold price. Gold costs a fixed monthly fee, so check that price before you count on the 0% deal.
What to do next
Add up last month’s tips and commissions on two lines. If tips are the bigger line, Ko-fi’s Free plan takes 0% of them. If commissions pass about $580 a month, price Ghost Publisher on Ghost. See each option side by side on Patreon alternatives.