Best membership platforms in 2026
Ko-fi is the best membership platform for most creators. It takes 5% of memberships with no monthly fee, or 0% for $12 a month on Gold, and pays you instantly through your own PayPal or Stripe account. Move to Memberful once you earn about $1,000 a month, and pick Patreon only if you need its video and app.
We compared four platforms on published fees, payout terms, features, and what happens to your members if you leave. We did not test them hands-on. Every number below comes from each platform's own pricing page or help center.
Our ranking
Ko-fi
Best for most creators
5% on memberships, 0% on tips if you want it, and money in your account the moment someone pays. Gold drops the fee to 0% for $12 a month.
Memberful
Best for owning your members
Cards sit in your own Stripe account and your members' area runs on your own domain. The $49 monthly fee only pays off above about $960 a month.
Patreon
Best for features
Video hosting, chat, free trials, and a fan app, for a 10% fee on new creators. Members' cards stay with Patreon if you leave.
Buy Me a Coffee
Best for one flat fee
5% on everything with nothing to configure, but payouts are weekly, Stripe-only, and carry small extra Stripe charges.
What you keep on $1,000 a month
Membership platforms paid in $10 payments by US cards, on whichever plan leaves you the most. Fees checked October 21, 2026.
| Platform and plan | Share kept versus fees | You keep | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ko-fiGold | $929 | −$71 | |
| Buy Me a CoffeeFree | $886 | −$114 | |
| MemberfulStandard | $843 | −$157 | |
| PatreonStandard | $841 | −$159 |
Membership platforms side by side
| Platform | Best for | Keep at $1,000 | Keep at $10,000 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ko-fi | Creators who want tips, simple membership tiers, and a shop with the lowest fees and instant payouts. | $929 | $9,398 | 7.7 |
| Memberful | Creators earning $1,000 a month or more who want members billed through their own Stripe account and their own website. | $843 | $8,871 | 7.6 |
| Patreon | Creators who will use video hosting, chat, free trials, and digital product sales, and can give up 10% for them. | $841 | $8,410 | 7.1 |
| Buy Me a Coffee | Creators who want a tip page with a members' area and one flat fee with nothing to configure. | $886 | $8,860 | 6.9 |
How much does each membership platform take?
Ko-fi leaves you the most on a single payment, and Patreon the least. On a $10 membership paid by US card, here is what you keep on each platform's default plan, with Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 or Patreon's matching rate for processing.
- Ko-fi: about $8.91, or $9.41 on Gold before its $12 monthly fee
- Memberful: about $8.92, before its $49 monthly fee
- Buy Me a Coffee: about $8.86, including its 0.5% subscription charge but not its 0.5% payout fee
- Patreon: about $8.41 for creators who published after August 4, 2025
Which is cheapest at $1,000 a month?
Ko-fi Gold, by a wide margin. At $1,000 a month in $10 memberships, Ko-fi Gold leaves about $929, Ko-fi's free setting $891, Buy Me a Coffee $886, Memberful $843, and Patreon $841.
Memberful's $49 fee is why it ranks low here despite its 4.9% rate. Above about $960 a month it costs less than Patreon, and it pulls further ahead as you grow. Our fee table runs every revenue level.
How to choose a membership platform
Start with what you earn and whether you have an audience outside the platform.
- Under $240 a month: Ko-fi on its free setting. Nothing here costs less.
- $240 a month and up: Ko-fi Gold. The $12 fee beats any percentage once you pass $240.
- Over $1,000 a month with your own site or newsletter: Memberful. You pay less than on Patreon and own the billing.
- Any size, if members pay for video or community: Patreon, knowing the 10% fee and that members' cards stay behind if you leave.
- You want one flat fee and no settings: Buy Me a Coffee, if weekly Stripe payouts work where you live.
What happens to your members if you leave?
Of these four, only Memberful documents a way to keep your members' payment details when you leave. It stores cards in your own Stripe account, so your billing does not depend on Memberful.
Patreon keeps cards. Memberful's own docs say members coming from Patreon have to add a payment method again. Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee let you export supporter emails but do not document moving active memberships with payment details.
Every member who has to re-enter a card is a member you might lose. If you think you could outgrow your first platform, think twice before starting on Patreon.
Which platforms pay you fastest?
Ko-fi pays instantly, because supporters pay straight into your PayPal or Stripe account. Memberful also pays through your own Stripe account, on Stripe's normal schedule for your country.
Patreon lets you withdraw on demand or automatically on the 5th, and transfers take 1 to 5 days. Buy Me a Coffee pays weekly, every Wednesday, after a $10 minimum, and Stripe takes 0.5% of each payout.
Watch for holds. Patreon puts a 5-day hold on new payout methods and keeps iOS in-app purchases pending for up to 75 days. Buy Me a Coffee's first payout can take 7 to 14 days.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest membership platform?
Ko-fi. It takes 5% of memberships with no monthly fee, and Ko-fi Gold drops that to 0% for $12 a month. Card processing applies on every platform.
Is Patreon still worth it?
For creators who use its video hosting, chat, and app, yes. New creators pay 10% plus processing, double Ko-fi's 5%, and members' cards stay with Patreon if you leave.
Do membership platforms charge a monthly fee?
Patreon, Ko-fi, and Buy Me a Coffee have no monthly fee. Memberful costs $49 a month. Ko-fi Gold is an optional $12 a month for a 0% platform fee.
Which membership platform lets me use my own domain?
Memberful includes custom domains on its standard plan, and Patreon supports them on its new creator page. Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee do not document custom domain support.
Which membership platform works best outside the US?
Patreon supports 16 or more currencies and pays out through PayPal, Payoneer, or local bank transfer. Ko-fi works wherever your PayPal or Stripe account does. Buy Me a Coffee lists 49 payout countries, and Memberful cannot support creators in Brazil, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, or countries in Stripe's extended network.