Video Monetization

11 Best Patreon Alternatives for Creators – Ranked and Reviewed

By PJ Taei
10 Min Read

Learn About Launching a Membership

A woman smiles are her computer while looking for Patreon alternatives.

Patreon was one of the first platforms that made it possible for creatives to monetize an online audience. It was the place social media influencers flocked to for success.

That said, the membership platform industry has evolved at a rapid pace. Over 30% of membership business owners have changed their tech platforms, resulting in creators exiting Patreon in search of a membership site platform that offers greater flexibility and features.

It makes sense: the tool stack that powers your online community business is arguably the most important part of your business. Everyone offering online courses, exclusive content, or sharing creative projects tied to a community needs flexibility.

You need community-building features that allow for easy communication with subscribers, the ability to create and customize your own website or online presence, or gain insight into how members use your platform. Without these essential tools, growth can stagnate. 

Decided that Patreon isn’t right for you? Are there other platforms that could do a better job? And which are the best Patreon alternatives to run your online communities or membership programs?

This guide answers these and other important questions membership business owners have about other platforms that may be better homes for their communities.

It shares the best Patreon alternatives, including, pros, cons, and key features to consider when shortlisting a new membership platform. 

What to Look for In Patreon alternatives

Running your membership community requires various marketing tools and features that make serving your community a breeze. Should you opt for a video monetization platform alone, or will you need to sell online courses?

Do you need mobile apps for your members along with a strong set of mobile-optimized store functionalities? Here’s a list of the must-have features to look for when shopping for Patreon alternatives:

Affordable Pricing

Budgets are a natural element of business. And whichever solution you choose, you’ll need to be comfortable paying whatever platform fee(s). Most platforms charge fees for access to features, like the ability to create landing pages, sell online courses, use visual customization editor tools to build stunning WordPress site-like storefronts (without needing to know how to build WordPress sites), and more.

Digital platforms, alternatives to Patreon included, also charge transaction fees for each purchase made on the digital platform. Altogether, these are effective marketing tools, but it should be easy to tell how much value you are receiving for the fee you’ll pay.

Subscription Tiers

Pricing tiers or multiple membership tiers allow you to scale your membership programs. Not all members may be able to afford your premium membership, and some might be willing to do without all the bells and whistles to be a part of your community. Look for a Patreon alternative that offers multiple membership tiers to help you build a thriving community.

Find Your Perfect Membership Price

Use our free tool to pinpoint your ideal membership price in just 3 steps, leveraging a decade of data.

One-time Purchases

Community-building tools aren’t just about marketing, they include features that support selling digital products too. The community platform you choose must offer creators need to have the flexibility to sell exclusive content whenever they produce it.

Free Trials and Special Offers

Flexibility is a superpower for creator businesses. It gives you the ability to test new ideas, produce new projects, and unlock a world of potential. And as features go, free trials and special offers afford that kind of flexibility. You can use them to entice new members, share the value of being a part of your community, and run experiments that can catapult your business into a whole new sphere.

Multi-Media Content Options

Your creativity and creative projects shouldn’t be limited by platform functionality. As you search for the best Patreon alternative, look for features that support the sale of your creative works in different formats. You should be able to sell videos, digital products, tickets to live-stream event seats, and more.

Live Streaming

Live streaming is a booming industry, and if you want to grow a community, live streaming functionality is one of the best community-building features out there. It lets you have direct contact with members, answer questions, and make you feel more accessible.

Mobile Apps

The world is mobile and your membership business should be too. While not every membership platform offers a customizable mobile app, try and opt for one that does. Owning your app is a great way to position your community for intimate member experiences and the perfect chance to serve your audience wherever they are.

Marketing Tools

Building your business just isn’t possible without marketing tools. You need to be able to communicate with your audience in several ways and position your brand as professionally as possible. The most effective marketing tools today include communication tools like email, chat, and direct messaging. For building out your online presence, you’ll need a visual customization editor that allows you to create landing pages, add payment options, and offer subscription models and pricing tiers.

Affiliate Marketing Setup Options

Affiliate marketing has been one of the business world’s best-kept secrets for decades. It’s a smart and easy way to get your brand and membership service in front of a broader audience people. If you like the idea of hundreds of marketers promoting your brand, look for a platform that supports affiliate marketing or affiliate marketing program integrations.

Reliable Customer Support

Support may not be something you’re banking on needing, but it’s great to have in a pinch. Choose a platform that offers different ways to connect and get help. Email, online chat, and calls all make a difference when your business is at stake. And if you know that you want world-class service, the best solutions have customer success teams dedicated to helping you get the most out of a platform.

Community Engagement

Community engagement can take place in several ways. Features like chat, email, and DMs have been introduced already as marketing functionality. These are also important for building cohesive and supportive communities. As a membership business owner, it’s important to create a space where members feel comfortable enough to engage with you and each other, so pick a platform that offers at least a chat or DM option along with email functionality.

API Access

Depending on how far along you are in your membership business-building journey, API access could be useful. It’s something membership businesses need when they require bespoke functionality. API access allows for custom backend integrations that streamline operations. If you would like the option of building a smarter, more optimized business, make sure you can get API access.

Integrations

Few platforms operate entirely alone today. Tech stacks make it easier to pull core functionality and features together, without platforms having to build additional capabilities. For example, Uscreen offers a HotJar integration that allows you to understand how your customers navigate around your storefront by providing visual heatmaps, session recordings, and even a feedback widget. If you’d like this kind of detail and have a tech stack of apps you rely on, find a platform that offers integrations.

Safe and Secure Payments

There’s a good chance that you started an online membership to help people solve problems. There’s also a good chance that you want to offer them the kind of value they are only happy to pay for. To get paid online, you’ll need to ensure that people feel confident that their payment information won’t be compromised. The best alternatives to Patreon offer wide a range of payment options.

Secure Access

Running an online business comes with the responsibility of providing security for your members. Today, responsibility requires encrypted sessions for all members, all the time. Encryption protects sensitive data, like usernames, passwords, and payment information, from falling into the hands of bad actors. Look for platforms that offer encrypted connections for members, whether they use a mobile app or browser to access your community and content.

Analytics

While considered advanced features by some, analytics should be part of any community platform. Analytics offer insights that help guide smarter decision-making. The Patreon alternative you select should provide data on community member behavior, site conversions, sales, and more.

Top Patreon alternative picks

PlatformBest forPrice
UscreenVideo creators$$
PodiaCourse creators$$
Buy Me a CoffeeSupportive communities$
Ko-fiFan-funded creators$
GumroadDigital product sellers$$$
KickstarterInnovative entrepreneurs $$
IndiegogoInventors and startups$$
Mighty NetworksCommunity builders$
SellfyArtists $
SubstackWriters$$$
MemberfulWordPress users$$

Best Patreon alternatives compared

1. Uscreen

Best for: Video creators

Reasons to use:

  • Robust customization.
  • Easy to sell video memberships.
  • Community building and marketing functionality.

G2 rating ⭐: 4.8 out of 5

Uscreen is an all-in-one membership business platform for video creators. It’s best suited for creators with an established brand and audience, who value a hands-on approach to the member experience

Patreon primarily lets you sell webcomics, video, and audio to your fan base. Uscreen lets you build your own Netflix-style video-on-demand (VOD) service with a customizable website and branded apps. You can monetize your content through subscriptions, rentals, ads, and one-time purchases. 

A screenshot shows different subscription plans available through Uscreen's dashboard.

Patreon’s fee structure is also different from Uscreen’s. With Patreon, the platform takes a percentage of your income and offers three different plans (Lite, Pro, Premium) with varying features. 

Uscreen, on the other hand, has transparent pricing that scales with you.

Let’s dig into a few features that make Uscreen perfect for achieving financial stability and endless creative possibilities as a creator. 

Create beautiful apps for your content

Uscreen makes building Over The Top (OTT) apps for your video content easy. This way, members can stream content through services like Apple TV, Roku, iOS, and Android.

Powerful OTT apps on all devices

With your OTT app, members can:

  • Stream your content anywhere, anytime. 
  • Download content to their favorite device and view it offline.
  • Create and save their favorite videos to a playlist. 

Considering 82% of US consumers have a video streaming subscription, an OTT app is a great way to delight members and stay competitive. 

Build an online community platform 

Uscreen also helps you grow a community around your video content. You can promote interaction and engagement among your members with community features like channels, attach catalog videos, polls, mentions, followable user profiles with avatars, and so much more!

A screenshot shows Brooke Robinson from B Tribal FIT talking with a customer from her membership business using Uscreen's built-in community feature.

Best of all, this alternative to Patreon lets you easily manage everything right from your Uscreen dashboard. 

Connect with members through live streaming 

Uscreen also lets you live stream content directly through the platform, which Patreon doesn’t currently support. 

A screenshot of Uscreen's dashboard for live streaming and live events.

Uscreen uses Akamai Content Delivery Network (CDN) to ensure high-quality video delivery for viewers, even during periods of high traffic. Broadcasting live content also works “out-of-the-box,” which means you can start streaming and promoting it from your dashboard ASAP.

You can easily monetize live streams and use them to earn a steady flow of monthly income from your website. Plus, Uscreen can automatically convert live broadcasts into VOD content and add them to your library later for members to access whenever they want. 

Market your brand with ease

A screenshot of Uscreen's marketing dashboard for features like coupons and discounts for subscriptions and memberships.

Creators can use Uscreen’s automated marketing functionality to attract, engage, and retain members. From lead generation to nurturing the audience and winning back customers, these tools help you manage every step. 

With features like trials and bundles, you can cater to many different audience segments. You also get access to tools like giveaway funnels, landing pages, and refer-a-friend campaigns to generate leads. 

Other notable features include: 

  • Netflix-style viewing experience.
  • Customizable site and themes.
  • Live chat.
  • Member analytics.
  • Win-back automation.
  • Built-in payment processing with Stripe and PayPal. 
  • Integrations with Mailchimp, Hotjar, and more.
  • Tiered membership options. 
  • High-quality video player with media controls.

Pros: 

Price

Looking to learn more about the plans and pricing that Uscreen offers? Check out our pricing page to find a plan that works for you!

Uscreen has helped over 25,000 creators and businesses thrive with memberships. Are you next?

It’s simple with Uscreen.

Build, launch and manage your membership, all in one place.

2. Podia

Best for: Course creators.

Reasons to use:

  • Zero transaction fees.
  • Built-in marketing functionality.
  • Simple interface.

G2 rating ⭐: 4.6 out of 5

A screenshot shows how a membership site is built on Podia.

Podia lets creators sell online courses, memberships, and digital downloads from one place. It’s a great Patreon alternative for creators and entrepreneurs who want a one-stop shop for their online business.

Unlike Patreon, Podia helps content creators manage email marketing, webinars, and other aspects of their business in one platform. Furthermore, Podia’s interface is incredibly easy to use and provides a clean, minimalist experience that looks great.

Pros:

  • Unlimited file hosting.
  • Stripe and PayPal payment support. 
  • User-friendly online course platform with a clean and straightforward interface.
  • Reputation for excellent customer service.
  • Podia doesn’t charge transaction fees on sales with paid plans.

Cons:

  • Plans are on the higher end of the spectrum compared to similar platforms.
  • Doesn’t offer much customization.
  • Free plan with high transaction fee.
  • No native community feature for members to interact with each other.

Key Features

  • Integrated email marketing tool.
  • Host webinars for members.
  • Drip content to release content over time.
  • Affiliate marketing programs to incentivize and reward followers.
  • Product pre-launch pages.

Price: The Mover plan costs $39/month with no transaction fees. A free plan is available for solo creators, though each transaction is subject to an 8% fee.

3. Buy Me a Coffee

Best for: Supportive communities

Reasons to use:

  • Get paid by anyone online.
  • Easy to sign up and use. 
  • No upfront cost.

Product Hunt rating ⭐: 3.5 out of 5

A screenshot shows Buy Me A Coffee platform and a user.
Influencer Kaitlyn Arford leverages different monetization options on Buy Me a Coffee

Buy Me a Coffee is a simple, user-friendly platform that allows creators to get support from their fans. 

Rather than Patreon’s subscription-based model, Buy Me a Coffee offers a more casual tip jar concept where fans can contribute one-time donations to show their support. Memberships are available, but the platform heavily emphasizes one-time donations. 

For those who are looking to make good side income, rather than make a living managing a subscription-based community, Buy Me a Coffee is ideal. It’s great for creators looking to monetize their content without the pressure of a subscription model.

Pros:

  • One-time donations
  • Intuitive and user-friendly interface for creators and fans.
  • No lock-in contracts.
  • Zero upfront fees. 
  • Get paid with credit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, or Apple Pay.

Cons:

  • High service fee.
  • No tools to manage and engage with your community. 
  • Limited customization options. 
  • Less well-known than Patreon. 
  • Need channel supporters from other platforms. 

Key Features:

  • Instant payouts without any holding period.
  • Embeddable website widget to receive donations directly.
  • Options for supporters to leave a message when they donate.
  • Lets you offer digital downloads directly from their page.
  • Offers ‘Extras’ feature where you can offer additional perks at a set price.
  • Marketing functionality to promote your page.
  • Option to offer commission-based work directly from your page.

Price: Free to use with a 5% transaction fee when withdrawing money.

4. Ko-fi

Best for: Fan-funded creators.

Reasons to use:

  • Zero-fee donations. 
  • Discord integration.
  • Ko-fi Shop to sell products. 

G2 rating ⭐: 3.6 out of 5

A screenshot shows Mike Keenan's profile on Ko-fi, an alternative to Patreon.

Ko-fi is a free platform that lets users set their own prices to support creators. It doesn’t lock exclusive content behind a paywall. 

Instead, it encourages one-time donations or ‘coffees,’ symbolic of supporting a creator. You can offer digital products, memberships, and more on your own terms. Plus, Ko-fi lets you set up streaming alerts if you go live on Twitch Studio, which is good for gamers. 

As Patreon alternatives go, Ko-fi is good if you prefer flexibility over structured membership tiers, and want to retain 100% of donations. If you upgrade to its premium plan, Ko-fi Gold, you can set up recurring donations from supporters, eliminate site ads, get access to new features, and more. 

Pros:

  • Ko-fi doesn’t take a cut from the donations made to creators.
  • Straightforward approach to receiving donations and selling digital products.
  • Various customization options. 
  • You can sell digital products, offer memberships, and set donation goals without paying a monthly fee.

Cons:

  • Limited third-party integrations.
  • Lacks advanced features compared to similar blogging sites. 
  • Some features are much better underneath their Gold plan. 

Key Features:

  • Access to Ko-fi Shop where you can sell physical products and exclusive content. 
  • No fees on donations. 
  • Ability to adjust the layout and color theme of your Ko-fi page.
  • Commission module to accept, manage, and fulfill custom work directly through Ko-fi.
  • Easy linking of social media accounts.
  • Write updates and blog posts directly on your Ko-fi page.

Price: Free

5. Gumroad

Best for: Digital product sales. 

Reasons to use:

  • Simple digital product sales.
  • Seamless customer experience. 
  • built-in marketing tools.

G2 rating ⭐: 4.1 out of 5

A screenshot of Gumroad's platform.

Gumroad simplifies selling and streamlines ecommerce for creators. It allows creators to sell digital products, physical goods, subscriptions, or memberships directly to their audience. 

Gumroad offers an integrated platform where creators can host and distribute their content all in one place. If you sell digital products like eBooks, digital art, music, software, or physical goods, Gumroad is a great alternative to Patreon. 

Pros:

  • Sell a wide variety of products, including digital and physical goods.
  • Charges a flat fee per sale instead of a monthly subscription fee.
  • Deliver digital content directly through Gumroad.
  • Creator-friendly features like built-in analytics, marketing functionality, and support for international payment processors.

Cons: 

  • Per-transaction fee can be higher than Patreon’s model.
  • Does not support recurring donations.
  • Lacks robust community features such as comments and forums.
  • Offers many features that take time to understand and implement.

Key Features:

  • Host video in up to 1080p quality with the option to make it downloadable. 
  • Sell all of your products on your Gumroad page. 
  • Add a Gumroad button to your own website. 
  • Have your buyers leave reviews about your products. 
  • Take one-off payments or sell monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual subscription plans.
  • Integrations with a range of tools like Drip, ConvertKit, and YouTube Annotations.
  • Access data about your video views, podcast listens, and financial information.

Price: Free to use with a 10% flat fee on all transactions.

6. Kickstarter

Best for: Innovative entrepreneurs

Reasons to use:

  • Raise money for one-time projects.
  • Audience feedback.
  • Market validation. 

G2 rating ⭐: 3.7 out of 5

A screenshot of Kickstarter's platform.

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform where creators run crowdfunding campaigns for particular project rather than receive continuous support. 

Here’s how crowdfunding campaigns work:

  1. Set a funding goal for your idea.
  2. Ask people to provide financial support by backing you with a donation.
  3. Offer online and physical rewards.

if you raise enough cash to hit your target, you get the money to realize your project. 

💡NOTE: Kickstarter works on an all-or-nothing model. If your project doesn’t meet its funding goal, no money changes hands. 

If you’re looking for a lump sum to fund a project or idea, consider Kickstarter. In most cases, it’s best for one-off, crowdfunding campaigns to fund creative projects with some tangible reward for backers.

Pros:

  • Kickstarter has a big audience with more than 22 million backers
  • Provides analytics and tools to help your campaign succeed.
  • Can offer rewards for different tiers of support, providing tangible perks to supporters.
  • Kickstarter’s review process ensures a degree of credibility and trust for backers.

Cons:

  • If your project doesn’t reach its goal, you can’t access the funds.
  • Kickstarter platform fees are capped at a 5% fee on the total funds raised, plus processing fees. 
  • Limited to project-based funding
  • A successful Kickstarter campaign requires significant planning and promotional work.

Key Features:

  • Fund individual projects instead of ongoing content.
  • Offer exclusive rewards to backers based on their pledge amount.
  • Receive comments and feedback from your backers and members of the public. 
  • Connect with their backers through live video.
  • Interact with their backers and post updates.
  • Have your project visible on the Kickstarter website and mobile app. 
  • Get paid out 14 days after your campaign ends, as long as you hit your funding goal. 

Price: Free to use with a 5% transaction fee only if your project is successfully funded.

7. Indiegogo

Best for: Inventors and startups

Reasons to use:

  • Wide audience reach.
  • Flexible funding options. 
  • Efficient marketing functionality.

G2 rating ⭐: 3.2 out of 5

A screenshot shows a funding on Indiegogo.

Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform that gives creators the chance to raise funds for their projects and ideas. 

Unlike Patreon which is based on an ongoing subscription model, Indiegogo is focused on one-time funding for a specific project. It also offers two funding types: 

  • Fixed Funding: where you only keep the funds if you reach your goal.
  • Flexible Funding: where you keep whatever you raise regardless of whether you hit your goal or not. 

You can raise funds for many different types of creative works on Indiegogo. Some cool categories include:

  • Art.
  • Comics.
  • Film.
  • Photography.
  • Podcasts.
  • Writing & Publishing. 

Pros:

  • Broad audience reach -Indiegogo has more than 9 million backers from 235 countries
  • Backers can get perks for donations, giving creators a unique way to engage their fans.
  • Indiegogo’s InDemand feature lets creators keep raising funds even after the campaign ends.

Cons:

  • Indiegogo charges a 5% platform fee on funds raised, plus payment processing fees.
  • Since Indiegogo is project-focused, it lacks the strong community feel of Patreon.
  • Your project’s success often depends on how well you market it.

Key Features:

  • “Fixed” and “Flexible” funding options.
  • InDemand service, which allows for ongoing funding after the initial campaign.
  • Team collaboration tools for working on the campaign page and updates.
  • Google Analytics integration for detailed performance insights.
  • The Gogofactor, which is Indiegogo’s algorithm promotes campaigns based on activity and engagement.

Price: 5% transaction fee on all funds raised.

8. Mighty Networks

Best for: Community builders. 

Reasons to use: 

  • Community-building tools.
  • Streamlined engagement. 
  • Comprehensive analytics.

G2 rating ⭐: 4.6 out of 5

A screenshot shows MightyNetworks' community features for a membership site.

With Mighty Networks, you can bring community, content, courses, and subscriptions together in one place, creating your own branded space independent of big social networks. 

Mighty Networks is not just a funding platform. It’s also a community-building tool, which offers more customization and control to creators. You can build personalized courses, host exclusive communities, and integrate seamless payments. 

Mighty Networks offers creators more monetization models than just subscriptions and donations.

Pros:

  • Allows creators to customize their own brand space.
  • All-in-one platform for community, content, and subscription management. 
  • Can have direct interactions with your community for better engagement. 
  • Offers multiple monetization options like courses, subscriptions, and paid communities.

Cons:

  • The platform may seem complicated to new users.
  • More expensive than simpler, more focused platforms like Patreon.
  • Fewer third-party integrations compared to other membership site platforms.
  • Relies more on creators bringing in their own community.

Key Features:

  • Personalized courses.
  • A built-in payment system for subscriptions and purchases.
  • Direct messaging between creators and community members.
  • Exclusive community spaces for different subscriber levels.
  • Host and manage online events.
  • Analytics to help understand your audience better.
  • Mobile app for better accessibility and engagement.

Price: Starts at $33/month. Free 14-day trial available.

9. Sellfy

Best for: Artists

Reasons to use:

  • Excellent ecommerce functionality. 
  • Print-on-demand service. 
  • Instant payout.

G2 rating ⭐: 3.9 out of 5

A screenshot shows Sellfy's homepage.

Sellfy is another great Patreon alternative that lets you sell stuff online. Set up is really simple, you can sign up with a Google account, then Sellfy will ask you a few questions about your business before you enter a central dashboard. It takes minutes.

With Sellfy, you can sell digital goods, physical products, and subscriptions in one place. You can also manage how your products look on Google, use Facebook Messenger, and add a Facebook Pixel to your store right from the dashboard.

Overall, it’s a good platform for artists who want to sell their work in various ways. You can also tap into Sellfy’s email marketing, upsell, and cart abandonment tools to increase sales in your store.

Pros:

  • Easy-to-use interface with intuitive product management and analytics tools.
  • Seamless integrations with social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube.
  • Add product links to social media posts.
  • Print-on-demand service to easily sell shirts, mugs, hats, and more. 

Cons:

  • Doesn’t offer ways to interact with customers.
  • Reportedly lacks good customer service.
  • Feature set favors ecommerce over memberships. 

Key Features:

  • Customization options for your online storefront.
  • PDF stamping to protect your digital products from piracy.
  • Embed your Sellfy store, products, or the buy now button on your website or blog.
  • Upselling features to promote other products at checkout.
  • Detailed insights into your store’s performance, including top products, locations, and traffic sources.
  • Discount codes to promote your products.
  • Instant payouts with no waiting period to access funds from your sales.

Price: Plans start at $19/month with no transaction fees.

10. Substack

Best for: Independent writers. 

Reasons to use:

  • Well-designed newsletters.
  • Easy to use. 
  • Reader engagement features.

G2 rating ⭐: 4.5 out of 5

A screenshot shows Substack's platform and a post from a user.

Founded in 2017, Substack is a publishing platform that helps you start and distribute a newsletter. It’s generally for independent writers, journalists, bloggers who want to monetize their work while building a community of readers. 

Substack has the same subscription-based model as Patreon. The big difference is that content is formatted in newsletter style and sent directly to subscribers’ inboxes once it’s published. 

With Substack, you can embed videos from external sources and other file types into your email newsletter. It also offers community features including reactions, comments, and share options.

Pros:

  • Perfect for writers, journalists, or any creators that specialize in written content.
  • Intuitive user interface that makes creating and sending newsletters easy.
  • Lets you engage with readers through discussion threads and comments.
  • You own your mailing list and have more control over your content. 

Cons:

  • Not ideal for creators who specialize in multimedia content, like video or audio.
  • Relies only on subscription fees for monetization.
  • Minimal browsing or discovery features.

Key Features:

  • Easy-to-use newsletter publishing system.
  • Community engagement tools.
  • Payments are fully integrated and managed by Substack.
  • Option to import or export subscriber list.
  • Discovery page to help readers discover new writers.

Price: Free to use with a 10% transaction fee.

11. Memberful

Best for: Creators using WordPress

Reasons to use:

  • Easy membership management.
  • Seamless payment integration.
  • Strong content protection.

G2 rating ⭐: 4.4 out of 5

A screenshot shows Memberful's dashboard.

Memberful is a membership platform that integrates with your existing creator website. It also has a popular WordPress plugin you can use to sell subscriptions on your site. It’s aimed at creators, publishers, and other podcasters.

With Memberful, you can put a paywall on your video content and live streams that you host through YouTube. You can easily offer coupons or discounts to potential customers, and even take payments through Discord and Discourse. 

Memberful is also known for having a high level of customization options for branding and member experience. Plus, you can integrate with Google Analytics to learn more about your traffic, members, and revenue. 

Pros:

  • High level of customization options for branding and member experience.
  • Easy integration with popular platforms such as WordPress, Stripe, and Mailchimp.
  • Comprehensive set of analytics and reporting tools.
  • Granular control over pricing, offering types, and membership levels.

Cons:

  • Memberful doesn’t host content itself, so it requires you to have a website.
  • Pricing can feel high for smaller creators.
  • More complex to set up than Patreon, particularly for those less tech-savvy.
  • Limited in platform-specific community features.

Key Features:

  • Fully customize the checkout experience with your brand.
  • Comprehensive analytics for understanding your members and their behavior.
  • Upload private, subscription-based podcasts.
  • Custom fields to collect additional information about your members.
  • Allows multiple people to share a single subscription.
  • Members can gift a subscription to someone else.
  • Free trial periods to attract new members.
  • Extra integrations are available through Zapier. 

Price: Free plan available, though access to premium features starts at $25/month. Transaction fees range from 4.9% to 10% depending on the plan you’ve chosen.

Explore these Patreon alternatives

Patreon is a good starting point for creators who want to monetize their audience. But if you’re serious about growing a business and building a loyal community, there will quickly come a time when Patreon no longer offers features you need.

We’ve listed Uscreen as the best Patreon alternative for a reason. When you build your community on Uscreen, you’ll get:

  • Your own website, with personalized branding and complete control over your content.
  • Everything you create is hosted in one place, including live streams, podcasts, courses, and downloadables. 
  • As a membership platform, you’re able to build a community and have direct access to them
  • An easy-to-calculate monthly or annual price.
  • Loads of different payment options and built-in marketing features to maximize your earning potential.

Patreon alternatives FAQ

Why do people use Patreon?

Creators use Patreon to monetize an online audience. You can upload content to your Patreon page and gate it behind a paywall. It can be used as a video monetization platform where anyone who wants to access the content needs to subscribe, helping creators earn money online.

Patreon also supports several payment providers, like Apple Pay, Visa, and Mastercard, and offers an in-house payment solution called Payments by Patreon (a feature some alternatives to Patreon offer). Unfortunately, Google Pay is not supported.

Is there a free Patreon?

Patreon offers a free plan, meaning you don’t need to spend any money to start a Patreon membership business. If you’d like access to additional features, it offers membership tiers.

Patreon’s Pro and Premium membership tiers charge 8% and 12% respectively for the option to offer your own subscription models, free trials, and access to marketing tools (DMs, comments, chat).

How much does Patreon charge?

Patreon charges creators when they withdraw earnings from the platform. Depending on the plan, transaction fees can range from 5% to 12%. There’s also a payment processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per successful payment over $3 USD.

Some alternatives to Patreon offer set monthly platform fees with transaction fees for each purchase made.

What are the cons of Patreon?

1. High transaction fees between 5% and 12%
2. High payment processing fees of 2.9% + $0.30
3. Support for alternative content formats is limited
4. Creators can’t sell online courses