Ko-fi vs Buy Me a Coffee: fees and what you keep
Ko-fi leaves more at every volume up to 1,000 one-time tips a month, at $5 each. With 100 one-time tips of $5 a month you keep $455 on Ko-fi Free and $430 on Buy Me a Coffee, $300 a year more on Ko-fi. Of each one-time tip, Ko-fi takes nothing on Free, 5% on Standard and nothing on Gold ($12 a month); Buy Me a Coffee takes 5%; processing comes on top.
Who leaves more as one-time tips grow
- $3: Ko-fi leaves more at every volume up to 1,000 one-time tips a month.
- $5: Ko-fi leaves more at every volume up to 1,000 one-time tips a month.
- $10: Ko-fi leaves more at every volume up to 1,000 one-time tips a month.
- $25: Ko-fi leaves more at every volume up to 1,000 one-time tips a month.
From 1 to 1,000 one-time tips a month, each platform on whichever of its plans open to new sign-ups leaves the most at that size; US payments, payout fees left out.
What you keep a month
| One-time tips a month | Ko-fi | Buy Me a Coffee |
|---|---|---|
| 10 of $3 $30 | $26.10 Free | $24.60 |
| 100 of $3 $300 | $261 Free | $246 |
| 1,000 of $3 $3,000 | $2,610 Free | $2,460 |
| 10 of $5 $50 | $45.50 Free | $43 |
| 100 of $5 $500 | $455 Free | $430 |
| 1,000 of $5 $5,000 | $4,550 Free | $4,300 |
| 10 of $10 $100 | $94.10 Free | $89.10 |
| 100 of $10 $1,000 | $941 Free | $891 |
| 1,000 of $10 $10,000 | $9,410 Free | $8,910 |
| 10 of $25 $250 | $239.70 Free | $227.20 |
| 100 of $25 $2,500 | $2,397 Free | $2,272 |
| 1,000 of $25 $25,000 | $23,970 Free | $22,720 |
After each one's subscription, cut, payment processing and any fee on recurring payments; bold marks the larger.
Other kinds of payment
| 100 a month of | Ko-fi | Buy Me a Coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Membership payments of $5 | $443 Gold | $427 |
| Membership payments of $10 | $929 Gold | $886 |
| Sales of $5 | $443 Gold | $430 |
| Sales of $10 | $929 Gold | $891 |
Every fee side by side
| Ko-fi | Buy Me a Coffee | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription a month | None (Free), None (Standard), $12 (Gold) | None |
| Cut of one-time tips | None (Free), 5% (Standard), None (Gold) | 5% |
| Cut of membership payments | 5% (Free), 5% (Standard), None (Gold) | 5% |
| Cut of sales | 5% (Free), 5% (Standard), None (Gold) | 5% |
| Payment processing | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| Payments from outside the US | None listed | +1% |
| Recurring payments | None listed | +0.5% |
| Currency conversion | None listed | None listed |
| Payouts | Ko-fi pays nothing out itself: payments go straight to your own PayPal or Stripe account, and it charges no payout fee. | Stripe takes 0.5% of each payout to your bank; you can request one from a $10 balance. |
Plans open to new sign-ups. “None listed”: the platform's pages we read state no such fee.
In their own words
Ko-fi: “Ko-fi Free - Pay 0% on one-time tips.” “A flat 5% service fee applies to anything else, such as shop items, memberships, monthly tips, and commissions.” “PayPal and Stripe take their normal transaction fees, which will vary based on the type of account, location, and currencies used, but it's usually around 3% + $0.30.”
Buy Me a Coffee: “Unlike other platforms, Buy Me a Coffee doesn’t charge you a monthly fee. Instead, we only apply a 5% platform fee per transaction, which means you get to keep 95% of your earnings while we can also benefit from your work.” “Stripe charges a standard payment processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction to securely process your payments.” “In certain cases, extra fees may apply to cover processing costs: +1% for international (outside of the US) transaction +0.5% for subscription payments”
Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee: quick answers
Is Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee cheaper?
For one-time tips: at 10 one-time tips of $3 ($30), Ko-fi leaves $26.10 against $24.60 on Buy Me a Coffee, $18 a year more; at 100 one-time tips of $5 ($500), Ko-fi leaves $455 against $430 on Buy Me a Coffee, $300 a year more; at 1,000 one-time tips of $25 ($25,000), Ko-fi leaves $23,970 against $22,720 on Buy Me a Coffee, $15,000 a year more. That's each platform's cut, payment processing and any subscription or fee on recurring payments, each on its best plan for that month, before payout fees.
How much do Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee take from a $5 one-time tip?
Ko-fi Free takes $0.45 (9.0%) and Buy Me a Coffee takes $0.70 (14.0%), at 100 one-time tips a month on each one's best plan.
Which is better for membership payments, Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee?
On fees, Ko-fi: 100 membership payments of $5 a month leave $443 on Ko-fi Gold and $427 on Buy Me a Coffee. Per membership payment: Ko-fi Gold takes $0.45 (9.0%) plus $12 a month and Buy Me a Coffee takes $0.73 (14.6%).
Which is better for sales, Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee?
On fees, Ko-fi: 100 sales of $5 a month leave $443 on Ko-fi Gold and $430 on Buy Me a Coffee. Per sale: Ko-fi Gold takes $0.45 (9.0%) plus $12 a month and Buy Me a Coffee takes $0.70 (14.0%).
Do Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee charge a monthly fee?
Ko-fi has free plans and Gold at $12 a month. Buy Me a Coffee charges no monthly fee. Both take their cut from each payment as it comes in.
How do Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee pay you out?
Ko-fi pays nothing out itself: payments go straight to your own PayPal or Stripe account, and it charges no payout fee. Stripe takes 0.5% of each payout to your bank; you can request one from a $10 balance.
Each in detail: Ko-fi fees, Buy Me a Coffee fees. Related: Patreon vs Ko-fi, Ko-fi vs Gumroad, Buy Me a Coffee vs Patreon. Every option ranked: Ko-fi alternatives, Buy Me a Coffee alternatives. All the plans side by side: creator payment platform fees.
Sources: Ko-fi's fees, read on 7 October 2026 and Buy Me a Coffee's fees, read on 7 October 2026, with the other help pages each fee page lists.
Prices checked against each platform's own pricing page on .