Patreon fees and calculator
Patreon takes 10% of what you earn on its standard plan, the only one open to creators who publish after August 4, 2025. Payment processing adds 2.9% + $0.30 per payment at any amount, so a $5 membership leaves you $4.05 and a $10 one $8.41. The legacy plans take 8% (Pro), 11% (Pro + Merch) and 5% (Founders). A payment in another currency than yours costs 2.5% more, and each payout $0.25 to a US bank or 1% to PayPal.
You keep $404.75 a month, 81.0% of $500 in payments.
| A month | Amount | Of payments |
|---|---|---|
| Payments | $500 | |
| Patreon platform fee | −$50 | 10.0% |
| Payment processing | −$45 | 9.0% |
| Payout fees (1 payout, US direct deposit) | −$0.25 | 0.1% |
| You keep | $404.75 | 81.0% |
Standard and legacy rates for a USD payout currency, card or US PayPal payments; PayPal and Venmo payments from outside the US cost 3.9% + $0.30 instead on the standard plan. Sales tax and VAT aren't counted. Patreon calculates its platform fee on the payment excluding sales tax.
Patreon's plans and what each takes
| Plan | Platform fee | Payment processing (card) | Open to new creators | Keep of $5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 10% | 2.9% + $0.30 | Yes | $4.05 |
| Pro | 8% | 5% + $0.10 up to $3, then 2.9% + $0.30 | No, legacy | $4.15 |
| Pro + Merch | 11% | 5% + $0.10 up to $3, then 2.9% + $0.30 | No, legacy | $4 |
| Founders | 5% | 1.6% + $0.30 | No, legacy | $4.37 |
In Patreon's words: “If you published your creator page after August 4, 2025, please note that you are on our standard 10% pricing plan.” “Creators who published their page on or before August 4, 2025, will not see any increase.” Its fees are “All fees are applied to successfully processed payments, not including payment processing, currency conversion, payout fees, and applicable taxes.”
What one Patreon payment leaves you
After the platform fee and card processing, by plan. The fixed $0.30 weighs most on small tiers; legacy plans charge 5% + $0.10 on payments of $3 or less.
| Payment | Standard | Pro | Pro + Merch | Founders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1 | $0.57 43.0% taken | $0.77 23.0% taken | $0.74 26.0% taken | $0.63 37.0% taken |
| $3 | $2.31 23.0% taken | $2.51 16.3% taken | $2.42 19.3% taken | $2.50 16.7% taken |
| $5 | $4.05 19.0% taken | $4.15 17.0% taken | $4 20.0% taken | $4.37 12.6% taken |
| $10 | $8.41 15.9% taken | $8.61 13.9% taken | $8.31 16.9% taken | $9.04 9.6% taken |
| $25 | $21.47 14.1% taken | $21.97 12.1% taken | $21.22 15.1% taken | $23.05 7.8% taken |
| $50 | $43.25 13.5% taken | $44.25 11.5% taken | $42.75 14.5% taken | $46.40 7.2% taken |
| $100 | $86.80 13.2% taken | $88.80 11.2% taken | $85.80 14.2% taken | $93.10 6.9% taken |
“Unlike legacy plans, the standard 10% plan applies the same processing rates to all payments, regardless of amount.” Founders' own rates, 1.6% + $0.30 by card and 2.65% + $0.28 by PayPal, are listed for US dollars only. One-time purchases pay the same fees as memberships: “Creators who started selling digital products before May 22, 2025, may be on a 5% one-time purchase fee + applicable taxes and payment processing rates.”
Patreon payout fees
| Paid out to | Fee per payout | Minimum payout | On a $400 payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| US bank, direct deposit (Stripe) | $0.25 | – | $0.25 |
| PayPal | 1%, at least $0.25, at most $20 | $10 | $4 |
| Payoneer (creators outside the US) | $1 | $25 | $1 |
“Patreon deducts a payout transaction fee when your balance is transferred from your Patreon account.” Fees for a US dollar balance; Patreon lists others by currency.
Patreon fees in the UK
Creators paid out in pounds pay the same 10% platform fee. Patreon lists processing of 3.4% + £0.35 per payment on the standard plan, and per payout £0.50 by bank transfer, £0.75 to Payoneer or £1.00 to PayPal. Members paying in another currency than pounds add 2.5%.
Quick answers
How much does Patreon take from creators?
On the standard plan, 10% of each payment plus 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing: $0.95 of a $5 membership (19.0%) and $1.59 of a $10 one (15.9%). With 100 members paying $5 a month, Patreon and processing take $95 of $500 and you keep $405, before payout fees.
What is Patreon's fee for new creators, and for older ones?
Creators who publish their page after August 4, 2025 are on the standard 10% plan. Creators whose page has stayed published since on or before that date keep their legacy plan: Pro at 8%, Pro + Merch at 11% and Founders at 5%. Patreon warns: “If you unpublish your page or if Patreon unpublishes your page for any reason, you’ll be subject to Patreon’s new, standard 10% plan + applicable taxes and payment processing fees.” Its advice: “Use the pause tool instead of unpublishing your creator page.”
How much does Patreon cost per month?
Nothing a month. Patreon says “Patreon is free to start. You only pay when you start earning.” It takes its fee from what you earn instead: 10% plus payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees, and applicable taxes, so a month with no paying members costs nothing.
What are Patreon's payout fees?
Patreon deducts a fee each time your balance is paid out: $0.25 per payout by direct deposit to a US bank, 1% to PayPal (at least $0.25, at most $20, with a $10 minimum payout), and $1 to a Payoneer account for creators outside the US ($25 minimum). A $400 payout costs $0.25 by US direct deposit and $4 by PayPal.
What are Patreon's fees in the UK?
The same 10% platform fee. For creators paid out in pounds, Patreon lists processing of 3.4% + £0.35 on the standard plan and payout fees of £0.50 by bank transfer, £0.75 to Payoneer and £1.00 to PayPal per payout. A member paying in another currency than your payout currency adds 2.5%.
Why do small Patreon tiers lose so much to fees?
Because of the fixed $0.30 on every payment. On the standard plan a $1 payment loses $0.43 (43.0%) and a $3 one $0.69 (23.0%). Legacy plans charge 5% + $0.10 on payments of $3 or less instead, so on Pro a $1 payment loses $0.23 and a $3 one $0.49.
Is Patreon more expensive than Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee?
For memberships, yes. With 100 members at $5 a month, Patreon's standard plan leaves $405; Whop $456, Ko-fi $443 (Gold), Payhip $430 (Free Forever), Buy Me a Coffee $427, Lemon Squeezy $422 and Skool $411 (Hobby). Patreon ranks 7 of the 9 platforms we price for memberships, before payout fees.
Patreon against the other creator platforms
| Platform | 100 members at $5 a month $500 a month | 50 one-time tips of $5 $250 a month | 50 sales of $25 $1,250 a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whop | $456 | – | $1,201 |
| Ko-fi | $443 Gold | $227.50 Free | $1,187 Gold |
| Payhip | $430 Free Forever | – | $1,145 Plus |
| Buy Me a Coffee | $427 | $215 | $1,136 |
| Lemon Squeezy | $422 | – | $1,163 |
| Skool | $411 Hobby | – | – |
| Patreon | $405 Standard | – | $1,074 Standard |
| Substack | $401 | – | – |
| Gumroad | $355 | – | $1,049 |
Kept a month after each platform's subscription, its cut, payment processing and any fee on recurring payments, on whichever of its plans open to new sign-ups leaves the most; US payments, payout fees left out; bold marks the most. A dash: the platform doesn't take that kind of payment.
Head to head: Patreon vs Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee vs Patreon, Substack vs Patreon, Whop vs Patreon, Patreon vs Gumroad. All the plans side by side: creator payment platform fees.
Thinking of leaving? See Patreon alternatives ranked by what they leave you.
Sources: Patreon's creator fees overview and pricing page, read on 7 October 2026. Patreon's figures are for creators paid in US dollars unless marked.
Prices checked against each platform's own pricing page on .