# GitHub Sponsors, and the alternatives

> GitHub Sponsors takes no fee from personal sponsors. When it is the right choice, when it is not, and how to put a sponsor button on your own page.

For open source, GitHub Sponsors is hard to beat on fees. Its limits are about who your supporters are and where they find you. Here are the options around it.

## What GitHub Sponsors does

Per [GitHub's docs](https://docs.github.com/en/sponsors/getting-started-with-github-sponsors/about-github-sponsors):

- **No fees on sponsorships from personal accounts.**
- **Up to 6% on sponsorships from organization accounts**, which includes a 3% card processing fee that organizations can avoid by paying by invoice.
- **One-time or monthly** amounts and benefits, set by you.
- Anyone can sponsor, but **you must live in a supported region** to receive money.

For a maintainer whose users are developers on GitHub, that is close to ideal.

## When people look for an alternative

- **Your supporters are not on GitHub.** Players of your game, users of your app or readers of your newsletter may never have a GitHub account, and sponsoring needs one.
- **Your work is not a repo.** A Shopify app, a hardware kit or a design tool does not have a natural Sponsors page.
- **You do not live in a supported region** for receiving funds.
- **You want one link.** Your bio, your site and your projects are elsewhere.

## The options

| Option | Fee | Who it suits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GitHub Sponsors | None from personal accounts, up to 6% from organizations | Open source with developer users |
| Open Collective | Set by each fiscal host; some charge nothing | Projects with a team or shared budget |
| Liberapay | No cut, funded by donations | Recurring donations, privacy-minded donors |
| Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee | 0% to 5% | Supporters without a GitHub account |
| makerhandle Support | 0% on Pro, 5% on Free | A button on your own page, next to your projects |

Card processing applies on top of each. Checked October 20, 2026; see Sources.

## A sponsor button on your own page

You do not have to choose. makerhandle's [support button](https://makerhandle.com/features/support) sits on your page next to your projects and, in link mode, opens your GitHub Sponsors page (or Open Collective, or Liberapay). That works on every plan today. The button can say "Sponsor me", or "Buy me a server hour".

When built-in support opens for you, the same button can take one-time support and monthly tiers through your own Stripe account, so people without a GitHub account can chip in too. 0% platform fee on Pro, 5% on Free, plus Stripe's fees. Built-in support is opening to makers in stages; the link button works for everyone today.

See [makerhandle for open source maintainers](https://makerhandle.com/for/open-source-maintainers) and [makerhandle for developers](https://makerhandle.com/for/developers) for the rest of the page.

## Sources

- [GitHub Docs: About GitHub Sponsors](https://docs.github.com/en/sponsors/getting-started-with-github-sponsors/about-github-sponsors)
- [Open Collective docs: Fiscal hosts](https://documentation.opencollective.com/fiscal-hosts/fiscal-hosts)
- [Liberapay: FAQ](https://liberapay.com/about/faq)
- [Ko-fi help center: Does Ko-fi take a fee?](https://help.ko-fi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002506494-Does-Ko-fi-take-a-fee)
- [Buy Me a Coffee: FAQ (5% transaction fee, no monthly fee, payouts in 44 countries, export your supporters)](https://buymeacoffee.com/faq)

## Questions

### Does GitHub Sponsors take a fee?

GitHub's docs say there are no fees on sponsorships from personal accounts, and up to 6% on sponsorships from organization accounts, including a 3% card processing fee organizations can avoid with invoiced billing.

### What is the best GitHub Sponsors alternative?

Open Collective for projects with a team or budget, Liberapay for no-cut recurring donations, Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee for supporters without GitHub accounts, or a support button on your own page.

### Can I link GitHub Sponsors from makerhandle?

Yes. Paste your github.com/sponsors address in the Support tab and the button opens it, on every plan.

### Can sponsors without a GitHub account support me?

Through makerhandle's built-in support, yes, with a card through Stripe Checkout. It is opening to makers in stages.

---

Source: https://makerhandle.com/compare/github-sponsors
makerhandle: makerhandle is a link in bio for makers, creators and small businesses: your links and your work, with optional verified revenue.