Alternatives
Ko-fi alternatives, with the fees side by side
Ko-fi is free for one-off tips, which is why so many people start there. Here is what the alternatives charge, and when switching is worth it.
Already have a page there? Bring it over in one click.
Why people look past Ko-fi
Ko-fi's help center lists 0% on one-off tips on its free option and 5% on shop sales, memberships, monthly tips and commissions, or Ko-fi Gold at $12 a month with no platform fee. That is a good deal for occasional tips. The reasons people look elsewhere:
- Monthly supporters cost 5%, or $144 a year for Gold.
- It is another page. Your bio points to your link in bio, and Ko-fi is one more tap away.
- It looks like Ko-fi, not like you.
The options, side by side
| Option | Platform fee | Monthly price | Lives on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ko-fi | 0% on one-off tips, 5% on the rest | None, or Gold $12 | ko-fi.com |
| Buy Me a Coffee | 5% | None | buymeacoffee.com |
| Patreon | 10% for creators who launched after August 4, 2025 | None | patreon.com |
| GitHub Sponsors | 0% from personal accounts | None | github.com |
| makerhandle support button | 0% on Pro, 5% on Free | Pro $20 a year | Your own page and domain |
Card processing from Stripe or PayPal comes on top everywhere. Fees as of October 2026; see Sources.
A button on your own page
makerhandle's support button sits on your link in bio in your template's style: pick what people buy you (a coffee, a book, a pizza), take one-time support and up to three monthly tiers, and get paid into your own Stripe account. The platform fee is 0% on Pro ($20 a year) and 5% on Free. Built-in support is opening to makers in stages.
Until it opens for you, point the same button at your Ko-fi page: it works on every plan today, and switching later keeps the button where it is.
Which one fits
- Mostly one-off tips: Ko-fi's free option is hard to beat. Keep it and link it from your page.
- A few monthly supporters, no posts for them: a button on your own page saves the 5%.
- Posts, files and a community for members: Patreon is built for that, at 10%. See makerhandle vs Patreon.
- Open source: GitHub Sponsors takes nothing from personal sponsorships.
The full fee math is in Buy Me a Coffee vs Ko-fi vs Patreon fees, and makerhandle vs Ko-fi is the direct comparison.
More alternatives roundups: Patreon alternatives, Later Linkin.bio alternatives, Milkshake alternatives, Taplink alternatives, About.me alternatives.
Questions
What is the cheapest Ko-fi alternative?
For one-off tips, Ko-fi's own free option at 0% is already the cheapest. For monthly supporters, a button on your own page with a 0% platform fee (makerhandle Pro, $20 a year) costs less than 5% once you take more than about $33 a month.
Does Ko-fi charge a fee?
Its help center lists 0% on one-off tips on the free option and 5% on shop sales, memberships, monthly tips and commissions, or Ko-fi Gold at $12 a month with no platform fee.
Can I keep my Ko-fi page?
Yes. makerhandle's support button can open your Ko-fi page on every plan, so you can switch later without moving the button.
Add a support button to your page
Free for up to 5 projects. Pro is $20/year.