# Ko-fi alternatives, with the fees side by side

> Ko-fi alternatives for tips and memberships, with each platform's fee checked: Buy Me a Coffee, Patreon, GitHub Sponsors and a button on your own page.

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.

## Why people look past Ko-fi

[Ko-fi's help center](https://help.ko-fi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002506494-Does-Ko-fi-take-a-fee) 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](https://makerhandle.com/features/support) 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](https://makerhandle.com/compare/patreon).
- **Open source:** [GitHub Sponsors](https://makerhandle.com/compare/github-sponsors) takes nothing from personal sponsorships.

The full fee math is in [Buy Me a Coffee vs Ko-fi vs Patreon fees](https://makerhandle.com/blog/buy-me-a-coffee-vs-ko-fi-vs-patreon-fees), and [makerhandle vs Ko-fi](https://makerhandle.com/compare/ko-fi) is the direct comparison.

More alternatives roundups: [Patreon alternatives](https://makerhandle.com/compare/patreon-alternatives), [Later Linkin.bio alternatives](https://makerhandle.com/compare/later-linkin-bio-alternatives), [Milkshake alternatives](https://makerhandle.com/compare/milkshake-alternatives), [Taplink alternatives](https://makerhandle.com/compare/taplink-alternatives), [About.me alternatives](https://makerhandle.com/compare/about-me-alternatives).

## Sources

- [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)
- [Ko-fi help center: What is Ko-fi Gold?](https://help.ko-fi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005506873-What-is-Ko-fi-Gold)
- [Buy Me a Coffee: FAQ (5% transaction fee, no monthly fee)](https://buymeacoffee.com/faq)
- [Patreon help center: a standard platform fee for new creators, effective after August 4, 2025](https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/36426991446797-A-standard-platform-fee-for-new-creators-effective-after-August-4-2025)
- [GitHub Docs: About GitHub Sponsors](https://docs.github.com/en/sponsors/getting-started-with-github-sponsors/about-github-sponsors)

## 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.

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