Choosing a Patreon alternative is often about earning more money and having greater control over your creative work and audience. Lower platform fees and reduced transaction fees mean more money for creators. This makes these 15 Patreon alternatives particularly appealing in 2026.
The creator economy is growing fast, and experts predict it will reach $600 billion by 2030. This means it’s more important than ever to find the right platform to monetize your content.
Patreon is a membership platform for creators to earn money directly from their fans, but many creators are often searching for alternatives. You’d want a platform that offers higher payouts and lower fees, so you can keep more of the income you earn.
Here’s a list of Patreon alternatives that help creators like you sell digital products, online courses, and special content. These platforms offer better financial benefits and advanced features.
Key takeaways:
- Patreon alternatives help you earn more money. They do this by lowering platform and transaction fees.
- It’s smart for creators like you to utilize a platform that fits your needs and offers methods to earn money. This helps you grow and strengthen your online business.
- Platforms like ThriveCart have great features for selling digital products and courses. They give creators strong sales and marketing tools.
Ready to earn more and take full control of your creative business? Try ThriveCart today.
Why choose a Patreon alternative?
Here are the top five reasons why you might look into a Patreon alternative:
1) Better payments and more control
Patreon users name the platform’s high fees as a top pain point. Alternatives can fix that. They also give you more control over how you sell and who sees your work.
- Lower fees = more money in your pocket.
- More income means better equipment, stronger marketing, and steady growth for your business.
2) Easily sell digital products and courses
Want to sell ebooks, templates, or full courses without juggling five different tools? The right Patreon alternative does it all.
- Built for creators who sell skills and digital goods.
- Physical products and merchandise can also be sold right beside your digital products.
- One place to create, host, and deliver products.
- Many include a learning management system (LMS) for course hosting.
- Sell ebooks, workshops, video series, and templates on the same platform.
- Customers get a smoother buying and learning experience.
3) Simple payments and subscriptions for regular money
Reliable payments mean a steady income. Good platforms make billing painless.
- Built-in tools for subscriptions and one-off payments.
- Flexible billing – for example, trials, tiers, upgrades, and downgrades.
- Automatic handling of cancellations and renewals.
- Failed-payment recovery tools to protect your recurring revenue.
- Less time on admin means more time creating.
4) New ways to earn
Memberships are great. However, the best alternatives for Patreon allow you to diversify your income.
- Accept one-time tips and gifts easily.
- Sell paid downloads or single-access passes.
- Use affiliate and marketing tools to boost sales.
- Set custom payment options for collaborators and partners.
- Multiple income streams reduce risk and grow profit.
5) Built-in community platform and tools for engagement and growth
Your most valuable asset is a loyal audience. The right tools help you build one.
- Private forums and group chats for paying members.
- Branded mobile apps or member hubs for deeper connection.
- Direct interaction builds loyalty and trust.
- Better engagement leads to higher retention and increased sales.
- Community feedback helps you shape future products.
Start earning more with ThriveCart’s high-converting checkout and built-in funnels.
Best Patreon alternatives
Looking for creator-friendly platforms beyond Patreon? Here are some of the best Patreon alternatives that offer flexible monetization, lower fees, and unique features to help you grow your community.
1) ThriveCart
ThriveCart is an all-in-one platform built to help creators and business owners make the most money from selling products (both digital and physical) and online courses. It does this without the burden of monthly fees.
ThriveCart focuses on high-converting checkout pages and complete sales funnels. It helps users launch faster, get more sales, and significantly grow their online business revenue. This powerful payment and membership platform provides a comprehensive solution for selling a range of products, from digital downloads to extensive online courses, making it a compelling alternative to Patreon.
The platform has processed over $6 billion in sales for over 65,000 businesses, proving it can easily handle a large volume of transactions. ThriveCart’s powerful features help creators easily manage their membership levels and community space.
How ThriveCart supercharges your sales
Advanced checkout & funnels that sell
- Drag-and-drop funnel builder helps you launch sales flows without developers.
- Add upsells, downsells, and order bumps to increase average order value (AOV).
- Create one-click checkout paths that reduce friction and boost conversions.
- Flexible checkout rules (geo, product combos, limits, etc.) so you tailor the buying experience.
Payments & global options
- Accept dozens of payment methods worldwide, including cards, wallets, and BNPL options.
- Crypto support (including USDC) through its custom-built Stripe Connect+ integration.
- Built to minimize checkout drop-offs and maximize completed sales.
- Built-in fraud and billing protections to keep transactions safe.
Rock-solid subscription management
- Flexible billing: trials, tiers, recurring plans, and unlimited billing periods.
- Automated handling of upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, and proration.
- “Subscription saver” tools to recover failed payments and protect recurring revenue.
- Helpful dashboards display subscriber health and lifetime value at a glance.
Built-in affiliate platform
- Launch an affiliate program without extra apps.
- Custom commission rules, JV splits, and instant tracking.
- Unlimited affiliates, automated payouts, and deep UTM reporting.
- Turn fans and partners into a low-cost, high-reach marketing army.
Native LMS for course creators
- ThriveCart Learn and its upgrades, Pro+ and Learn+, allow you to build courses directly within the platform.
- Create modules, drip content, bundles, and team access without the need for plugins.
- Course access ties directly to checkout and subscription status.
- Everything from payments to student access is centralized and automated.
Analytics, testing, and revenue insights
- Built-in A/B testing for pages and funnels.
- Detailed funnel and cohort reports to spot wins and leaks.
- Track customer churn, LTV, and campaign ROI in one place.
- Use data to double down on what converts and fix what doesn’t.
ThriveCart is ideal if you want a single, powerful system that replaces multiple tools.
Less juggling. More revenue. Total control.
2) Buy Me a Coffee
Buy Me a Coffee is a popular choice for creators seeking an easy way to receive one-time donations or regular support, such as a virtual “tip.” It charges a 5% platform fee plus standard payment processing fees.
Buy Me a Coffee is a good option for those who prefer simplicity and direct fan interaction over extensive community features. Creators often use it to offer special content or early access to a large audience without the complications of a full membership site.
3) ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels is a software platform for creating and managing sales funnels. It allows users to capture leads, guide potential customers through a structured sales process, and manage conversions. The platform includes tools for building landing pages, sales pages, order forms, and membership sites, and it offers basic email marketing and automation features.
ClickFunnels’ basic plan costs $97 per month, with higher-tier plans providing additional features such as affiliate management, advanced analytics, and priority support. It’s commonly used by businesses, entrepreneurs, and creators to manage digital sales and online courses.
4) Ghost
Ghost is a membership platform for creators who want to own their content and not share any income from paid memberships. With flat monthly fees ranging from $15 to $400 (depending on audience size), Ghost enables creators to maintain full control over their content and audience.
This open-source platform (which operates as a non-profit) is ideal for individuals looking to establish their own brand and avoid platform fees. It offers advanced features for publishing and building communities, which is especially good for creators who want to create a custom website and build a direct relationship with their paying members.
5) Gumroad
Gumroad describes itself as a flexible platform that makes it simple to sell digital and physical products. It helps many different creators, from artists to authors, to sell ebooks, music, and software, along with physical items.
Gumroad charges a flat 10% fee for all creators, and could be an alternative to Patreon for creators who focus on direct sales.
6) Kajabi
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform known for features to help sell online courses, memberships, and coaching programs. It costs more than most basic digital product platforms, but it does offer many community features, marketing tools, and a course management platform.
This platform is ideal for established creators and businesses needing a comprehensive solution to manage their entire online presence. The Kickstarter plan costs $89 per month and is aimed at beginners running their first online business. On the other end of the spectrum, the Pro plan costs $500 per month for advanced business scaling features. Since most creators use multiple platforms, Kajabi aims to consolidate their needs into a single membership platform.
7) Kit
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) has expanded beyond its original email marketing tools and now offers features for its creators who want to expand into selling digital products. By integrating sales directly into an existing workflow, it allows creators to manage both audience engagement and product distribution in one place.
The platform charges a 1% fee plus standard payment processing costs, which can make it a cost-effective option for creators with an active and engaged community. Because it builds on the tools creators are already familiar with, Kit makes it easier to connect marketing efforts with monetization strategies, providing a cohesive approach to growing both audience and revenue.
8) Ko-fi
Ko-fi offers creators flexible pricing options and boasts 0% platform fees for one-time donations. This is a significant advantage for maximizing financial gain for casual users.
For monthly subscriptions, the Ko-fi Contributor plan charges a 5% platform fee, plus normal payment processing fees. For the Ko-fi Gold plan, the monthly cost is $12, or $144 per year.
It’s great for those looking to sell digital downloads, take custom orders, or simply get one-time tips from their audience. It’s an easy-to-use platform that enables creators to start earning money from their work.
9) MemberPress
For creators using WordPress, MemberPress is a membership platform that integrates directly with a site, enabling features such as content dripping, payment system integration, and member management.
The basic Launch plan costs $399 per year, while the Scale plan is $999. MemberPress helps creators to maintain full control over their sites and brand, offering flexibility for those who want to manage memberships independently without relying on a hosted solution.
10) Podia
Podia offers an easy-to-use platform for selling online courses, digital downloads, webinars, and memberships. It provides a free plan with transaction fees, while paid plans offer lower fees and more advanced features, including custom website options.
The basic Mover plan costs $39 per month with 5% transaction fees, and the more advanced Shaker plan costs $89 per month with no transaction fees. Email is supported for free across both plans – so long as you have under 100 subscribers. After that, the cost can range from an additional $9 per month for up to 500 users to $833 per month for up to 300,000 subscribers.
11) SamCart
SamCart is an e-commerce platform that offers customizable checkout pages and sales funnel tools. It is often used for selling digital products and online courses.
The platform includes features such as upsells and order bumps, which may increase the average order value. SamCart operates on a subscription model, offering a 7-day free trial, after which the plan starts at $79 per month, depending on revenue.
12) Substack
Substack is designed for writers and journalists who want to earn revenue directly from their work by publishing paid newsletters and fostering an engaged community around their content. The platform takes a 10% share of subscription revenue (minus card fees), which encourages creators to be intentional about how they grow and retain their audiences.
Because success on Substack depends heavily on attracting new subscribers and consistently nurturing existing ones,effective email marketing becomes a central strategy. Creators can use targeted campaigns, segmented mailing lists, compelling calls-to-action, and automated onboarding sequences to build stronger relationships with readers.
In this way, Substack not only serves as a publishing platform but also empowers writers to leverage email marketing as a tool to build community and generate sustainable income.
13) Teachable
Teachable is another platform for educators and creators to sell online courses and coaching products. It offers complete features for building courses, managing students, and processing payments.
Teachable can be an ideal starting point for those seeking to create and sell courses with various membership tiers. Its basic Builder plan starts at $69 per month (billed annually), and the Advanced plan is $309 per month (billed annually).
14) Thinkific
Thinkific is a course platform specifically for creators selling online courses. It offers many tools for creating courses, managing students, and marketing the course offerings. While it mainly focuses on online courses, it also supports various other digital products.
Thinkific includes a free plan with basic features. Its most popular Start Plan (billed annually) is $74 per month.Other plans include Basic at $36 per month, Grow at $149 per month, and a custom option, Thinkific Plus, with pricing tailored to your specific needs.
15) WishList Member
Like MemberPress, WishList Member is a WordPress plugin that turns a WordPress site into a full-featured membership platform. It’s great for creators who want to sell online courses, exclusive content, or provide community access directly from their own website.
It offers many ways to customize and connect with other tools, helping creators build complex membership levels and manage paying members effectively. You can start with the Basic plan priced at $299 per year or go up to the Pro plan for $699 per year.
FAQs
Why do these Patreon alternatives offer higher payouts?
These Patreon alternatives often offer higher payouts because they charge lower platform fees, take smaller transaction fees, or provide more favorable revenue splits for creators. Some platforms also include features like direct payouts in multiple currencies, tips without extra fees, or fewer restrictions on content, allowing creators to keep a larger share of the money they earn.
Do these platforms let me sell physical and digital products together?
Yes. Many Patreon alternatives, like ThriveCart, let you sell both digital products (such as online courses, ebooks, and digital downloads) and physical products. This flexibility helps creators offer more variety and reach more people.
How important are community features in a Patreon alternative?
Community features are very important for building an active community and keeping paying members loyal.
Parting Thoughts
Choosing the best Patreon alternative depends on your specific goals for making money, the type of products you sell, and how much control and revenue you get. Given the creative work involved in making your content special, it’s very important to pick a platform with higher payouts, fewer fees, and strong features for selling digital products.
ThriveCart offers an all-in-one solution that combines checkout, sales funnels, subscription management, affiliate programs, and a learning management system into one powerful ecommerce platform.
Ready to make more money and take more control over your creative business? Find out how ThriveCart can help you grow today!