Some of our readers may know that Patreon is a US-based membership subscription service that provides tools for creators to basically earn a living. The model leverages on fees obtained from both, the subscriber & the creator. The latter can choose from 3 subscription plans, & need to pay commission on their income as well as payment processing fees & withdrawal fees.
While Patreon, which describes itself as a crowdfunding platform, is great for creators, many say it’s effectiveness is “slanted” in favor of those creators who already have a large following, & also the funds to afford the fees.
But what if we told you there are Patreon alternative platforms out there that you may want to explore? Let’s take a look at a few:
Systems That Can Be Integrated With A Website
Offering free Content is a fabulous way for creators to gain a following. Creators can set up a Website for a nominal fee on no-code platforms such as Weebly, WordPress, Mailchimp or Wix, & integrate various apps to solicit donations from their fans. Additionally, creators can leverage digital advertising from various providers such as Google AdSense to help finance their creative efforts.
- PayPal :- Anyone with a PayPal account can integrate a “donation” button on their Website to encourage fans to offer payment. The button is easy to make & users simply need to copy the code generated by PayPal & transfer it to their site. There is a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee. There are no monthly fees & contributors aren’t charged. The button can be inserted in an email newsletter, or even setup on a social media page, such as Facebook.
Hosted Platforms
- Buy Me A Coffee: Absolutely free to set up an account, it deducts a flat rate of 5% per transaction. Creators can sign up with their Google or Facebook accounts, or they can use their email address. Creators can set up a personalized page on the platform which allows them to post Content exclusively for fans or for the public at large. Creators can also sell their digital Content for once off fees on the platform. They can offer fans the option to donate on a recurring basis by paying monthly or annually(Patreon only offers monthly subscriptions). Fans do not need to set up an account on the platform to make donations, whereas on Patreon they do. Free analytics are included in the package. Buy Me A Coffee also has a 24/7 chat option, which Patreon doesn’t. Supports a wide variety of payment methods including Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal & credit cards. (Most other platforms only support PayPal & credit card payments)
- Ko-Fi:- The platform is free to use & lets creators accept donations on their page without charging a percentage. However, if creators want to offer a subscription service to fans for exclusive Content, then they need to upgrade to a paid monthly service, which currently costs $4.50/month if paid annually or $6/month if paid monthly. Creators can open a “shop” on the platform & sell merchandise & accept commissions.
Traditional Crowdfunding Sites
Sites such as Indiegogo & Kickstarter are by known quite well-known & are often used by creators to raise funds for particular projects. However, although these Sites are great for raising brand awareness & launching a book, movie or music album, they do not support posting multiple projects or allow fans to support creators via a monthly subscription. Also, on these platforms creators need to offer “rewards” to launch a campaign, which, if, physical, offer better traction. Both platforms take a cut of the creators’ funds.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
