Comparison

Ko-fi vs beehiiv

Ko-fi and beehiiv both land on Worth it.

Ko-fi

Worth it

Confidence: High

Buy if you're a solo creator taking tips, commissions, or small memberships and want near-zero fees.

Worth it

Confidence: Medium

Buy if you're a creator, writer, or small publisher launching and monetizing a newsletter . it's purpose-built, easy to use, and free to start.

Ko-fi versus beehiiv
Compare	Ko-fi	beehiiv
Verdict	Worth it	Worth it
Best for	Artists taking commissions	Solo creators and writers
Who it's not for	Serious online stores needing inventory and shipping	Enterprise teams needing deep marketing automation
Privacy	Runs a HackerOne bug bounty program; a 2023 XSS hit the unofficial Ko-fi WordPress button plugin; no confirmed breach found in reviewed sources.^⁸	No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.
Support quality	4.6/5 Trustpilot, but payout complaints exist	No support evidence found
Public sentiment	Creators broadly praise Ko-fi's low fees and simplicity, with recurring complaints about payout hiccups and support.^³	Reviews overwhelmingly praise beehiiv's ease of use and growth tools, with one critic dismissing its results as hype.¹²
Biggest gotcha	The 5% fee applies to shop and membership income, not just tips . margins shrink on product sales.^¹	Paid-tier prices weren't visible in reviewed sources . verify current rates before budgeting¹⁰