Comparison

Ko-fi vs Patreon

Ko-fi lands on Worth it, and Patreon lands on Depends.

Ko-fi

Worth it

Confidence: High

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

Depends

Confidence: Medium

Buy if you're a creator with an existing audience who wants recurring membership income on a proven platform.

Ko-fi versus Patreon
Compare	Ko-fi	Patreon
Verdict	Worth it	Depends
Best for	Artists taking commissions	Podcasters and YouTubers
Who it's not for	Serious online stores needing inventory and shipping	Creators with no audience . Patreon offers no discovery
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	Mixed record: 2015 breach and 2022 security-team layoffs reported; official security and vulnerability-reporting program exists.
Support quality	4.6/5 Trustpilot, but payout complaints exist	Recent 1-star Trustpilot service reviews
Public sentiment	Creators broadly praise Ko-fi's low fees and simplicity, with recurring complaints about payout hiccups and support.^³	Feedback splits: a 4.2/5 G2 rating, but Trustpilot, BBB, and Reddit show recurring complaints about fees, billing, and support.¹⁰
Biggest gotcha	The 5% fee applies to shop and membership income, not just tips . margins shrink on product sales.^¹	Fees are commission-based and the structure changed recently . verify current rates before launching.¹⁴