FanBell vs. Stan Store

FanBell is better for creators selling direct, paid fan interactions — replies, personalized shoutout videos, tips, and small services — because it is free to start and charges 12% only when a fan pays. Stan Store is better for creators selling digital products, courses, memberships, or coaching, and costs $29 or $99 per month.

Checked against FanBell's pricing page, FanBell's how-it-works page, and Stan Store's own help center (Creator vs. Creator Pro; Stan, Stripe, and PayPal Transaction Fees). Pricing and features can change, so confirm them before choosing a platform.

How do FanBell and Stan Store compare at a glance?

FanBell charges no monthly fee and a 12% platform fee only when a fan pays. Stan Store charges $29/month for Creator or $99/month for Creator Pro and takes a 0% platform transaction fee, per Stan Store's help center. The table below sets the two models side by side.

Stan Store confirms it has no free tier: asked "Does Stan offer a free plan?", its Creator vs. Creator Pro help article answers "Not at the moment!". Stan Store's iOS subscription help article states that both the $29/month Creator plan and the $99/month Creator Pro plan come with a 14-day free trial, and a separate Stan Store help article confirms creators can sell during that trial as soon as Stripe or PayPal is connected.

FanBell has no follower minimum and no monthly subscription: it is free to start, and the 12% platform fee applies only when a fan actually pays. Stan Store's published help-center pricing does not state a follower or audience-size threshold as of September 2026, so treat that as an absence of a published requirement rather than a stated no-minimum policy. That open-signup contrast also shapes how FanBell compares to Passes' application-based model.

What does each platform actually cost per sale?

On a $100 sale, FanBell's 12% platform fee is $12, while Stan Store's platform fee is $0 because Stan Store charges a 0% transaction fee, per its "Stan, Stripe, and PayPal Transaction Fees" help article. Card processing is charged separately on both platforms.

Stripe's published US rate is 2.9% + $0.30 per successful domestic-card transaction, per Stripe's official pricing page — $3.20 on a $100 sale. Stan Store's own fee article lists the identical US Stripe figures and adds a Stripe payout fee of 0.25% + $0.25 per payout (minimum $1) and an extra 1.5% when the customer is in a different country.

PayPal, Stan Store's second processor option, charges 2.99% + $0.49 per transaction for standard credit and debit card payments in the US, per PayPal's official business fees page — $3.48 on a $100 sale, versus Stripe's $3.20.

Stan Store's Creator Pro plan adds Afterpay and Klarna checkout, and Stan Store's fee article prices those at 6.0% + $0.30 and 5.99% + $0.30 per US transaction respectively — roughly double the 2.9% + $0.30 standard card rate on the same page.

FanBell states the arithmetic explicitly on its pricing page: creator earnings = fan payment − platform fee − processing fee. So a $100 FanBell sale processed by Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30 leaves roughly $84.80 after the 12% platform fee and processing.

When does FanBell's 12% fee equal Stan Store's monthly price?

Ignoring payment processing, FanBell's 12% platform fee equals Stan Store's $29/month Creator plan at about $241.67 in monthly FanBell sales, and equals the $99/month Creator Pro plan at $825 in monthly FanBell sales. Below those volumes FanBell costs less in platform fees; above them Stan Store's flat subscription costs less.

Stan Store's annual prices are $300/year for Creator and $948/year for Creator Pro, per its Creator vs. Creator Pro help article, which works out to $25/month and $79/month across 12 months. At those annual rates, FanBell's 12% fee matches the Creator plan at $208.33 in monthly sales and matches Creator Pro at $658.33 in monthly sales.

These are platform-fee break-even points, not total cost of ownership. FanBell charges $0/month and 12% only on paid transactions; Stan Store charges $29 or $99 per month with a 0% transaction fee, per its help center. Stripe or PayPal processing applies on both sides, and the two products include different tools, so the break-even number alone does not identify the better fit.

Who is FanBell best for?

FanBell is best for creators whose product is a personal response rather than a pre-built file. It charges $0/month and 12% only when a fan pays, so a month with no paid requests produces no bill — the opposite of a $29 or $99 monthly subscription that continues regardless of sales.

Every FanBell interaction is asynchronous and prepaid: the fan pays the full price upfront and checks out as a guest by card, with no account to create and no app to install, and the creator delivers within the turnaround they set, with no live calls or appointments to schedule. Payouts run to the creator's bank through Stripe.

A creator can enable the offers they want, set prices, and share one link without first building a course or product catalog. Supported formats include a private question answered by text, a personalized shoutout video, a defined service, a one-time tip, and support for a wishlist or project — all part of paid fan interaction.

FanBell is likely the better fit when:

• The offer is a response or deliverable from you, not a pre-built download.
• You want to test paid fan interaction without a $29 or $99 monthly subscription.
• You do not have — or do not want to build — a course, ebook, or product catalog.
• Your sales are new, seasonal, or below roughly $241.67 a month, the point where 12% equals Stan Store's $29 Creator plan.
• You prefer fans to pay for individual interactions rather than browse a storefront.

If recurring fan subscriptions are the other option on your list, see how FanBell's one-off model stacks up against Fanfix's paid-subscription DMs.

Who is Stan Store best for?

Stan Store is best for creators who already have, or are ready to build, digital products, courses, memberships, or bookable coaching. Its $29/month Creator plan includes a storefront, calendar and booking tools, an unlimited course builder, recurring subscriptions, lead magnets, community features, and Instagram AutoDM, per Stan Store's Creator vs. Creator Pro help article.

Stan Store's $99/month Creator Pro plan adds dynamic pricing and payment plans, discount codes, limited-quantity offers, upsells and order bumps, funnels, affiliate management, email broadcasts and flows, Stan Payments with Afterpay and Klarna, and pixel tracking for Meta, Google, Pinterest, and TikTok, per the same Stan Store help article.

Stan Store takes 0% of each transaction and earns only the flat subscription fee, per its "Stan, Stripe, and PayPal Transaction Fees" help article. That model wins on cost once monthly sales clear roughly $241.67 on the Creator plan or $825 on Creator Pro, because 12% of those amounts equals $29 and $99 respectively.

The trade-off is that Stan Store's subscription continues whether or not you sell: Stan Store's help center states it does not currently offer a free plan and instead provides a 14-day free trial on either plan.

Stan Store is likely the better fit when:

• You have or plan to build a digital product, course, membership, or coaching offer.
• You want a combined storefront and link-in-bio tool in one $29/month subscription.
• Your monthly sales exceed roughly $241.67, where a 12% fee would cost more than $29.
• You need built-in email flows, upsells, discount codes, funnels, or affiliate management, which sit on the $99/month Creator Pro plan.
• You want to host and sell prepared content rather than charge for direct fan interaction.

If storefront tools are what you are comparing, review the best Stan Store alternatives before choosing one, or see Stan Store measured against Whop if courses and communities are also on your shortlist.

Can you use FanBell and Stan Store together?

Yes. The two platforms bill differently and can cover different parts of one creator business: Stan Store's $29 or $99 monthly subscription handles courses, downloads, memberships, and bookings, while FanBell's $0/month, 12%-when-paid model handles tips, private questions, shoutout videos, and small custom services.

Running both costs the Stan Store subscription plus 12% of whatever fans pay through FanBell, because FanBell has no monthly fee to duplicate. FanBell offers can be switched on without building or uploading a product catalog first, so adding it does not require replacing an existing storefront.

Which platform should you choose?

Choose FanBell when fans mainly want direct access to you and you want a $0/month model with a 12% fee only on paid transactions. Choose Stan Store when you need a digital-product storefront and can justify $29 or $99 a month in exchange for its 0% transaction fee (Stan Store help center).

The practical distinction is simple: Stan Store asks what you can package and sell in advance, while FanBell asks what fans will pay to receive directly from you. Below roughly $241.67 in monthly sales, FanBell's 12% costs less than Stan Store's cheapest subscription; above $825 a month, even Creator Pro's $99 flat fee costs less than 12%.

Frequently asked questions

What is the main difference between FanBell and Stan Store?

FanBell sells paid fan interactions — text answers, personalized shoutout videos, tips, and small services — for $0/month plus a 12% fee when a fan pays. Stan Store sells digital products, courses, memberships, and bookings through a storefront costing $29 or $99 a month with a 0% transaction fee (Stan Store help center).

Is FanBell or Stan Store cheaper?

Neither is universally cheaper; the crossover is about $241.67 in monthly sales. FanBell charges $0/month and 12% only when a fan pays, while Stan Store charges $29/month for Creator or $99/month for Creator Pro with a 0% transaction fee, per Stan Store's help center.

Before processing fees, 12% equals $29 at $241.67 in monthly sales and equals $99 at $825 in monthly sales. For a broader comparison, see creator platform fees compared.

Does Stan Store have a free plan?

No. Stan Store's Creator vs. Creator Pro help article answers the question "Does Stan offer a free plan?" with "Not at the moment!" and lists only the $29/month Creator and $99/month Creator Pro plans. Both plans include a 14-day free trial, per Stan Store's help center. FanBell, by contrast, is free to start with no card required.

Can I use FanBell and Stan Store together?

Yes. A creator can sell products, courses, memberships, and bookings on Stan Store's $29 or $99 monthly plan while using FanBell for tips, paid questions, shoutouts, and custom services at $0/month plus 12% per paid request. Because they serve different purchase types, they complement rather than replace each other.

Which should I choose if I want to sell a course?

Choose Stan Store. Its $29/month Creator plan includes an unlimited online course builder and course analytics, per Stan Store's Creator vs. Creator Pro help article. FanBell does not host courses or product catalogs: its paid questions are answered by text and its personalized videos are created as individual shoutout requests.

How can you try FanBell free?

FanBell is free to start with no monthly fee and no card required, and the 12% platform fee applies only after a fan pays.

Create your free FanBell page and turn on the offers you want — private questions, shoutouts, services, tips, or project support. It's free to start, and the 12% platform fee only applies once a fan actually pays you.