Platforms change pricing and features — verify on the provider’s official pages.
Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee are both free to join with no required monthly fee. Buy Me a Coffee charges a flat 5% platform fee per transaction before processing add-ons; Ko-fi charges 0% on tips only on its basic free account, since its Standard plan — the default for new creators — charges 5% on all payment types.
Both 5% figures are platform fees only: Stripe's processing fee applies on both platforms, and Buy Me a Coffee documents a further 0.5% payout fee, +1% on non-US transactions, and +0.5% on subscription payments. Fees and features change without much notice — confirm current numbers on the official Ko-fi pricing page and Buy Me a Coffee help center before deciding.
Which should I pick?
Pick Ko-fi if most of your income is one-off tips and you can stay on its basic free account, which charges 0% on tips; pick Buy Me a Coffee if you prefer one flat 5% across tips, memberships, and shop sales. Both cost $0/month to join, and neither publishes a follower minimum.
The Ko-fi pricing page lists "Ko-fi free" as "0% service fee on tips, keep every tip you receive" with a "5% service fee on Memberships, Shop sales, and Commissions" (Ko-fi pricing page). The same Ko-fi pricing page lists a second option, "Standard," labelled "(default for new creators)," priced at "5% service fee on all payment types (tips, memberships, commissions and shop sales)" in exchange for advanced tools such as supporter-only content and scheduled posts. Ko-fi's help center repeats the point: on Standard, "a flat 5% fee applies to one-time tips, shop, commissions, monthly tips and memberships too" (Does Ko-fi take a fee?).
Buy Me a Coffee charges one rate: "we only apply a 5% platform fee per transaction, which means you get to keep 95% of your earnings," per its help center article updated March 18, 2026 (How to calculate charges on your payment). That 5% covers tips, memberships, and shop sales alike — simpler to reason about, but more expensive on tip revenue specifically. If you're weighing whether that flat fee is worth the simplicity, is Buy Me a Coffee worth it breaks down what you actually get for the 5%.
Neither platform charges a required monthly fee: the Ko-fi pricing page states "Creating your Ko-fi account is totally free!" and "There are no monthly charges," while Buy Me a Coffee's help center states "Buy Me a Coffee doesn't charge you a monthly fee". If Patreon is also in the running, Patreon vs. Ko-fi vs. Buy Me a Coffee lines up all three side by side. Neither is built around a personalized, per-fan reply, which is where a paid-fan-interaction tool sits as a different category.
How do Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee compare feature by feature?
Both platforms cover tips, memberships, and a shop for $0/month. Ko-fi adds a dedicated Commissions format and a $12/month Gold tier that drops its service fee to 0% on all payment types, per the Ko-fi pricing page; Buy Me a Coffee keeps one flat 5% and publishes no paid tier, per its help center. If the shop is the deciding factor, compare Buy Me a Coffee with Gumroad before choosing a sales home. If Stan Store is also on your shortlist, this Buy Me a Coffee and Stan Store comparison covers fees, monthly costs, and selling tools.
| Dimension | Ko-fi | Buy Me a Coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Core model | Tip jar first, plus shop, memberships, and creator commissions | One-click support, plus memberships and a shop |
| Monthly cost | Free and Standard plans $0/month; optional Ko-fi Gold at $12/month | $0/month; no paid tier published |
| Platform fee | Ko-fi free: 0% on tips, 5% on memberships, shop sales, and commissions; Standard ("default for new creators"): 5% on all payment types; Gold: 0% on all payment types | Flat 5% per transaction on tips, memberships, and shop sales — "you keep 95% of your earnings" |
| Payment processing | Stripe or PayPal; Ko-fi states it does not process payments itself, so your processor's own rate applies on top — Stripe's published US online-card rate is 2.9% + $0.30, while PayPal and non-US card rates differ | Stripe only; Stripe's published US online-card rate of 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction, plus a 0.5% Stripe payout-processing fee, +1% on transactions outside the US, and +0.5% on subscription payments |
| Extra platform fees | "No buyer fees, payout fees, marketing fees or any other" beyond the ≤5% service fee | 0.5% payout-processing fee on payouts |
| Payout threshold | None published; "get paid instantly" into your own PayPal or Stripe account | Payout can be requested once the balance reaches $10 |
| Payout timing | Immediate — "on Ko-fi, you get paid directly, we never hold your money" | First payout may take up to 7–14 days total (account review, then 3–5 business days at the bank), then a recurring schedule |
| Recurring membership | Yes — monthly membership tiers | Yes — membership tiers |
| Shop / pre-made products | Yes — digital and physical items | Yes — digital downloads and physical merchandise |
| Commissions / custom requests | Yes — creator-defined Commissions feature, 5% fee | No dedicated request format published |
| Follower minimum | None published | None published |
Sources: Ko-fi's figures and quoted lines come from the Ko-fi pricing page, Does Ko-fi take a fee?, and the Ko-fi Gold explainer, which prices Gold at "$12/month for new users" to "unlock 0% service fees on all payment options." Buy Me a Coffee's figures come from How to calculate charges on your payment (updated March 18, 2026) and When are payouts processed?. The 2.9% + $0.30 figure is Stripe's own published US online-card rate (Stripe pricing), not a platform fee.
Which is cheaper, Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee?
For tips, a basic Ko-fi free account is cheaper: 0% versus Buy Me a Coffee's flat 5%. On $1,000 of monthly tips that is $0 in platform fees on Ko-fi free versus $50 on Buy Me a Coffee, before processing costs. On shop, membership, and commission sales both charge 5%, so the gap closes to zero.
Worked side by side, using each platform's own published rates (Ko-fi pricing; Buy Me a Coffee help center):
- A single $10 tip costs $0.00 in platform fees on a basic Ko-fi free account and $0.50 on Buy Me a Coffee's 5%.
- $1,000 of monthly tips costs $0 on a basic Ko-fi free account and $50 on Buy Me a Coffee.
- $1,000 of monthly shop sales costs $50 on either platform, because both charge 5% on shop sales.
- A $10/month membership costs $0.50 on Ko-fi and $0.55 on Buy Me a Coffee, whose docs add "+0.5% for subscription payments" on top of the 5%.
- A $50 tip from a supporter outside the US costs $0.00 in platform fees on a basic Ko-fi free account and $3.00 on Buy Me a Coffee, whose docs add "+1% for international (outside of the US) transaction" to the 5%.
- Stripe's published US online-card rate of 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction applies separately on both platforms — about $0.59 on that $10 tip — and Stripe's own pricing page notes different rates for non-US cards and other payment methods, while a Ko-fi creator paid via PayPal is charged PayPal's rate instead.
Two caveats change the math. First, Ko-fi's Standard plan — which its pricing page calls the "default for new creators" — charges "5% service fee on all payment types (tips, memberships, commissions and shop sales)," so a new Ko-fi creator who never switches off Standard pays the same 5% on tips that Buy Me a Coffee charges. Second, Buy Me a Coffee's help center lists three costs layered on top of its 5%: "a 0.5% fee for payout processing," "+1% for international (outside of the US) transaction," and "+0.5% for subscription payments," alongside Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 (How to calculate charges on your payment). Ko-fi's pricing page, by contrast, states there are "no buyer fees, payout fees, marketing fees or any other" charges beyond its service fee and standard processor fees.
Ko-fi Gold costs $12/month and removes the 5% service fee entirely, so it breaks even at $240/month in fee-charged revenue — the point where 5% of sales equals the $12 subscription, calculated from Ko-fi's own published $12/month and 5% figures. Below $240/month in memberships, shop sales, and commissions, the free or Standard plan is cheaper. For a fuller breakdown, see does Ko-fi take a percentage and the Buy Me a Coffee fees explainer.
What do Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee have in common?
Both are $0/month to join, charge a percentage only when a fan pays, pay out into an account the creator controls — Ko-fi into your own PayPal or Stripe account, Buy Me a Coffee via Stripe to your bank — and offer the same three formats: one-time support, memberships, and a shop.
Ko-fi's pricing page states creators "get paid instantly," receiving earnings "directly in your own PayPal or Stripe account," and that "on Ko-fi, you get paid directly, we never hold your money". Buy Me a Coffee's help center states that a creator "can request a payout once the support amount you've received reaches a threshold of $10," that the first request sends the account into a moderation review queue, and that "typically, the first payout may take up to a total of 7 - 14 days," including 3–5 business days for the bank (When are payouts processed?).
Ko-fi requires a connected processor rather than holding funds: its pricing page answers "Do I need to use PayPal or Stripe to get paid?" with "Yes, because Ko-fi doesn't process payments you'll need to connect your Ko-fi to a PayPal or Stripe account to get paid," and lists supporter payment options including PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, Cash App, and credit or debit cards. Buy Me a Coffee states it "partnered with Stripe to process our payments" and pays "net earnings" directly to the creator's bank account (How to calculate charges on your payment). Neither the Ko-fi pricing page nor the Buy Me a Coffee help center publishes an audience-size or follower minimum for opening a page.
Where does a paid-fan-interaction tool fit?
Neither platform is built around a personalized, per-fan reply: a supporter tips or buys a listed item, and that is the whole transaction. Ko-fi's Commissions feature, at a 5% service fee, is the closest custom-request format on either platform; Buy Me a Coffee's published help center documents no dedicated per-fan request format at all.
Ko-fi's help center states Commissions carry "a low 5% fee of your commission payments," with no service fee for Ko-fi Gold creators and normal payment-processor fees still applying. Buy Me a Coffee's own FAQ lists tips, memberships, and a shop, and no per-fan request format.
That's the gap FanBell fills. FanBell turns recurring DM asks into fixed paid offers on one link — Paid Private Questions, Personalized Shoutouts, Creator Services, Tips, and project support — with no follower minimum, no monthly fee, and a 12% platform fee charged only when a fan pays, per FanBell's pricing. On a $25 paid question, that 12% works out to $3.00, per FanBell's published rate. Payouts run through Stripe Connect directly to the creator's bank, per how FanBell works. FanBell does not sell membership tiers or a pre-made shop, so it is a narrower tool by design, and many creators run it alongside a Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee page rather than instead of one. For the head-to-head details, see FanBell vs. Ko-fi and FanBell vs. Buy Me a Coffee.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee better for tips?
Ko-fi is cheaper for tips on a basic free account, which its pricing page describes as "0% service fee on tips, keep every tip you receive," versus Buy Me a Coffee's "5% platform fee per transaction" (Ko-fi pricing; Buy Me a Coffee help center). On $1,000 of monthly tips that difference is $0 versus $50 in platform fees, calculated from those two published rates. The catch is the default: Ko-fi's pricing page labels the Standard plan "(default for new creators)" and prices it at "5% service fee on all payment types (tips, memberships, commissions and shop sales)," so confirm which plan your account is on before assuming the 0% tip rate. Stripe's published US card rate of 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction applies on both platforms regardless.
Do Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee charge a monthly fee?
Neither charges a required monthly fee. The Ko-fi pricing page states "Creating your Ko-fi account is totally free!" and "There are no monthly charges," and Buy Me a Coffee's help center states "Buy Me a Coffee doesn't charge you a monthly fee. Instead, we only apply a 5% platform fee per transaction" (Ko-fi pricing; Buy Me a Coffee help center). Ko-fi's one optional upgrade, Ko-fi Gold, is priced at "$12/month for new users" and unlocks "0% service fees on all payment options," per Ko-fi's Gold explainer. Buy Me a Coffee publishes no paid tier.
Do I need a minimum number of followers to use either platform?
No. Neither the Ko-fi pricing page nor the Buy Me a Coffee FAQ publishes a follower or audience-size minimum for opening a page, so any creator can set one up at any audience size. There is a money threshold rather than an audience one on Buy Me a Coffee: its help center says a payout can be requested "once the support amount you've received reaches a threshold of $10" (When are payouts processed?).
Can I use Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee alongside another tool?
Yes. Neither the Ko-fi pricing page nor the Buy Me a Coffee FAQ states an exclusivity requirement or bars using another payment page alongside it. A common setup is a Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee page for tips, memberships, and a shop, plus a separate FanBell link for one-off paid questions, shoutouts, or small services. All three have a $0/month base plan: Ko-fi states "there are no monthly charges" on its pricing page, Buy Me a Coffee states it "doesn't charge you a monthly fee" in its help center, and FanBell charges no monthly fee and a 12% platform fee only when a fan pays, per FanBell's pricing.
Related reading
For how platform fees stack up across the wider creator landscape, see creator platform fees compared and the best online tip jars for creators. If you're weighing either of these against a paid-interaction model specifically, FanBell vs. Ko-fi and FanBell vs. Buy Me a Coffee cover those comparisons directly.
If your fans are already asking you for something specific rather than just tipping, that's exactly what FanBell is built for. Create your free FanBell page — it's free to start, and the 12% platform fee only applies once a fan actually pays you.