Creator platform fees compared
Sendclap takes a flat 1% of each payment, with no monthly fee. The platforms below publish fees between 0% and 30%, and they differ in what that number includes. This page puts them side by side, with the date we read each one.
The fees in one table
| Platform | Fee it publishes | Card processing | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sendclap | 1% | Stripe's fee on top; none for crypto | 2026-11-14 |
| Patreon | 10% | On top, plus currency conversion and payout fees | 2026-11-14 |
| Buy Me a Coffee | 5% | On top (2.9% + 30¢), plus a 0.5% payout fee | 2026-11-14 |
| Ko-fi | 0% to 5% | On top | 2026-11-14 |
| Lemon Squeezy | 5% + 50¢ | Included | 2026-11-14 |
| Substack | 10% | On top | 2026-11-14 |
| Gumroad | 10% + 50¢; 30% via Discover | Not itemised | 2026-11-14 |
Sources: patreon.com/pricing, Buy Me a Coffee's help center on fees, ko-fi.com/gold, lemonsqueezy.com/pricing, substack.com/going-paid, gumroad.com/pricing and Sendclap's own pricing, all read on 2026-11-14.
What the numbers mean
- Sendclap's 1% is not the whole cost of a card payment. Each creator connects their own Stripe account, and Stripe charges its usual fee there (2.9% + 30¢ in the US). A $10 card payment leaves about $9.31. A $10 crypto payment leaves $9.90, because only the 1% applies.
- Patreon shows 10% "of the income you earn on Patreon", plus payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees and applicable taxes, which it lists separately.
- Buy Me a Coffee takes 5% and passes on Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ and a 0.5% payout fee, with 1% more for payments from outside the US and 0.5% more for memberships. A $10 one-off US payment leaves about $8.86.
- Lemon Squeezy's 5% + 50¢ includes card processing and it is your merchant of record, so it collects and pays sales tax and VAT for you. A $10 sale leaves $9.00.
- Ko-fi's range is real. Tips on its free plan carry no service fee, the paid features carry 5% (or 0% with a fixed monthly Gold plan), and card processing comes on top.
- Substack says writers keep 90% of revenue minus credit card fees.
- Gumroad lists 10% + 50¢ for sales you make yourself and 30% for sales that come through its Discover marketplace, and it is your merchant of record.
Where Sendclap is the weaker choice
Sendclap is not a merchant of record, so you handle your own taxes and VAT; Lemon Squeezy and Gumroad do that for you, which is a large part of what their fees pay for. Ko-fi's free tips cost nothing, and GitHub Sponsors and Liberapay take no cut of donations either. Sendclap is a good fit when you want memberships, tips and digital products with license keys on one page, card or crypto, and payouts straight to your own Stripe account or wallet.
A flat 1%, and nothing else from Sendclap
One page for memberships, tips and products, by card or crypto. No monthly fee.
Sendclap against each platform
- Sendclap vs Patreon
- Sendclap vs Buy Me a Coffee
- Sendclap vs Ko-fi
- Sendclap vs Gumroad
- Sendclap vs Lemon Squeezy
- Sendclap vs Substack
See how the 1% works, with worked examples.