Ko-fi Fees 2026: How Much Ko-fi Takes (+ Gold Calculator)
You just got your first $50 in Ko-fi donations. How much did you actually keep?
If they were tips or donations on the free plan — all $50 (minus payment processing). Ko-fi is the only major creator platform that charges 0% platform fees on tips and donations.
But if those were membership payments or shop sales, Ko-fi took 5%. And if you're on Ko-fi Gold, it took 0%.
Confused? You're not alone.
In 2026, Ko-fi's free plan charges 0% on tips and donations and 5% on memberships, shop sales, and commissions, while Ko-fi Gold at 12 dollars per month removes all platform fees on all payment types, including memberships, shop sales, commissions, and donations. Both plans still pay typical processing of around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction — making Ko-fi one of the lowest-fee major creator platforms in 2026.
Quick Answer: How Much Does Ko-fi Take in 2026?
| Income Type | Ko-fi Free | Ko-fi Gold ($12/mo) | Processing (Both Plans) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tips & Donations | 0% | 0% | ~2.9% + $0.30 |
| Memberships | 5% | 0% | ~2.9% + $0.30 |
| Shop Sales | 5% | 0% | ~2.9% + $0.30 |
| Commissions | 5% | 0% | ~2.9% + $0.30 |
What You Actually Keep Per Transaction (Ko-fi Free)
| Sale Price | Platform Fee (5%) | Processing (~2.9% + $0.30) | Total Fees | You Keep | Effective Fee % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3 | $0.15 | $0.39 | $0.54 | $2.46 | 18.0% |
| $5 | $0.25 | $0.45 | $0.70 | $4.30 | 14.0% |
| $10 | $0.50 | $0.59 | $1.09 | $8.91 | 10.9% |
| $25 | $1.25 | $1.03 | $2.28 | $22.72 | 9.1% |
| $50 | $2.50 | $1.75 | $4.25 | $45.75 | 8.5% |
What You Actually Keep Per Transaction (Ko-fi Gold)
| Sale Price | Platform Fee | Processing (~2.9% + $0.30) | Total Fees | You Keep | Effective Fee % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3 | $0.00 | $0.39 | $0.39 | $2.61 | 13.0% |
| $5 | $0.00 | $0.45 | $0.45 | $4.55 | 9.0% |
| $10 | $0.00 | $0.59 | $0.59 | $9.41 | 5.9% |
| $25 | $0.00 | $1.03 | $1.03 | $23.97 | 4.1% |
| $50 | $0.00 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $48.25 | 3.5% |
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Ko-fi Free vs Ko-fi Gold: Which Plan Should You Choose?
This is the most important decision on Ko-fi. The answer comes down to how much Ko-fi takes from your monthly income.
Ko-fi Gold Breaks Even at $240/Month
Ko-fi Gold costs $12/month and removes the 5% platform fee. In practice, Ko-fi Gold breaks even at around $240 per month, because 5% of $240 equals the $12 subscription.
- At $240/month: 5% = $12 (break-even)
- At $500/month: 5% = $25, Gold saves you $13/month
- At $1,000/month: 5% = $50, Gold saves you $38/month
- At $2,000/month: 5% = $100, Gold saves you $88/month
What Else Does Ko-fi Gold Include?
Beyond the 0% platform fee, Gold unlocks:
- Custom shop domain support
- Advanced analytics and supporter insights
- Higher file upload limits for digital products
- Priority support
- Exclusive Gold-only features and early access
Ko-fi's Fee Structure Explained
Tips and Donations: 0% Platform Fee (Both Plans)
This is Ko-fi's headline feature and biggest differentiator. Whether you're on Free or Gold, Ko-fi takes zero platform fee on tips and donations. You only pay payment processing (~2.9% + $0.30).
Patreon, Substack, and Gumroad all charge around 10% platform fees on paid income, while Ko-fi charges 0% on tips and donations. If tips and one-off donations are a significant part of your income, Ko-fi is unbeatable.
Memberships: 5% Free / 0% Gold
Ko-fi's monthly membership feature competes directly with Patreon. On the free plan, Ko-fi takes 5% — half of what Patreon charges. On Gold, it's 0%.
On a $5/month membership with 100 supporters:
- Ko-fi Free: $500 - $25 (5%) - $44.50 processing = $430.50/month (86.1%)
- Ko-fi Gold: $500 - $0 (0%) - $44.50 processing - $12 Gold = $443.50/month (88.7%)
- Patreon: $500 - $50 (10%) - $44.50 processing = $405.50/month (81.1%)
Ko-fi Gold saves you $38/month over Patreon on the same income.
Shop Sales: 5% Free / 0% Gold
Selling digital downloads, artwork, music, or other products through Ko-fi's shop works the same as memberships — 5% on Free, 0% on Gold, plus processing.
Commissions: 5% Free / 0% Gold
Ko-fi's commission system for custom work (illustrations, music, writing) follows the same fee structure. This is particularly valuable for artists and freelancers who take custom orders.
What Does This Mean in Real Money?
Example 1: Hobby Creator ($100/month in tips)
- Gross income: $100/month
- Platform fee: $0.00 (tips are 0% on both plans)
- Processing (~2.9% + $0.30, assuming 20 tips at $5): -$9.00
- You keep: $91.00 (91%)
- On Patreon, you'd keep ~$81 (10% + processing)
Example 2: Growing Creator ($300/month in memberships)
- Gross income: $300/month (60 members at $5)
- Ko-fi Free: $300 - $15 (5%) - $27 processing = $258.00 (86%)
- Ko-fi Gold: $300 - $0 - $27 processing - $12 Gold = $261.00 (87%)
- Patreon: $300 - $30 (10%) - $27 processing = $243.00 (81%)
Example 3: Full-Time Creator ($1,500/month mixed income)
- $500 in memberships (100 at $5) + $500 in shop sales (50 at $10) + $500 in tips (100 at $5)
- Ko-fi Free: $1,500 - $50 (5% on $1,000) - $72.50 processing = $1,377.50 (91.8%)
- Ko-fi Gold: $1,500 - $0 - $72.50 processing - $12 Gold = $1,415.50 (94.4%)
Ko-fi vs Patreon vs Gumroad in 2026
How do Ko-fi fees 2026 compare to other creator platforms? Here's a side-by-side comparison of Ko-fi vs Patreon vs Gumroad on a $10 membership:
| Platform | Platform Fee | Processing | $10/mo (You Keep) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ko-fi Free | 5% | ~2.9% + $0.30 | $8.91 (89.1%) | Tips + simple memberships (0% on tips) |
| Ko-fi Gold | 0% ($12/mo) | ~2.9% + $0.30 | $9.41 (94.1%) | Creators earning $240+/mo |
| Patreon | 10% | ~2.9% + $0.30 | $8.41 (84.1%) | Tiered memberships with discovery |
| Gumroad | 10% + $0.50 | 2.9% + $0.30 | $7.91 (79.1%) | One-off digital product sales |
| Substack | 10% | Stripe processing | $8.41 (84.1%) | Newsletter-first creators |
Key takeaway: Ko-fi is the cheapest option at every income level. The only reason to choose Patreon over Ko-fi is if you need Patreon's built-in audience discovery or advanced tiered membership features.
Use the Ko-fi fee calculator and the multi-platform comparison tool to see your take-home on Ko-fi vs Patreon vs Gumroad at your actual prices and supporter count.
Is Ko-fi Worth It?
Yes, if:
- Tips and donations are a meaningful part of your income (0% is unbeatable)
- You want the lowest fees on memberships (5% Free, 0% Gold)
- You prefer instant payouts via Stripe or PayPal (no minimums)
- You sell a mix of memberships, shop items, and commissions
- You already have an audience on social media or YouTube
No, if:
- You need Patreon's built-in discovery and community features
- You want advanced tiered membership management
- You're a newsletter-first creator (Substack has better email tools)
- You rely on the platform to find your audience rather than bringing your own
How to Maximise Your Ko-fi Earnings
- Upgrade to Gold at $240/month. Below this, the free plan is cheaper. Above it, Gold saves you money every month — and the savings grow as you earn more.
- Lean into tips. Ko-fi's 0% fee on donations is unique. Encourage one-off support alongside memberships.
- Bundle income types. Combine memberships, shop sales, and commissions on one platform. On Gold, all three are 0% platform fee.
- Use the fee calculator. Before committing to Ko-fi or switching from Patreon, plug your actual numbers into the calculator and the multi-platform comparison tool to see the real difference.
Related Reading
- Ko-fi vs Patreon: Which Pays More? — detailed head-to-head fee comparison
- Patreon Fees Explained 2026 — full breakdown of Patreon's fee tiers and worked examples
- Creator Platform Fees 2026 — how Ko-fi compares across all major platforms
{{faq}}
[
{
"question": "How much does Ko-fi take in 2026?",
"answer": "In 2026, Ko-fi's free plan charges 0% on tips and donations and 5% on memberships, shop sales, and commissions, while Ko-fi Gold ($12/month) removes all platform fees. Both plans charge typical payment processing of around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction."
},
{
"question": "Is Ko-fi Gold worth it?",
"answer": "Ko-fi Gold ($12/month) is worth it if you earn over $240/month in memberships, shop sales, or commissions. At that level, the 5% fee savings exceeds the $12 subscription cost. Below $240/month, the free plan is more cost-effective."
},
{
"question": "Is Ko-fi cheaper than Patreon?",
"answer": "Yes. Ko-fi Free charges 5% on memberships vs Patreon's 10%. Ko-fi Gold charges 0%. On tips and donations, Ko-fi charges 0% while Patreon charges 10% on all paid income. Ko-fi is cheaper at every income level."
},
{
"question": "What are Ko-fi's fees on donations?",
"answer": "Ko-fi charges 0% platform fee on tips and donations on both the free plan and Ko-fi Gold. You only pay standard payment processor fees of around 2.9% + $0.30 per donation."
},
{
"question": "What is the Ko-fi Gold break-even point?",
"answer": "Ko-fi Gold breaks even at $240/month in memberships, shop sales, or commissions. At this level, the 5% fee you'd pay on the free plan ($12) exactly equals the Gold subscription cost."
},
{
"question": "How does Ko-fi compare to Gumroad?",
"answer": "Ko-fi is significantly cheaper than Gumroad. Gumroad charges 10% + $0.50 per sale plus processing, while Ko-fi Free charges 5% and Ko-fi Gold charges 0%. On a $10 sale, you keep $8.91 on Ko-fi Free vs $7.91 on Gumroad."
},
{
"question": "Does Ko-fi have instant payouts?",
"answer": "Yes. Ko-fi connects directly to your Stripe or PayPal account, so earnings transfer instantly with no minimum payout threshold. Patreon, by comparison, pays monthly with a $25 minimum."
}
]