Patreon vs Substack: fees & take-home (2026-07)
At $3,000/month over 60 sales, Patreon leaves you $0/month more than Substack. Here's the full breakdown — and where that flips.
| Patreon | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Membership platforms | Newsletter platforms |
| Entry price | Free | Free |
| Platform fee | New creators (post Aug 4 2025): flat 10%. Legacy: Founders 5%, Pro 8% (closed). | Flat 10% of paid-subscription revenue; plus Stripe ~2.9%+30c and ~0.7% renewal → ~13-16% all-in |
| Take-home on $3k/60 sales | $2,595 | $2,595 |
| Effective take rate | 13.5% | 13.5% |
| Affiliate payout | — | — |
| Best for | Individual creators (podcasters, artists, YouTubers) monetizing fans via recurring memberships | Writers wanting the simplest paid-newsletter setup with zero fixed cost and built-in discovery |
Who keeps you more?
Modeled on each platform's entry tier, Patreon wins at $3k/month. But the Patreon/Substack gap depends on your revenue and sales volume — platforms with a monthly fee but 0% cut pull ahead as you scale, while free/percentage platforms win at low volume. Run your exact numbers →
Choose Patreon if…
Individual creators (podcasters, artists, YouTubers) monetizing fans via recurring memberships.
Choose Substack if…
Writers wanting the simplest paid-newsletter setup with zero fixed cost and built-in discovery.