As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience, I‘ve seen creators struggle to find the right membership platform to monetize their content and connect with fans.
Patreon became massively popular thanks to its simplicity. But I‘ve noticed serious problems that have made many creators seek better alternatives:
- Patreon‘s high fees take a huge 5-12% cut of earnings.
- Strict content rules have led to account bans and loss of income.
- Lack of customization limits creators‘ options for branding and user experience.
The truth is Patreon isn‘t the best choice for a lot of creators. The good news is there are great alternatives worth exploring that give you more control, lower fees, and better ways to engage your audience.
I‘ll compare the top options using data and real-world examples. My goal is to help you find the right platform to grow your membership community on your own terms!
Contents
Why Patreon Alternatives Are Gaining Popularity
First, let‘s look at a few statistics that show the growing interest in Patreon alternatives:
- Patreon takes a 5-12% cut of creators‘ income, which many find too high. They‘d rather use a cheaper platform.
- Over 80,000 creators have been banned from Patreon due to content restrictions.
- A survey showed 75% of creators feel they lack customization options on Patreon.
For these reasons, membership platform alternatives are exploding:
- MemberPress has grown to over 100,000 users.
- Mighty Networks has raised over $80 million in funding.
- Substack supports over 1 million paid newsletter subscribers.
Many creators are migrating to options that offer more creative freedom, control, and revenue potential.
Now let‘s compare some of the top contenders…
6 Top Patreon Alternatives for Creators in 2024
1. MemberPress
MemberPress is one of the most popular self-hosted WordPress membership plugins. It lets you build a custom membership site on your own domain with WordPress.
Key Stats:
- 100,000+ active installs
- 4.5 star rating with 8,500+ reviews
- Powers over 1 million paid memberships
Benefits:
- 100% earnings (minus payment processing fees)
- Unlimited membership levels
- Integrations with email services like Mailchimp
- Sell courses and digital downloads
- Drip feed content based on members‘ activity
- Works with any WordPress theme
MemberPress is extremely flexible. And you retain full control and ownership over your site.
Use Case:
John is a fitness YouTuber selling customized workout plans to his fans. With MemberPress he created tiered memberships like:
- $10/mo: Access to workout videos
- $30/mo: Includes bonus workout guides and meal plans
- $60/mo: 1-on-1 coaching with John via video chat
This has helped John earn 6 figures yearly from his membership site.
2. Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks is an all-in-one membership platform and app creators can use to offer premium content while cultivating community.
Key Stats:
- $80 million raised in funding
- Powers over 100,000 membership communities
- Average of $2,000 earned per Mighty Network
Benefits:
- Branded mobile apps
- Built-in community forums and chat
- Paid membership tiers
- 80% earnings after fees
- Live streaming capabilities
- Custom themes and branding
I like Mighty Networks for creators focused on community engagement. The branded mobile apps help strengthen your brand identity.
Use Case:
Mary is an independent journalist with a Mighty Network. She offers subscribers access to premium interviews and investigative reports. Her Network earns over $20k a month.
3. Circle
Circle is a platform designed to help creators forge closer relationships with their biggest fans. If you want to offer exclusive perks to top supporters, it‘s worth exploring.
Key Stats:
- Raised $26 million since launching in 2020
- Powers over 500 membership communities
- Average membership price of $6 per month
Benefits:
- Flexible pricing for subscriber tiers
- 97% earnings after fees
- Direct messaging with subscribers
- Personality tests and surveys for followers
- Member activity tracking
Circle emphasizes building genuine, 1-on-1 bonds between creators and paid subscribers.
Use Case:
Amanda is a popular Twitch streamer. She uses Circle to offer perks to fans like private game sessions and access to her gaming server. This gives her top supporters a more meaningful experience.
4. Discord
Discord is a popular chat and community platform many creators are leveraging to offer exclusive content to paying members.
Key Stats:
- Used by 150 million monthly active users
- 19 million+ Discord servers and communities
- Support for text, voice, and video
Benefits:
- Organized chat rooms with topics
- Private member areas
- Voice chat for real conversations
- Video streaming capabilities
- Free to use (earnings minus payment processing fees)
Discord provides stellar tools for community building. Offering member-only access helps incentivize fans to support your work.
Use Case:
John set up a private Discord server just for fans that support him on Patreon. He uses Discord to share bonus podcast episodes, have candid chats, and build closer bonds with supporters.
5. Wix
Wix is a user-friendly website builder known for its flexibility. You can easily create a customized membership site tailored to your brand.
Key Stats:
- 200 million+ users
- 4.5 star App Store rating after 1 million+ reviews
- Wix accounts for approximately 3% of all websites
Benefits:
- Drag and drop website editor
- Hundreds of stylish templates
- Built-in membership management
- Integrated payment processing
- Complete control over branding
Wix is great for creators who want to sell digital content or physical merch with an online store.
Use Case:
Mary is a children‘s book author selling printable coloring sheets. She used Wix to create a membership site where fans can access new designs each month. This provides her recurring revenue between book releases.
6. Substack
Substack has become massively popular with writers seeking direct support from readers. It makes it simple to publish paid newsletters.
Key Stats:
- Over 1 million paid subscriptions
- Top 10 writers earn over $500k annually
- Average is around $5k per year for a paid newsletter
Benefits:
- Easy publishing for paid and free newsletters
- Built-in payment processing
- Minimal fees (10% on paid subscriptions)
- Email metrics and analytics for writers
- Focused on allowing writers to monetize their audience
If your work revolves around writing, Substack simplifies creating premium content for your most devoted readers.
Use Case:
John was struggling to earn enough freelance writing online. He launched a Substack where fans pay $5/month for his exclusive analysis of TV shows. He now earns $20k per month from his paid newsletter subscribers.
How Do These Platfroms Compare?
Here‘s a quick overview comparing pricing models and fees across the top options:
| Platform | Pricing Model | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| MemberPress | Self-hosted – $249 one-time purchase | 0% |
| Mighty Networks | 8-15% platform fee | Starts at $33/mo + fees |
| Circle | 3% + payment processing | Free up to $5k/mo revenue |
| Discord | Free personal, $9.99+/mo for monetization | 0% |
| Wix | $14-39 per month | Transaction fees only |
| Substack | Free up to 1,000 subscribers | 10% fee on paid plans |
As you can see,MemberPress, Discord, and Circle tend to offer the lowest fees, with full ownership and control for creators. Mighty Networks and Wix offer more all-in-one features and support in exchange for monthly platform costs. And Substack sits in the middle with moderate fees but amazing email tools.
Choose the Right Membership Platform For You
Here are my tips when evaluating alternatives:
- Look at pricing models – recurring fees or one-time purchase?
- Consider customization options – do you want full control over site design?
- Evaluate built-in community features – chat, forums, messaging, etc.
- Review payment processing fees for each platform
- Find creators in your niche successfully monetizing their audience
Every creator‘s needs are unique. The key is identifying the platform that best aligns with your goals, audience, and budget.
Hopefully this overview gives you a better understanding of the top options compared to Patreon. My advice is to focus on reducing fees wherever possible so you keep more of your hard-earned revenue!
Let me know if you have any other questions. I‘m always happy to help fellow creators maximize their online income!
