Alternatives guide

Best Patreon alternatives

Built for recurring membership, not one-off sales.

Best Patreon alternatives compared

The platforms people most often weigh against Patreon, and what each one is actually best at. Unlockable is one row, including what it does not do.

Platforms to consider as alternatives to Patreon, and what each is best for
PlatformBest forFees
PatreonBuilt for recurring membership, not one-off sales.See their pricing page
UnlockableoursOne link for one piece of content. Not a storefront, and no recurring memberships.10% + 10% buyer fee
UnlocktThe closest product to Unlockable, and the one to compare properly.See their pricing page
GumroadThe established digital-product store, with tax handled for you.10% + $0.50 direct
FourthwallMerch and digital products for creators with an audience brand.5% digital, Free plan

Fees are shown only where we have checked them against the provider’s own page. For the rest, follow the link rather than trusting a number.

Unlockable vs Patreon

Unlockable

10% + 10% buyer fee

10% of your list price, plus a 10% privacy & security fee added to the buyer total. Card processing is covered, so £40 of content pays you £36 and the buyer pays £44.

Platform fee
10% creator-side + 10% buyer-side
Card processing
Covered by Unlockable

Patreon

10% + processing

A 10% platform fee on the standard plan, with payment processing on top, plus Apple’s app-store cut on iOS sign-ups and purchases.

Platform fee
10% (standard plan)
Card processing
Additional

On Unlockable a £40.00 sale pays you £36.00: the buyer covers the privacy & security fee, and card processing comes out of our share. Platform fee and processing are shown separately for Patreon because a percentage that excludes processing is not comparable to one that includes it.

Compare every platform at once.

When Patreon is the better choice

Patreon is the category leader for a reason. Memberships, tiers, community posts, Discord integration and a fan base that already expects to pay creators monthly are all first-class. If your income model is “support me every month”, Patreon is built for exactly that and we are not. Its 10% platform fee is the same as our 10% creator fee, but its card processing is additional; ours is covered, and our buyer pays a 10% fee on top.

When Unlockable is the better choice

The real question is whether your audience wants a subscription. If they do, Patreon is the better product — we do not offer memberships at all. If what you actually want is to sell one thing to one person for one price, a membership platform asks you to build a whole ongoing content commitment to do it. That is the gap we exist to fill.

Where the two actually differ

Only the rows with a different answer. Everything else is the same on both.

Voice notes

Unlockable
Yes
Patreon
No

Limited or expiring content

Unlockable
Yes
Patreon
Partly

Recurring memberships

Unlockable
No
Patreon
Yes

Courses

Unlockable
No
Patreon
Partly

Coaching / calls

Unlockable
No
Patreon
Partly

Community features

Unlockable
No
Patreon
Yes

yes · partly · no

The link goes wherever you already post

You send it yourself — we do not connect to these accounts or post on your behalf, and your buyer does not need an account to pay.

Where these figures come from

Patreon’s fees were read from www.patreon.com/pricing on 26 September 2026. Pricing changes without notice, so check the source before making a decision on it. Unlockable’s own figures are our published 10% creator-side and 10% buyer-side fee, and Stripe’s UK card rate.

Try it on one piece of content

No monthly fee, no membership. Upload something, set a price, share one link.

Create your first paid dropCompare all platforms

Other comparisons