Ko-fi
Hard to leave Stage 2
Ko-fi started as low-friction tips; Gold, commissions, and shops stack features—and fees—while staying milder than giants. Stage 2.
- Since
- 2012
- Function
- Creator economy
- VC-backed
- No
- Public
- No
News signals
Aug 14, 2024
Apple's App Store fee rules push creator platforms to raise iOS subscription prices
Drip pricingCreator squeeze
Mar 14, 2024
More in Creator economy
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Ghost
1 Plenty for usersOpen-source publishing platform run by a nonprofit foundation; self-hostable for free, Ghost Pro managed hosting funds the foundation without taking a cut of creator revenue.
-
OnlyFans
3 Cashing inCreator subscriptions with high take rate and policy whiplash; payment processors and brand risk shape who can stay on platform.
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Patreon
3 Cashing inMembership platform: take rates, discovery limits, and policy risk sit between creators and their audiences.
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Substack
2 Hard to leaveNewsletter + payments with clearer creator cut than ad platforms; network features and video push toward fuller stack lock-in.
