Creator platforms, head to head
Two platforms, one table, and a straight answer about which to pick.
beehiiv vs Kit
Pick Kit if your list is under 10,000 and you sell subscriptions or products, because its free plan sells for 3.5% + $0.30 with no monthly bill. Pick beehiiv if ads, referrals, and a newsletter website drive your business. The deciding factor is list size: past 10,000 subscribers, both charge a monthly plan.
Circle vs Skool
Pick Circle if you want to own the business: your own Stripe account, a custom domain, and member exports with emails. Pick Skool if you want the lowest fees and the simplest setup, since Pro's 2.9% + $0.30 includes card processing. The deciding factor is whether you would rather keep your members or keep more of each sale.
Gumroad vs Lemon Squeezy
Lemon Squeezy keeps more of each sale: $18.50 of a $20 US card sale against Gumroad's $16.62, and both act as merchant of record. Pick Gumroad anyway if you want to start selling today with no approval step, or if Lemon Squeezy's planned move to Stripe Managed Payments makes you wary of building there.
Gumroad vs Payhip
Pick Payhip. Its free plan takes 5% per sale against Gumroad's 10% + $0.50, every feature comes on every plan, and it collects EU and UK VAT plus US sales tax for you. Gumroad wins only if you want tax handled in every country or want buyers from its Discover marketplace.
Gumroad vs Stan
Pick Gumroad if you are starting out or sell to buyers in many countries, because it has no monthly fee and handles sales tax as merchant of record. Pick Stan once you sell more than about $242 a month in $25 products from a social bio and are ready to handle tax yourself.
Kajabi vs Podia
Pick Podia unless your email list is already past 1,000 people. Podia Shaker costs $99 a month with no transaction fee and pays into your own Stripe or PayPal account. Kajabi costs $179 and up but includes 2,500 to 100,000 contacts and more automation, which matters once email drives your sales.
Kajabi vs Teachable
Pick Teachable unless you need Kajabi's email, funnels, and community in the same bill. Teachable Builder costs $89 a month with no transaction fee and pays out daily, while Kajabi's cheapest plan is $179. Kajabi wins once your list and revenue are large enough that one subscription replaces two or three other tools.
Ko-fi vs Buy Me a Coffee
Pick Ko-fi. Both take 5% of memberships, but Ko-fi can charge 0% on tips, offers a $12 Gold plan with no platform fee, accepts PayPal, and pays instantly. Buy Me a Coffee adds small Stripe surcharges and pays weekly. The deciding factor is payout speed, since Ko-fi money arrives the moment a supporter pays.
Patreon vs Ko-fi
Pick Ko-fi unless you need Patreon's video hosting, chat, and fan app. Ko-fi takes 5% of memberships, or 0% on its $12 Gold plan, and pays you instantly. Patreon takes 10% from new creators and keeps your members' cards if you leave. The deciding factor is whether you will use Patreon's extra features.
Patreon vs Substack
Pick Substack if your paid product is writing, and Patreon if it is video, community, or digital products. Both take 10% of revenue. The deciding factor is ownership. Substack bills through your own Stripe account, which lets subscribers move with you, while Patreon keeps your members' cards.
Skool vs Mighty Networks
Pick Skool for the lowest fees and a chance at discovery, since Pro's 2.9% + $0.30 already includes card processing. Pick Mighty Networks if you run livestreams and want to keep member emails and your own domain. The deciding factor is ownership: Mighty gives you your own Stripe account and member data, and Skool does not.
Substack vs beehiiv
Pick beehiiv once paid subscriptions earn more than about $1,019 a month at 5,000 subscribers, because its flat fee beats Substack's 10% plus Stripe Billing from there. Pick Substack if you are starting from zero and want free publishing plus readers from its app. The deciding factor is revenue: under about $551 a month, Substack costs less.
Substack vs Ghost
Pick Ghost if you charge for your newsletter and expect to earn more than about $701 a month, since its 0% fee and $75 Publisher plan beat Substack's 10% plus Stripe Billing from there at 5,000 members. Pick Substack to start free with its reader network. The deciding factor is ownership: Ghost lets you self-host and keep everything.
Teachable vs Thinkific
Pick Teachable if you sell courses and coaching to individuals and want the lower bill: Builder is $89 a month with no transaction fee. Pick Thinkific if you need certificates, assessments, live cohorts, or B2B seat sales on the entry plan and can pay $109 a month.