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.
| Patreon | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 10% for pages published after August 4, 2025 | 10% of subscription revenue |
| Payment processing | 2.9% + $0.30 on US cards | 2.9% + $0.30 on US cards, plus 0.7% Stripe Billing on recurring payments |
| Monthly cost | None | None. Publishing is free at any list size |
| Take-home on $1,000 a month in $10 payments | About $841 | About $834 |
| Where payments run | Patreon's payment system | Your own Stripe account |
| Payouts | On demand or on the 5th, 1 to 5 days, by direct deposit, PayPal, or Payoneer | Through Stripe, usually within 48 hours of each payment |
| Audience export | Member emails by CSV | Subscriber emails by CSV, without names |
| Custom domain | Yes, on the new creator page | One-time $50 fee |
| iOS in-app purchases | Apple's fee is 30%, then 15% after a year. Funds pending up to 75 days | Apple's fee applies. Apple pays up to 45 days after month end |
| You keep on $1,000 a month | $841 | $834 |
| You keep on $10,000 a month | $8,410 | $8,340 |
| Our score | 7.1 out of 10 | 7.2 out of 10 |
What you keep on $1,000 a month
Both platforms paid in $10 payments by US cards, each on whichever plan leaves you the most. The blue is yours. The hatched part is fees.
| Platform and plan | Share kept versus fees | You keep | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| PatreonStandard | $841 | −$159 | |
| SubstackSubstack | $834 | −$166 |
On $10,000 a month: Patreon $8,410, Substack $8,340. How we calculate this.
Pick Patreon if
- your members pay for video, audio, or community rather than a newsletter.
- you sell digital products alongside memberships.
- you are a legacy creator paying 5% or 8%.
Pick Substack if
- your paid product is a newsletter.
- you want subscribers billed through your own Stripe account.
- you want to build a large free list first, since publishing costs nothing until you turn on payments.
Which takes a bigger cut, Patreon or Substack?
They are nearly tied. Both take 10%, and both pay 2.9% + $0.30 per US card payment. Substack adds Stripe Billing's 0.7% on recurring payments, so on a $10 subscription you keep about $8.34 on Substack and $8.41 on Patreon.
Legacy Patreon creators on the 5% or 8% plans pay less than either. Our fee table compares both against cheaper membership platforms like Ko-fi.
Who owns the subscribers?
Substack gives you more control. Payments run through your own Stripe account, and Memberful's migration docs say Substack members can move to Memberful with their payment details and renewal dates because both use Stripe.
Patreon keeps members' cards. You can export emails, but Memberful's docs say members coming from Patreon must add a payment method again.
Both export email lists as CSV. Substack's export does not include subscriber names.
Which is better for what you make?
Substack is built around a newsletter. Publishing is free at any list size and payments are optional. If writing is the product, it fits.
Patreon is built around a membership page. It hosts video up to 100 hours a month, sells digital products, and has chats and polls. If members pay for video, audio, or community, Patreon fits better.
How do payouts compare?
Substack pays faster on web payments. Money moves through your Stripe account and usually reaches your bank within 48 hours. Patreon holds your balance until you withdraw or the automatic payout on the 5th, then takes 1 to 5 days.
App purchases are slow on both. Apple pays Substack up to 45 days after the end of each month, and Patreon keeps iOS in-app purchases pending for up to 75 days.
Frequently asked questions
Does Substack take the same cut as Patreon?
Yes, 10% each. Substack also passes on Stripe Billing's 0.7% fee for recurring payments, so it costs slightly more per payment.
Can I move subscribers off Substack later?
Yes, more easily than off Patreon. Because payments run through your own Stripe account, Memberful's docs say Substack members can move with their payment details and renewal dates.
Does Substack charge for a custom domain?
Yes, a one-time $50 fee. You must already own the domain.
Is Patreon or Substack better for writers?
Substack, for most writers. It is free to publish, built around email, and bills through your own Stripe account. Patreon makes more sense if you also post video or sell digital products.