Patreon fees in 2026 are a 10% platform fee on every pledge for new creators, plus card processing of 2.9% plus $0.30 per payment; older legacy plans pay a different rate.

Patreon and Constants now charge nearly identical fees on memberships, so the real decision for creators comes down to what each platform actually lets you build around that membership.

How Patreon's Fees Work

Patreon's standard plan applies to creator pages launched on or after August 4, 2025: a flat 10% platform fee on the money you earn, plus card processing of 2.9% plus $0.30 per payment for US cards. Creators who launched earlier can stay on legacy plans at 5% (Founders), 8% (Pro) or 11% (Pro with merch), and those older plans also keep a micropayment rate of 5% plus $0.10 on pledges of $3 or less. If you are starting a Patreon today, plan around 10% plus processing.

What You Actually Keep From a $5, $10, or $25 Pledge

The percentages are easier to feel as dollars. On Patreon's standard plan, a $5 pledge loses about $0.95 to the 10% platform fee and card processing, so the creator keeps about $4.06, roughly 81%. A $10 pledge keeps about $8.41 (84%), and a $25 pledge keeps about $21.48 (86%). The fixed $0.30 per charge is why cheap tiers hurt most: it is 6% of a $5 pledge but barely 1% of a $25 one. A $3 pledge keeps about $2.31 (77%) on the standard plan. Sales tax or VAT, where it applies, comes on top and varies by country.

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The Patreon Fees That Are Easy to Miss

The 10% platform fee is not only for memberships. Patreon applies the same rate to one-off purchases in its shop on the standard plan, so a $20 digital download keeps about $17.12 after fees. On Constants, one-time sales like digital products, bookings and events carry a 6% platform fee instead, and the same $20 download keeps about $17.92. Three more costs only show up later. Currency conversion adds 2.5% when a member pays in a different currency from your payout currency. Payouts cost $0.25 per US direct deposit, while PayPal takes 1% capped at $20. And members who join through Patreon's iOS app pay through Apple, which takes 30% (15% after a year of continuous billing) instead of normal card processing; Patreon raises iOS prices by default to cover part of that.

What Constants Charges (and It Is Basically the Same)

Constants charges the same structure on memberships: a flat 10% platform fee plus the same 2.9% plus $0.30 card processing. Run a $10 monthly membership through both platforms and a creator keeps about $8.41 either way. Anyone expecting Constants to undercut Patreon on membership fees the way it does on one-time digital product sales, which run 6% flat instead, will be disappointed. On memberships specifically, the fee is not the differentiator. For the full setup walkthrough, see the memberships guide.

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The Real Difference: What Lives on the Same Page

Patreon is a single-purpose membership app. Fans join through a separate Patreon page, and creators still need a link in bio or website somewhere else to point people toward it, plus another tool entirely if they want to sell a one-off digital product or take a booking. Constants runs memberships from the same profile as everything else, so a membership tier, a digital download, and a booking calendar can all live on one page with one link to share. For a creator building past a single membership tier, that consolidation is worth more than a percentage point either way.

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Pick Patreon If, Pick Constants If

Patreon still makes sense if membership is the entire business and you are fine running a separate bio link or website alongside it. Constants makes more sense if the membership is one piece of a bigger page that also sells digital products, takes bookings, or just needs a real profile people can follow. See the decision guide for how to think about combining more than one revenue stream, and check the full plan breakdown on the pricing page before deciding. For a feature-by-feature look beyond fees, read the full Constants vs Patreon comparison.

Patreon Fees FAQ

How much does Patreon take from creators? On the standard plan, 10% of what you earn plus card processing of 2.9% plus $0.30 per payment. That works out to roughly 14% to 23% of each pledge depending on its size: about 16% of a $10 pledge and about 23% of a $3 one.

Is Patreon free to start? Yes. There is no monthly subscription for creators; Patreon only takes its fee from money you earn.

Do patrons pay Patreon fees? Patrons pay the pledge price plus any sales tax or VAT that applies where they live. Pledges made in the iOS app can cost more, because Patreon raises iOS prices to cover Apple’s cut.

Can I still get Patreon’s old 5% or 8% rate? No. Legacy rates only apply to creator pages launched before August 4, 2025. New pages start on the 10% standard plan.