Ko-fi started as a tip jar, but a lot of creators now run their whole shop through it, so it's worth comparing its free plan against Constants when real money is on the line.

How Ko-fi's Fees Actually Work

Ko-fi's free plan charges 0% on tips and donations, but takes a 5% cut of shop sales, memberships, and commissions. Ko-fi Gold removes that 5% entirely for $12/month at current signup pricing (some longtime creators are grandfathered onto older $6-$8 rates). Standard card processing, roughly 2.9% + $0.30 through Stripe or PayPal, applies on top of whichever Ko-fi tier you're on; that part never goes away.

How Constants' Fee Works

Constants charges one flat rate: 6% of the sale, on every plan, with no separate subscription required to get a lower number. There's no free-vs-paid split to calculate, since the 6% already bundles payment processing, so it's the only figure you need for the math.

The Real Math on 500 Dollars a Month

At $500 a month in shop or membership sales, Ko-fi's free plan keeps $475 after its 5% fee, Ko-fi Gold keeps $488 (fee-free, minus the $12 subscription), and Constants keeps $470 after its flat 6%. Below Ko-fi Gold's roughly $240/month break-even point, the free Ko-fi plan actually keeps a little more than Constants. That's the honest number, not a reason to steer around it.

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What Ko-fi Doesn't Do

Ko-fi's strength is exactly what it was built for: tips, a simple shop, and creator memberships. It doesn't have a booking calendar for coaching calls, ticketed virtual or in-person events, or an AI agent you can sell chat access to. Those need separate tools bolted on if you want them at all. Constants keeps all of it under one page and one 6% rate, so the comparison shifts as soon as you're selling more than one kind of thing.

Pick Ko-fi If, Pick Constants If

Pick Ko-fi if tips and a straightforward shop cover everything you sell, and you're fine paying $12 a month once sales pass Gold's break-even point. Pick Constants if you want bookings, events, memberships, or agent access sitting next to your shop on the same link, under one fee, with no second subscription to track.

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See the full plan breakdown on the constants pricing page.


For how Constants stacks up against the rest of the field, not just Ko-fi, see the full comparison of link-in-bio tools.