Creator economy · Fees
Creator platform fees, compared
What creators actually pay isn’t the sticker price — it’s the subscription plus the cut of every sale. Enter your revenue to estimate fees across the main platforms. Every figure is sourced and dated; figures last reviewed 2026-07-27.
Estimate your fees
Enter your monthly revenue to see estimated platform fees on these assumptions. Figures are estimates, not quotes — every platform links to its source and review date below.
| Platform | Subscription | Platform fee | Est. monthly cost before VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crownerr Free | £0 | 6% | £120 |
| Crownerr Creator | £79 + VAT · £94.80 incl. VAT for UK customers | 3% | £139 |
| Crownerr Studio | £149 + VAT · £178.80 incl. VAT for UK customers | 0% | £149 |
| Patreon | — | 8–12% | £160–£240 |
| Kajabi | £141 | — | £141 |
| Gumroad | — | 10–30% | £200–£600 |
| Substack | — | 10% | £200 |
| Ko-fi | £9 | 0–5% | £9–£109 |
| Skool | £7 | 2.9–10% | £65–£207 |
| Circle | £70 | 0.5–2% | £80–£110 |
| Podia | £39 | 5% | £139 |
| Stan Store | £23 | — | £23 |
| Shopify | £25 | — | £25 |
Estimates on the assumptions above. Platform fees, subscriptions, and payment processing vary by plan, region, and revenue mix — see each platform’s source and review date below. Crownerr subscription figures are net prices; VAT is added where applicable.
How we compare
- Included: each platform’s published platform/transaction fee and the typical subscription a creator on that plan pays.
- Shown separately, not hidden: payment processing (roughly 2.9% + a fixed fee on most platforms, including Crownerr), and marketplace or per-transaction surcharges where they apply.
- Currencies: figures are normalised to GBP; some source prices are set in USD and converted, so treat them as estimates.
- Legacy & regional: grandfathered plans and region-specific pricing can differ; where a rate varies we show a range and the condition.
- Crownerr: the 6% / 3% / 0% platform fee ladder and plan prices come from the same live catalog our checkout charges — never hardcoded here.
These are estimates on your assumptions, not guaranteed savings. See Crownerr pricing and the honest platform comparisons for the full picture.
Sources
- Patreonreviewed 2026-07-27Patreon pricingPatreon fees help
- Kajabireviewed 2026-07-27Kajabi pricingKajabi Help Center — Kajabi Payments processing fees
- Gumroadreviewed 2026-07-27Gumroad pricingGumroad Help Center — Gumroad's fees
- Substackreviewed 2026-07-27Substack — Go paid (keep 90% of revenue)Substack Support — How much does Substack cost?
- Ko-fireviewed 2026-07-27Ko-fi Help — Does Ko-fi take a fee?Ko-fi Help — What is Ko-fi Gold?Ko-fi — Membership Tiers (5% fee)
- Skoolreviewed 2026-07-27Skool — PricingSkool Help Center — Skool Payments FAQs
- Circlereviewed 2026-07-27Circle — PricingCircle — Membership platform page (plan prices)
- Podiareviewed 2026-07-27Podia pricingPodia Help Center — Understanding Podia transaction fees
- Stan Storereviewed 2026-07-27Stan Store Help Center — Creator vs. Creator ProStan Store blog — Stan Store pricing
- Shopifyreviewed 2026-07-27Shopify UK pricingShopify plans help
Common questions
- How are these creator-platform fees calculated?
- Each estimate is subscription + platform fee × your monthly revenue. Platform fees and subscriptions come from each platform’s official pricing, sourced and dated below. Crownerr figures come from the same live pricing our checkout charges.
- Do these numbers include payment processing and tax?
- Most platforms (and Crownerr) also charge payment processing on top, and sales tax/VAT handling varies by platform and region. Those are called out per platform rather than folded into one number, so totals are estimates, not guaranteed quotes.
- Why are some fees shown as a range?
- Several platforms charge different rates by plan, revenue stream, or eligibility (for example a lower rate on a paid tier). Where the rate varies we show the range and the condition instead of a single misleading figure.
- Does Crownerr always cost less?
- No — it depends on your revenue and mix. Crownerr Studio charges a 0% platform fee, so its cost stays flat as you grow, but a low-revenue creator may pay less on a free tool elsewhere. Use the calculator with your own numbers.
At £2,000/mo, a 0% platform fee keeps more of what you earn as you grow.
See Crownerr Creator pricing