All tools › Monetization & Support
Ko-fi
Tips, memberships, commissions and a small shop — with 0% platform fee on donations.
Support page for tips, memberships, shop and commissions. No platform fee on donations, free to start.
- Pricing
- 0% platform fee on donations; optional Gold subscription
- Platforms
- Web
- Category
- Monetization & Support
- Last reviewed
- September 21, 2026
What is Ko-fi?
Ko-fi is the gentlest on-ramp to audience funding: a clean page where supporters buy you a 'coffee' (a small one-time tip), join a monthly membership, commission custom work or buy digital goods from your shop. Setup takes ten minutes, there is no platform fee on donations, and nothing about it pressures your audience — which is exactly why it converts well for artists, writers, developers and small streamers.
The business model is refreshingly honest: Ko-fi makes money from the optional Gold subscription, which removes platform fees on shop/commission/membership sales and adds customization. Donations stay 0% platform fee either way — you only pay normal payment processing. Compare that to tip jars taking 5% of everything and the difference compounds.
It won't replace Patreon at scale — membership tooling is lighter — but as a first monetization step it has the best economics in the category. Streamers especially benefit: Ko-fi's overlay widgets and alert integrations plug straight into OBS, turning 'support the stream' into a visible, click-one-layer feature.
Key features
- One-time tips ('coffees') with 0% platform fee
- Monthly memberships with tier rewards
- Shop for digital and physical goods
- Commission slots with request forms
- Stream overlays and alert integrations for OBS
- No page hosting fees — your Ko-fi page is your landing page
Free plan & limits
Free with 0% platform fee on donations (payment processing ~2.9% + fixed fee still applies, as everywhere). Ko-fi Gold (subscription) removes fees on shop, commissions and memberships, and unlocks extra customization.
Who is it best for?
Artists, writers, devs and streamers who want a tip jar plus shop with the lowest fees in the category — and creators not ready for Patreon-scale memberships.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ko-fi really 0% fee?
Platform fee on donations: yes, 0%. Payment processors still charge their standard cut (a few percent) — that's unavoidable on any platform. Gold removes Ko-fi's fees on shops/commissions too.
Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee?
Ko-fi for lowest fees and shop/commissions; Buy Me a Coffee for the slickest supporter experience and built-in 'Extras'. Many creators start on Ko-fi for the economics.
Can I sell digital downloads like presets or ebooks?
Yes — the shop handles digital goods with automatic delivery. On free Gold-less plans a small platform fee applies to shop sales; Gold removes it.