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Software · head to head

Memberful vs Patreon

Memberful logo

Memberful

Software

Membership platform for creators to sell subscriptions, courses and gated content

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Patreon logo

Patreon

Software

Membership platform for creators

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Patreon has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Memberful charges a 4.9% transaction fee on top of the flat monthly fee on the Standard plan.; Patreon takes 10% of the income a creator earns on the platform
  • They diverge on capability: Memberful covers Membership checkout, Patreon covers Membership tiers.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Memberful and Patreon actually diverge.

Attributes where Memberful and Patreon differ
AttributeMemberfulPatreon
Starting price$49/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Platformsweb, apiWeb, Ios, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2013).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Memberful

  • Membership checkout
  • Flexible subscriptions
  • Member management
  • Landing page builder
  • Dynamic paywalls
  • Third-party integrations

Only in Patreon

  • Membership tiers
  • Exclusive content
  • Private podcast feeds
  • Community features
  • Analytics
  • Payment processing
  • Discord
  • Podcast apps

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Memberful

  • Selling paid membership subscriptions from an existing websitenot Patreon
  • Gating podcast, newsletter or course content behind a paywallnot Patreon
  • Running a WordPress site with paid member-only contentnot Patreon
  • Offering one-time purchases alongside recurring membershipsnot Patreon

Patreon

  • Running a paid membership for fans of a creator or podcastnot Memberful
  • Selling recurring access to exclusive content and communitynot Memberful

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Memberful

  • Charges a 4.9% transaction fee on top of the flat monthly fee on the Standard plan.
  • Requires a separate Stripe account, adding setup complexity compared to all-in-one checkout platforms.
  • Lacks built-in course-hosting depth found in dedicated learning management platforms.
  • No free plan beyond the pre-launch trial period; charges begin once payments go live.

Patreon

  • Takes 10% of the income a creator earns on the platform
  • Payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees are charged on top of that 10% and are not quantified on the pricing page
  • The total deduction is therefore not calculable from the pricing page alone, and requires reading a separate support article

Pricing, plan by plan

Memberful

$49/month
  • Standard$49/month
    • 4.9% transaction fee
    • Full platform access
    • Free until you go live
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom volume-based rates
    • Premium services and success management
    • Dedicated migration support

Patreon

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Free membership page
    • Basic features
    • Community tools
  • ProFree
    • All free features
    • Analytics dashboard
    • Priority support
  • PremiumFree
    • All Pro features
    • Dedicated partner manager
    • Custom onboarding

Which should you pick?

Choose Memberful if

  • You need membership checkout.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want flexible subscriptions.
Memberful review

Choose Patreon if

  • You need membership tiers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want exclusive content.
Patreon review

Questions people ask

Is Memberful or Patreon better?
Neither clearly leads. Memberful starts at $49/month and Patreon at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Memberful or Patreon?
Patreon has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Memberful and Free for Patreon.
Does Memberful or Patreon run on more platforms?
Memberful runs on web, api. Patreon runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Patreon for free?
Yes. Patreon has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Memberful starts at $49/month.
What is Memberful best used for?
Memberful is most often used for selling paid membership subscriptions from an existing website, gating podcast, newsletter or course content behind a paywall, running a wordpress site with paid member-only content, offering one-time purchases alongside recurring memberships. Of those, selling paid membership subscriptions from an existing website and gating podcast, newsletter or course content behind a paywall are not what Patreon is typically brought in for.
What can Memberful do that Patreon cannot?
Memberful covers Membership checkout, Flexible subscriptions, Member management, Landing page builder. Patreon covers Membership tiers, Exclusive content, Private podcast feeds, Community features.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Memberful: What does Memberful cost?

Memberful's Standard plan costs $49/month plus a 4.9% transaction fee, while larger organizations can get custom volume-based rates on the Enterprise plan.

Source
Memberful: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Memberful can be used for free while setting up a membership site, with no charges incurred until the creator goes live and starts accepting payments.

Source
Memberful: What does Memberful integrate with?

Memberful integrates with WordPress, Mailchimp, Discord and Kit, among other tools, to connect membership data with existing sites and marketing systems.

Source
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