Software · head to head
Patreon vs RedCircle
RedCircle
Software
Free podcast hosting with sponsorship opportunities
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Patreon takes 10% of the income a creator earns on the platform; RedCircle the free Core plan is limited to 1 podcast; unlimited podcasts require the Growth plan at $14.99 per month
- They diverge on capability: Patreon covers Membership tiers, RedCircle covers Unlimited hosting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Patreon and RedCircle actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Patreon
- Membership tiers
- Exclusive content
- Private podcast feeds
- Community features
- Payment processing
- Discord
- Podcast apps
- Zapier
Only in RedCircle
- Unlimited hosting
- Distribution
- Sponsorship marketplace
- Podcast website
- Monetization
- All podcast platforms
- Advertising networks
Both cover
- Analytics
- Social media
- Content protection
- Privacy controls
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Patreon
- Running a paid membership for fans of a creator or podcastnot RedCircle
- Selling recurring access to exclusive content and communitynot RedCircle
RedCircle
- Hosting and distributing podcasts with unlimited storage and downloadsnot Patreon
- Monetising a podcast through host-read and programmatic ad marketplacesnot Patreon
- Selling paid subscriptions and exclusive episodesnot Patreon
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
RedCircle
- The free Core plan is limited to 1 podcast; unlimited podcasts require the Growth plan at $14.99 per month
- The free Core plan caps AI transcripts at 5 per month
- The Core plan podcast webpage carries a Related Shows section that cannot be removed
- Support on the Core plan is standard with a 72 hour response; 48 hour Advanced support starts on Growth
- Team seats are not available on Core or Growth; Pro at $29.99 per month includes 5 seats and unlimited seats require Enterprise at $99.99 per month
- Video file upload to episodes and one-click YouTube distribution require the Pro plan
- Running your own ads and tracking URLs require the Pro plan
- A dedicated account manager is Enterprise only
- The trial is 7 days
Pricing, plan by plan
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
RedCircle
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited hosting
- Automatic distribution
- Sponsorship opportunities
Which should you pick?
Choose Patreon if
- You need membership tiers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want exclusive content.
Choose RedCircle if
- You need unlimited hosting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want distribution.
Questions people ask
- Is Patreon or RedCircle better?
- Neither clearly leads. Patreon starts at Free and RedCircle at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Patreon or RedCircle?
- Patreon starts at Free and RedCircle at Free.
- Does Patreon or RedCircle run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Patreon for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Patreon best used for?
- Patreon is most often used for running a paid membership for fans of a creator or podcast, selling recurring access to exclusive content and community. Of those, running a paid membership for fans of a creator or podcast and selling recurring access to exclusive content and community are not what RedCircle is typically brought in for.
- What can Patreon do that RedCircle cannot?
- Patreon covers Membership tiers, Exclusive content, Private podcast feeds, Community features. RedCircle covers Unlimited hosting, Distribution, Sponsorship marketplace, Podcast website. Both handle Analytics, Social media, Content protection, Privacy controls.
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