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Patreon vs Transistor

Patreon logo

Patreon

Software

Membership platform for creators

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Transistor logo

Transistor

Software

Professional podcast hosting for businesses and creators

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Patreon has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Patreon takes 10% of the income a creator earns on the platform; Transistor starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • They diverge on capability: Patreon covers Membership tiers, Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Patreon and Transistor actually diverge.

Attributes where Patreon and Transistor differ
AttributePatreonTransistor
Starting priceFree$19/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded20132018

Identical on both: 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
  • Community features
  • Analytics
  • Payment processing
  • Discord
  • Podcast apps
  • Email platforms

Only in Transistor

  • Unlimited podcasts
  • Private podcasting
  • Advanced analytics
  • Team collaboration
  • Custom branding
  • API access
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify

Both cover

  • Private podcast feeds
  • Zapier
  • Web 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 Transistor
  • Selling recurring access to exclusive content and communitynot Transistor

Transistor

  • Hosting and distributing multiple podcasts from one accountnot Patreon
  • Running private, subscriber-only podcast feedsnot Patreon
  • Publishing podcast websites and inserting dynamic audio adsnot 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

Transistor

  • Starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • Private podcast subscribers are capped at 50 on Starter and 500 on Professional
  • Dynamic ad insertion and auto-posting to YouTube require the $49 per month Professional plan or higher
  • Removing Transistor branding requires the $99 per month Business plan
  • Enterprise plans above 250,000 monthly downloads start at $199 per month and require contacting the vendor

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

Transistor

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 10,000 downloads/month
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$49/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 50,000 downloads/month
    • Advanced analytics
  • Business$99/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 150,000 downloads/month
    • Full analytics
  • Enterprise$199/month
    • Unlimited everything
    • 300,000+ downloads
    • Priority support

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.
Patreon review

Choose Transistor if

  • You need unlimited podcasts.
  • You also want private podcasting.
Transistor review

Questions people ask

Is Patreon or Transistor better?
Neither clearly leads. Patreon starts at Free and Transistor at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Patreon or Transistor?
Patreon has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Patreon and $19/month for Transistor.
Does Patreon or Transistor run on more platforms?
Patreon runs on Web, Ios, Android. Transistor runs on Web.
Can I use Patreon for free?
Yes. Patreon has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Transistor starts at $19/month.
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 Transistor is typically brought in for.
What can Patreon do that Transistor cannot?
Patreon covers Membership tiers, Exclusive content, Community features, Analytics. Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Private podcasting, Advanced analytics, Team collaboration. Both handle Private podcast feeds, Zapier, Web support.
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Related pages

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