Payhere vs. Patreon in 2025
Which Platform is Best for Creator Memberships?
Looking to launch or improve your creator membership program? Choosing between Payhere and Patreon could significantly impact your income and how you interact with your audience. This comprehensive comparison breaks down how Payhere stacks up against Patreon as a membership platform in 2025, examining fees, features, and flexibility to help you make the best choice for your creative business.
Quick Comparison Overview: Payhere vs Patreon
Last updated: April 2025
| Feature | Payhere | Patreon |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction Fee | 1% + Stripe fees (2.9% + 30¢) | Lite: 5% + payment processing Pro: 8% + payment processing Premium: 12% + payment processing |
| Monthly Fee | $0 (Custom plans available) | $0 |
| Membership Tiers | Unlimited custom tiers | Multiple tiers supported |
| Membership Features | Payment processing only (integrate with your existing tools) | Built-in community, content delivery, messaging |
| Platform Control | Full control (use your website/tools) | Limited to Patreon's ecosystem |
| Customization | Full branding, colors, logo, custom domain | Limited customization within Patreon |
| Content Hosting | Via integrations with your existing platforms | Native content hosting |
| Discovery | No built-in discovery | Creator discovery feature |
| Payout Speed | Standard Stripe schedule (typically 2 days) | Monthly payouts |
| Best For | Established creators who want maximum profit and flexibility | Creators who value built-in community features over profit margin |
"After switching from Patreon to Payhere, our profit increased by nearly 10% overnight, and we could finally offer the flexible payment options our community had been requesting."
Fee Comparison: Keep More of Your Membership Revenue
For a $10/month Membership:
With Payhere
- Stripe fee: $0.59 (2.9% + 30¢)
- Payhere fee: $0.10 (1%)
- You keep: $9.31 (93.1%)
With Patreon Lite (5%)
- Patreon + processing fee: ~$0.80
- You keep: ~$9.20 (92%)
With Patreon Pro (8%)
- Patreon + processing fee: ~$1.10
- You keep: ~$8.90 (89%)
With Patreon Premium (12%)
- Patreon + processing fee: ~$1.50
- You keep: ~$8.50 (85%)
For a Creator with 100 Members at $10/month ($1,000 monthly revenue):
With Payhere
- Total fees: ~$69
- Monthly profit: ~$931
- Annual profit: $11,172
With Patreon Lite
- Total fees: ~$80
- Monthly profit: ~$920
- Annual profit: $11,040
With Patreon Pro
- Total fees: ~$110
- Monthly profit: ~$890
- Annual profit: $10,680
With Patreon Premium
- Total fees: ~$150
- Monthly profit: ~$850
- Annual profit: $10,200
Annual savings with Payhere vs. Patreon Premium: $972
For a Creator with 500 Members at $10/month ($5,000 monthly revenue):
With Payhere
- Total fees: ~$345
- Monthly profit: ~$4,655
- Annual profit: $55,860
With Patreon Lite
- Total fees: ~$400
- Monthly profit: ~$4,600
- Annual profit: $55,200
With Patreon Pro
- Total fees: ~$550
- Monthly profit: ~$4,450
- Annual profit: $53,400
With Patreon Premium
- Total fees: ~$750
- Monthly profit: ~$4,250
- Annual profit: $51,000
Annual savings with Payhere vs. Patreon Premium: $4,860
The higher your membership count, the more significant your savings with Payhere become. For creators with 1,000+ members, the difference can amount to $10,000+ annually.
Platform Features: Membership Capabilities Compared
Membership Flexibility and Management
Payhere
- ✅Unlimited membership tiers with custom pricing
- ✅Free trials for memberships to increase conversion
- ✅Flexible billing cycles (monthly, quarterly, annual)
- ✅Custom signup flows
- ✅Hybrid payment options (e.g., signup fee + subscription)
- ✅Complete control over cancellation processes
- ✅Easy subscription upgrades/downgrades
- ❌No built-in membership content delivery (requires integration)
Patreon
- ✅Multiple membership tiers
- ✅Annual memberships option
- ✅Built-in paywall for content
- ✅Automated member management
- ✅Built-in benefits delivery system
- ❌Limited trial capabilities
- ❌Less flexible pricing structures
- ❌Cannot offer hybrid payment models
Content Creation and Delivery
Payhere
- ❌No native content hosting
- ❌No built-in community tools
- ✅Integrate with your preferred platforms (WordPress, Ghost, Circle, Discord, etc.)
- ✅Freedom to use any content format or platform
- ✅Own your content distribution channels completely
Patreon
- ✅Native post creation
- ✅Image, video, and audio hosting
- ✅Built-in community discussions
- ✅Message members directly
- ✅Member-only livestreams
- ❌Limited customization of content experience
- ❌Content locked within Patreon ecosystem
Platform Control and Branding
Payhere
- ✅Complete brand control
- ✅Use your own domain
- ✅Fully customizable checkout pages
- ✅Embed on your existing website
- ✅Create a branded storefront page
- ✅No Payhere branding on member-facing elements
- ✅Direct relationship with your audience
Patreon
- ❌Limited brand customization
- ❌Always on Patreon's domain
- ❌Patreon branding throughout
- ✅Recognizable platform for potential members
- ✅Cohesive experience in one place
"I wanted my membership experience to feel like a premium extension of my brand, not a Patreon page. Switching to Payhere let me create that seamless experience while saving on fees."
Integration Capabilities
Payhere
- ✅Zapier integration connects with 5,000+ apps
- ✅Webhooks for custom integrations
- ✅REST API for deeper integrations
- ✅Slack notifications for new memberships
- ✅Works with WordPress, Ghost, Webflow, and more
- ✅Discord integration capabilities
- ✅Complete flexibility to build custom workflows
Patreon
- ✅Zapier integration
- ✅Discord integration
- ✅WordPress integration
- ✅Limited API access
- ❌Less flexible for custom integrations
- ❌Confined to Patreon's ecosystem for core functions
Platform Comparison: Who Should Choose Each Platform
Who Should Choose Payhere for Memberships?
Payhere is ideal for creators who:
- 💰Want to maximize profit by paying lower fees (especially at scale)
- 🔄Need flexible membership structures beyond simple tiers
- 🎨Value maintaining their own brand throughout the member experience
- 👥Already have an established audience
- 🏠Want to keep their membership on their own website or platform
- 🔌Use specialized tools for different aspects of their membership (e.g., Circle for community, ConvertKit for emails)
- 🧩Want to integrate membership payments with other products/services
- 📊Prefer having direct control over member data
- 💵Offer high-ticket memberships where fee differences become significant
Perfect for:
- • Established creators with their own websites
- • Course creators who want to add membership components
- • Podcasters with existing platforms for content delivery
- • Newsletter writers using platforms like Substack or Ghost
- • Creators with technical skills or team members
Who Should Choose Patreon?
Patreon might be better for creators who:
- 🚀Are just starting out and want an all-in-one solution
- 🔎Want to be discoverable within Patreon's marketplace
- 📝Prefer handling everything (payments, content, community) in one place
- 🛠️Don't want to manage multiple tools or integrations
- 📱Want a ready-made mobile app for their members
- 💻Have limited technical skills or resources
- 🎯Value simplicity over customization or maximum profit
Perfect for:
- • New creators building their first membership
- • Creators without their own website or technical resources
- • Those who prioritize ease of use over fee optimization
- • Creators who want access to Patreon's member base
Real Creator Scenarios: See the Impact of Your Platform Choice
Emily, Podcast Creator
Emily runs a successful podcast with 300 members paying $8/month for bonus content ($2,400 monthly revenue).
- With Payhere:She integrates with her existing podcast host and pays about $94 in fees, keeping $2,306 monthly.
- With Patreon Pro:She pays about $192 in fees, keeping $2,208 monthly.
- Annual impact: +$1,176 with Payhere
"I was nervous about moving my members off Patreon, but it was worth it. I saved almost $100 per month in fees, and I could finally offer quarterly and annual plans with discounts—something my listeners had been requesting for ages."
Michael, Online Art Teacher
Michael teaches digital art with a tiered membership model ranging from $15-45/month across 3 tiers, with an average of $25/month from 150 members ($3,750 monthly).
- With Payhere:He pays about $146 in fees, keeping $3,604 monthly.
- With Patreon Premium:He pays about $450 in fees, keeping $3,300 monthly.
- Annual impact: +$3,648 with Payhere
Michael also appreciates that with Payhere, he can host his video courses on Teachable while managing memberships and community on Circle—giving his members a better experience than Patreon's limited teaching tools.
Sofia, Newsletter Writer
Sofia writes a specialized finance newsletter with 800 subscribers at $5/month ($4,000 monthly).
- With Payhere:She pays about $156 in fees when integrated with Ghost, keeping $3,844 monthly.
- With Patreon Lite:She pays about $200 in fees, keeping $3,800 monthly.
- Annual impact: +$528 with Payhere
While the savings are modest, Sofia primarily switched because she wanted subscribers to remain on her own platform rather than sending them to Patreon, creating a more seamless reading experience.
The Carter Collective, Music Group
This band has 1,200 fans supporting them at various tiers, averaging $10/month ($12,000 monthly).
- With Payhere:They pay about $468 in fees, keeping $11,532 monthly.
- With Patreon Pro:They pay about $960 in fees, keeping $11,040 monthly.
- Annual impact: +$5,904 with Payhere
For the band, the significant annual savings allow them to invest in better equipment and more studio time. They use Discord for community and offer exclusive tracks through their own website, all powered by Payhere's subscription management.
Making the Switch: How to Migrate from Patreon to Payhere
Step-by-Step Migration Strategy
- Set up your Payhere account and connect it to Stripe
- Create your membership tiers in Payhere that match or improve upon your Patreon offerings
- Build your membership destination (whether on your website, Circle, Discord, etc.)
- Communicate transparently with your Patreon supporters about the upcoming change:
- Explain the benefits to them (more content, better experience, supporting you directly)
- Set a clear timeline (typically 30-60 days notice)
- Provide simple instructions for the transition
- Offer an incentive for early adopters who make the switch (exclusive content, discount, etc.)
- Gradually transition members over the announced timeline
- Follow up personally with your highest-tier supporters to ensure they make the move
Note: We provide email templates and migration checklists to make this process easier.
"I was worried about losing members in the transition from Patreon, but with Payhere's migration guide, we retained 95% of our supporters and actually grew our membership in the following month due to the new signup options we could offer."
Migration FAQ
Q: Will I lose members during the transition?
A: Most creators retain 85-95% of their members when communicating clearly about the benefits. Some even see growth due to improved offerings and flexible payment options.
Q: How long should I run both platforms in parallel?
A: We recommend a 30-60 day transition period, with the final 30 days having both platforms active.
Q: What about my Patreon content history?
A: You can export your content from Patreon and either archive it or move it to your new platform.
Try Payhere Risk-Free for Your Membership Business
Ready to launch a membership program or considering a switch from Patreon? You can set up a Payhere account for free and only pay when members sign up.
With complete flexibility to design your membership program your way and fees that are substantially lower than Patreon (especially at scale), Payhere helps serious creators maximize both their creative freedom and their earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Payhere vs. Patreon
Q: Does Payhere offer content hosting like Patreon?
A: Payhere focuses on handling payments rather than content hosting. Most creators pair Payhere with their preferred content platforms like WordPress, Ghost, or Circle to create a complete membership system.
Q: Will my members need to create new accounts?
A: Yes, members will need to sign up through your new Payhere links. However, we provide tools to make this transition as smooth as possible.
Q: How do I deliver exclusive content without Patreon's built-in tools?
A: Most creators use Payhere in combination with platforms like:
- WordPress with membership plugins
- Ghost (which has built-in membership features)
- Circle for community and content
- Discord with role-based access
- Teachable or Podia for courses
Q: Is Payhere really worth switching to if I'm happy with Patreon?
A: If you have a small membership (under 50 members) and love Patreon's all-in-one approach, the benefits of switching might be minimal. However, if you have 100+ members or want more control over your membership experience, the fee savings and flexibility of Payhere can be substantial.
Q: Can I offer different subscription lengths like quarterly or annual plans?
A: Yes! Unlike Patreon's more limited options, Payhere lets you create any subscription length with custom pricing, including discounted annual plans or quarterly options.
Ready to Keep More of Your Earnings?
Join thousands of creators who've switched to Payhere and are saving on fees while maintaining full control over their business.