7 best Patreon alternatives for creators 2025

7 minutes

11.11.2024

7 best Patreon alternatives for creators 2025

Many of us signed up for Patreon years ago as a way to support our favorite influencers. Created in 2013, it was a solid tool at that time to build communities and communicate (and earn) while doing so.

Today, you’ll find numerous other options, including some very effective Patreon alternatives. If you want more customization, better control, or more community-wide engagement features, these are the tools you’ll want to use.

Why Patreon?

Patreon is a membership-based platform that lets creators build a community and get support for posting content. Those who are members get exclusive access in some way because they pay a subscription fee.

While Patreon worked well as an introductory program like this, it has many limitations. When you consider the Patreon alternatives on this list, you’ll notice far more functionality and features than ever before. The high fees for subscribers and users, along with limited tools for making your content accessible, certainly made Patreon less desirable.

What we looked for in Patreon alternatives

It’s easier than ever to create an app or online community that’s robust and offers more ways to customize your user’s experience. When choosing the best Patreon alternatives, we focused on a few key things:

Reach: In a digitally connected world, it’s critical to have a tool that anyone, even a global audience, can use. You also don’t want to be tied down by algorithms that limit your reach.
Brand customization: Your branding needs to come through in your content and the functionality of your community.
Community–oriented platforms: We specifically considered programs that help organizations and businesses build communities.
Mobile connectivity: Platforms like Patreon are less mobile-friendly, but these solutions provide more enhanced connectivity regardless of the device.
Monetization options: You likely want your content to reach an audience but also pull in earnings. These Patreon alternatives give you ways to achieve that.

Here are our top 7 recommendations for Patreon alternatives and why they work so well.

#1 Best overall: Gurucan

Gurucan is a mobile-first platform powerhouse designed for creators of all types. It’s easy to use, requires no coding, and allows for seamless connectivity with your followers. Use the templates available to create a good-looking, easy-to-navigate app that can be used on any device or the web itself.

Key features:

Native app for iOS and Android but usable on any web-based interface
Excellent community features and online courses, ideal for membership-based sites
Subscriptions and one-time payment monetization options
You own the code and cloud infrastructure, protecting your digital brand

Advantages:

Mobile-first design: Gurucan’s smooth mobile-first experience makes it versatile for most needs and easy for any group of people to use.
Customization: There are many ways to add features, change up the look and flow, and tailor the app’s functionality to your specific goals.
Ownership of code: This is a difference maker in the Patreon alternatives. Having ownership of your content and infrastructure allows you to protect the brand you’ve worked hard to build.
Excellent global reach: With its multilingual support, you can create a community that spans the planet.

Disadvantages:

It is not free. That is not to say that we would recommend free app-building tools, though. The higher cost of some products is justified by their more robust customization features.
Limited educational setup: Gurucan is not necessarily designed for blocks of educational content in a traditional educational setting.

#2 Best for course creation: Podia

Podia is an excellent course-creation site and a Patreon alternative because it allows business owners and creators to build a full online business at one location. It can be helpful as a tool for hosting content, memberships, and digital downloads. It also offers webinars and affiliate program tools.

Key features:

Drive content releases content over time to build relationships.
Email marketing tool that helps build brand.
Affiliate marketing programs are a good incentive to grow business space.

Advantages:

File Hosting: There’s no limit to the amount of file hosting.
Easy to Use: The online course platform is easy to use. Good for educational content.
No Transaction Fees: There are no transaction fees on sales with the paid plans.

Disadvantages:

Costs: These plans tend to cost more for similar products. The free plan is a good starting point, but transaction fees cut into profits.
Customization: Limited overall customization options.

#3 Best for digital and physical product sales: Gumroad

For those businesses selling digital and physical products and want a no-nonsense platform, Gumroad works well. It is not the easiest of products to use, but it does make it possible to get up and offer services right away.

Key features:

Easy way to sell digital products.
Marketing tools are available.
Customer service is available.

Advantages:

Variety: if your business sells digital and physical products, this tool works well.
Data availability: With built-in analytics and marketing tools, managing your business is easy.
Good support: That includes help with international payment processors and overall how-to support.

Disadvantages:

Costs: The per-transaction fee is higher than most, including Patreon.
No community feel: This tool does not allow you to build a community like you would with others.

#4: Good for community building: Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is an excellent choice for community building and has been used by various organizations that are not on Patreon. This tool helps convert subscribers into members, which means creators can build better relationships. It also works without a lot of hand-holding, which means you can focus on content and not manage your system.

Key features:

Available for iOS and Android
Connect members to each other
Lots of built-in tools

Advantages:

Versatility: It’s highly versatile across all platforms.
Profiles: Users can build profiles and connect with each other quickly.
Marketing tools: With the ConvertKit integration and newly added AI, it supports modern content creators.

Disadvantages:

Cost: The cost is somewhat higher than other products.
Time requirements: You’ll spend more time building out your presence due to all the tools.

#5: Best writer-based platform: Substack

Substack allows independent writers and journalists to make a name for themselves and build a monetization strategy through subscription-based newsletters. It has a good marketing and community management setup and is easy to use overall.

Key features:

Publishing system
Import or export subscriber list
Interface that is user-friendly

Advantages:

Written content focus: If your business is through content publishing, this is the ideal platform.
Newsletters: Sending newsletters using Substack is easy to do.
User interface: The overall functionality of the user interface makes it possible to build a strong brand.

Disadvantages:

Limited focus: If you are using video or audio content, Substack is not the ideal environment.
Monetization limitations: You can only use it to monetize through subscriptions.

#6: Best for WordPress users: Memberful

Memberful is a good option for content creators who are used to WordPress. It offers numerous customization options and is easy to set up and start using for content use and publishing.

Key features:

Membership management tools
Customizable checkout experience with branding options
Numerous payment options, including private subscription-based podcasts resources

Advantages:

Customization: This interface offers a significant amount of customization opportunities.
Integration: The integration with WordPress and Mailchimp makes it easy to navigate and set up.
Analytics: As a Patreon alternative, Memberful does a good option of providing more analytics, more data, and more opportunities to boost membership.

Disadvantages:

Must have a website: Memberful does not host your content for you.
Pricing: It can cost more and be out of reach for some just getting started creating content.

#7: Best for artists: Sellfy

If you’re an artist who wants to sell digital or physical products and offer services like print-on-demand, Sellfy is one of the best Patreon alternatives available. It offers robust e-commerce functionality with nice overall layout options.

Key features:

Instant payout option
Print-on-demand service is not otherwise widely available
Sell with ease through e-commerce setup

Advantages:

Easy to sell: Easy way to sell art and other handmade goods to a large audience.
Workflow management: Print-on-demand minimizes timelines and improves workflows.
Social media: Good interaction with Facebook and other social media challenges for a marketing boost.

Disadvantages:

Lacks customer connections: There’s no real community built here.
Not membership-focused: You really are not creating a membership-focused product.

Conclusion

When choosing a Patreon alternative, focus on your audience and the types of services you want to offer. With a wide range of alternatives to Patreon available, you can find a model that works for most needs.