I’ve been on Patreon since May 2018 (I think), and I really like it. It’s a great way to support me and my projects ongoingly, and I’ve been able to invest your donations into anything from software to hardware, as well as coffee – all to improve my output and make the world a happier and better place. It is helping me to turn my passion into a full-time job that pays some of my bills. It’s simply wonderful!
I bet I speak for many creators when I say that I don’t want to be without Patreon.
However, I realise that Patreon is not for everyone. Some features are missing here, like one-off and anonymous donations, as well as a an easier way to access older content. You could argue, “it is what it is”: it’s not bad, but it’s not perfect either. There’s also that spot of controversial press Patreon are getting in regular intervals, which makes me (and perhaps some of you) a little uneasy.
I’ve been researching various other ways that might work well as an addition to how I accept fan support, and I came across Ko-fi. They don’t take any fees from donations, and have various benefits that might work better for some supporters.
Each donation is measured as a “coffee”, and I happen to LOVE coffee. You can buy one coffee or several at the same time, and you can do so as a “one-off”, or as a regular monthly gift. I can offer the same benefits for both platforms, like early access, downloadable goodies and Discord. Here’s a full list of Ko-fi features:
- no platform fees
- one-off and monthly donations
- I get paid instantly, rather than next month
- members only content
- stream alerts
- anonymous donations (optional)
- I can sell products (like on Gumroad)
- I can offer custom work / commissions
- neat gallery feature
I’m big on diversification, and my plan is to have both Ko-fi and Patreon running in parallel. That way fans can support me on whichever platform they feel comfortable with. Check out my Ko-fi page here and let me know what you think, I’d love your feedback.
If you’d like to switch your monthly Patreon donations over to Ko-fi, send me a message and we’ll work something out. And if you’re happy with Patreon and feel like buying me a coffee, you can do that too 🙂
Thank you so much for your wonderful support ?