Ko-fi review 2026: fees, Gold, payouts and who it suits

Ko-fi is the cheapest way we have found to take tips. Switch off its default Standard mode and Ko-fi takes 0% of one-off tips, so 100 US card tips of $10 leave about $941 after Stripe’s fees. Memberships, shop sales and commissions cost 5%, or nothing on Ko-fi Gold at $12 a month. Every payment lands in your own PayPal or Stripe account the moment a fan pays.

How much does Ko-fi take?

Ko-fi takes between 0% and 5% depending on what you sell and which mode you pick, and PayPal or Stripe charge their own processing fees on top. As of October 2026 there are two free modes and one paid plan.

Standard mode, which Ko-fi has also called Contributor status, is where every new creator starts. It charges 5% on one-off tips in exchange for extras such as supporter-only posts, scheduled posts, more shop storage, a shorter page name, custom page colors and the option to rename the “coffee”. You can switch it off any time under Settings, then Payment. If tips are your main income, do that on day one.

Ko-fi never touches the money, so processing comes from PayPal or Stripe at their normal rates. Ko-fi puts the typical cost at around 3% + $0.30. Stripe’s published US rate is 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic cards, plus 1.5% for international cards and 1% when currency conversion is needed. Setting your Ko-fi currency to the one most fans pay in cuts conversion charges, and Ko-fi supports ten currencies including USD, EUR, GBP and JPY.

Is Ko-fi Gold worth it?

Ko-fi Gold pays for itself once your memberships, shop sales, commissions and monthly tips pass $240 a month, because 5% of $240 is the $12 Gold fee. Below that, Free mode is cheaper.

Gold is now monthly only for new creators, since Ko-fi has dropped annual plans for new signups. Existing Gold subscribers keep the price they already pay. Ko-fi says it moved to fee-based pricing because many Gold creators were not earning enough to cover the subscription.

Two catches matter if you switch partway through. Memberships taken through Stripe before you joined Gold keep paying the 5% fee. And if Standard mode was already on when you subscribed, you have to switch it off separately or keep paying 5% on tips.

Cancelling Gold moves you to Standard mode, with 5% on new transactions. Recurring tips and memberships that began at 0% under Gold keep that rate until the supporter cancels.

How do Ko-fi payouts work?

Ko-fi pays instantly. Every tip, membership payment and sale goes straight into your own PayPal or Stripe account, so Ko-fi never holds a balance and has no payout schedule or minimum.

What happens next depends on the processor. Stripe moves money to your bank on the schedule you set, and Stripe says a new account’s first payout usually takes 7 to 14 days. PayPal sometimes holds funds for new accounts or unusual activity, and Ko-fi says those holds generally clear within 21 days. Connecting Stripe alongside PayPal gives fans a card option that avoids the wait.

Each processor also shapes what fans see at checkout. Stripe lets supporters pay with Apple Pay and Google Pay, while PayPal shows Venmo to most US fans making one-time payments to US creators who price in dollars. Venmo does not appear for memberships or recurring tips.

Ko-fi supports only these two processors. Its help center lists Payoneer, Wise and direct bank transfers among the most requested additions, so creators in countries where neither PayPal nor Stripe works cannot get paid.

How do you make money on Ko-fi?

Ko-fi offers tips, goals, memberships, a shop and commissions. Without Gold, only one-off tips and goals can be fee-free.

Tips and goals

Fans send one-off tips without needing an account and can leave a public or private message. Goals let fans fund a specific target, and both are 0% in Free mode. Monthly tips, where a fan repeats a tip each month without joining a tier, cost 5%. Ko-fi also offers stream alerts that show tips on screen during Twitch and YouTube streams.

Memberships

Ko-fi memberships use tiers with a minimum monthly price that fans can pay above. Benefits can include supporter-only posts, Discord roles and physical rewards, with options to collect a shipping address and cap the number of members. New members are charged when they join and you are paid straight away.

Shop

The Ko-fi Shop sells digital files and physical goods, with variants and shipping options for physical items. Buyers get instant access to digital files and keep it when you update them.

Commissions

Commissions are the best reason for artists to pick Ko-fi. You set listings, total slots, up to 12 add-ons, pay-what-you-want pricing, shipping rates for physical work and terms buyers must accept before ordering. Disputes are between you and the buyer, so write those terms carefully.

Ko-fi shares each supporter’s display name and email with you on every payment, and PayPal or Stripe pass on further details such as legal name. That gives you a contact list to take elsewhere.

Who is Ko-fi best for?

Ko-fi is best for artists, streamers and small creators who earn mostly from tips and commissions and want the money now. Free mode is the cheapest option we have found for one-off tips, and Gold makes memberships cheap once paid sales pass $240 a month.

Skip Ko-fi if you want a platform that finds fans for you, because Ko-fi does little to send new visitors your way. Creators building a large membership business with video hosting and free members will get more from Patreon, and those who want their own domain and billing should look at Memberful.

Ko-fi alternatives

• Buy Me a Coffee has a slick one-tap checkout but charges 5% on every payment, tips included. Compare them in Ko-fi vs Buy Me a Coffee.
• Patreon charges new creators 10% but adds free members, video hosting and a fuller membership toolkit. See Patreon vs Ko-fi.
• Gumroad is worth a look if digital product sales matter more to you than tips.
• Our best membership platforms list ranks the options side by side.