Ko-fi suits creators who mostly take tips, because Ko-fi Free charges no service fees on simple tips and pays you instantly into your own PayPal or Stripe account; memberships, shop sales and commissions carry a 5% service fee as of October 2026. Buy Me a Coffee suits creators who want one flat 5% fee on everything with every feature open to everyone, and it says 2,000,000+ creators use it. If tips are your main income, Ko-fi keeps more of each one; if you sell memberships and products, they're close, so pick on payouts and checkout.
Both let fans support you with a one-off payment, a membership or a shop purchase, so most creators end up choosing between them. I read Buy Me a Coffee's home, about and Ko-fi comparison pages and its payout help article, plus Ko-fi's home and Gold pages.
Buy Me a Coffee and Ko-fi side by side
| Buy Me a Coffee | Ko-fi | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | Flat 5% plus payment processing | None on Ko-fi Free tips; 5% on memberships, shop and commissions |
| Monthly plan needed | No, every feature open to all | No monthly fee |
| How you're paid | Payouts through Stripe | Straight into your PayPal or Stripe |
| Payout countries | Stripe-supported countries only | Not covered on the pages I read |
| Ways to earn | Tips, memberships, shop | Tips, memberships, shop, commissions |
| Supporter checkout | One tap, no account needed | PayPal, cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and more |
| Creators | 2,000,000+ | Not stated on the pages I read |
The Ko-fi Gold detail that dates many comparisons
Here's something most comparisons, including Buy Me a Coffee's own, haven't caught up with. Buy Me a Coffee's Ko-fi comparison page still says Ko-fi puts core features behind a Gold plan. Ko-fi's own Gold page now says you no longer need Ko-fi Gold: you can use all of Ko-fi for a creator friendly service fee of 0 to 5%, and existing Gold subscribers move to the percentage model at renewal without losing their Gold benefits. So on features, the two are closer than older articles suggest, and fees on memberships and shop sales are now level at 5%.
How each platform pays you
Ko-fi pays you directly and instantly into your own PayPal or Stripe account, and it says it never processes or holds your funds, so there's no waiting around for payouts. Supporters can pay with PayPal, cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, CashApp and local payment methods. Buy Me a Coffee pays out through Stripe, and its help centre says payouts are only available in countries Stripe supports, split between Stripe Standard Connect countries such as the UK, US and Australia and Stripe Express countries such as India and the Philippines. Check your country on that list before you build your page.
Where Buy Me a Coffee feels simpler
Buy Me a Coffee was started in 2017 by Jijo Sunny and Joseph Sunny, creators who lived on advertising income and wanted a simpler way to get paid by fans. Its pitch is one flat 5% fee plus payment processing, every feature open to everyone, including memberships, shop, analytics and themes, and one-tap support with no account needed for supporters. It says setting up a page takes less than a minute, and you can also give away shop items for free when you want to reward fans.
Set-up checks for creators
- Work out what share of your income is tips versus memberships or products.
- Check payout support for your country on each platform.
- Decide whether supporters should need an account to pay.
- List the payment methods your audience uses most.
- Read each platform's fee page on the day you sign up.
If you're comparing more platforms, my guides to using Ko-fi in the Philippines and Patreon in the UK cover country-specific details.
My advice on Buy Me a Coffee or Ko-fi
If most of your support comes as one-off tips, start with Ko-fi, because simple tips on Ko-fi Free carry no service fee and the money lands in your own PayPal or Stripe account straight away. If you want the simplest one-tap checkout for fans and a single flat fee across memberships and shop sales, Buy Me a Coffee is easy to live with. Both change their terms from time to time, so read their fee pages before you launch, not after you've built an audience on one of them.
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Frequently asked questions
Does Ko-fi take a fee?
Ko-fi Free has no service fees on simple tips. Memberships, shop sales and commissions carry a 5% service fee, and normal card processing fees apply, as of October 2026.
What fee does Buy Me a Coffee charge?
Buy Me a Coffee says it charges a flat 5% fee plus payment processing charges, as of October 2026.
Do I still need Ko-fi Gold?
Ko-fi's own Gold page says you no longer need it. Existing Gold subscribers switch to the percentage fee model at renewal without losing their Gold benefits.
How does Ko-fi pay creators?
Directly and instantly into your own PayPal or Stripe account. Ko-fi says it never processes or holds your funds.
Can I use Buy Me a Coffee outside the US?
Yes, in countries Stripe supports. Buy Me a Coffee's help centre lists countries such as the UK, Australia, India and the Philippines.
