Patreon vs Substack
A side-by-side look at Patreon and Substack. On our scoring, Substack comes out ahead — but the right pick depends on your priorities.
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| SellingScene score | 3.8/5 | 4.0/5 |
| User rating | 4 | 4.2 |
| Reviews | 1,480 | 1,320 |
| Pricing | ||
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Pricing model | no monthly fee, percentage of income | no monthly fee, revenue share |
| Transaction fees | 8–12% of monthly income (plus processing) | 10% of subscription revenue (plus processing) |
| Hosting & setup | ||
| Hosting type | Fully hosted (SaaS) | Fully hosted (SaaS) |
| Free trial | Free to start | Free to start |
| Staff accounts | Team access | Multiple authors |
| Product limit | N/A (membership tiers) | N/A (subscriptions) |
| Payments & security | ||
| Payment gateways | Patreon-managed (cards, PayPal) | Stripe |
| SSL included | Yes | Yes |
| PCI compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Gift cards | Yes | Yes |
| Catalog & content | ||
| Themes / templates | Creator page styling | Publication styling |
| App marketplace | Apps & integrations | Limited integrations |
| Multi-currency | Yes | No |
| Multi-language | No | No |
| POS included | No | No |
| Abandoned cart recovery | No | No |
| Built-in blog | Yes | Yes |
| Tools & flexibility | ||
| Drag-and-drop editor | No | No |
| API access | Yes | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Support channels | Help center, email, creator support | Email & help center |
| Actions | Read review | Read review |
Why pick Patreon?
Patreon is the default home for recurring fan memberships, with tiers, gated posts, and a community layer that keeps supporters engaged. Its fees plus payment processing take a real bite, and discovery on-platform is weak.
Best for: Creators building recurring membership income
Read the full Patreon reviewWhy pick Substack?
Substack makes launching a paid newsletter effortless, bundling publishing, email, payments, and a discovery network at no upfront cost. The flat 10% revenue cut is significant once you scale, and you build on their network, not your own.
Best for: Writers monetizing newsletters and subscriptions
Read the full Substack review