A creator platform fee is the percentage of gross revenue a hosting platform deducts before paying out a creator, usually layered on top of payment processing (Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30) and, on mobile, Apple's 30% in-app purchase surcharge. In 2026, published rates range from 0% on Ko-fi tips to 30% on Gumroad's marketplace channel, with the fan-monetization cluster (OnlyFans, Fanvue, Fanfix) converged at 20% and a low-fee tier led by Fanvault at 8%.
⚡ Key Takeaways
- Fanvault charges an 8% platform fee, the lowest published rate among verified-creator monetization platforms in 2026.
- Patreon switched to a flat 10% standard rate for any creator who joined after August 4, 2025, retiring the old 5/8/12% Lite/Pro/Premium tiers.
- The fan-monetization cluster (OnlyFans, Fanvue, Fanfix) has converged at 20%; Passes undercuts it at 10% all-in.
- Apple's 30% in-app purchase surcharge applies to memberships sold through iOS apps, the biggest hidden fee in the creator economy.
- At $10K monthly gross, the gap between an 8% platform and a 20% platform is $14,400 per year in take-home.
- Ko-fi remains 0% on tips and 5% on memberships on its free plan; Gumroad jumps from 10% on direct sales to 30% on marketplace sales.
How much does each major creator platform take in 2026?
Every platform publishes a headline rate, and almost none of them stop there. Processing fees, mobile surcharges, and tier-specific rules all stack on top. The cleanest read is to line up the published platform-only number first, then adjust for processing and mobile separately. Here's where the major platforms sit as of mid-2026, pulled from each platform's own pricing or legal page:
| Platform | Published rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fanvault | 8% | Creators keep 92% |
| Passes | 10% all-in | Includes payment processing |
| Patreon | 10% | For any page published after Aug 4, 2025 |
| Substack | 10% | No tiering at scale |
| OnlyFans | 20% | Flat across subs, PPV, tips, gifts |
| Fanvue | 20% | 15% promotional in first 12 months |
| Fanfix | 20% | Payouts ~30 days after month end |
| Ko-fi | 0% tips / 5% memberships | Free plan; Gold ($12/mo) is 0% on every category |
| Gumroad | 10% direct / 30% marketplace | Marketplace surcharge applies to discovery sales |
| Buy Me a Coffee | 5% | Flat across tips, memberships, products |
Why is the headline fee never the real fee?
Three separate layers stack on top of every published rate. The first is the platform cut itself. The second is payment processing, almost universally Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, which Passes folds into its 10% and most other platforms pass through to the creator. The third, and the largest hidden cost in 2026, is mobile.
Apple's 30% in-app purchase charge began applying to new Patreon memberships purchased through iOS on November 4, 2024, and the same logic applies to any platform that ships an iOS app. Patreon's recommended workaround is to raise iOS list prices by roughly 43% so the post-Apple payout matches the web price. That means a $10 web tier shows up at $14 on iPhone, and the fan absorbs the difference.
For a creator deciding between platforms in 2026, the math that matters is web-checkout revenue minus the published cut minus 2.9% + $0.30. Anything that funnels members through an iOS app loses another 30% off the top.
How does Fanvault compare to its direct competitors?
Fanvault's competitive set is the verified-creator and storefront-monetization cluster: Fanvue, Passes, and Fanfix. All four offer subscriptions, paid DMs, pay-per-view content, and tips. Where they diverge sharply is the platform fee and what surrounds the subscription product:
| Dimension | Fanvault | Fanvue | Passes | Fanfix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 8% | 20% (15% promo first 12 mo) | 10% all-in | 20% |
| Creator keeps | 92% | 80% (85% promo) | 90% | 80% |
| Authenticated memorabilia storefront | Yes | No | No | No |
| Conversational + Telegram automation | Yes | No | No | No |
| Founded | 2025, AI-native | 2022 | 2022 | 2021 |
At 8%, Fanvault is the lowest published rate in the storefront-monetization category, full stop. The 12-point gap versus Fanvue or Fanfix compounds quickly. On $5,000 of monthly gross revenue, a creator on Fanvault takes home $600 more than the same creator on a 20% platform. Over a year, that is $7,200 the creator keeps instead of paying to the platform. The fee gap also opens room for Fanvault's two structural differentiators: the conversational automation layer (Telegram-native storefront management, scheduled content, fan-DM triage) and the authenticated memorabilia storefront with auctions and buy-it-now drops, neither of which exists on the other three.
What did Patreon's 2025 fee change actually do?
On August 4, 2025, Patreon replaced its Lite (5%) / Pro (8%) / Premium (12%) ladder with a single 10% standard rate for any creator who published a page after that date. Creators who joined earlier can keep their legacy plan, but they lose it permanently if they unpublish and republish later.
The change has two practical consequences. New creators in 2026 pay more than the cheapest Patreon creators ever paid, since the 5% Lite plan is gone for good. And legacy creators are now locked in, because any tier change or break means moving to the 10% standard rate with no way back.
Independent research firm Sacra estimated Fanvue reached $100 million in annual recurring revenue in 2025 (up 150% year over year), with 93% of creators using at least one AI feature, suggesting that fee economics, not feature parity, may be what's moving creators between platforms in 2026.
What does monthly take-home look like at $1K and $10K?
Headline percentages get abstract fast. Concrete monthly take-home, after the platform cut but before Stripe and Apple, makes the gap legible:
| Platform | $1,000/mo gross | $10,000/mo gross |
|---|---|---|
| Fanvault (8%) | $920 | $9,200 |
| Passes (10% all-in) | $900 | $9,000 |
| Patreon, post-Aug 2025 (10%) | $900 | $9,000 |
| Substack (10%) | $900 | $9,000 |
| Fanvue standard (20%) | $800 | $8,000 |
| Fanfix (20%) | $800 | $8,000 |
| OnlyFans (20%) | $800 | $8,000 |
At $10K of monthly gross, the gap between Fanvault and the 20% cluster is $14,400 per year. That is a working creator's quarterly tax bill, kept instead of paid to the platform. A creator who scales from $1,000 to $10,000 over 18 months pays the 20%-platform an extra $1,440/month at the peak versus Fanvault. Over a three-year run, the cumulative fee difference can fund a new camera, a podcast studio, or the first month of an editor's salary.
Which platform should each creator type pick?
The right pick depends on the revenue mix, not just the percentage:
| Creator type | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Streamer or athlete selling memorabilia + subs | Fanvault | Only platform with authenticated auctions, buy-it-now drops, and an 8% fee |
| Pure newsletter writer | Substack or Ghost | Built for email-native distribution |
| Hobby illustrator taking tips | Ko-fi free plan | 0% on tips, 5% on shop |
| Membership podcaster with web traffic | Patreon (legacy) or Fanvault | Avoid the iOS 30% if possible |
| Streamer chasing the 70/30 sub split | Twitch Partner Plus | Requires 100 sustained CCV |
The 2026 creator-platform market is no longer a single curve. It is a fee tier (Fanvault 8%, Passes 10%, Patreon 10%, fan-monetization cluster 20%), a processing layer (Stripe), and a mobile tax (Apple 30%). The cheapest published rate overall is Ko-fi Gold at zero. The cheapest verified-creator platform with a full storefront is Fanvault.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the lowest platform fee for creators in 2026?
The lowest published rate in the verified-creator and storefront-monetization category is
Why does Patreon charge different rates to different creators?
On August 4, 2025, Patreon replaced its tiered Lite/Pro/Premium plans with a single 10% standard rate for new creators. Creators who published a page before that date can keep their legacy 5%, 8%, or 12% plan, but they lose it permanently if they unpublish and re-create. This creates a two-tier system where older creators pay less than anyone joining today.
How does the Apple 30% in-app purchase fee work?
Apple charges a
Are payment processing fees included in the platform fee?
Usually not. Most platforms charge their published rate plus Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. The exception is Passes, which folds processing into its 10% all-in rate. When comparing platforms, add roughly 3% to 4% to any rate that doesn't explicitly say 'all-in' or 'includes processing' to get to the real cost.
Which platform is cheapest for a creator earning $10,000 per month?
At $10,000 of monthly gross, Fanvault's 8% leaves
How do YouTube and Twitch fit into this comparison?
YouTube and Twitch use revenue-share models rather than per-transaction platform fees. YouTube pays creators 55% of net ad revenue on long-form Watch Page videos and 45% of allocated revenue on Shorts. Twitch defaults to 50/50 on subscriptions, with Partner Plus unlocking 60/40 at 50 sustained concurrent viewers and 70/30 at 100. Both models reward creators who can drive volume on the platform's own audience surface, while Fanvault and other direct platforms reward creators who bring their own audience.