Does Ko-fi Take a Percentage From Creators?

Yes. Ko-fi takes 5% from shop sales, memberships, and commissions on its free selling tier, while basic one-time tips carry a 0% Ko-fi service fee. Ko-fi Gold costs $12 per month and reduces Ko-fi’s service fee to 0% for tips, shop sales, memberships, and commissions.

Last verified August 2026.

What percentage does Ko-fi take?

Ko-fi’s fee depends on whether a creator uses the basic tip-only setup, opts into its free selling features, or pays for Gold.

Ko-fi’s terminology can vary by page: its pricing materials present the free selling option as Contributor, while its fee help article describes opting into Ko-fi Standard. The linked first-party pages are the source of record for these labels and fees (verified August 2026).

Is Ko-fi really free for tips?

Yes. Ko-fi charges a 0% service fee on one-time tips when a creator remains in the basic free tip mode and has not opted into Ko-fi Standard (Ko-fi Pricing, verified August 2026).

Once a creator opts into Ko-fi’s free selling-feature tier, the 5% service fee also applies to one-time tips. Ko-fi’s help center explains this Standard opt-in and its effect on tip fees (Ko-fi fee help article, verified August 2026).

Shop sales, memberships, and commissions are subject to Ko-fi’s 5% service fee on the free selling tier. Separate payment-processor fees may also apply.

Does Ko-fi Gold remove the platform fee?

Yes. Ko-fi Gold costs $12 per month and reduces Ko-fi’s service fee to 0% on tips, shop sales, memberships, and commissions (Ko-fi Gold, verified August 2026).

Gold’s simple break-even point is approximately $240 per month in payments that would otherwise incur the 5% fee, because 5% of $240 equals the $12 subscription. Above that amount, Gold generally costs less than paying Ko-fi’s 5% service fee; below it, the free tier generally costs less.

This calculation compares only Ko-fi’s platform fee with the Gold subscription. It does not include payment-processor fees, which can apply under either option.

Are payment-processing fees charged on top of Ko-fi’s fee?

Yes. Ko-fi states that standard payment-processor fees apply in addition to its own service fee on both free and Gold plans (Ko-fi Pricing, verified August 2026).

Ko-fi routes payments through PayPal or Stripe rather than publishing one universal processing rate. The amount therefore depends on the creator’s connected processor, account, location, currency, and transaction. Creators should check the fee schedule shown in their own PayPal or Stripe account rather than treating Ko-fi’s 0% or 5% figure as the complete transaction cost.

How does Ko-fi’s fee compare with other platforms?

Ko-fi’s directly verified platform fee ranges from 0% to 5% on its free options, while Gold replaces that percentage with a $12 monthly subscription and a 0% Ko-fi service fee. Whether another platform costs less depends on its current fee, subscription price, processing arrangement, and the kind of transaction being sold.

For broader research after reviewing the primary Ko-fi figures above, see creator platform fees compared. Creators evaluating similar support-page products can also review the best Ko-fi alternatives.

How does FanBell compare with Ko-fi?

Ko-fi is primarily a tip jar with optional shop, membership, and commission features. FanBell focuses on paid fan interactions, including a paid private question, a personalized shoutout, a small service, a tip, or support toward a project.

FanBell is free to start with no monthly fee and charges a flat 12% platform fee only when a fan pays (FanBell pricing, verified August 2026). FanBell has no follower minimum, and payouts are handled through Stripe (how FanBell works, verified August 2026).

For tip-only use, Ko-fi’s basic 0% service fee is lower than FanBell’s 12% fee. For creators offering a specific interaction—such as answering a private question, recording a shoutout, or completing a small custom request—FanBell provides fixed offer types designed around that transaction. See FanBell vs. Ko-fi for the full side-by-side.

Frequently asked questions

Does Ko-fi take a cut of tips?

Ko-fi charges 0% on one-time tips in its basic free tip mode. If a creator opts into Ko-fi Standard/Contributor to use selling features, the service fee on one-time tips becomes 5% (Ko-fi fee help article, verified August 2026). Gold removes Ko-fi’s service fee for $12 per month.

How much does Ko-fi take from shop sales?

Ko-fi takes 5% from shop sales on its free selling tier (Ko-fi Pricing, verified August 2026). Ko-fi Gold costs $12 per month and reduces the Ko-fi fee on shop sales to 0%. Payment-processor fees may apply under both options.

Is Ko-fi Gold worth it?

Ko-fi Gold costs $12 per month and removes Ko-fi’s 5% service fee. It reaches a simple break-even point at approximately $240 per month in payments that would otherwise carry the 5% fee, because 5% of $240 is $12. Actual costs also depend on payment-processing fees.

Is there a lower-fee alternative to Ko-fi for tips specifically?

Ko-fi’s basic free mode charges a 0% service fee on one-time tips, so FanBell’s 12% fee is not lower for tip-only use. FanBell instead focuses on structured paid interactions and charges only when a fan pays, with no monthly fee or follower minimum (FanBell, pricing, and how it works, verified August 2026).

Ready to see what a page built around paid fan interaction — not just a tip jar — looks like? Create your free FanBell page and set up your first offer in minutes.