Platform comparison · 2026-06-05
Patreon vs Kajabi in 2026: fees, features, and which platform earns more
Patreon Pro takes 8% of your subscription revenue plus Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Kajabi charges a flat monthly fee — $149/mo on Kickstarter, $199/mo on Basic, $399/mo on Growth — regardless of how much you earn. The break-even between Patreon Pro and Kajabi Basic is approximately $4,700/mo gross. Below that, Patreon wins on cost. Above it, Kajabi charges less per dollar earned.
The fundamental difference: percentage vs flat fee
Patreon and Kajabi use opposite pricing models, which means the "which is cheaper" question depends entirely on your revenue level.
Patreon Pro charges a percentage of what you earn. At low revenue, the percentage fee is small in absolute terms — 8% of $1,000 is $80/mo. As revenue grows, the fee scales with it. At $10,000/mo gross, Patreon Pro takes $800/mo before Stripe fees.
Kajabi charges a flat monthly subscription regardless of your earnings. The $199/mo Basic plan costs $199/mo whether you earn $500 or $50,000. This makes Kajabi cost-efficient at high revenue and expensive at low revenue.
Fee comparison at three revenue bands
At $2,000/mo gross
Patreon Pro: 8% platform fee = $160. Plus Stripe: ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. At 200 patrons paying $10 avg, Stripe adds approximately $116. Total fees: ~$276. Net: ~$1,724.
Kajabi Kickstarter ($149/mo flat): Plus Stripe (Kajabi uses Stripe internally): same ~$116. Total fees: ~$265. Net: ~$1,735.
At $2,000/mo, both platforms cost nearly the same — within a few dollars. This is near the lower break-even point.
At $4,200/mo gross (canonical comparison point)
Patreon Pro: 8% = $336. Stripe at 420 patrons × $0.30: ~$222. Stripe percentage: ~$122. Total fees: ~$680. Net: ~$3,520.
Kajabi Basic ($199/mo flat): Plus Stripe ~$344. Total fees: ~$543. Net: ~$3,657.
At $4,200/mo, Kajabi Basic is about $137/mo cheaper. The gap grows as revenue increases because Patreon's 8% keeps scaling while Kajabi's flat fee stays fixed.
At $8,500/mo gross
Patreon Pro: 8% = $680. Stripe approximately $494. Total fees: ~$1,174. Net: ~$7,326.
Kajabi Basic ($199/mo flat): Stripe approximately $494. Total fees: ~$693. Net: ~$7,807.
At $8,500/mo, Kajabi Basic saves $481/mo over Patreon Pro — that's $5,772/yr. The higher your revenue, the larger the Kajabi advantage on fees alone.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Patreon Pro | Kajabi Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Membership / subscriptions | Yes | Yes |
| Course/product builder | No | Yes (core feature) |
| Built-in email marketing | Basic patron updates only | Full email campaigns |
| Landing page builder | Patreon-hosted creator page only | Full website + landing pages |
| Community features | Patron feed + Discord webhook | Built-in community (no Discord) |
| Discord role automation | Yes (native integration) | No (requires third-party) |
| Custom domain | No (creator.patreon.com) | Yes |
| Analytics | Patron counts, earnings history | Full funnel analytics + email open rates |
| Active patrons/members limit | Unlimited | Unlimited (Basic) |
| November 2026 Apple Tax | Yes, unless toggle activated | Not applicable (web-only billing) |
When Patreon wins
Patreon is the better choice when:
- Revenue is below $4,000/mo. The percentage model means Patreon scales favorably with you at early stages — low fees when you're small.
- Discord is your community hub. Patreon's native Discord bot assigns subscriber roles automatically. Kajabi has no equivalent; you'd need a third-party integration that costs extra and adds failure points.
- You want zero upfront commitment. Patreon requires no monthly subscription — you only pay a percentage of what you earn. Kajabi's flat fee applies even in zero-revenue months.
- Your product is pure membership. If you're not building courses, email funnels, or branded websites, Kajabi's extra surface area is unused cost.
When Kajabi wins
Kajabi is the better choice when:
- Revenue consistently exceeds $5,000/mo. The flat fee becomes cost-efficient above this threshold, and the savings grow with scale.
- You're selling courses as well as memberships. Kajabi's course builder and email marketing engine are first-class — Patreon has neither. If your business combines recurring memberships with one-time courses, Kajabi consolidates both instead of requiring two platforms.
- You want a branded website with your own domain. Kajabi builds a full website; Patreon hosts a creator page at creator.patreon.com with no custom domain option.
- Email marketing is a core part of your funnel. Kajabi's built-in email campaigns, segmentation, and automation are substantially more capable than anything Patreon provides.
The November 2026 Apple Tax impact
Kajabi is not subject to the November 2026 Apple iOS in-app purchase rules — Kajabi operates entirely through web billing, and its iOS app does not process subscription payments in-app. The Apple 30% cut does not apply.
Patreon's iOS app does process in-app purchases. After November 1, 2026, iOS subscribers on Patreon lose 30% to Apple before Patreon takes its 8%. For a creator earning $4,200/mo with 60% iOS subscribers, this adds approximately $504/mo in Apple fees — shifting the effective fee rate significantly above 8%. Patreon's web-only billing toggle eliminates this, but requires the creator to activate it and manage the patron re-subscription campaign.
Related questions
Is Kajabi better than Patreon for memberships?
It depends on revenue level and feature needs. For pure membership below $4,000/mo, Patreon Pro is cheaper. Above $5,000/mo, Kajabi Basic costs less per dollar earned. Kajabi adds course hosting, email marketing, and a branded website that Patreon doesn't have — worth it if you use those features, cost you don't need if you're doing pure membership only.
Does Kajabi take a percentage of sales?
No. Kajabi charges a flat monthly fee ($149–$399/mo depending on plan) and does not take a percentage of your revenue. You pay Stripe's standard processing fees (2.9% + $0.30) on transactions, but Kajabi itself charges zero transaction fees. This makes Kajabi cost-efficient for high-revenue creators and expensive for those just starting out.
Can you use Kajabi and Patreon together?
Some creators run both — Patreon for the existing patron community and Discord integration, Kajabi for course products and email marketing. This is a high-cost combination (Kajabi flat fee plus Patreon percentage) that usually makes sense only if the Kajabi email revenue offsets the additional cost. Most creators who use both eventually migrate everything to one platform when the overlap becomes clear.
Patreon Pro rate: 8%. Kajabi pricing as of 2026-06-05 (Kickstarter $149/mo, Basic $199/mo, Growth $399/mo). Stripe standard rates: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Verify current pricing at patreon.com and kajabi.com before making platform decisions.