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Indie alternatives to Patreon

6 products made by independent developers and small teams that do what Patreon does, 3 of them with a free plan. Free and open-source options come first.

At a glance

Product	Price	Open source	Self-host	Platforms
Liberapay	Free	Yes	–	Web
Fourthwall	Free plan	–	–	Web
Ko-fi	Free plan	–	–	Web
Buy Me a Coffee	Commission	–	–	Web, iOS, Android
Open Collective	Commission	Yes	–	Web
Memberful	Paid	–	–	Web

The alternatives

1. Liberapay

Recurring donations platform run as a non-profit

Liberapay is an open-source, non-profit platform for receiving recurring donations, commonly used by open-source developers and creators.

Free · Web · Website ↗

2. Fourthwall

Merch, memberships and storefronts for creators

A platform for creators to launch a branded website and sell merch, memberships, digital products and accept tips.

Free plan · Web · Website ↗

3. Ko-fi

Accept tips, memberships and shop sales from supporters

Ko-fi lets creators receive one-off donations, monthly memberships, commissions and shop sales from fans through a simple page.

Free plan · Web · Website ↗

4. Buy Me a Coffee

Accept tips, memberships and sales from supporters

Buy Me a Coffee lets creators receive one-time support, run memberships and sell digital items from a simple page.

Commission · Web, iOS, Android · Website ↗

5. Open Collective

Transparent fundraising and expense management for groups

Open Collective lets communities, open-source projects and groups raise and spend money transparently, with public budgets and fiscal hosting.

Commission · Web · Website ↗

6. Memberful

Membership software for creators and publishers

Memberful lets creators sell memberships and subscriptions on their own websites with integrations for WordPress and podcasts.

Paid · Web · Website ↗

Questions

Is there a free alternative to Patreon?

Yes. 3 of the 6 indie alternatives listed here have a free plan or are free: Liberapay, Fourthwall and Ko-fi.

Is there an open-source alternative to Patreon?

Liberapay and Open Collective are open source.

Which Patreon alternatives work on Mac, Windows, iPhone or Android?

On iPhone and iPad: Buy Me a Coffee. On Android: Buy Me a Coffee.

What makes these alternatives to Patreon “indie”?

They are built by independent developers or small teams rather than large companies. Each one is listed because it does the same core job as Patreon.

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