Patreon keeps more money in your pocket per member. YouTube brings more members in. The right answer depends on whether your bottleneck is fees or conversion — for most sub-1M-subscriber channels, conversion wins.
| Feature | Patreon | YouTube Membership |
|---|---|---|
| Fee structure | Pro 8% · Premium 12% | Flat 30% |
| Creator share (web) | ~87–92% | 70% |
| Creator share (iOS) | ~60% (Apple 30% + 8–12%) | 49% (Apple 30% + 30%) |
| Payment processing | Included in the fee | Included — YouTube absorbs |
| Minimum payout | $25 | $100 |
| Audience ownership | Creator owns email + CRM | YouTube owns the relationship |
| Discoverability | Zero — destination site | In-app Join button |
| Setup friction | Medium — new brand, new URL | Low — toggle in YouTube Studio |
| Best for | High-ticket tiers, communities, physical rewards | Volume sign-ups, badges, members-only videos |
When Patreon wins
Patreon wins when the per-dollar math outweighs volume. If your fan base is willing to leave YouTube and navigate to a separate site, you’ll net 20–25 percentage points more per member on web sign-ups. At a $9.99 tier, that’s roughly $2/member/month — $24 per member per year — multiplied by your member count. For creators with 100+ members willing to make the jump, the delta adds up fast. Higher-ticket creators ($20+ tiers) gain the most because absolute dollars scale with price.
Patreon also wins on audience ownership. You get the member’s email, you control the communication channel, and if Patreon ever sunsets or changes terms you can migrate to another platform. YouTube memberships vanish if your channel vanishes.
When YouTube Membership wins
YouTube wins on conversion. The Join button lives inside the viewer’s feed, next to every video. No app switch, no sign-up form to find, no separate account. For most channels, this single-tap conversion delivers 3–5× more sign-ups than Patreon at the same effort level.
YouTube also handles video hosting, members-only livestreams, badge/emoji infrastructure, and viewer identity. You build on top of a mature system instead of duplicating production on Patreon’s more limited player. For creators whose primary perk is “members-only videos,” the feature set alone makes YouTube the obvious home.
The math at common price points
Here’s what a single member pays you at each price point, web sign-up, under each platform’s best plan:
- $4.99 tier. Patreon Pro (8%): ~$4.59. YouTube Membership: $3.49. Patreon advantage: $1.10/mo per member.
- $9.99 tier. Patreon Pro: ~$9.19. YouTube: $6.99. Patreon advantage: $2.20/mo per member.
- $24.99 tier. Patreon Pro: ~$22.99. YouTube: $17.49. Patreon advantage: $5.50/mo per member.
Now the iOS side, where the App Store takes 30% first on both platforms:
- $4.99 iOS. Patreon Pro: ~$3.21. YouTube: $2.44. Patreon advantage: $0.77/mo per member (narrower gap after IAP).
- $9.99 iOS. Patreon Pro: ~$6.43. YouTube: $4.89. Patreon advantage: $1.54/mo per member.
Which should you pick?
Three decision rules:
- Low-ticket, high-volume ($0.99–$4.99, members-only videos) — YouTube Memberships. The conversion advantage matters more than the per-member delta.
- High-ticket, tiered rewards ($10+ with physical or community perks) — Patreon. The 20-percentage-point fee advantage compounds at scale, and Patreon’s tier infrastructure matches the complexity.
- Both — Lower tiers on YouTube for volume, a premium tier on Patreon for serious fans. Most established creators run this stack.
Regardless of platform: push sign-ups to the web. A pinned comment with the direct membership URL is worth several percent of your annual recurring revenue.