Ko-fi Review: Best Platform to Monetize Your Audience?
For anyone who is a creator on the internet, you're probably already familair with the concept of Ko-fi. It's very similar to Patreon – you post content, and your fans or supporters can choose to give you one-time or recurring donations.
Short answer: Ko-fi is a great platform for any creator. No matter what kind of content you create, Ko-fi offers a place to post and earn money from your best supporters. With low fees and an incredible versatility of membership options, Ko-fi is a solid choice for any online creator.
I first investigated Ko-fi when I wanted to set up a membership tier for content. Ultimately, I first chose Patreon, and then ended up doing a different setup on ConvertKit. That being said, I still think Ko-fi is a great platform, and hopefully this Ko fi review will persuade you of that.
In this article, I'll explain:
What Ko-fi is
What its features are
The pricing model
What you can expect as a user or supporter
How much money you can make on Ko-fi
The support you can expect
Pros and cons of Ko-fi versus other platform options
Other FAQs
I'll end by explaining why I chose not to use it, though I think it may be a good fit for you depending on your circumstances.
What is Ko-fi? How does it work?
Ko-fi is a simple audience support platform. Basically, you pledge to offer content. Your supporters can give you a one-time donation, or monthly pledge. A common ko-fi integration is the “buy me a coffee” call to action.
You can set up your Ko-fi page to sell and receive:
a donation
pledges
commissions
crowdfunding goals
any kind of exclusive content
As a content producer, it's a way for you to get support and money from your biggest fans.
To get started, you only need to connect a PayPal or Stripe account.
You can be any kind of creator - Ko-fi specifically mentions podcasters, writers, musicians, cosplayers, and streamers among other type.s But the reality is if you have fans and you create content, Ko-fi can be made to work for you.
What are Ko-fi's Features?
Ko-fi has a ton of different tools and abilities beyond that simple integration. Here's a list and explanation of each.
Sell digital and physical products.
Unlike Patreon, you can set up a Ko fi shop, where you can sell both digital and physical products. For example, Ko-fi user Draconite sells phone wallpaper designs, sticker packs, and lineart bases for their fans.
Set up one-off crowdfund events
Content creators aren't always the most fiscally stable individuals. That's why it's so useful to be able to crowdfund both for professional events, like creating a book, but also unexpected life expenses.
Creator Havanarama set up a crowdfund to help repair her car and was able to gain more than the necessary amount to get that fixed.
Set up a membership tier or two
This is very similar to the Patreon set-up. You can choose to create different levels of exclusive content for different membership or monthly subscription options.
Request a one-time donation
This is the most typical use case, and the inspiration behind the ko fi name: “buy me a coffee.” Ko-fi's platform was originally set up to enable a small, single donation between creator and fan.
Customize your page
In addition to choosing one (or many!) of those options, you can also modify your cover picture, your profile picture, and even what you call your donation requests. For example, what if you don't like the word coffee, but love brewskis?
Offer commissions
One benefit that allows Ko-fi to stand out is your ability to accept commission requests in exchange for money.
Creator BombyD offers custom emotes on a commission basis, for instance.
Source: Ko-fi/BombyD
Set up a gallery
One fun feature Ko-fi offers is the option to set up a gallery. For anyone who wants to create a portfolio but isn't sure where to start, Ko-fi might offer a solution.
It's a good place to showcase your best work, as well a show a little behind-the-scenes action for your fans on your Ko fi page.
What is Ko-fi's Pricing Model?
First: the great thing about Ko-fi is that you can set it up 100% for free, and never pay a single cent in a fee on donations you receive. That means, if someone makes a $3 donation to you, or “buys you a coffee,” you take home $3, minus whatever PayPal or Stripe charges you as a payment processing fee, usually 2-3.4% + $0.30.
Compared with platforms like ConvertKit, which is where I have my tip jar, that's a pretty sweet deal.
However, if you want to access the premium feature set, you have two options: pay a 5% fee, or pay for a monthly Ko-fi Gold membership. Ko- gold membership starts at a $6 monthly fee.
User Experience
I haven't made a Ko fi account from a content creator perspective, but I do know what the platform is like as a supporter. I chose to support a couple of Ko-fi pages (a YouTube channel I support, as well as a couple artists whose work I like) both with a monthly donation, but also with a small donation once or twice.
Making the monthly payment was painless and felt very secure. I also love that my money goes directly to the creator, with no platform fee.
From a creator’s perspective:
My favorite creators on Ko-fi say that they also enjoy using it, though the main limitation is on expectation. Like with a Patreon page, your supporters expect to make small amounts of financial support.
That's fine and wonderful, but the reality is that it takes thousands of those to turn into any kind of reliable monthly income. Most online creatives just don't have that number of people willing to contribute to them.
This issue is prevalent on many monthly membership or donation-style alternatives too; patrons will make a $3 donation once a month and go on their merry way. Especially if you're paying any kind of transaction fee, this level of support is often not enough to pay the bills.
I recommend using Ko-fi in conjunction with other income streams.
Pros and Cons
Let's summarize the pros and cons of the Ko fi platform and Ko-fi alternatives.
Ko-fi is best, in summary, thanks to low or no fees and a huge range of options to earn money from your fans on your terms.
Screenshot of table created and taken by author.
Ultimately, I chose the ConvertKit platform for my membership plan, Ad-Free Zulie, because I was marketing it to my existing subscribers so it made sense to have it all in one place. Plus, I'm not in the artists' community, so Ko-fi wasn't a perfect fit for the stuff I wanted to sell.
However, if you don't use CK already, or you are one of the lucky artists with talent, then I think Ko-fi is a great place to start selling content in exchange for money.
Ko-fi FAQs
That's the thrust of my review. Let's look at some FAQ to make sure all your answers are covered.
How much money can you make on Ko-fi?
The most successful creators on Ko-fi have raised thousands of dollars. Many make thousands of dollars a month based on pledges and one-off donations.
Screenshot source: Ko-fi
Do you retain all rights reserved on your content on Ko-fi?
Yes, 100%. Your content is your content. Ko-fi talks more about this here.
How does Ko-fi make money?
Ko-fi makes money through Ko-fi Gold and the 5% fee it takes from any kind of non-donation income. It also accepts Contributors, who pay the 5% fees on donations and crowdfunding goals, in exchange for early access to new features, the “Contributor” badge, and more bonus benefits.
Final thoughts on Ko-fi
Ko-fi is a wonderful place to post content online and allow your supporters and fans to help you keep doing what you love. No matter if you're a streamer, podcaster, author, artist, or almost any other type of creative, you'll find a useful, easy, simple platform to gain financial support through multiple methods.
Ultimately, I recommend making Ko-fi one of your income streams. While it's a great place to post, many Ko-fi creatives don't earn enough to live on the platform. Posting content on your own blog, YouTube page, or working with clients are all good ways to bolster your income and ensure you can keep your lifestyle and income needs aligned.
