Which Membership Platform Is Better for You?

More and more people are making a living by creating content online for fans to enjoy. As a result, new websites continuously develop to give creators a platform to share their craft. Two popular examples include sites like Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee - but how can creators know which platform will work best for them?

Ko-fi vs Buy Me a Coffee: What’s the difference?

There are a lot of similarities between Kofi and Buy Me a Coffee, so creators need to understand their critical differences before choosing one.

What is Ko-fi?

Ko-fi is a platform that many describe as an online tip jar, and it’s home to over 500,000 creators. These creators are artists, cosplayers, writers, video creators, podcasters, streamers, musicians, and more. Creators on Ko-fi.com can generate money via memberships, donations, sales from the Ko-fi shop, and other methods.

Check out this: interesting comparison of Ko-fi vs Patreon.

What’s Buy Me a Coffee?

Buy Me A Coffee is a crowdfunding platform home to over 300,000 content creators, including video creators, writers, artists, musicians, developers, gamers, and podcasters. Like Kofi, creators on Buy Me a Coffee can share content and make money via memberships, tips, and donations.

Check out this: interesting comparison of Buy me a Coffee vs Patreon.

Ko-fi vs Buy Me a Coffee: Setting up

How to use Ko-fi

Follow these guidelines to become a successful creator on Ko fi:

1. Create a Ko fi account and add a goal
2. Pin Ko fi to social media accounts
3. Write personalized messages to supporters
4. Create membership subscriptions with tiers
5. Open a Ko-fi shop
6. Take requests and sell Ko fi commissions
7. Integrate Ko-fi with Discord and other platforms

How to use Buy Me a Coffee

Here’s what you’ll need to do to create a successful account:

1. Sign up and set up a page
2. Publish content regularly to grow fans
3. Integrate with Discord and other platforms
4. Share your link on social media pages

Ko-fi vs Buy Me a Coffee: Pricing and payments

When it comes to pricing and payments, these two platforms are very similar, but there is one crucial difference creators should know.

Ko-fi.com proudly advertises that they take 0% of donations from creators, which may leave you wondering: how does Ko-fi make money? Well, if creators do not sign up for Ko-fi Gold, 5% will be taken from memberships, Ko-fi commissions, and all transactions with the Ko fi shop. Creators on this platform receive their earnings via direct instant payments, and there is no minimum balance required.<

The platform takes a flat transaction fee of 5% from creators and sends the rest as instant payments with no minimum balance required, just like Ko-fi.

Ko-fi vs Buy Me a Coffee: How do they work?

The way these platforms work for creators and fans is very similar, as shown below.

With Ko-fi, creators can generate income via monthly memberships with tiers. Each tier is priced differently and offers different benefits, such as exclusive content, social media shout-outs, Discord access, and other rewards - it is all up to the creator to decide. Ko-fi users can also make money via donations, commissions, requests, sales from the Ko-fi shop, and crowdfunding. To put it simply, Kofi operates as a membership service platform and as an online tip jar.

Buy Me a Coffee operates almost the same as Ko-fi, except creators can offer monthly and yearly memberships to their supporters. The tiers are called Membership Levels on the platform, each offering a different price and reward set. Like Ko-fi, creators on Buy Me a Coffee can accept donations, take commissions and requests, sell products, and crowdfunding.

Ko-fi vs Buy Me a Coffee: Content production & posting schedules

These two platforms are highly competitive with each other, as they attract similar types of creators and audiences:

There is a lot of overlap between Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee regarding the type of content found on these platforms. Creators on either site have the option to reach a consistent, targeted audience with memberships or a more flexible audience with donations and sales. In addition, both platforms allow creators to post at their own pace, though a consistent posting schedule is always ideal. In terms of community engagement, both platforms offer direct messaging and the ability for users to comment on posts.

Ko-fi vs. Buy Me a Coffee: Platform integration

Check out the differences between Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee in terms of platform integration:

Sadly, Ko-fi does not offer an app, though there are claims that one is currently being developed. However, Ko-fi can be integrated with Discord to reward supporters with roles and YouTube and WordPress with an embedded link or button.

Creators and users will be happy to know that there is a Buy Me a Coffee app that makes the site accessible right from the palm of your hand. In addition, this platform can be integrated with Discord, YouTube, and WordPress, through sites like Zapier or with a button and widget plug-in.

Buy Me a Coffee vs Ko-fi Pros and cons

Who is Ko-fi better suited for?

Ko-fi is a more cost-effective option with its free version, taking 0% of income earned by creators. If you’re a creator who doesn’t need to sell products, Ko fi is the better choice.

Avi Schiffmann is a developer who works on the NCOV Coronavirus and voting sites. Schiffman uses Ko-fi to accept tips and donations from supporters who want to help fund their work. With 10,300 followers, Avi Schiffman is a Ko-fi Gold member that has access to every feature the website offers.

Who is Buy Me a Coffee better suited for?

Buy Me a Coffee is better suited for creators who don’t mind paying a fee to access all features. It’s also superior for creators who post from their phones, as it pairs with a mobile app for maximum convenience.

Hamilton Glass is a mural artist who invests his time and money to make art that uplifts others. He has found considerable success on Buy Me a Coffee, with 508 supporters who believe in his mission. Supporters can send tips and donations to Hamilton Glass or sign up for a $10 monthly membership. 100% of donations and memberships go directly to non-profit and community organizations in Richmond, VA, where Hamilton is from.