Patreon: fees, payouts and how the platform works (2026)
What is Patreon?
Patreon is the global membership platform where fans pay creators a recurring subscription for exclusive content. It hosts around 300,000 creators and 80 million users across podcasts, video, writing, music and art, making it the default choice for creators with an international audience (valid as of September 2026 · support.patreon.com).
How much does Patreon take from your earnings?
New creators pay 10 % of every pledge plus a payment processing fee of 2.9 % + $0.30 per transaction, which leaves about €8.60 from a €10 pledge. Creators who joined before August 4, 2025 stay on legacy plans of 5, 8 or 12 % depending on their tier. For comparison, HeroHero's flat 10 % + VAT leaves roughly €9 from the same €10 (valid as of September 2026 · support.patreon.com, help.herohero.co).
When does Patreon pay out?
Patreon pays out on the 5th of each month, and you can also trigger a manual payout whenever your balance allows it. That gives you slightly more control than fixed monthly schedules (valid as of September 2026 · support.patreon.com).
What is happening to the Patreon API?
Patreon API v1 shuts down on October 7, 2026. API v2 continues, but it is designed for reading data - members, pledges, posts - not for full media publishing. Any workflow built on v1 stops working after that date, and v2 does not replace publishing automation (valid as of September 2026 · support.patreon.com).
Can you automate publishing to Patreon?
Not through the official API, since v2 does not support full media publishing. Stargaze Studio is the one tool that publishes directly to Patreon, using its own publishing agent instead of the public API. You connect your account once, review each post, and approve it before it goes live.
Who is Patreon right for?
Creators with an international audience. With 80 million users, Patreon covers nearly every language and niche. If your fans are mostly in Czechia or Slovakia, HeroHero's 400,000 paying local users may convert better - and with Stargaze you do not have to pick, because one upload publishes to both.
Questions people actually ask
A flat 10 % of every pledge plus a 2.9 % + $0.30 transaction fee. From a €10 pledge you keep about €8.60 (valid as of September 2026 · support.patreon.com).
Creators who joined before August 4, 2025 pay 5, 8 or 12 % depending on their plan tier, plus payment processing (valid as of September 2026 · support.patreon.com).
On the 5th of each month, or earlier via manual payout (valid as of September 2026 · support.patreon.com).
On October 7, 2026. API v2 remains, but it is read-oriented and does not support full media publishing (valid as of September 2026 · support.patreon.com).
Yes, neither platform requires exclusivity. Stargaze Studio publishes to both from a single upload, so the second platform adds no extra work.
Stargaze uses its own publishing agent that posts directly on your behalf. Every post waits for your approval before anything goes live.
All figures valid as of September 2026. Sources: support.patreon.com, help.herohero.co. Fees and payout terms change, so every claim on this page is dated.
How do you publish to Patreon and everywhere else from one upload?
Stargaze Studio turns one uploaded video into clips, subtitles, thumbnails and articles and publishes them to Patreon, HeroHero, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and Spotify. Processing starts while the file is still uploading, and nothing goes live without your approval. Stargaze is free during early access.
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