How to use this creator platform fee calculator
Enter your price per payment and how many payments you collect each month. The calculator runs those numbers through eleven creator platforms at once, picks the cheapest qualifying plan on each, then ranks them by take-home pay. A $49 offer sold 100 times shows a $549.80 monthly gap between first place and last.
- Count paid charges, not total members. Free community members cost nothing anywhere.
- The billing toggle switches between monthly plan prices and the discounted yearly-effective prices platforms show for annual billing.
- Expand any row to see the plan price, the platform cut, and the card processing line for that platform.
- Use the share button to send an exact scenario without copying numbers by hand.
Creator platform fees at a glance
These eleven platforms price the same job in three shapes. Skool, Whop, Kajabi, Teachable, and Thinkific charge an all-in rate that already covers card processing. Circle, Mighty Networks, Stan Store, and Podia charge a plan and let your own Stripe bill separately. Patreon and Gumroad skip the plan and take a revenue share.
Platform | Monthly plan | Platform fee per sale | Card processing |
|---|---|---|---|
Whop | $0 | 2.7% + $0.30 | Included |
Stan Store | $29 | 0% | Your Stripe, added |
Thinkific | $54 to $219 | 0% on Thinkific Payments | 2.9% + $0.30, included |
Podia | $42 to $150 | 5% or 0% | Your Stripe, added |
Teachable | $39 to $189 | 7.5% or 0% | 2.9% + $0.30, included |
Skool | $9 or $99 | 10% + $0.30 or 2.9% + $0.30 | Included |
Kajabi | $179 to $499 | 0% | 2.7% to 2.9% + $0.30, included |
Circle | $89 or $199, annual billing | 2% or 1% | Your Stripe, added |
Mighty Networks | $95 to $354 | 2% to 0.5% | Your Stripe, added |
Patreon | $0 | 10% | 2.9% + $0.30 added |
Gumroad | $0 | 10% + $0.50 | 2.9% + $0.30 added |
Every rate was checked against official pages in July 2026: Skool's pricing page, Whop's fee schedule, Patreon's creator fee overview, Kajabi's pricing page, Circle's transaction fee guide, Mighty Networks' fee article, Gumroad's fee page, Stan Store's fee explainer, Teachable's pricing page, Thinkific's cost breakdown, and Podia's pricing page. Rates are US-domestic card rates for direct sales. Patreon rates are the standard plan for pages created after August 4, 2025.
What each platform takes, one by one
Below is what each platform charges on a single sale, listed in the order they finish on a $49 offer sold 100 times per month. That scenario produces $4,900 in gross revenue, where total monthly fees range from $162.30 on the cheapest platform to $712.10 on the most expensive.
Whop fees: 2.7% plus $0.30, no monthly plan
Whop charges 2.7% plus $0.30 per successful domestic card sale, with card processing already included and no monthly plan. On $4,900 of monthly sales that is $162.30 in total fees, an effective 3.3%. It is the cheapest option in this comparison at every volume tested.
Stan Store fees: 0% platform cut on a $29 plan
Stan Store takes 0% of sales on its $29 Creator plan, so you pay only the plan and your own Stripe processing at 2.9% plus $0.30. On $4,900 that totals $201.10, or 4.1%. Recurring payments add roughly 0.5% in Stripe billing charges.
Thinkific fees: 0% on Thinkific Payments
Thinkific charges no platform transaction fee when you use Thinkific Payments, its default processor at 2.9% plus $0.30. Basic costs $54 monthly or $40 billed annually. On $4,900 the total is $226.10, or 4.6%. Using your own Stripe instead adds 5% on Basic, 2% on Start, or 1% on Grow.
Podia fees: 5% on Mover, 0% above it
Podia charges 5% per sale on the $42 Mover plan and 0% on Shaker ($84) and Earthquaker ($150). Your own Stripe or PayPal adds 2.9% plus $0.30. On $4,900 the cheapest Podia route is Shaker at $256.10, or 5.2%. Annual billing costs the same per month as monthly.
Teachable fees: 7.5% on Starter, 0% above it
Teachable charges a 7.5% transaction fee on the $39 Starter plan and 0% on Builder ($89) and Growth ($189). Its own checkout handles processing at 2.9% plus $0.30. On $4,900 the cheapest route is Builder at $261.10, or 5.3%. Annual billing drops Builder to $69 per month.
Skool fees: 10% on Hobby, 2.9% on Pro
Skool charges 10% plus $0.30 per transaction on the $9 Hobby plan and 2.9% plus $0.30 on the $99 Pro plan, with processing included. Payments above $900 use 3.9% plus $0.30 on Pro. On $4,900 of sales Pro totals $271.10, or 5.5% of revenue.
Kajabi fees: 0% platform cut, big plan price
Kajabi takes 0% of sales through Kajabi Payments, charging 2.9% plus $0.30 on Basic down to 2.7% on Pro. The cost sits in the plan: $179, $249, or $499 monthly. On $4,900 that means $351.10, or 7.2%. Subscriptions add roughly 0.7% on top.
Circle fees: 2% on Professional, 1% on Business
Circle charges 2% per transaction on Professional and 1% on Business, plus your own Stripe processing. Published prices are $89 and $199 per month on annual billing. On $4,900 the Professional route totals $359.10, or 7.3%. Subscriptions also carry Stripe Billing of about 0.7%.
Mighty Networks fees: 2% down to 0.5%
Mighty Networks charges 2% on Launch ($95), 1% on Scale ($215), and 0.5% on Growth, which bills at $4,250 per year. Stripe processing comes out of your connected account. On $4,900 the Launch route totals $365.10, or 7.5%. iOS purchases carry a 15% Apple fee instead.
Patreon fees: 10% plus processing
Patreon takes 10% of earnings on its standard plan, and payment processing of 2.9% plus $0.30 comes out separately. That works out near 12.9% in practice. On $4,900 of monthly pledges the total is $662.10, or 13.5%. Pages created on or before August 4, 2025 keep legacy rates of 5% to 11%.
Gumroad fees: 10% plus $0.50, then processing
Gumroad takes 10% plus $0.50 on a direct sale, and card processing adds 2.9% plus $0.30 on top, so roughly 12.9% plus $0.80 per order. On $4,900 that is $712.10, or 14.5%, the most expensive result here. Sales through Gumroad Discover cost a flat 30% instead.
Why the cheapest creator platform is rarely the obvious one
Plan price and percentage cut pull in opposite directions as volume changes. A $49 offer sold 100 times costs $162.30 on Whop but $712.10 on Gumroad, a $549.80 monthly gap on identical revenue. The ranking between second and eleventh place keeps reshuffling as price and volume move.
Scenario | Gross | Cheapest | Most expensive | Monthly spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
$29 x 20 payments | $580 | Whop, $21.66 | Kajabi Basic, $201.82 | $180.16 |
$49 x 100 payments | $4,900 | Whop, $162.30 | Gumroad, $712.10 | $549.80 |
$999 x 10 payments | $9,990 | Whop, $272.73 | Gumroad, $1,296.71 | $1,023.98 |
Plan-heavy platforms punish small catalogs hardest. At $580 of monthly revenue, Kajabi Basic takes 34.8% of gross because a $179 plan sits on top of a tiny sales base. The same plan costs only 7.2% of a $4,900 month. Percentage-only platforms behave the opposite way: Gumroad stays near 14.5% whether you sell $580 or $9,990.
The three fee shapes: all-in, plan plus processing, and revenue share
All-in platforms bundle everything into one rate. Skool charges 10% plus $0.30 on Hobby or 2.9% plus $0.30 on Pro, Whop charges 2.7% plus $0.30, and Kajabi, Teachable, and Thinkific run their own checkout at roughly 2.9% plus $0.30. There is no separate Stripe account and no second fee line.
Plan-plus-Stripe platforms sell software, not payments. Stan Store takes 0% of sales, Podia takes 5% or 0%, Circle takes 1% to 2%, and Mighty Networks takes 0.5% to 2%, but you also pay the monthly plan and roughly 2.9% plus $0.30 in processing. The plan acts like a shrinking percentage: $179 is 31% of a $580 month but 3.7% of a $4,900 month.
Revenue-share platforms are the expensive shape at scale. Patreon takes 10% plus processing, and Gumroad takes 10% plus $0.50 before processing brings a direct sale to roughly 12.9% plus $0.80. Fixed cents punish low prices hardest: on a $5 product, Gumroad collects $0.80 in flat charges alone, which is 16% of the price before any percentage applies.
When a plan upgrade pays for itself
Tiered platforms reward volume, and the crossover points arrive earlier than most creators expect. On a $49 offer, Teachable Starter loses to Builder after just 14 sales per month, because the 7.5% transaction fee outgrows the $50 plan difference. The calculator applies every flip automatically.
Platform | Upgrade | Break-even on a $49 offer |
|---|---|---|
Teachable | Starter to Builder | 14 payments, $686 gross |
Podia | Mover to Shaker | 18 payments, $882 gross |
Skool | Hobby to Pro | 26 payments, $1,274 gross |
Circle | Professional to Business | 225 payments, $11,025 gross |
Mighty Networks | Launch to Scale | 245 payments, $12,005 gross |
Kajabi | Basic to Growth | 1,429 payments, $70,021 gross |
Thinkific is the exception with no crossover at all. Every tier charges the same 0% platform fee on Thinkific Payments, so Basic stays cheapest no matter how much you sell and the higher tiers buy features rather than lower fees. The dedicated Skool fee calculator shows the exact Hobby to Pro break-even for any price point.
What this calculator does not include
The result estimates platform and processing fees on US-domestic card sales, not complete business profit. It covers the two lines that decide most of the gap between platforms. Several real-world costs sit outside that base math and can move the ranking for specific businesses:
- International cards and currency: roughly +1.5% for non-US cards on Whop, Kajabi, and Stripe-based platforms, +1% currency conversion on several, and 2.5% conversion on Patreon.
- Subscription surcharges: recurring billing adds about 0.7% on Kajabi and Circle through Stripe Billing and 0.5% on Stan Store. Whop bills 0.5% when its billing automation is enabled.
- App-store checkouts: Patreon purchases made inside the iOS app carry Apple’s 30% fee, and Mighty Networks iOS purchases carry a 15% Apple fee instead of Stripe processing.
- Payout costs: Patreon charges payout fees such as 1% for PayPal capped at $20, Whop charges $2.50 for next-day ACH or 4% plus $1 for instant payouts, and Gumroad holds funds until a $100 minimum.
- Plan limits: Thinkific Basic includes one community and 100 GB of monthly video bandwidth, and Teachable Starter caps some commerce features, so the cheapest plan is not always a viable plan.
- Refunds, chargebacks, taxes on fees, and affiliate commissions are not modeled.
Which creator platform keeps the most of your revenue?
On pure fee math, Whop keeps the most at every size tested, followed by Stan Store and Thinkific once volume covers their plans. But fees are one input, not the verdict. Skool bundles community, courses, and gamification behind one all-in rate, and our hands-on Skool review covers what that buys beyond the math. Kajabi, Circle, Teachable, and Thinkific charge bigger plans because the product does more, and Patreon and Gumroad trade high cuts for built-in audiences and near-zero setup.
- Choose an all-in platform such as Whop or Skool when you want one predictable fee line and no payment setup.
- Choose a plan-plus-Stripe platform such as Stan Store, Podia, Circle, or Mighty Networks when volume is high enough to dilute the plan below a revenue share.
- Choose a course platform such as Teachable or Thinkific when you need curriculum, quizzes, and completion tracking rather than the lowest possible rate.
- Avoid 10% revenue-share platforms for high-ticket offers: on a $999 product, Patreon and Gumroad cost close to $1,300 per 10 sales while Whop costs $272.73.
- Recheck after a price change: Skool Pro jumps to 3.9% above $900 per payment, and plan crossovers move with your average order value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which creator platform has the lowest fees?
Whop has the lowest published base rate: 2.7% plus $0.30 per sale with no monthly fee. It finished cheapest at every volume tested, from $580 to $9,990 in monthly revenue. Stan Store and Thinkific are usually second and third once revenue covers their plans.
How much do creator platforms take from each sale?
Between roughly 2.7% and 14.5% of gross revenue once plan costs and card processing are counted. On $4,900 of monthly sales, total fees run from $162.30 on Whop to $712.10 on Gumroad. The spread is $549.80 per month, or $6,597.60 a year, on identical revenue.
Do these fees include credit card processing?
Yes. Every result includes card processing, either inside the platform rate or added at 2.9% plus $0.30. Skool, Whop, Kajabi, Teachable, and Thinkific run their own checkout, so processing is already inside their rate. Circle, Mighty Networks, Stan Store, Podia, Patreon, and Gumroad bill through your own processor, so the calculator adds it.
Is a 0% transaction fee platform actually cheaper?
Not always. A 0% platform cut still leaves the monthly plan and card processing to pay. Kajabi takes 0% of sales but costs $351.10 on a $4,900 month because of its $179 plan. Whop takes 2.7% and costs $162.30 on the same revenue.
Which platform is cheapest for high-ticket offers?
Whop, at $272.73 on ten $999 sales, or 2.7% of $9,990 in revenue. Percentage-based platforms hurt most at high prices. Patreon costs $1,291.71 and Gumroad $1,296.71 on the same ten sales, roughly 13% of gross.
When should I upgrade to a more expensive plan?
As soon as the transaction fee you save each month exceeds the extra plan cost. On a $49 offer that happens at 14 sales on Teachable, 18 on Podia, 26 on Skool, and 225 on Circle. The calculator picks the cheapest qualifying tier automatically.
Does annual billing change which platform is cheapest?
It lowers plan costs on most platforms but rarely changes the winner. Teachable Builder drops from $89 to $69 and Thinkific Basic from $54 to $40 on annual billing. Whop, Patreon, and Gumroad have no plan to discount, and Podia charges the same either way.
What fees are not included in this calculator?
International card surcharges, currency conversion, app-store cuts, payout fees, refunds, and chargebacks. Non-US cards typically add about 1.5%, Patreon charges 2.5% on currency conversion, and iOS in-app purchases carry Apple fees of 15% to 30% on Mighty Networks and Patreon.
Are course platforms more expensive than community platforms?
Not by much once you use their own checkout. Teachable and Thinkific land mid-table at 4.6% to 5.3%. On $4,900 of monthly revenue, Thinkific Basic costs $226.10 and Teachable Builder $261.10, both cheaper than Skool Pro at $271.10 and Kajabi Basic at $351.10.