# Ko-fi

> A lightweight creator support platform where fans buy you a coffee — one-time tips, monthly memberships, crowdfunding goals, and a built-in digital shop.

Source: https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/crowdfunding/ko-fi
Website: https://ko-fi.com
Category: Crowdfunding (https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/crowdfunding)
Pricing: freemium — $0–$12/monthly
AI-powered: no
Tags: tips, donations, crowdfunding-goals, shop, digital-products, patronage, budget-friendly
Last verified: 2026-06-18
Best For: Authors who want a lightweight crowdfunding goal they can embed in their newsletter alongside a tip jar and digital shop
Funding Model: patronage
Platform Fee: 0% on tips; 5% on shop/memberships/commissions (free plan); 0% with Ko-fi Gold ($12/month)
Platform Fee Pct: 0

Ko-fi is a popular low-pressure creator support platform that lets readers "buy you a coffee" — a framing that feels more natural and less transactional than traditional donation platforms. Authors use Ko-fi for one-time tips, recurring monthly memberships, project-specific crowdfunding goals, and selling ebooks or digital extras in the built-in shop.

- **Best for:** Authors who want a no-commitment tip jar or lightweight crowdfunding goal alongside their newsletter or social presence
- **Key features:** Crowdfunding goal tracker, digital product shop, monthly memberships, request-based payouts, zero fee on one-time tips
- **Pricing:** Free plan with 0% on tips and 5% on shop, memberships, and commissions; Ko-fi Gold at $12/month drops all platform fees to 0%. Payment processing (Stripe ~2.9% + $0.30, PayPal ~3.49%) applies on every plan
- **Heads-up on Contributor status:** New accounts now default to "Contributor" mode, which shares 5% of one-time tip income with Ko-fi in exchange for perks (supporter-only posts, custom branding, scheduled posts). You can switch it off anytime in Settings → Payment to restore 0% on tips
- **Budget appeal:** With Gold's 0% platform fee on all revenue types, it's still among the most economical creator platforms — Gold pays for itself once you clear roughly $240/month in shop or membership sales at the 5% free-plan rate
- **Why authors love it:** Low-pressure alternative to Patreon; readers can support without committing to a subscription; easy to set up in minutes

> **Pricing note (June 2026):** Ko-fi Gold rose from $6 to $12/month and annual plans are no longer offered to new creators; existing Gold subscribers are grandfathered at their prior rate.