Creator income
Creator platform switch break-even calculator.
Enter the fees on each platform, what you pay monthly, how many members you might lose and what the move costs.
Months to break even = cost of the move / extra take-home per month. With the starting numbers the new platform changes your take-home by $74.60 a month, and the $580.00 move pays back in 8 months.
Your numbers
Result
Worked example
400 payments of $10.00 on a platform that costs 10% + $0.30 each leaves $3,480.00 a month. On a platform at 5% + $0.30 each with a $15.00 monthly cost, and 3% of payments lost in the move (388 payments), you keep $3,554.60. That is $74.60 a month better. Twelve hours at $40.00 plus $100.00 is $580.00, which is earned back in 8 months.
How it works
Take-home on each platform is payments x (price - percentage fee x price - fixed fee) minus the monthly cost. On the new platform the payment count is reduced by the share you expect to lose. The difference is the monthly gain, and the move cost divided by that gain, rounded up to a whole month, is the break-even.
Type all-in fees, including processing, on both sides. For published starting points see the sources: Patreon's pricing page lists 10% plus processing, currency conversion and payout fees, and Buy Me a Coffee's help article lists 5% plus Stripe fees. Features, audience reach and tax handling are real reasons to stay or go and are not in the arithmetic.
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Sources
Fees change and differ by account and country; check the pages before you decide. Pages opened 2026-10-16:
FAQ
How do I know if switching platforms is worth it?
Compare monthly take-home before and after, then divide the one-time cost of the move by the monthly gain. If the gain is zero or negative there is no break-even.
Should I include lost members?
Yes. Not everyone follows you to a new checkout, and a loss of even 10% can wipe out a fee saving of a few points.
What fees should I enter?
Enter all-in percentage and fixed fees per payment, including processing, from each platform's own fee page or your statements.
Does this account for tax?
No. It compares take-home before income tax, and does not model sales tax or VAT handling that a platform may do for you.