Patreon 10% Fee (2025): Keep More with a Skool Community

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If you launch a new Patreon page after August 4, 2025, Patreon takes 10% of your earnings plus payment processing fees (often 2.9% + $0.30 USD for cards over $3).

Existing pages keep their old rates. If a fan buys on iOS, Apple’s in-app fees can still hit that purchase in many cases. Your best move: steer people to pay on the web and build your paid community in a hub you control.

Want a simple, creator-first setup? Community + courses + billing in one place.

👉 Join Skool

Why this change matters (and what actually changed)

Patreon simplified its plans. New pages created after August 4, 2025 are on a standard 10% platform fee. Legacy creators keep older rates so long as they don’t unpublish. If a legacy page is unpublished and then republished, it moves to 10%.

On top of the platform fee, there are payment processing charges. In USD card payments, the common rate is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction over $3 (other currencies and methods vary).

There’s also the iOS wrinkle. If someone joins inside the Patreon iOS app, Apple’s rules can trigger extra fees. Patreon has added ways in the U.S. to steer signups away from Apple’s system, but results vary by region. Safest play: send people to your web link for checkout.

What you keep at common price points

Assume USD, one monthly charge, and a standard card rate of 2.9% + $0.30.

Membership price	Patreon platform (10%)	Payment processing	You keep
$5	$0.50	$0.145 + $0.30 = $0.445	$4.055 (≈ 81.1%)
$10	$1.00	$0.29 + $0.30 = $0.59	$8.41 (≈ 84.1%)
$25	$2.50	$0.725 + $0.30 = $1.025	$21.475 (≈ 85.9%)

If a fan pays on iOS using in-app purchase, Apple’s fee stacks on top. That’s why your call-to-action should always push people to the web link.

The smarter play: own the house (and the margin)

Relying only on Patreon caps your margin with a percentage you don’t control. You also “rent” the space. DMs, feeds, perks—none of it lives in an owned hub.

A tighter model:

Audience stays on social (YouTube, IG, TikTok, Threads).

Paying community moves to Skool, where you get:

A clean community feed that doesn’t bury key posts.
A built-in Classroom for lessons, replays, and resources.
Simple subscriptions with clear fees.
Events and challenges in the same place.
Stripe Express payouts.

Ready to build a space you own?

👉 Start your Skool community

Skool pricing in plain English

Two plans. That’s it.

Hobby — $9/mo

Good for testing and small groups. There’s a 10% transaction fee on charges.

Pro — $99/mo

Great once you have traction. 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (for payments under $900), with a higher rate on very large one-off charges. No extra platform cut on top of that for normal payments.

Both plans include the same core features. You can switch plans as you grow.

When Skool Pro beats Patreon on take-home (the break-even)

Let’s compare Patreon (10% + processing) vs Skool Pro ($99/mo + 2.9% + $0.30).

Net per member (rough guide, USD, card > $3):

Patreon ≈ P * 0.871 − 0.30

Skool Pro ≈ P * 0.971 − 0.30 (then subtract your $99 monthly)

Break-even happens when the 10% gap overtakes the $99 subscription. Solve it and you get:

N > 990 / P

At $5/mo, you beat Patreon around 199+ members.

At $10/mo, around 100+ members.

At $25/mo, around 40+ members.

If you’re not there yet, start Hobby to keep fixed costs tiny, then flip to Pro the moment these thresholds make sense.

A simple plan to keep more (and grow faster)

1) Price with a clear promise.

$10–$25/month is common for real access: community, weekly office hours, member-only guides, and replays. Higher price = fewer members needed to beat a 10% platform take.

2) Own the checkout.

Your pinned links on every channel should point to your Skool page. In your captions and email footer, add: “Join on the web to get your perks.”

👉 Join Skool

3) Make value obvious on day one.

A “Start Here” post that shows what to click first.

Three “quick win” lessons in the Classroom.

A weekly live call (or a rotating AMA thread).

A member spotlight to spark posts.

4) Stack offers in the same hub.

Keep the monthly membership as the base. Add a premium course. Add a 4-week cohort. Upsell 1:1 slots to the top tier. One login. One home.

5) Use social as the feeder.

YouTube: end screens + description link.

Instagram: story highlights with the offer.

TikTok: pinned video with the hook + link in bio.

Threads: top comment with the promise in 1–2 lines.

6) Keep iOS clean.

If you still use Patreon during the move, ask fans to join via your web link to avoid in-app extras.

“I already have patrons—now what?”

Run a clean migration in one week.

Day 1: Announce the move to Skool. Grandfather current price. Add a fast-action bonus (e.g., a private Q&A or a new resource).

Day 3: Share member wins from early movers.

Day 5: Final reminder. “We close the old perks here on Day 7.”

Day 7: Shut off new posts on Patreon. Keep a pinned note linking to the new home.

Copy-paste note you can use:

Subject: We’re moving (and you keep your perks)
We’re moving the paid community to Skool. Same price. Cleaner feed. Easier access to lessons, replays, and events — all in one place.
Join here: Join Skool
Thanks for supporting the work. This change helps us keep more of each dollar so we can post more, teach more, and host more live calls for you.

FAQ

Q: What exactly changed with Patreon’s fees?

A: New creator pages published after August 4, 2025 pay a standard 10% platform fee. Legacy pages keep older rates as long as they stay published. If you unpublish and later republish, you’ll move to 10%.

Q: Are there still payment processing fees on Patreon?

A: Yes. In USD for card payments, expect around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction over $3; other currencies and methods vary.

Q: Does Apple’s 30% fee hit my Patreon income?

A: If a fan joins via iOS in-app purchase, Apple’s fee can apply. The U.S. app now supports flows that route new memberships outside Apple’s system, but results vary by market. Best practice: send people to your web link.

Q: What are Skool’s fees?

A: Hobby ($9/mo) with a 10% transaction fee, or Pro ($99/mo) with 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for payments under $900 (higher fee on very large one-off charges). Same core features on both.

Q: When does Skool Pro make more sense than Patreon?

A: As a rule of thumb, Pro beats a 10% platform fee at roughly 199+ members ($5), 100+ members ($10), or 40+ members ($25).

Q: Can I run both (Patreon + Skool) for a while?

A: Yes. But split attention hurts engagement. Migrate your superfans first, keep a free or “legacy” tier elsewhere if you must, and make Skool the main home.