Ko-fi Earnings Calculator
Calculate your Ko-fi earnings from donations, memberships, and shop sales. See your take-home after fees and whether Ko-fi Gold is worth it.
Using $5 avg donation, free account (5% fee)
Support
One-time 'coffees' received
Recurring supporters
Account Settings
Estimated Earnings
Monthly Take-Home
$200
After all fees
Annual Earnings
$2,406
Projected yearly
Total Fees
10.9%
$25/month
Revenue Sources
Earnings Breakdown
Ko-fi Gold Worth It?
You're paying $8 in platform fees. Ko-fi Gold costs $6/month and removes the 5% fee.You'd save $2/month by upgrading!
Ko-fi Tips
- • Ko-fi takes 0% from shop sales (only payment processing)
- • Gold members get 0% platform fees, custom page URL, and more
- • Memberships provide predictable recurring income
- • Link your Ko-fi everywhere: bio, video descriptions, website
Embed This Calculator
Copy the code below to embed this calculator on your website.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Ko-fi take from donations?
Free Ko-fi accounts pay a 5% platform fee on donations and memberships. Ko-fi Gold members ($6/month) pay 0% platform fees. All accounts pay payment processing fees (PayPal/Stripe) of approximately 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
Is Ko-fi Gold worth it?
Ko-fi Gold costs $6/month and removes the 5% platform fee. If you receive more than $120/month in donations and memberships, Gold pays for itself. Gold also includes features like a custom page URL, analytics, and scheduled posts.
How do Ko-fi memberships work?
Ko-fi memberships are recurring monthly payments from supporters. You can offer tiers with different benefits. Ko-fi takes 5% (or 0% with Gold) plus payment processing. Members can cancel anytime.
Does Ko-fi take a cut from shop sales?
No! Ko-fi takes 0% from shop sales - you only pay payment processing fees (around 2.9% + $0.30). This makes Ko-fi Shop very competitive for selling digital products, art, and merch.
Ko-fi vs Patreon - which is better?
Ko-fi has lower fees (5% vs 8-12%) and takes 0% from shop sales. Patreon has more features for large creators. Ko-fi is better for small creators and one-time donations. Many creators use both!
How to Use the Ko-fi Earnings Calculator
Begin by entering your expected monthly donation amount and the number of one-time supporters you receive. If you offer memberships, add your membership tiers and subscriber counts. The calculator applies Ko-fi's standard 5% platform fee plus payment processing fees to show your actual take-home amount.
Switch to Advanced mode to compare free vs. Ko-fi Gold accounts side by side. Gold costs $6/month but removes the 5% platform fee entirely. The key threshold: if your combined donation and membership income exceeds roughly $120/month, Gold pays for itself. Above that level, every additional dollar saves you 5 cents in fees. You can also model shop sales in Advanced mode — Ko-fi takes 0% commission on shop transactions, making it one of the most competitive platforms for selling digital products.
For accurate projections, factor in that donation income tends to be variable month-to-month, while memberships provide more predictable recurring revenue. Most creators see 2-5% of their audience convert to supporters, with average one-time donations ranging from $3-10. Membership subscribers typically stay for 3-6 months.
If you are deciding between Ko-fi and other platforms, consider that Ko-fi's fee structure (5% or 0% with Gold) is significantly lower than Patreon's 8-12%. However, Patreon offers more robust membership management tools. Many creators use Ko-fi for one-time support and shop sales while running memberships on another platform.
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