Backers Club and Patreon
Sort of the same. Built for different jobs.
Backers Club was inspired by Patreon. Patreon made audience funding normal, and we still call Backers Club “Patreon-esque” when we need to be quick. As long as creators get paid, we are happy.
Neither approach is universally better. They are built for different jobs.
The short version
- Choose Patreon when the membership itself is part of what you want to make: tiers, member posts, community, commerce, exclusives.
- Choose Backers Club when the public work you already publish is the offer.
What backers get
- Patreon: a membership, with extra content and access.
- Backers Club: the promise “if this matters to you, help me keep making it.” Extras are optional.
How payment works
- Patreon: membership billing. Check the current options directly with Patreon.
- Backers Club: per release, so a paused show charges nobody. Or weekly or monthly.
Size and cost
- Patreon: a large platform that does much more.
- Backers Club: a small, bootstrapped European business doing one job. Free to start, 8% plus transaction fees when you get paid. See pricing.
If Patreon already serves you well, stay there.
