Ko-fi vs Buy Me a Coffee Net Payout Optimizer

Compare net payouts for Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee after platform commissions, subscriptions, and payment processor transaction fees. Save money!

Mathematical Audit

Payout Optimization & Platform Fee Math

Net earnings are calculated by subtracting platform-specific commissions, payment processor transaction fees, and subscription plans from gross volume.

Stripe/PayPal Processor Fee = (Gross Revenue × 2.9%) + (Transaction Count × $0.30)
Ko-fi Total Fees = Stripe Fees + (kofiGoldActive ? $6.00 : [Shop/Membership Revenue × 5%])
Buy Me a Coffee Total Fees = Stripe Fees + (Gross Revenue × 5%)

Ko-fi takes a 0% commission on donations/tips. Standard shop sales, commissions, and memberships carry a 5% platform fee on the free plan, which drops to 0% with Ko-fi Gold ($6/mo). Buy Me a Coffee takes a flat 5% platform fee on all income streams.

Operational Guide

How to Use the Payout Optimizer

1

Enter Monthly Donations

Input your estimated monthly tips/donations and count of transactions.

2

Enter Shop & Membership Revenue

Input your sales volume from digital products and recurring memberships.

3

Toggle Ko-fi Gold status

Enable Ko-fi Gold to check if paying the $6/month flat subscription beats paying transaction commissions.

4

Compare Net Payouts

Analyze the breakdown of processor fees, platform commissions, net take-home, and effective fee percentages.

Real-World Scenario Example

"A creator gets $500 in tips (100 tx) and $300 in memberships (30 tx) monthly."

Inputs

monthlyDonations:500
donationCount:100
monthlyMemberships:300
membershipCount:30
kofiGoldActive:false

Result

Ko-fi yields $722.80 net take-home compared to $682.80 for Buy Me a Coffee, saving the creator $40.00.

Important Disclaimer

Payment processing fees are estimated based on US Stripe and PayPal standard rates (2.9% + $0.30). Multi-currency conversions, international cards, and micro-transaction adjustments may affect final payouts.

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