Skool vs Patreon is a choice between a structured community platform and a fan-support tool. Skool is built around an engaged community with courses and a $9 starting price. Patreon is built around recurring fan support, free to start, with a platform fee on what you earn. They both run memberships, but they treat a membership very differently.
This guide compares Skool and Patreon on fees, courses, community, and ownership, then shows which creator each suits. We also flag a third option if you want to keep more of your revenue and own your brand.
Short answer: Choose Skool if you are building a structured community or course-led membership and want daily engagement. Choose Patreon if you mostly want simple recurring fan support with built-in audience discovery. Skool costs $9 to $99 per month with a transaction fee; Patreon is free to start but takes roughly 8% of your earnings plus payment processing.
Skool vs Patreon at a glance
| Feature | Skool | Patreon |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9/month (Hobby) | Free to start |
| Platform fee | 10% on Hobby, 2.9% on Pro, (inc. processing) | About 8% plus payment processing |
| Best for | Structured community and courses | Recurring fan support |
| Courses | Yes, light builder | No real course builder |
| Community | Excellent, native | Basic posts and comments |
| Branding and ownership | Your community, custom URL | Patreon page, Patreon branding |
| Mobile app | Yes, strong | Yes |
Skool vs Patreon pricing in 2026
Skool charges a flat monthly price: $9 for Hobby or $99 for Pro, both with unlimited members, courses, and videos. The transaction fee is 10% on Hobby and 2.9% on Pro. Our Skool pricing guide covers the break-even math.
Patreon is free to start and makes its money from a platform fee on your earnings, around 8% on its current creator plan plus payment processing, with older accounts on legacy tiers that ran from 5% to 12%. There is no monthly cost, so you only pay when you earn.
The models are different. Skool charges you a predictable monthly fee plus a transaction percentage. Patreon charges nothing upfront but takes a slice of everything you make. At higher revenue, Skool Pro’s flat $99 plus 2.9% can work out cheaper than Patreon’s 8%.
Fees and what you keep
The fee is where the money is won or lost. On Patreon, an 8% platform fee plus payment processing means a creator earning $5,000 per month keeps noticeably less than the headline number. On Skool Pro, the same $5,000 carries the $99 plan plus a 2.9% fee, which often leaves you with more.
Skool Hobby’s 10% fee is the exception. At higher revenue it is worse than Patreon, which is why Skool creators move to Pro. The general rule: Patreon is simplest at low earnings, while Skool Pro tends to keep more once you are earning consistently.
Courses and content: Skool wins
Skool includes a course builder on both plans, with modules, lessons, and unlimited video hosting inside the community. Patreon has no real course builder. It can gate posts and attachments by tier, but it was never designed to deliver structured learning.
If your membership is built around teaching something, Skool gives your members an actual course experience. On Patreon, you are stitching that experience together from gated posts.
Community and ownership: Skool wins
Skool is built around community engagement, with a feed, leaderboard, native group calls, and a custom URL that feels like your space. Patreon’s community is mostly posts and comments, and your members live on a Patreon page under Patreon branding.
Ownership is the deeper difference. On Skool you run a branded community. On Patreon, the platform owns the discovery, the branding, and much of the member relationship. That convenience is real, but so is the loss of control.
Skool vs Patreon: Who should choose Skool
- You are building a structured community or course-led membership.
- Daily member engagement is central to your offer.
- You want a course builder, not just gated posts.
- You prefer a predictable monthly price as you scale.
Skool vs Patreon: Who should choose Patreon
- You mostly want simple recurring fan support.
- You value Patreon’s built-in audience and discovery.
- You are early stage and prefer no monthly cost.
- Your content is posts and perks rather than structured courses.
The third option: ownership plus 0% fees
Skool gives you community and courses but charges a transaction fee. Patreon is free to start but takes around 8% and keeps your members on its turf. If you want to own your brand and keep more of your revenue, a third option is worth a look.
Kourses combines memberships, online courses, a private community, and digital products in one branded portal under your own domain. Kourses Starter is $9 per month (billed annually) with 0% transaction fees, so you use your own Stripe account and pay only standard processing. See the full Kourses pricing, our roundup of Patreon alternatives, and the Ko-fi vs Patreon comparison.
Skool vs Patreon FAQ
Is Skool or Patreon cheaper?
It depends on your earnings. Patreon is free to start but takes about 8% plus payment processing, so it costs more as you earn. Skool charges a flat $9 or $99 per month plus a transaction fee (10% on Hobby, 2.9% on Pro). At higher revenue, Skool Pro often keeps more of your money than Patreon.
What is the difference between Skool and Patreon?
Skool is a structured community platform with a course builder, on a flat monthly plan. Patreon is a fan-support tool that is free to start and takes a percentage of your earnings, with no real course builder. Skool is built for engagement and teaching; Patreon is built for simple recurring support.
Does Skool or Patreon take a bigger cut?
Patreon takes about 8% of your earnings plus payment processing. Skool charges 10% on Hobby or 2.9% on Pro, on top of a flat monthly fee. For an established creator, Skool Pro’s 2.9% usually takes a smaller cut than Patreon’s 8%.
Can you sell courses on Patreon?
Not really. Patreon can gate posts and files by membership tier, but it has no course builder, drip scheduling, or structured lessons. Skool includes a course builder on both plans, so it is the better choice if teaching is part of your membership.
Should I move from Patreon to Skool?
Consider it if you want a course builder, stronger community engagement, and a more predictable cost at higher revenue. Stay on Patreon if you value its built-in discovery and prefer no monthly fee. Many creators who teach something find a dedicated platform keeps more of their revenue.
Verdict: Skool vs Patreon
Skool and Patreon serve different creators. Patreon is the simpler choice for recurring fan support with no monthly cost, especially early on. Skool is the better home for a structured community or course-led membership, and tends to keep more of your revenue once you are earning consistently on the Pro plan.
If you want the courses, the community, and full ownership of your brand without a platform fee, that is exactly what Kourses is built for. Start a Kourses free trial and keep more of what your members pay.
Updated July 2026. Pricing verified against skool.com/pricing and patreon.com.
