Backers Club and Patreon

Backers Club was inspired by Patreon and what they have built. Patreon helped make audience funding normal, and when we need to describe Backers Club quickly, we sometimes call it “Patreon-esque.” So long as creators get paid, we are happy.

But the two products are built for different jobs. Patreon is a broad membership platform. Backers Club has a narrower purpose: let people support the public work you already make without requiring you to build a membership program around it.

Neither approach is universally better. The useful question is which job you want the tool to do.

The short version

• Choose Patreon when the membership itself is part of what you want to make.
• Choose Backers Club when the existing public work is the offer.

More content is optional

Patreon is a strong choice when you want tiers, member posts, community, commerce, or exclusive experiences. Those features can create a closer relationship with your audience and a meaningful new body of work.

Backers Club is for a simpler promise: “If this work matters to you, you can help me keep making it.”

Your audience already knows you care about the podcast, newsletter, videos, or essays you publish. Some of them would simply like a way to pay you back so you can keep going. Tiers, gated posts, perks, and extra content are optional—not a requirement for getting started.

Payment can follow the work

Backers Club can charge per release, so a podcast, video series, or newsletter can pause without charging backers for releases that did not happen. It can also use a weekly or monthly rhythm for ongoing projects.

Patreon is a broader membership platform with its own current billing options. Review those options directly with Patreon if membership billing is central to your decision.

Smaller on purpose

Patreon is a large platform that can do much more. Backers Club is a small, bootstrapped European business built around one focused job. It is free to start and costs 8% plus transaction fees when you get paid. See the current pricing and payment answers.

Being smaller does not automatically make Backers Club better. It means we can stay focused on creators who want recurring support without turning payments into another content operation. If Patreon already serves you well, there is no reason for us to talk you out of it.