Ghost vs Ko-fi
Side-by-side comparison on fees, payouts, monetization, and audience ownership.
Platform fee
from $9/mo · monthly subscription
0–5% · 0% tips · 5% sales
Payout speed
instant
instant
Minimum payout
$0
$0
Countries
Stripe-supported
PayPal- or Stripe-supported
Email list export
Full access
Limited export
Custom domain
Yes
Yes (subdomain)
Community features
Comments, paid tiers, member signups
Comments and DMs
Best for
Independent publishers and creators who want ownership and zero revenue share
Visual artists, beginners, small audiences, fee-sensitive creators
Ghost vs Ko-fi: which one wins?
Ghost charges from $9/mo (monthly subscription) versus Ko-fi at 0–5% (0% tips · 5% sales).
On payout speed, Ghost pays instant while Ko-fi pays instant. No difference here.
For audience ownership, Ghost offers full access email export and Ko-fi offers limited export. Email portability matters most for creators planning to migrate later or build a list independent of any single platform.
Best for: Ghost suits independent publishers and creators who want ownership and zero revenue share. Ko-fi fits visual artists, beginners, small audiences, fee-sensitive creators.