Patreon vs Ghost, and a third option.
Patreon is a membership platform for creators and their fans. Ghost is an open-source publishing platform for websites, newsletters and paid memberships. Here they are on price, fees and features, with Sherpo next to them.
- Patreon and Ghost, side by side
- A year of platform cost
- Sherpo as a third option
- 0% of your sales on Sherpo
- Patreon$3,000 a year
- Ghost(Pro) Publisher$1,056 a year
- Sherpo Pro$588 a year
At 5,000 members, Ghost(Pro) Publisher is $756 a year, against $588 for Sherpo Pro, whose price does not change with your list. These Ghost(Pro) prices are for yearly billing.
Patreon is free to start and charges 10% of sales. Ghost(Pro) Publisher is $88 a month at 10,000 members, billed yearly, and takes 0% of sales. For a business earning $2,500 a month in $50 orders with 10,000 members, Patreon costs $3,000 a year and Ghost(Pro) Publisher costs $1,056. Sherpo is a flat $19 or $49 a month and takes 0% of sales.
- Patreon
- Free, 10% of sales
- Ghost(Pro) Publisher
- $88 a month at 10,000 members, billed yearly, 0% of sales
- Sherpo
- From $19 a month, 0% of sales
- At $2,500 a month
- $3,000 and $1,056 a year
Patreon, Ghost and Sherpo, side by side.
Each platform’s entry plan. Features that need a higher plan or another tool are marked.
| Feature | Patreon | Ghost | Sherpo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free | $88 a month at 10,000 members, billed yearly | Lite $19 · Pro $49 |
| Fees on your sales | 10% of your sales | 0% of your sales | 0% of your sales |
| Your brand | |||
| Your own domain | Included | Included | IncludedPro |
| White-label | Not offered | Included | IncludedPro |
| Site builder | LimitedA creator page only | IncludedThemes | Included |
| Export your customer list | Included | Included | Included |
| What you can sell | |||
| Online courses | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
| Quizzes | Not offered | Not offered | IncludedPro |
| Certificates | Not offered | Not offered | IncludedPro |
| Blog with a paywall | Included | Included | Included |
| Files and downloads | Included | LimitedFiles inside posts | Included |
| Downloads tied to the buyer | Not offered | Not offered | IncludedPDF and XLSX |
| License keys | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
| Live portfolio | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
| Coaching and booking | Not offered | Not offered | IncludedWith Cal.com |
| Tips | Not offered | Included | Included |
| Buyers’ AI access to every product (MCP) | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
| How you sell | |||
| Membership tiers | Included | Included3 on Publisher | Included |
| Bundles | LimitedCollections of posts | Not offered | Included |
| Coupons | Included | IncludedOffer links | Included |
| Affiliates with commission | Not offered | LimitedThrough FirstPromoter | Included |
| Built in | |||
| Video hosting | Included100 hours a month | Included100 MB a file on Publisher | IncludedNo bandwidth fees |
| AI subtitles | Included | Not offered | IncludedOn Sherpo Pro |
| For developers and AI | |||
| API for your own front-end | LimitedRead-only | LimitedNot for memberships | IncludedYour own codebase, on Pro |
| Webhooks | Included | Included | IncludedEvery plan |
| Run your store from your AI | Not offered | Not offered | IncludedEvery plan |
| Included | 9 of 24plus 3 with a limit | 10 of 24plus 3 with a limit | 24 of 24 |
- Included
- Included with a limit, or through another tool
- Not offered
A year on Patreon, on Ghost, and on Sherpo.
For a business earning $2,500 a month in $50 orders with 10,000 members, Patreon costs $3,000 a year and Ghost(Pro) Publisher costs $1,056. Sherpo Pro, with unlimited customers, costs $588.
The Patreon figure is 10% of what members and buyers pay. The Ghost figure is $88 a month for Ghost(Pro) Publisher at 10,000 members, billed yearly. Sherpo Pro has unlimited customers. At 5,000 members, Publisher is $63 a month ($756 a year), against $588 a year for Sherpo Pro. Card processing is charged by the payment provider on all three. Sherpo prices here are billed monthly. Competitor prices are from each platform’s own pages and published price trackers, checked in October 2026.
Put in your own numbers| Patreon | Ghost(Pro) Publisher | Sherpo Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price a month | $0 | $88 | $49 |
| Transaction fee | 10% | 0% | 0% |
| Plan price a year | $0 | $1,056 | $588 |
| Fees on $30,000 of sales | $3,000 | $0 | $0 |
| Total a year | $3,000 | $1,056 | $588 |
| Difference | Sherpo Pro costs $468 less | ||
What each is known for, and where Sherpo fits.
Patreon is known for native video, livestreams and podcasts, and discovery inside the Patreon app. Ghost is known for the option to self-host, and payments that go straight to your own Stripe account. Sherpo is the option for selling under your own brand, at a flat price.
One flat price
Sherpo is $19 or $49 a month and takes 0% of your sales, whatever you sell.
Your brand, your domain
On Pro your site runs on your own domain, with no Sherpo branding.
Every format in one account
Courses, paid blogs, files, live portfolios and memberships, with one login and one customer list.
Switching from Patreon or Ghost?
Contact us and tell us what you are moving. Our team handles the move with you, content and customers included.
Patreon vs Ghost: common questions.
Still curious? Talk to us
What is the difference between Patreon and Ghost?
Patreon is a membership platform for creators and their fans, known for native video, livestreams and podcasts, and discovery inside the Patreon app. Ghost is an open-source publishing platform for websites, newsletters and paid memberships, known for the option to self-host and for payments that go straight to your own Stripe account.
Which is cheaper, Patreon or Ghost?
At $2,500 a month, Ghost(Pro) Publisher is the cheaper of the two. For a business earning $2,500 a month in $50 orders with 10,000 members, Patreon costs $3,000 a year and Ghost(Pro) Publisher costs $1,056. Sherpo Pro, with unlimited customers, costs less than both: $588 a year. At 5,000 members, Ghost(Pro) Publisher is $756 a year. Sherpo Pro stays at $588, because its price does not change with your list. These Ghost(Pro) prices are for yearly billing.
Does Patreon take a cut of sales?
Patreon charges 10% of what members and buyers pay on pages launched after August 4, 2025. Older pages keep their earlier rate. Card processing is charged separately by the payment provider. Sherpo takes 0% on every plan.
Does Ghost take a cut of sales?
Not on Ghost(Pro) Publisher: its platform fee is 0%. Card processing is charged separately by the payment provider. Sherpo takes 0% on every plan.
Can I use my own domain on Patreon, Ghost and Sherpo?
On Sherpo Pro, your site runs on your own domain, with no Sherpo branding. Patreon and Ghost also support custom domains.
Can AI run my store on Patreon, Ghost or Sherpo?
On Sherpo, yes: the Merchant MCP is on every plan, so Claude and other assistants can create products, prices and coupons in your account. Neither Patreon nor Ghost has an official MCP server.
Is there an alternative to Patreon and Ghost?
Yes, Sherpo. It charges a flat $19 or $49 a month and takes 0% of sales. It sells courses, paid blogs, files, live portfolios and memberships from one account. On Pro, it runs under your own brand and domain.
What does Sherpo offer that Patreon and Ghost do not?
Neither Patreon nor Ghost offers online courses, quizzes, certificates, downloads tied to the buyer, license keys or live portfolios. Sherpo includes them.
Can I switch from Patreon or Ghost to Sherpo?
Yes. Contact us and tell us what you are moving. Our team handles the move with you, content and customers included.
Can I try Sherpo before I leave Patreon or Ghost?
Yes. Lite and Pro start with a 14-day free trial, and your Sherpo site can stay offline until you launch. You can set everything up while your current account keeps running.
See what you would keep.
Start your free trial, or put your own numbers into the fee calculator.
- 14-day free trial
- Sherpo takes 0% of your sales
- Help moving over