YouTube channel membership vs Patreon: which one is right for you? This post on MiniTool will compare them in detail, including their definitions, their benefits, and more.
It’s known to all that Google AdSense is a proficient source of income for many YouTubers. But is it enough? Apparently not! Patreon and YouTube channel memberships are two important options for monetizing content. However, Patreon vs YouTube membership: is Patreon better than YouTube membership? We’re going to introduce and compare them in many aspects.
Also read: Google AdSense for YouTube: Everything You Should Know.
What Is YouTube Membership
In 2018, YouTube introduced channel membership, a service that gives your subscribers the opportunity to support your channel with a monthly payment. And members can access members-only posts in the Community tab this way. Additionally, members can purchase public badges, personalized emoticons, as well as other channel-specific perks.
What Is Patreon
Founded in May 2013, Patreon is an American online membership platform that helps content creators run monthly subscription services. Patreon is widely used by YouTube videographers, podcasters, webcomic artists, writers, musicians, and other content creators who post regularly on online platforms.
Unlike the fluctuating algorithms of traditional ad revenue on YouTube, Patreon is a platform where members can pledge a certain amount each month in exchange for special benefits, such as bonus content, access to unlisted videos, behind-the-scenes footage, live hangouts, sneak peeks, and more. From another point of view, creators can also establish a more direct and meaningful connection with viewers.
YouTube Membership vs Patreon: Which Is Eligible to Use
In order to qualify for a YouTube channel membership, creators need to have 1000 or more subscribers, be over 18 years old, and be a member of the YouTube Partner Program.
Whereas, there is no limit to the number of subscribers who can open a Patreon subscription service.
YouTube Membership vs Patreon: Benefits
After having a basic understanding of YouTube channel membership and Patreon, you must want to know more about them. YouTube channel membership vs Patreon: what differences do they have? Now, let’s have a quick look at their benefits respectively.
Benefits of Patreon:
Lower pricing
Patreon offers creators more attractive pricing than YouTube. With Patreon, creators can choose between 3 subscription plans with commissions plus payment processing fees ranging from 5%, 8%, and 12%.
However, with YouTube memberships, YouTube takes approximately 30% of the membership revenue generated by your channel. This 30% discount involves any additional payment processing fees.
Support more platforms
Creators who open Patreon can use it not only for their YouTube channel, but also for other social media platforms, such as TikTok pages, Instagram profiles, and more. Whereas, if you use YouTube for your membership community, you cannot use it for other platforms.
No subscriber requirement
As we mentioned before, unlike YouTube membership, there’s no subscriber limit for Patreon. That means you can start a paid community with Patreon even if you only own 100 subscribers.
Benefits of YouTube membership:
Easy to start
With a YouTube channel membership, you don’t need to open a separate Patreon account, all you need to do is activate your channel membership on YouTube. Then, you can get notifications and view the member-only content directly from the YouTube app or website without downloading additional apps.
With Patreon, members must log into Patreon or download the Patreon app to access member-only content.
Easy to manage
It’s also easier for creators to manage using YouTube channel memberships. Instead of creating separate accounts on other platforms, you can manage your entire paid community within the YouTube control panel.
Whereas with Patreon, it would be more difficult to manage it. For example, if you want to host a live stream, you must create the live stream in YouTube Studio first, set it to “Unlisted” to make it hidden from non-paying members, copy the live stream link, and paste it into your Patreon profile.
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Conclusion
YouTube membership vs Patreon: which service is a better choice? We have compared them in detail so that you can choose the one more easily.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Lydia is always interested in new things and has been attracted deeply by writing. Her love for writing makes her become an English editor about multimedia in MiniTool. She’s determined to write articles about photos, audio, video, and other news to offer readers useful suggestions. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, photography, and having fun with friends.