This Patreon Vs YouTube channel membership contest is going to be interesting as both platforms are popular in their niche.

As a content creator generating income through Google Adsense is not new to you. Thousands of YouTubers make dough by leveraging YouTube Ads on their channel. But, times are changing and competition is ever so high. 

After covid, more and more have made the digital switch for their work and earnings; and content creation is opted as a career by most millennials and specially Gen Z because of the rising creator economy.

YouTube takes a cut of every video’s revenue so it’s clear you can’t rely on it alone and leverage other methods to make more dough. YouTube itself offers paid memberships, while there other popular membership platforms like Patreon. 

What’s A YouTube Membership?

YouTube channel membership, launched in 2018, offers members exclusive posts, emoticons, badges and other perks in exchange for a monthly subscription. This way content creators can monetize their content they have already created while building a community of passionate supporters.

YouTube membership even has an eligibility criteria for creators. In order for you to qualify for a YouTube channel membership, you need to have:

• 1000 or more subscribers
• Be over 18 years old
• Be a member of the YouTube Partner Program

What is Patreon?

Patreon membership offers pretty much the same features but at a lesser price. Many videographers, artists, podcasters, animators, musicians, comedians and writers have been using this platform since its inception in 2013. 

With Patreon membership members can have exclusive access to the lives of their favorite creators like live hangouts, behind the scenes, unlisted videos, tips and secrets, etc and develop a closer connection with the creators.

Unlike YouTube channel membership that have strict content policies. 

Why Have A Paid Membership Program?

• Make More Moolah

The first reason you need to have a paying membership community is that it can help you earn more income that too a steady and sustainable one. While YouTube membership requires you to have a number of views and subscribers, with a paid community like Patreon that does not have any such restrictions, you can start earning without irrespective of how many subscribers you have.

• Have Multiple Streams Of Income

Another reason to have a paid membership community is to have one more stream of income. As we discussed, money from YouTube ads alone is not enough, so it’s best to also have a paid YouTube channel subscription. As well as offer memberships on other online creator platforms like Patreon where your fans can connect with you on a deeper level and enjoy perks in exchange for a minimal monthly fee.

• Build An Army of Loyal Fans

Last but not least these paid communities help creators build a solid army of fans by giving passionate fans access to be closer to their favorite creator, enjoy perks that other supporters can’t. A subscriber only club makes fans feel special. Fans who pay you monthly to view your content are of course extremely loyal to you. Having a YouTube channel subscription and Patreon subscription will help you bring your loyal fans together and truly understand your content’s worth.

Pros & Cons of Patreon Vs YouTube Channel Membership

Pros of Patreon Membership

1. No Minimum Subscriber Criteria - Patreon does not require creators to have minimum subscriber count like YouTube membership. Anyone can offer a paid subscription on Patreon at any point in their career.

2. Lower Pricing - Patreon only takes a 5%-12% cut on creator’s earning which is way less than what YouTube membership charges.

3. More Flexible - Patreon membership is more flexible as it makes it easy for creators to bring followers from all social media platforms to Patreon paid community unlike YouTube  membership which is only for YouTube community.

4. User-friendly interface - Patreon also has a very user-friendly interface which allows creators to navigate through the platform easily as well integrate it with other social platforms.

Cons

Redirecting Supporters - One of the disadvantages of Patreon membership is that creators have to redirect supporters from YouTube and other platforms to the Patreon website, which can be a hassle for supporters and you might end up losing them mid way. With YouTube anyone can join the paid community by clicking on the “Join” button while staying on the platform.

More Hassle For Creators - As a YouTuber if you want to do a live stream, you’ll have to first create a live stream in YouTube studio, set it to “unlisted” to keep it hidden from non-paying members, then copy the link to paste in the applicable field on your Patreon profile.

Pros of YouTube Membership

1. Easy to set up - While Patreon may have more flexibility it still requires creators and supports both to sign up to the platform for using it while YouTube membership is simple and easy to set-up, supporters can just click the join button next to the subscribe button on their favorite YouTubers channel.

2. Easy to manage - YouTube membership is also very easy to manage as you can manage the entire paid community in the YouTube control panel as compared to Patreon membership where you have to bring fans from YouTube and other channels to Patreon.

3. Better discovery - YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world after Google, so the normal search and discovery features apply here as well. Fans can find you by searching different keywords and hence the chances to get discovered by new users are very high.

Cons

Higher Pricing - YouTube membership takes a 30% cut on the revenue earned by creators which is a huge turnoff specially for new creators.

Not Suitable for Beginners - YouTube membership is not suitable for new creators because of two reasons. One as we mentioned, the pricing is too high as they are just starting out. And the second reason is the eligibility criteria i.e. to have over 1000 subscribers, be over 18 years old and be a member of the YouTube Partner Program. Newbies or anyone with even 999 subscribers can not offer paid membership.

YouTube Membership Vs Patreon: Rules Comparison

Comparing the community guidelines for both platforms we can see that YouTube has stricter terms to follow as compared to Patreon, and Patreon is a platform specifically for creators while YouTube is for everyone. However, you can always appeal a violation if you’re abiding by rules and still receiving warnings. Same goes for Patreon you can appeal for review if you haven’t broken any guidelines. 

Comparison Chart: Patreon Vs YouTube Membership - Verdict!

In the end, there’s no winner because it really depends what your goal is with using these platforms. Both membership platforms are great to have. YouTube membership is an additional benefit for YouTubers especially if they already have a big following, it’s a big plus to have a separate paid community on the platform and offer exclusive perks. While Patreon itself is a great popular platform, suitable for all kinds of creators be it writers, podcasters, gamers, artists, illustrators, musicians, comedians etc. Anyone of any age and type of art can offer a membership to their fans on Patreon. It’s best to have both platforms and have multiple income streams. It doesn't hurt anybody to have multiple platforms, so both are a winner according to your needs.

FAQs

Are YouTube memberships worth it?

It depends on the creator and their audience. YouTube Memberships offer exclusive perks to subscribers, which can be valuable for some fans, but the value varies from creator to creator.

YouTube Vs Patreon, Who has more strict rules and criterias to follow?

YouTube tends to have stricter content guidelines and policies, but Patreon offers more flexibility in terms of content. However, both platforms have rules creators must follow.

Is Patreon Free like YouTube?

Patreon is not entirely free. Creators can choose to offer free content, but they often provide exclusive content to paying patrons. YouTube is generally free for viewers but may offer premium features like YouTube Premium.
Why are YouTubers switching to Patreon?

YouTubers are switching to Patreon to gain more control over their revenue streams, build a dedicated fanbase, and offer exclusive content to their most loyal supporters without relying solely on ad revenue. Patreon offers creators a direct connection with their audience and a reliable income source.