Buy me a coffee has been an amazing platform for creators around the world to get the support they need to thrive in their creative endeavors. It has garnered popularity as a go-to opinion for artists, writers, musicians, and other creative professionals in the online creator platform industry. 

Yet, if it's not working for your business, we’ve got a list of 10 top-rated platforms that are just as useful as buy me a coffee and have similar functionalities and opportunities.

In this article, we will discover some of the best buy me a coffee alternatives that you can choose for your niche. But, before we go into the deets, let’s have a look at some reviews for buy me a coffee and see what creators like you have to say about the platform.

BMC Reviews:

On Trustpilot the overall rating for buy me a coffee is just 3.8, which does not look that good right? After reading about this much hyped platform I thought this must cross 4 stars at least. But to my surprise, around 27% of people have reviewed BMC as 1-star only.

• A user on product hunt said they had the worst customer experience because their payment got stuck. Payment works for some creators and for some they don’t.
• Another user mentioned they had a horrible experience as they sent money to a YouTube friend in a EU country and their friend never received the money.
• One more user mentioned they’re trying to withdraw their money for two years but no use, as BMC doesn’t support payments to another EU country.
• Another user mentioned on Trustpilot that BMC isn’t secure. They bought someone a coffee using their credit card and a week later they got two bookings on their credit card that they didn’t authorize. While they never use their card on any other online sites.

After reading all these reviews, anyone would be skeptical to go ahead and use this platform. But don’t worry fellow creators, there’s plenty of trustworthy platforms still operating to make your lives easier and help you cash-in your talents. So, without further ado let’s name a few buy me a coffee alternatives for you. 

We have covered 10 alternatives in this article including, Crowdfundly, Patreon, Ko-Fi, Podia, Gumroad, Kickstarter, Hypage, Stripe, Tipee and Liberapay.

But before you go ahead and consider any alternatives to a platform like Buy Me a Coffee, it's crucial to evaluate eight factors that ensure the platform aligns with your specific needs and goals. Here are the 8 factors to consider before making your decision:

8 Factors To Consider Before Choosing An Alternative

1. Purpose and Goals: As a creator it’s extremely important to set your goals and priorities. Are you primarily looking for a platform to receive one-time donations, sell digital products, offer memberships, or crowdfund your projects? Understanding your primary objective will help you narrow down the alternatives and choose the best options for yourself.

2. Monetization Options: Consider the monetization options offered by each alternative platform. Ask questions like do they support one-time payments, recurring subscriptions, pay-what-you-want models, or a combination of these? Assess whether the platform's monetization features align with your preferred income generation methods.

3. Pricing Structure: Checkout the pricing structure of each platform. Take into account transaction fees, platform fees, or any other hidden charges associated with using the platform. Ensure that the pricing aligns with your budget and that you understand how fees impact your earnings.

4. Customization and Branding: Assess the level of customization and branding options provided by each alternative. Can you personalize your page, add your logo, choose your color scheme, or integrate it seamlessly with your existing website or branding? Consider how important customization and branding are for your overall creative identity.

5. Target Audience and Community: Evaluate what audience is the platform targeting and who is the existing community. Does the platform attract your ideal audience and provide opportunities for engagement? Consider whether the platform fosters a sense of community among creators and supporters, as building connections with like-minded individuals can be crucial for your growth and success.

6. User Experience and Interface: Explore the user experience and interface of each platform. Is it intuitive, user-friendly, and easy to navigate? A platform with a smooth user experience will save you time and effort and enhance your overall experience as a creator.

7. Integration and Compatibility: Consider how well the alternative platform integrates with other tools or platforms you currently use or plan to use. Does it integrate with your preferred payment processors, email marketing services, or analytics tools? Seamless integration with your existing ecosystem can streamline your operations and provide a cohesive experience for your supporters.

8. Support and Customer Service: Assess the level of support and customer service provided by each platform. Are they responsive, helpful, and readily available to address any concerns or issues you may encounter? Strong support can make a significant difference in your experience as a creator, especially during critical moments or technical difficulties.

Now that we’ve understood the basics of choosing the right platform for your business, let’s dive right into discussing the top 10 buy me a coffee alternatives.

Top 10 Buy Me A Coffee Alternatives

1. Crowdfundly

First up, we have Crowdfundly. The reason why this platform is on top of the list is that the value this platform provides to its users outweighs all of them. The features, benefits and pricing of Crowdfundly makes it the best choice for any creator out there. Main aim of crowdfunding is to bridge the gap between creators and their supporters by offering an easy-to-use, customizable, and accessible platform.

Crowdfundly is way better than BMC in many ways. Let’s know why?

• Sharing content made easy

Crowdfundly helps creators stay connected to their fans and followers and build a stronger network with them. Which is very important for creators in their career, especially when they’re just starting out. You can share your message on browsers or social media or any other accounts anytime. Sharing content helps creators grow their business, and Corwdfundly has made that super easy for creators.

•  Exclusive space for Masterpieces

Another exciting feature this platform offers is a dedicated space to spotlight your best content. Creators can highlight their best work of art in a dedicated space and let their audience know about their unique talents. This special place for special work is adored by creators as it allows them to showcase their art on a prominent space on the cover page where it’s easily noticeable by fans and followers, helping them get more traction and support for their masterpieces.

• Pricing - More features in less price

Comparing the pricing plans of BMC and Crowdfundly now, and here Crowdfundly takes the lead as well. As BMC doesn’t have any pro or gold plans, just one plan where it charges a 5% cut on every transaction from the platform. Whereas, Crowdfundly offers two versions, one is completely free and the other is Pro version. The free version allows you to use a lot of amazing features by charging just 3% commission on any sales and donations. While the pro version costs just $4.99 monthly allowing you to utilize all the great features Crowdfundly offers and get rid of all commissions too. So it’s great for both new and pro creators. New creators who are just starting out can join the free version and when they grow they can easily switch to the pro version.

• Create Your Own Shop

The Shop feature of Crowdfundly comes with many features. You can sell your products to your most engaged audiences and earn an extra income.

2. Patreon

Then we have Patreon.

• Earn Recurring Income

This popular creator platform is based on a membership model that helps creative people like you up their game by offering multiple membership tiers to your fans and followers and exciting them with exclusive perks and benefits. However, Patreon doesn’t support one-off donations, hence it’s more suitable for creators who already have an on-going business or at least have an initial portfolio or samples to share with their audience. Got a new song to release? Patreon is the best place to release a teaser.

• Integration With third-party tools

Patreon boasts a wide range of integrations with various third-party tools and platforms, offering creators more flexibility and control over their creative business. 

• Discoverability and Networking Opportunities

Patreon's extensive discoverability features and community building opportunities help creators reach a wider audience and connect with like-minded individuals. The platform enables creators to showcase their work on their Patreon page, making it reachable to potential supporters browsing through the platform. Additionally, the community-oriented approach fosters interactions among fellow creators, allowing them to network, collaborate, and cross-promote each other's content. Focusing on community building and networking is highly beneficial for creators seeking to expand their reach and forge valuable connections within their niche.

• Pricing

Patreon charges generally charges 5% platform fee + payment processing fees

While the Pro Plan is  8% platform fee + payment processing fees and Premium Plan is 12% platform fee + payment processing fees.

3. Ko-Fi

• Simple and User-friendly features

Next on our list is Ko-Fi, which is popular due the user-friendly interface and cute colorful vibe of the platform. And not just that, this platform empowers new creators by making things way easier for them. 

• Discovery Options

This beautiful platform also offers an ‘Explore’ feature, which helps new users discover your profile. BMC being a popular platform doesn’t have any explore feature sadly.

• Pricing

Receiving tips and donations is absolutely free on this platform, and any earnings from memberships and digital shops are charged a 5% platform fee only. That too, you can get rid off if you sign up to their gold plan for just $7. 

4.  Podia

Now, if you're a creator who offers a variety of content, such as online courses, digital downloads, or memberships, then Podia might be the solution you've been searching for. This versatile platform helps you create a one-stop shop to monetize your expertise. Monetize your creativity without juggling various platforms. As compared to Podia BMC’s features are limited and aren't much suitable if you’re offering a diverse set of content.

• All-in-one platform

Podia is an all-in-one platform that combines features of e-commerce, course platforms, and membership sites, providing a comprehensive toolkit for creators to monetize their expertise and offerings.

• Pricing

Podia is more expensive as it offers multiple avenues of growth for already successful creators. The Mover plan is $39 per month and Shaker plan goes up to $79 per month.

5. Gumroad

If you’re a creator who primarily wants to focus on selling their digital creations then Gumroad is an excellent choice for you. With Gumroad, you can create customized product pages, set your own prices, and seamlessly deliver digital downloads to your customers. It's a haven for creators who want to focus on their craft while leaving the technicalities of selling and distribution to a trusted platform. Another fitting alternative for buy me a coffee.

• Customized pages

Gumroad offers creators the flexibility to create visually appealing and customized product pages that showcase their offerings effectively. Creators can design engaging product pages that entice customers and boost sales.

• Pay-what-you-want pricing

Gumroad also allows fans to choose between one-time, recurring, or fixed-length payments in your currency of their choice. 

• Digital product distribution

It’s a versatile platform that targets creators who want to sell digital products, be it ebooks, artwork, music, or videos. Gumroad handles secure payment processing and delivers the purchased content seamlessly to customers, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience.

• Pricing

Gumroad is free to use and charges a 10% cut on anything you earn from the platform. 

6. Kickstarter

If you’re looking for a platform to fund your one time projects, then Kickstarter is the best solution for you. Although Kickstarter doesn’t offer memberships like buy me a coffee so it's not suitable for you if your goal is recurring income, it is still best to raise funds for a one time project. 

• Project Launchpad

Kickstarter enables creators to launch new projects and raise funds from a supportive community. You can launch a campaign, outline your details and set a goal and timeframe to reach that goal. If your fans/followers are inspired by your ideas, they can donate money to fund your project. 

• Exposure and Reach

The platform's built-in discovery features and categories help potential backers explore and find projects that align with their interests, increasing the chances of successful funding.

Also, Kickstarter doesn’t allow just about anyone to sign up, it vets crowdfunders seriously and lets them sign up only if your campaign is accepted. 

• Pricing

Kickstarter also charges just 5% platform fees like BMC making it easy for creators to fund their projects.

7. Hypage

Next up, we’ve got Hypage on the list. Another awesome tool for creators to make more money from their creative endeavors, that too with one single link.

• Landing page builder

It’s a link-in-bio tool to add on your socials, especially Instagram and drive your fans/followers to a landing page. You can also sell your creations directly to your fans using Hypage. As Instagram only allows to promote one link in your account description, many influencers and creators use a single link to promote all their creative businesses. Hypage can help you do that even more efficiently by allowing you to receive donations and requests directly through your landing page. It’s like a merger of Linktree and Patreon!

• Analytics and tracking

Comprehensive analytics and tracking tools of Hypage, enable creators to gain valuable insights into their landing page performance, user behavior, and conversion rates.

• Pricing

The Pro plan of Hypage is $19/ month while the Premium plan is $39/ month.

8. Stripe 

If you’re a business minded creator, then you must opt for Stripe. As when it comes to payment processing, Stripe stands out as a reliable and widely-used platform that seamlessly integrates with various creator platforms. With all the issues with payment withdrawal and processing, Stripe comes to the rescue. 

• Reliable Payment Processing

While not a standalone creator platform itself, Stripe provides the backbone for secure and efficient transactions, enabling creators to accept payments on their own websites or through other platforms. With Stripe's robust features and reputation for reliability, it's a trusted choice for creators who value seamless payment processing.

• Extensive Integration

As mentioned earlier, Stripe offers amazing integrations with a wide range of platforms, tools, and services. By integrating with Stripe, creators can connect their business websites or platforms to powerful third-party tools, enhancing their operations, analytics, customer relationship management, and other aspects of their business.

• Pricing

The transaction fees on Stripe vary based on region and payment volume.

9. Tipeee

If you're a creator based in Europe, Tipeee offers a compelling alternative for monetizing your work and engaging with your fans. 

• Recurring Contributions

Tipeee focuses on the concept of "Tipeurs" (tippers), allowing your supporters to leave tips or make recurring contributions to support your creative endeavors. Tipeee supports both on-going and one-off projects & you can set up different tiers of support and offer exclusive content and rewards to your loyal tippers, fostering a strong connection and rewarding their generosity.

• Pricing

Tipeee charges 8% to 15% of the contributions, depending on the level of support.

10. Liberapay

If you're seeking a platform with a unique twist, Liberapay might pique your interest. This donation-based platform offers a special feature, that is to vote for your favorite content and give suggestions to the creator.

• Recurring Donations

It operates on a recurrent donation model, where supporters can set up regular contributions to their favorite creators. Liberapay emphasizes open-source projects and values transparency, making it an appealing choice for creators in the tech and open-source communities.

• Multilingual and multi-currency

It also offers multiple languages and supports payouts in different currencies making it easier for creators to withdraw money in desired currency. BMC doesn’t offer any such feature.

• Pricing

No platform fees, only payment processing fees (vary by region)

Conclusion

Now you know everything about buy me a coffee and its alternatives.While Buy Me a Coffee has undoubtedly carved its place as a beloved platform among creators, it's essential to explore alternative options that align with your specific goals, audience, and creative aspirations. It is also important to consider a few important factors before choosing an alternative, for example purpose or goals, monetization options, pricing, customization, target audience, user-experience, integrations and customer support. In the end, to know which platform is winning in 2023 and is best suitable to your needs, that totally depends on your requirements and personal preference. We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of buy me a coffee and also learnt about 10 best buy me a coffee alternatives including Crowdfundly, Patreon, Ko-Fi, Podia, Gumroad, Kickstarter, Hypage, Stripe, Tipee and Liberapay. We hope now you’re well-equipped to make an informed decision for yourself and succeed at what you do. Best of luck for your future!

FAQs

Are there any alternatives to Buy Me a Coffee that offer a membership-style model?

Yes, Patreon is a popular platform that offers a membership-style model, allowing creators to offer exclusive content and perks to their patrons based on different support levels. Patreon focuses on building a community around creators and their work.

Which alternative platform is best for selling digital products like e-books or artwork?

Gumroad is an excellent choice for creators who primarily focus on selling and delivering digital creations. It’s a great platform that specializes in selling digital products. It provides an easy setup process, customizable product pages, and flexible pricing options.

Can I crowdfund my projects on alternative platforms?

Yes, you can. Kickstarter is a leading crowdfunding platform that allows creators to launch projects and raise funds. Kickstarter provides a platform for creators to present their ideas, set funding goals, and engage with backers who are passionate about supporting innovative ventures.

Are there alternatives that cater specifically to open-source projects?

Yes, Liberapay supports open-source projects. It offers a recurring donation model, transparent funding distribution, and a community of like-minded individuals. Liberapay is an ideal choice for creators in the open-source community seeking financial support.

Are there alternatives that integrate with popular payment processors?

Yes, one of the most reliable payment processing service is Stripe. It integrates with various platforms seamlessly, including all Buy Me a Coffee alternatives. It provides secure and efficient transactions, allowing creators to accept payments on their own websites or through other platforms. Stripe is known for its robust features, developer-friendly APIs, and wide range of integrations.