By now, you’ve probably heard of the creator economy, and might even be making money as a creator yourself. But how do you know which creator economy platforms are hit or miss? Which ones will help you bring in the cash or just be a waste of time or energy — or worse still, ask you to give away a big portion of your earnings to the platform?
To help, we’ve laid out 17 of the best creator economy platforms that give creators the power to monetize their content. Read on for the full list.
What are the best creator economy platforms?
When choosing between creator economy platforms, consider ones that’ll give you the greatest control while delivering the highest profits. Below are some of the best options that can help you monetize your expertise and creativity.
1. Substack
Best for: newsletter publishing
Substack is a subscription-focused platform for creating and distributing your newsletter. It helps writers and podcasters publish content and receive payment for their creations. It combines a blog, newsletter, and payment system in one, while also boasting video-sharing features.
It’s free to set up your own Substack, but the platform takes 10% commission for every subscription you receive.
Pros
- Easy to monetize your writing skills
- Includes features to help you grow your audience
- Offers helpful guides and tools for getting started
Cons
- Takes 10% commission on subscriptions
- No custom URL or SEO benefits
2. Anchor
Best for: podcasting
Targeted at podcasters, Anchor allows you create, distribute, and monetize your podcast in one place. There are also tools for recording, editing, and uploading your podcast within the platform. To earn money from your podcast, you can choose between podcast subscriptions where you offer exclusive content to subscribers, as well as monthly donations from listeners and audio ads.
It’s free to set up an account with Anchor. The platform takes a 4.5% fee for any Anchor Sponsorships, and whenever listeners donate money through Listener Support.
Pros
- Free to set up and start a podcast
- Everything you need for podcasting in one place
- Intuitive, easy-to-use software
Cons
- Limited file size for uploading
- Limited recording and editing features
- Ad revenue within the platform is low
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3. Pietra
Best for: selling your own products
Aimed at helping creators set up and grow their own e-commerce business, Pietra makes it easy for entrepreneurs to find vetted suppliers and start selling their products. It features a sourcing marketplace for products, packaging, and creative services, as well as multi-channel e-commerce tools and fulfillment services.
To help creators start on the road to success, Pietra also offers workshops, educational videos, and free business classes. Pietra costs $39 per month for a beginner subscription, and $199 per month for its priority support plan.
Pros
- A bundle of e-commerce services in one platform
- Low cost option for e-commerce start-ups
- Good customer support
Cons
- Monthly subscription requirement
- Limited number of product categories
- Commission fees for products sold through the Pietra marketplace
4. Beacons
Best for: building your mobile site
Developed to help creators set up high-converting landing pages, Beacons is a website creation tool that allows you to build a free two-tab website. Users can also subscribe to a paid plan for $10 per month to access more features.
With Beacons, creators can embed other creator economy platforms into their website, whether it’s a Twitch stream, a Buy Me A Coffee link, or a virtual event promotion. The fully customizable layout lets creators build a website that shows off their work, amplifies their brand, and helps them monetize their audience.
Beacon takes a 9% commission fee on transactions from your online store. You can accept donations from followers for free.
Pros
- Easy to set up a two-tab website
- Links to other creator economy platforms
- Fully customizable layouts
Cons
- Takes commissions on online store transactions
- Features branded banner on all free websites
- No custom domain on free plans
5. Linktree
Best for: building a link-in-bio landing page
Capitalizing on the social media bio link, Linktree helps creators build a super simplified landing page to catch users’ attention online. It’s all about making creators’ content discoverable in just a few taps, maximizing traffic and conversions.
You can include unlimited links to your Linktree site, and get access to tracking and insights on all traffic to your page.
Linktree offers a free basic option, as well as paid plans starting at $5 per month.
Pros
- Clean, simple design
- Unlimited links to content
- Free tracking and insights
Cons
- Limited features in free plan
- No link previews or image snippets
6. Koji
Best for: building a link-in-bio landing page
Koji is designed to turn creators’ social media links into a multi-layered springboard, with over 200 customizable apps to help transform your social media landing page. Featured apps include Shoutout, Ask Me Anything, and TipJar, which make it quick and easy to monetize your content.
You can track insights and income on Koji’s creator dashboard. There’s also a developer space to help creators build and roll out personalized Koji apps, opening up software development to a wider audience. Koji is free to use, but for transactions made in the app, the platform takes between 5-15% commission.
Pros
- Highly customizable
- Wide range of apps
- Easy to monetize content from social media link
Cons
- Up to 15% transaction fees
- Currently only supports Stripe payments
- Can be complex for first-time users
7. Fourthwall
Best for: building your website
To help simplify the administrative tasks of running a business, Fourthwall makes it easy for creators to set up websites and monetize their communities through memberships and merch.
Fourthwall offers features like customizable websites, membership programs, merch stores, personalized messaging, and tipping. It is free to join, but it takes 5% commission on everything you earn from memberships, and a credit card processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 on your transactions.
If you choose to manufacture merchandise through Fourthwall’s network of manufacturers, they also take a 3% referral fee, so it’s worth factoring that into your calculations.
Pros
- Easy to set up a website
- Zero fees for receiving donations
- Connect online store to social media platforms
Cons
- High transaction fee
- Fees on memberships, purchases, and products
8. Patreon
Best for: memberships and accepting donations
A popular membership platform for creators, Patreon helps you earn a regular monthly income from your content. Fans and supporters can become members and donate to their favorite creators, cutting out the middleman of social media, brands, or other businesses. Rather than relying on brand collaborations, creators can get paid directly by their community.
Patreon was first set up to help creators build a meaningful, loyal connection with their community outside of their social media pages. It is designed for different types of creators from artists to podcasters, journalists, and more.
It’s free to get started with Patreon, and its fees are based on three tiers that provide different levels of features, ranging from 5% to 12% monthly commission fee. Note that Patreon also charges additional processing fees for every successful payment made through the platform.
Pros
- No sign-up fees
- Connect directly with fans and supporters
- Monthly, recurring subscription payments
Cons
- Up to 12% commission fee
- Additional processing fees
- Need to have existing followers or community base to monetize
9. Ko-fi
Best for: memberships and accepting donations
Ko-Fi prides itself on helping creators make more money. Think of the platform as a digital tip jar — it offers the option for one-time tips or membership subscriptions for fans. You can also create membership tiers with different benefits and price points.
Creators can earn Ko-Fi commissions from the unique work or services they provide. Set up a listing and let fans request exclusive art, tutorials, video messages, and more. You can also create members-only options, pay what you want pricing, and add custom instructions for your customers.
Ko-fi charges 0% fees on donations, 0-5% fee on Ko-Fi commissions, and a 5% fee on all membership payments. When creators sign up to Ko-Fi Gold, the platform charges $6 per month in exchange for zero transaction fees.
Pros
- Low commission fees
- Multiple options for monetization
- Custom features for members
Cons
- No mobile app
- Analytics only available on paid plan
- Limited personalization options
10. Buy Me a Coffee
Best for: memberships and accepting donations
Buy Me a Coffee allows anyone to create a membership, accept donations, and sell products online.
The secret to Buy Me a Coffee’s success lies in its simple concept — your audience can support you in a quick and fun way by buying you a virtual coffee, without setting up an account or signing up for a monthly subscription. To help you engage with more loyal fans and earn a recurring income, Buy Me a Coffee also offers monthly membership options.
Pros
- Easy for followers to pay and donate
- You retain 100% ownership over your community
Cons
- 5% transaction fee for every payment
- Generally only small donations
- Limited community-building tools
11. Thinkific
Best for: online course creation
The leading platform for online course creation, Thinkific is an all-in-one platform for educators, coaches, creators, and infopreneurs looking to build their own online course and start making money from their expertise.
Thinkific tools include features to design, market, and sell your online courses, along with access to the Thinkific Studio, a community of successful course creators that you can lean on for support and advice when setting up your course academy. Thinkific creators can also utilize the Thinkific App Store with a wide range of product integrations to make marketing and monetizing your online course even easier.
You can get started with Thinkific for free, or sign up for the membership packages starting at $74 per month.
Pros
- Ideal for creators with specific expertise
- All-in-one platform for creating an online course
- 24/7 support from customer care and Thinkific community
Cons
- Subscription fee for pro plans
12. Cameo
Best for: fan interactions
Cameo connects fans with celebrities through customized videos, one-to-one calls, and private DM chat options. Unlike other platforms on this list, Cameo is dependent on you already having some kind of audience to attract paying fans. It’s tailored specifically to celebrities, but influencers can also get in on the action.
Prices are individual to each creator or celebrity, starting around $5 and increasing with the level of fame and fanbase size. Cameo takes 25% commission on every transaction, so you’ll receive 75% of the booking price in your pocket.
Pros
- Build a personal connection with fans
- Host live events
- Quick, instant income from audience
Cons
- Need to have existing fanbase
- Tailored to celebrities and influencers
- High commission fee on all transactions
13. Pearpop
Best for: collaborating with brands and other creators
Designed for TikTok creators, Pearpop makes it easy to collaborate with other creators and brands. Brands can pay creators quickly and easily for customized content. At the same time, budding creators can pay for collaborations or engagement from influencers to grow their audience and get more fans.
TikTok creators can set their price for a duet, for example, and users can pay instantly or bid on the amount they can pay. With over 200,000 creators using this platform, there are a lot of creators and influencers to choose from. Pearpop takes a 25% commission on any transaction.
Pros
- Easy to connect with big-name influencers
- Chance to grow your audience
- Immediate access to brand opportunities
Cons
- High commission fee
- Most revenue for established influencers
14. Fanhouse
Best for: Fan interactions
If you’re looking for a place to connect with your fans and monetize your content, Fanhouse is the creator economy platform for you. Established with the aim of helping creators build exclusive communities, Fanhouse includes features like a chat or hangout space, badges to show fan support, and monthly subscriptions to give creators an easy way to make money from their audience.
On Fanhouse, creators can make exclusive content and fulfill custom requests for their biggest fans. For every transaction, Fanhouse takes a 10% commission, giving creators 90% of the profit. There’s no monthly subscription fee either.
Pros
- Can establish a private space for fans
- Build a stronger community
- Easy to monetize personal content
Cons
- Requires an existing community or follower base
- Fans need an account to use the platform
- Not integrated with other social media apps
15. Twitch
Best for: live streaming
A pioneer in live streaming, Twitch takes the instant, interactive streaming format to a mass market. The platform has been credited with popularizing subscription-based support, where fans pay creators directly for the content they love.
Since its launch in 2011, Twitch has grown to become the most used platform for video game broadcasts. With this status comes some challenges for creators due to the competition on the platform — it’s now very difficult to achieve recognition and win over subscribers. At the same time, Twitch is a well-established platform that’s set up for creators, and there are plenty of creators who’ve made their Twitch businesses a success. To earn money on the platform, you need to become a Twitch Affiliate or a Twitch Partner.
Pros
- Hugely popular creator economy platform
- Large potential audience
- Earn money from donations, subscriptions, and ads
Cons
- Largely tailored to video game streaming
- Saturated market
- Need to be an affiliate to earn money through the platform
16. Clubhouse
Best for: fan interactions
With over 10 million weekly active users in 2022, Clubhouse is a rapidly growing social network that focuses on virtual audio interactions. The platform allows users to interact with one another through audio chat rooms in real-time. Thanks to its audio-only format, Clubhouse is well-suited to creators who are just starting out, as you don’t need any extra equipment besides your phone.
Creators can earn money through Clubhouse payments, where users can send money directly to U.S.-based creators who get to keep 100% of the income.
Pros
- Easy to get started
- Fun audio-only format
- Keep 100% of income from Clubhouse payments
Cons
- Limited audio-only format
- Can be hard to grow audience
- Clubhouse payments currently limited to U.S. only
17. Karat
Best for: managing business
Karat provides customized financing and support to help businesses in the creator economy grow. The platform takes factors like follower numbers and engagement statistics into account to assess your financial status, giving popular creators the chance to access more capital faster.
The Karat rewards system is tailored to creators with cash back options on ad spend, merch inventory, PayPal, and more. Karat members also get free access to a professional financial advisor as part of their membership plan.
Pros
- Evaluates business based on audience statistics
- Creator-specific rewards program
Cons
- Follower value varies depending on the platform
- Limited features
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