Patreon is a rewards-based crowdfunding platform tailored specifically to creative professionals who publish digital content on a regular schedule. Unlike Kickstarter and Indiegogo, Patreon creators offer backers ongoing access to exclusive content rather than one-time rewards. Here is a complete and in-depth Patreon review 2024 that can help you successfully earn money.
Patreon’s model facilitates sustained funding and patronage for content creators including YouTubers, podcasters, artists, writers, designers, and musicians. Rather than periodic fundraising campaigns, creators can share their vision and roadmap for how revenue from Patreon will support ongoing content creation.
Subscribers, known as patrons, pay a monthly fee in exchange for access to paywalled content such as early or ad-free access, behind-the-scenes footage, livestreams, and community exclusives. The predictable monthly income provides creators more stability and flexibility to devote time to their craft.
Patreon Review 2024
Patreon Services Offered
Patreon aims to provide sustainable funding and continued creative freedom for entrepreneurs, creatives, businesses, nonprofits, and more. Unlike Kickstarter or Indiegogo, Patreon operates on an ongoing membership model rather than one-time campaign support. Creators provide exclusive patron-only content and community benefits to their subscribers, known as patrons, in exchange for a recurring monthly fee.
Patreon works for a wide range of creators including podcasters, YouTubers, writers, designers, musicians, publishers, restaurants, nonprofits, and more. The platform is ideal for those who publish new content on a consistent schedule and wish to monetize an existing and engaged audience. In contrast, Kickstarter and Indiegogo are better suited for one-time projects like new albums, apps, games, films, and technologies. GoFundMe focuses on personal fundraisers and medical expenses rather than creative work or business endeavors.
Monthly funding provides more financial stability and freedom as creators can rely on Patreon revenue to fully support their work. Engaged patrons become part of a creator’s community, not just backers of a campaign, fostering long-term relationships through recurring support. Patreon charges 5% for campaigns under $50K and 10% thereafter, with no additional payment processing or software fees, compared to Kickstarter’s 5% fee and 3-5% payments fees.
Patreon Project Qualification
Patreon initially appealed to creators by offering more relaxed content restrictions than competing platforms. However, disputes arose over banning certain campaigns that allegedly contravened Patreon’s vague guidelines regarding adult content and hate speech. In response, Patreon published a definitive list of community guidelines specifying prohibited conduct on the platform.
The guidelines prohibit hate speech, harassment, doxing, threats, and using Patreon “as a prank or to fund non-activity.” Adult nudity is permitted if marked “Patron Only,” while pornography and sexual services are banned, though this distinction remains ambiguous. Content promoting self-harm, illegal activity, or running for political office is also forbidden. No spam is allowed.
Though the guidelines aim to clarify Patreon’s standards, criteria remain subjective and open to interpretation. Creators argue that overly restrictive policies undermine Patreon’s appeal as a platform championing free speech and creative independence. At the same time, lax guidelines risk normalizing harmful behavior and jeopardizing Patreon’s brand and reputation. It is a nuanced issue with valid arguments on multiple sides.
Patreon Review: Terms and Fees
Patreon charges no upfront fees to use its crowdfunding platform. However, there are several fees and costs to keep in mind including a platform fee, payment processing fees, and payout fees.
The platform fee varies from 5-12% depending on the Patreon plan level. The Lite plan charges 5% while the Premium plan charges 12%. This fee covers access to your Patreon page, communication tools, analytics insights, and other features.
On top of the platform fee, payment processors like Stripe and PayPal charge fees for each donation. This includes 2.9% + $0.30 for donations over $3 and 5% + $0.10 for donations of $3 or less.
Payout fees apply when moving funds from your creator balance to your bank account or PayPal. A direct deposit incurs a $0.25 fee per deposit for U.S. creators. Paying out to PayPal costs $0.25 or 1% of the transfer amount capped at $20. Payoneer transfers may charge $3 per international deposit depending on the country and currency.
Once live on Patreon, you can post updates, offer restricted content, set funding goals, and choose between monthly or per-creation payments from patrons. High-performing creators typically provide multiple reward tiers beyond basic access.
Patreon recommends the following reward options to motivate patron support:
•Access to your private patron feed
•Behind-the-scenes photos/videos
•Livestreams or chat sessions
•MP3 downloads
•Physical rewards ( best for higher tiers)
While Patreon and similar platforms allow rewards-based campaigns, Patreon does not require them. However, Patreon notes that the most successful creators provide more than two reward levels to appeal to a wide range of potential patrons.
Overall, Patreon charges a lower platform fee than some competitors but the additional fees for payments, payouts, and rewards can amount significantly depending on the scope of your campaign. entering fees and costs into your funding calculations will help ensure the success and sustainability of your Patreon page.
Patreon Application Process
Setting up a Patreon account is a breeze, but don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s truly effortless. While the process is simple, launching a successful crowdfunding campaign still requires work and dedication.
To get started, provide some basic details about yourself like your name, address, email, and phone number. Link your social media profiles so Patreon can help promote your new page to your existing followers. You’ll need a way to get paid, so add your bank account or credit card details. Direct deposit is available worldwide if needed.
Once the essentials are handled, it’s time to design your page like a professional. Choose a photo that represents your brand, write a compelling bio that inspires, include links to your website and socials, describe your creative vision, and pick a cover image that patrons will want to share.
Decide if monthly or per-creation payments suit your workflow best. Set reward tiers with exclusive content, livestreams, early access, physical goods, or other bonuses to increase commitment at higher pledge levels. Factor in all costs including shipping, fees, and variable expenses or you’ll be losing money each month.
Patreon Sales and Advertising Transparency Review
Patreon is refreshingly upfront about its offerings. They don’t try to conceal fees, hide details, or dance around the realities of using their platform. There are no unpleasant surprises or shifty tactics — just straightforward terms laid out clearly on their website.
Patreon charges creators a platform fee of 5-12% depending on the plan selected, plus payment processing charges of around 3% per transaction. Payout fees apply when moving money from your creator balance to your bank account. These fees are minor, transparent, and unavoidable as with any business. At least with Patreon, there are no excessive or misleading charges snuck into the fine print.
Patreon Customer Service and Technical Support Review
Patreon provides helpful resources to guide you through any questions or issues along the way. They offer detailed FAQs tailored to creators, patrons, and general platform questions that cover most common concerns.
For direct support, you can submit a question on Patreon’s website orTwitter and they aim to respond within business hours from Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM PST. As a Pro or Premium creator, you can expect faster response times and higher priority support.
While Patreon support is currently limited to email and DM, I remain optimistic phone support may become an option down the road. After all, they are consistently improving and expanding their services based on creator feedback.
User Patreon Review
Negative Patreon Review and Patreon Complaints
While Patreon aims to empower creators, some users have reported facing unexpected restrictions, account suspensions, and inadequate support over the years. Patreon permits certain forms of adult content that fall short of pornography, but adult creators report increasing limits on what they can post and monetize, potentially leading to page removal with little explanation.
Other creators found accounts suspended mysteriously or customer service unresponsive to multiple emails. Billing issues have also caused frustrations, contributing to Patreon’s poor 1.2 star average review on Trustpilot based on frequent complaints.
Professional Patreon reviews like from PCMag note that some useful features are now gated behind pricier subscription tiers, though the platform itself remains largely complementary. Wide-ranging issues suggest room for improvement in policies, communication, responsiveness, and value provided at various price points.
However, it’s important to recognize that many creators continue using Patreon successfully, issues seem to impact a vocal minority, and the company aims to enhance the platform over time based on feedback. While challenging experiences shouldn’t be dismissed, balancing perspectives provides fairer insights.
Positive Patreon Reviews and Testimonials
Professional reviews generally find Patreon’s funding model well-suited for creators producing ongoing content and their platform open to a wide range of creative works. For example, PCMagclaims Patreon empowers “artists and other creators who produce content on a regular basis” and offers more inclusivity than competitors.
Other reviews echo these positives, but the volume of frustrating creator reports suggests room for improvement to truly deserve strong ratings. While the platform shows potential, persistent issues mean only a “fair” score seems warranted based on the experiences of those it aims to serve most – creators themselves.
Patreon’s model theoretically fits creators releasing new content repeatedly over time, from video series to podcasts, comics, music and beyond. Their policies aim for broad inclusivity, though enforcing boundaries proves complex with reasonable arguments on multiple sides (e.g. allowing some adult content but avoiding pornography). This balance is key to their appeal but also open to criticism.
Final Verdict – Patreon Review 2024
Patreon suits creators producing ongoing content, from video series to podcasts, comics, music and beyond. However, it’s not for everyone or every purpose. If raising funds for a single project like a tech gizmo, new equipment, or medical expense, consider Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Fundable or GoFundMe instead.
Patreon works best for creators with an existing audience, platform and regular new releases to share exclusively with patrons. Building an audience first makes generating recurring support far easier. While possible without, the path proves more difficult. Still, for those producing creative works passionately and consistently, Patreon offers a tailored solution.
The platform allows transforming inspiration into livable income by monetizing what you already do and love. It’s simple to set up, easy to maintain, and fosters optimism in opportunity. Despite missteps, Patreon has shown the ability and willingness to learn from mistakes, benefitting creators over time.
However, persistent issues call their commitment into question, preventing a rating above 4 stars overall in my view. While vision and potential inspire, unaddressed realities can’t be ignored. Promises matter little without progress, inclusion without integrity or value for money regardless of price.
For creators with ample audience and skill, Patreon shows worthwhile potential when issues are navigated and lessons realized. But this remains to be seen consistently enough for unequivocal recommendation at this point. Ongoing evolution will determine if a 4-star rating becomes fully deserved in my assessment or higher scores can be justified based on improved practices proving more equitable, sustainable and trustworthy over the long run.
What are your thoughts on this perspective? I aimed to weigh pros and cons fairly based on the possibilities and problems noted thus far regarding whether and why Patreon might prove worth using for creators and causes other than your own. Please provide any feedback on strengthens, weaknesses or suggestions for further improving this analysis. I see analysis as an ongoing process, not an end destination, so all critiques help refine my approach.
