Patreon has been one of the most popular ways for creators to earn recurring income from fans. But in 2025, many creators are seeking more control and transparency than Patreon offers. Between high fees, limited customization, and other issues, creators are looking for better alternatives.
That’s where open-source Patreon alternatives come in. These platforms are built with transparency in mind. Many of them are funded by donations rather than venture capital, giving creators more independence. They’re often more customizable, fee-friendly, and built by communities who care about creator freedom.
In this article, we’ll explore the best open-source Patreon alternatives in 2025, how they work, who they’re best for, and their pros and cons.
Quick Comparison of Open Source Patreon Alternatives
1. Liberapay
Best for: Creators who want recurring donations with zero fees
Pricing: Completely free (funded by voluntary donations)
Liberapay is one of the most well-known open-source Patreon alternatives. Unlike Patreon, it doesn’t take a cut of your earnings. Instead, it operates as a nonprofit sustained entirely by voluntary donations from its community.
Why Creators Love Liberapay:
- 100% of what supporters give goes directly to creators (minus payment processor fees).
- No corporate interests, Liberapay is run as a community-driven project.
- Recurring donations are central, making it a good fit for creators who want predictable income.
Pros:
- Zero platform fees
- Open-source and transparent
- Ethical, nonprofit model
- Simple and lightweight
Cons:
- No content hosting (it’s strictly for payments)
- Limited payment options compared to commercial platforms
- Smaller user base than Patreon or Ko-fi
- No built-in marketing or discovery features
2. Open Collective
Best for: Communities, nonprofits, and open-source software projects
Pricing: Free to join; 0–10% fees depending on chosen fiscal host
Open Collective is built for transparency. It’s an open-source funding platform where supporters can see exactly how money is spent. While it’s particularly popular with open-source software projects, nonprofits, and advocacy groups, independent creators can also use it.
Why Creators Love Open Collective:
- Total financial transparency, every transaction is public.
- Expense management is built-in, making it easy to reimburse collaborators.
- Supports one-time contributions, recurring donations, and sponsorships.
Pros:
- Designed for collaborative projects
- Transparent and open-source
- Handles both individuals and organizations
- Flexible payment methods
Cons:
- More complex than Patreon for individual creators
- Requires a fiscal host unless self-managed
- Not optimized for content paywalls or memberships
3. Ko-fi (with Open Source Integrations)
Best for: Creators who want simplicity with some open-source flexibility
Pricing: Free with 5% fee, or $12/month for Ko-fi Gold (0% fee)
Ko-fi itself isn’t open-source, but its integrations and self-hosted add-ons make it a hybrid solution. Creators can embed Ko-fi buttons and widgets into their own self-hosted websites (WordPress, Ghost, etc.), keeping most of their infrastructure open-source while still accepting payments easily.
Why Creators Use Ko-fi in Open-Source Workflows:
- Embeddable widgets and APIs allow you to connect Ko-fi to your own site.
- Perfect for creators who want a donation model without building everything from scratch.
- Flexible enough to handle tips, commissions, and memberships.
Pros:
- Easy to integrate with open-source websites
- Support for multiple income streams
- Free to start, with 0% fee option
- Widely recognized by fans
Cons:
- Not fully open-source (closed company behind it)
- Limited customization for the hosted page
- Still dependent on Ko-fi’s infrastructure
4. Snowdrift.coop (In Beta)
Best for: Open-source projects seeking sustainable support
Pricing: Free (minimal cooperative fees apply)
Snowdrift.coop is a unique open-source alternative that’s still in development but worth mentioning. Its model is designed specifically to support open-source and public goods. Unlike Patreon’s pay-for-content model, Snowdrift uses a crowdmatching system, where pledges grow as more people contribute.
Why Creators Love Snowdrift.coop:
- It’s built as a cooperative, meaning creators and supporters have ownership.
- Designed specifically for open-source and creative commons projects.
- Crowdmatching makes it easier for smaller creators to gain traction as communities grow.
Pros:
- Cooperative and community-driven
- Crowdmatching system encourages growth
- Ethical and transparent
Cons:
- Still in beta, limited availability
- Not ideal for traditional content creators (more for open projects)
- Small user base compared to Patreon
5. Ghost
Best for: Writers, journalists, and creators who want a self-hosted Patreon alternative
Pricing: $9+/month for hosted version; free if self-hosted (requires your own server)
Ghost is a powerful open-source publishing platform that doubles as a Patreon alternative. It lets creators publish content, manage memberships, and send newsletters, all from a system they can fully own and customize.
Why Creators Love Ghost:
- It’s open-source, so you can self-host and avoid platform fees entirely.
- Combines blog, newsletter, and membership tools in one place.
- Perfect for writers and journalists who want to monetize their work without middlemen.
Pros:
- Open-source and fully customizable
- Supports memberships and subscriptions
- Can be self-hosted (zero fees)
- Excellent publishing experience
Cons:
- Requires technical skills for self-hosting
- Smaller community than Substack or Patreon
- No built-in audience discovery
6. Self-Hosted Options (WordPress, Drupal, etc.)
Best for: Creators who want total independence
Pricing: Varies depending on hosting and plugins
Platform Fees: 0% (only pay hosting + payment processor fees)
For creators who want maximum freedom, building your own membership platform on a self-hosted site is a strong option. Tools like WordPress + MemberPress, Drupal modules, or custom open-source plugins can replicate Patreon’s core features without the lock-in.
Why Creators Love Self-Hosted Memberships:
- You own 100% of your platform, branding, and data.
- No platform fees, only pay for hosting and payment processing.
- Highly customizable with plugins and extensions.
Pros:
- Full control and independence
- 0% platform fees
- Huge ecosystem of open-source tools
- Can scale as your audience grows
Cons:
- Requires technical knowledge (setup + maintenance)
- No built-in discovery or network effects
- Can take longer to launch compared to plug-and-play solutions
Which Open Source Patreon Alternative Should You Choose?
It depends on what kind of creator you are:
- For simple recurring donations: Choose Liberapay.
- For communities and open-source projects: Use Open Collective.
- For writers and publishers: Go with Ghost.
- For hybrid open-source + easy payments: Try Ko-fi integrations.
- For experimental cooperative models: Consider Snowdrift.coop.
- For total independence: Build your own site with WordPress or other CMS.
Some creators even combine these, for example, running a self-hosted Ghost blog while also accepting donations via Liberapay. This spreads out risk and maximizes flexibility.
Final Thoughts
Patreon may have popularized the subscription model, but open-source alternatives are proving that creators don’t have to sacrifice independence to earn a living. Platforms like Liberapay and Open Collective offer ethical, transparent ways to fund your work, while Ghost and self-hosted options give you complete ownership of your platform.
In 2025, creators who value freedom, transparency, and lower fees are increasingly turning to open-source Patreon alternatives. While these platforms may require a bit more setup than Patreon, the trade-off is worth it for long-term sustainability and control.
At the end of the day, the best platform is the one that aligns with your creative goals and your values. If independence matters to you, open-source is the way forward.
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