In 2025, creators have more options than ever when it comes to monetizing their content and building a digital business. Two of the most popular platforms are Stan Store and Patreon. Both are designed to help creators earn money, but they do so in very different ways.
We’ve used and tested both platforms, and in this guide, we’ll break down their features, pricing, pros, cons, and which type of creator each platform works best for.
If you’re struggling to decide whether Stan Store or Patreon is right for you, this detailed comparison will help you make the best choice.
Brief Overview
Stan Store is a creator-first storefront built for social media entrepreneurs. It’s designed to help influencers, coaches, and digital creators sell digital products, coaching sessions, courses, and subscriptions directly from a mobile-friendly link-in-bio page. Its main selling point is simplicity: you can set up and start selling in minutes.
Patreon, on the other hand, is a membership platform where creators can earn recurring income by offering exclusive content, perks, and community access to subscribers. It’s built for long-term audience relationships rather than quick product sales.
In short:
- Stan Store = fast monetization and digital product sales.
- Patreon = recurring income through memberships and exclusive content.
Comparison Table
User Experience
Stan Store
Stan Store was clearly built with social media creators in mind. The onboarding process is smooth: you sign up, choose a template, add your digital products, and start selling immediately. The interface is sleek, mobile-friendly, and doesn’t overwhelm beginners with unnecessary options.
One of my favorite things about Stan Store is how easy it is to create a professional-looking storefront. It integrates well with Instagram and TikTok, making it perfect for creators who want to monetize their audience without learning complex tools.
Patreon
Patreon feels more like a social platform mixed with monetization tools. Instead of building a storefront, you create membership tiers and offer perks to subscribers. The setup is straightforward, but it requires more thought and planning than Stan Store. You need to decide what kind of exclusive content you’ll provide, how often, and how to manage your community.
The interface is clean, but less customizable compared to Stan Store. It is designed for building community-driven memberships rather than one-off product sales.
Winner: Depends on your needs
Types of Products You Can Sell
Stan Store
On Stan Store, you can sell:
- Coaching calls (integrates with calendars)
- Digital downloads (ebooks, guides, templates)
- Online courses
- Subscriptions and memberships
- Lead magnets (freebies to grow your email list)
Stan Store shines for creators who want to sell actual products or services directly. Upload your file, set a price, and you’re ready to go. The booking system for coaching is especially useful if you’re a coach or consultant.
Patreon
Patreon is built for memberships and ongoing support. You can create tiers with different perks, such as:
- Exclusive videos, podcasts, or blog posts
- Early access to content
- Community access (Discord, live Q&As)
- Behind-the-scenes updates
- Merchandise (via Patreon’s merch program)
It’s not a storefront in the same sense as Stan Store. Instead, it’s about building ongoing relationships and offering continuous value to your most loyal fans.
Winner: Tie (Stan Store for digital product sales, Patreon for memberships).
Email Marketing & Automation
Stan Store
Stan Store offers basic email collection and automation. On the standard plan, you can deliver freebies or digital downloads automatically. On the Creator Pro plan, you get more advanced tools like broadcast emails, upsells, and affiliate marketing.
However, compared to a full email marketing platform, Stan Store is limited. If you want complex email sequences or behavioral segmentation, you’ll need to integrate third-party tools like ConvertKit.
Patreon
Patreon doesn’t offer traditional email marketing tools. Instead, it provides communication through its platform: posts, messages, and updates to patrons. This works well if you only want to engage your paying audience, but it’s not a replacement for a true email marketing system.
Winner: Stan Store (because at least it has email features).
Course Building & Delivery
Stan Store
Stan Store has a simple course builder that allows you to create modules with videos, text, and downloadable files. It’s clean and distraction-free, perfect for creators who want to launch a quick course without overcomplicating things.
The downside: no quizzes, certifications, or advanced tracking.
Patreon
Patreon isn’t designed for structured course delivery. You can upload lessons as posts or attach files, but it’s not an actual course platform. If your main business model is teaching through structured lessons, Patreon will feel limited.
Winner: Stan Store
Pricing
Stan Store Pricing
- Creator Plan: $29/month
- Creator Pro Plan: $99/month (includes advanced analytics, email marketing, affiliate program, etc.)
No transaction fees. Just a flat monthly cost.
Patreon Pricing
- Free to start
- Charges 10% of your earnings
- Also adds payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction)
This means if you earn $5,000 on Patreon, you could be paying $650+ in fees monthly. While there’s no upfront cost, it gets expensive as your earnings grow.
Winner: Stan Store (for flat-rate pricing).
Mobile Experience & Social Selling
Stan Store
This is where Stan Store really shines. It was built for mobile-first creators who sell through social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts. Your Stan Store becomes your link-in-bio storefront, which makes it easy for followers to buy products without extra clicks.
Patreon
Patreon’s mobile experience is fine, but it’s not designed for quick product sales from social media. It feels more like a community hub than a storefront.
Winner: Stan Store
Community & Membership Features
One big difference between Stan Store and Patreon is how they handle community.
- Stan Store: You can sell memberships, but the platform doesn’t have built-in community tools like group chats or forums. You’d need to use an external tool like Discord or Slack.
- Patreon: Community is at the core. You can engage patrons directly, offer exclusive updates, and connect through integrations like Discord. Patreon makes it easy to build a “club” or fanbase that sticks around
Winner: Patreon
Affiliate Marketing
- Stan Store: Includes affiliate marketing tools on the Creator Pro plan. Your followers can promote your offers, and you can track commissions. It’s simple but functional.
- Patreon: No affiliate marketing features.
Winner: Stan Store
Final Verdict: Which Platform Is Best in 2025?
Both platforms are excellent but serve different types of creators. The best one for you depends on your business model.
Choose Stan Store if:
- You are an influencer, coach, or digital entrepreneur who sells products through social media
- You want a fast, mobile-friendly storefront
- You prefer flat pricing without transaction fees
- You want to sell digital downloads, courses, or coaching sessions
Best for: Creators who want to monetize quickly and directly from their audience.
Choose Patreon if:
- You’re a podcaster, writer, musician, or artist who thrives on community support
- You want recurring revenue from fans who pay monthly for exclusive content
- You don’t mind platform fees eating into your revenue
- Building a long-term membership-based business is your priority
Best for: Creators who focus on community and ongoing patron relationships.
At the end of the day, Stan Store is better for product sellers, while Patreon is better for community builders.
- If you want to sell ebooks, courses, coaching calls, or digital downloads, Stan Store wins.
- If you want to build a tight-knit community that supports you monthly, Patreon wins.
Still not sure? Try both. Stan Store offers a free trial, and Patreon is free to set up. The best way to know which works for you is to test them with your audience and see where you get the best results.
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