Brandwave

Ko-fi vs Patreon:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Patreon had more branded searches than Ko-fi among creator payment platforms worldwide. Patreon had about 3.4 million branded searches, while Ko-fi had 550,000. Patreon made up 85.1% of all creator payment platform searches we track, and Ko-fi accounted for 14%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about creator payment platforms, Patreon appeared in three of the five answers and Ko-fi in two. Ko-fi and Patreon were each mentioned first in one of the two answers.

Among creator payment platforms worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Patreon, about 6 searches for every 1 for Ko-fi

Patreon 3.4M searchesKo-fi 550K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Patreon, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Ko-fi in 2

Patreon in 3 of 5Ko-fi in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Each is named first in 1 of 2 answers.

Ko-fi first in 1Patreon first in 1

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Top creator payment platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Patreon was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Ko-fi was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Ko-fi and Patreon were each listed first in one of the two answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Patreon1st
  2. Ko-fi1st
  3. JoinBrands–
  4. Passionfroot–
  5. Hypefy–
  6. Popular Pays–
  7. Glewee–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Patreon3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Ko-fi2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • JoinBrands0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Passionfroot0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Hypefy0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Popular Pays0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Glewee0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about creator payment platforms

5 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which creator payment platform should I use?”

    1. 1Ko-fi
    2. 2Patreon

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best creator payment platforms?”

    1. 1Patreon
    2. 2Ko-fi

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best creator payment platform for paying creators?”

    1. Searched Google, AI Overview

      “creator payment platform”

      1. 1Patreon

    2. Searched Google, AI Overview

      “pay creators platform”

      Not named in any answer:

      Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.

      Is Ko-fi or Patreon more popular in search?

      This chart shows how often people search Google for Ko-fi and Patreon by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven creator payment platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

      Ko-fi and Patreon among creator payment platforms worldwide, by month

      Share of searches by month for Patreon, Ko-fi. The figures are in the table below the chart.

      View monthly share of searches table
      MonthPatreonKo-fiJoinBrandsPassionfrootHypefyPopular PaysGlewee
      Oct 202587.7%11.8%0.33%0.05%0.06%0.08%0.02%
      Nov 202587.7%11.8%0.33%0.05%0.06%0.08%0.02%
      Dec 202587.7%11.8%0.34%0.06%0.05%0.05%0.02%
      Jan 202687.6%11.8%0.41%0.06%0.04%0.06%0.02%
      Feb 202687.6%11.8%0.41%0.06%0.05%0.08%0.02%
      Mar 202687.6%11.8%0.42%0.06%0.05%0.06%0.01%
      Apr 202685.3%14%0.49%0.07%0.05%0.07%0.01%
      May 202687.6%11.8%0.42%0.08%0.06%0.05%<0.01%
      Jun 202687.6%11.8%0.42%0.06%0.05%0.05%<0.01%
      Jul 202685.1%14%0.62%0.17%0.07%0.06%<0.01%
      Aug 202687.5%11.8%0.53%0.12%0.04%0.05%<0.01%
      Sep 202685.1%14%0.64%0.14%0.07%0.05%<0.01%

      How has the Ko-fi and Patreon comparison changed over the last 12 months?

      3 findings
      • Patreon was ahead of Ko-fi in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
      • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ko-fi’s share of searches among creator payment platforms worldwide moved from 11.8% to 14%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 450K to 550K.
      • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Patreon’s share of searches among creator payment platforms worldwide moved from 87.7% to 85.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 3.4M.

      How did search popularity change for creator payment platforms worldwide in September 2026?

      2 changes

      1. In September 2026, Ko-fi gained share of searches among creator payment platforms worldwide, from 11.8% to 14%.

      2. In September 2026, Patreon lost share of searches among creator payment platforms worldwide, from 87.5% to 85.1%.

      How are branded searches counted?

      2 search terms

      Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ko-fi’s and Patreon’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

      Ko-fi

      1 branded search term

      • kofi

      Patreon

      1 branded search term

      • patreon

      How the Brand Demand Index is measured

      Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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