Brandwave

JoinBrands vs Ko-fi:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Ko-fi had more branded searches than JoinBrands among creator payment platforms worldwide. Ko-fi had about 550,000 branded searches, while JoinBrands had 25,100. Ko-fi made up 14% of all creator payment platform searches we track, and JoinBrands accounted for 0.64%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about creator payment platforms, Ko-fi appeared in two of the five answers and JoinBrands in none.

Among creator payment platforms worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Ko-fi, about 22 searches for every 1 for JoinBrands

Ko-fi 550K searchesJoinBrands 25.1K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Ko-fi, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, JoinBrands in 0

Ko-fi in 2 of 5JoinBrands in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Ko-fi, the only one of the two named

Ko-fi first in 2JoinBrands never named

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Top creator payment platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and 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. JoinBrands did not appear in any of the five 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 JoinBrands or Ko-fi more popular in search?

      This chart shows how often people search Google for JoinBrands and Ko-fi 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.

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

      Share of searches by month for Ko-fi, JoinBrands. 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 JoinBrands and Ko-fi comparison changed over the last 12 months?

      3 findings
      • Ko-fi was ahead of JoinBrands in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
      • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, JoinBrands’ share of searches among creator payment platforms worldwide moved from 0.33% to 0.64%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.5K to 25.1K.
      • 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.

      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. Estimated monthly branded searches for JoinBrands worldwide rose 101% over 12 measured months, from 12.5K to 25.1K in September 2026.

      How are branded searches counted?

      3 search terms

      Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using JoinBrands’ and Ko-fi’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.

      JoinBrands

      2 branded search terms

      • joinbrands
      • joinbrands ugc

      Ko-fi

      1 branded search term

      • kofi

      How the Brand Demand Index is measured

      Other head-to-heads among creator payment platforms

      Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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