Brandwave

Ko-fi vs Popular Pays:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Ko-fi had more branded searches than Popular Pays among creator payment platforms worldwide. Ko-fi had about 550,000 branded searches, while Popular Pays had 1,900. Ko-fi made up 14% of all creator payment platform searches we track, and Popular Pays accounted for 0.05%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about creator payment platforms, Ko-fi appeared in two of the five answers and Popular Pays in none.

Among creator payment platforms worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Ko-fi, about 289 searches for every 1 for Popular Pays

Ko-fi 550K searchesPopular Pays 1.9K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Ko-fi, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Popular Pays in 0

Ko-fi in 2 of 5Popular Pays in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Ko-fi, the only one of the two named

Ko-fi first in 2Popular Pays never named

Follow Ko-fi vs Popular Pays and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand against a rival →

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. Popular Pays 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 Ko-fi or Popular Pays more popular in search?

      This chart shows how often people search Google for Ko-fi and Popular Pays 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 Popular Pays among creator payment platforms worldwide, by month

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

      3 findings

      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, Popular Pays fell from 5th to 6th among creator payment platforms worldwide.

      How are branded searches counted?

      2 search terms

      Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ko-fi’s and Popular Pays’ 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

      Popular Pays

      1 branded search term

      • popular pays

      How the Brand Demand Index is measured

      Other head-to-heads among creator payment platforms

      Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

      Put your own brand in this comparison

      Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.

      Start free