Buy Me a Coffee vs Substack:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Substack had more branded searches than Buy Me a Coffee among creator membership and tipping platforms in New Zealand. Substack had about 9,900 branded searches, while Buy Me a Coffee had 480. Substack made up 35.9% of all creator membership and tipping platform searches we track, and Buy Me a Coffee accounted for 1.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about creator membership and tipping platforms, Buy Me a Coffee appeared in three of the five answers and Substack in two. Buy Me a Coffee was mentioned before Substack in three out of four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Substack, about 21 searches for every 1 for Buy Me a Coffee
Who does AI mention more?
Buy Me a Coffee, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Substack in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Buy Me a Coffee, named ahead of Substack in 3 of 4 answers
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Top creator membership and tipping platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Buy Me a Coffee was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Substack was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Buy Me a Coffee was listed before Substack in three out of four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Patreon1st
Ko-fi2nd- Buy Me a Coffee3rd
- Substack4th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Patreon5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Ko-fi3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Buy Me a Coffee3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Substack2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about creator membership and tipping platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which creator membership and tipping platform should I use in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best creator membership and tipping platforms in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best creator membership and tipping platform in New Zealand for creator income?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best creator platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“creator membership platform nz”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is Buy Me a Coffee or Substack more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Buy Me a Coffee and Substack by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all four creator membership and tipping platforms we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Substack, Buy Me a Coffee. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Patreon | Substack | Ko-fi | Buy Me a Coffee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 64% | 27.6% | 6.8% | 1.6% |
| Nov 2025 | 63.1% | 27.1% | 7.8% | 2% |
| Dec 2025 | 63% | 27.1% | 7.9% | 2% |
| Jan 2026 | 60% | 31.9% | 6.2% | 1.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 59.2% | 31.4% | 7.5% | 1.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 55.3% | 35.7% | 6.9% | 2.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 55.5% | 35.9% | 6.9% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 54.4% | 35.3% | 8.6% | 1.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 60% | 32% | 6.2% | 1.9% |
| Jul 2026 | 59.2% | 31.5% | 7.4% | 1.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 54.9% | 35.6% | 6.8% | 2.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 55.4% | 35.9% | 6.9% | 1.7% |
How has the Buy Me a Coffee and Substack comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Substack was ahead of Buy Me a Coffee in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Buy Me a Coffee’s share of searches among creator membership and tipping platforms in New Zealand moved from 1.6% to 1.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 390 to 480.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Substack’s share of searches among creator membership and tipping platforms in New Zealand moved from 27.6% to 35.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 9.9K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand creator membership and tipping platforms in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Buy Me a Coffee lost share of searches among creator membership and tipping platforms in New Zealand, from 2.6% to 1.7%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Substack in New Zealand rose 50% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 9.9K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Buy Me a Coffee’s and Substack’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.
Buy Me a Coffee
2 branded search terms
- buy me a coffee
- buymeacoffee
Substack
1 branded search term
- substack
Other head-to-heads among creator membership and tipping platforms
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