Ko-fi Earnings Calculator

Enter your tip amount and monthly tip volume to see your net earnings after PayPal/Stripe processing fees. Ko-fi takes 0% on tips for its free plan, so the only deduction is the payment processor's 2.9% + $0.30.

Created by Luis GonzalezLast updated: July 15, 2026

How to Use This Calculator

1
Enter Your Tip Amount
Input the gross dollar amount a supporter tips you on Ko-fi before any fees are deducted.
2
Enter Tips per Month
Enter how many tips of this size you typically receive per month to see monthly and annual projections.
3
Review Your Results
See your Net Tip, Payment Processing Fee, Effective Fee Rate, and Ko-fi Platform Fee ($0). The Earnings Insights panel shows your monthly net, annual projection, and a fee comparison vs Patreon.

Example Calculation

A digital artist receives $100 tips from fans on Ko-fi and averages 20 tips per month.

Tip Amount

$100

Tips per Month

Results

Net Tip

$96.80

Payment Processing Fee

$3.20

Effective Fee Rate

3.20%

Ko-fi Platform Fee

Tips

Bundle Smaller Tips

The fixed $0.30 fee hits small tips hard — a $3 tip loses 12.9% to fees vs only 3.2% on a $100 tip. Encourage supporters to 'buy you multiple coffees' at once to reduce the per-tip fee impact.

Compare Platforms Before Committing

On a $100 contribution, Ko-fi costs $3.20 in fees while Patreon's 8% tier would cost ~$11.20. Use the Earnings Insights panel to see how much you save with Ko-fi's 0% platform fee.

Track Your Monthly Volume

Use the Tips per Month field to project your income. At 20 tips of $100 each, you'd net $1,936/month ($23,232/year) after fees.

The Ko-fi Earnings Calculator determines your net income from supporter tips after accounting for PayPal or Stripe processing fees.

Ko-fi takes 0% on tips for its free plan, making it one of the most creator-friendly platforms available.

Enter your tip amount and monthly volume to see exactly what you keep — for example, a $100 tip nets $96.80 after the $3.20 processing fee.

The Fee Structure Behind Ko-fi Tips

Ko-fi charges 0% platform fees on one-time tips for free plan users.

The only deduction comes from the payment processor (PayPal or Stripe), which charges a percentage plus a fixed fee per transaction.

Payment Fee = Tip Amount x 0.029 + $0.30
Net Tip = Tip Amount - Payment Fee
Effective Fee Rate = (Payment Fee / Tip Amount) x 100
Ko-fi Platform Fee = $0

Where:

Tip Amount is the gross amount the supporter sends.
Payment Fee is the PayPal/Stripe charge (2.9% + $0.30).
Net Tip is the amount you actually receive.
Effective Fee Rate shows the total fee as a percentage, which varies based on tip size.

💡 Selling digital goods on other platforms? Our Etsy Fee Calculator helps you understand marketplace transaction and listing fees.

Worked Example: $100 Ko-fi Tip

A digital artist receives a $100 tip on Ko-fi and wants to know their net earnings.

Gross tip amount: $100
Calculate the payment processing fee: Payment Fee = $100 x 0.029 + $0.30 = $2.90 + $0.30 = $3.20
Calculate the net tip: Net Tip = $100 - $3.20 = $96.80
Calculate the effective fee rate: Effective Fee Rate = ($3.20 / $100) x 100 = 3.20%
Ko-fi platform fee: $0 (free plan)

The artist keeps $96.80 from the $100 tip.

If they receive 20 tips of this size per month, their monthly net is $1,936 ($23,232 annualized).

💡 For creators monetizing through ads, our Ezoic Earnings Calculator can help estimate ad revenue income.

Ko-fi vs Other Creator Platforms in 2026

Understanding platform fees is critical for maximizing creator income.

Here is how Ko-fi compares on a $100 contribution:

Ko-fi (free plan): $3.20 in fees (0% platform + 2.9% + $0.30 processing) = $96.80 net
Patreon (8% tier): ~$11.20 in fees (8% platform + ~3.2% processing) = ~$88.80 net
YouTube Super Chat: ~$30-50 in fees (30-50% revenue share) = $50-70 net

Over a year with 20 monthly tips of $100, a Ko-fi creator keeps $23,232 while a Patreon creator on the 8% tier keeps only ~$21,312 — a difference of ~$1,920.

Optimizing Your Ko-fi Income

The fixed $0.30 per-transaction fee affects small tips disproportionately.

Here is how the effective fee rate changes with tip size:

$3 tip: $0.39 fee (12.9% effective rate)
$5 tip: $0.45 fee (8.9% effective rate)
$15 tip: $0.73 fee (4.9% effective rate)
$30 tip: $1.17 fee (3.9% effective rate)
$100 tip: $3.20 fee (3.2% effective rate)

Encouraging supporters to consolidate smaller tips into larger ones — for example, one $15 tip instead of three $5 tips — saves $0.60 in fees per batch.

Over hundreds of transactions, these savings add up significantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Ko-fi's fee structure compare to other creator platforms?

Ko-fi takes 0% on one-time tips for free plan users — you only pay the PayPal/Stripe processing fee (2.9% + $0.30). Patreon charges 5-12% plus processing fees, and YouTube takes 30-50% of Super Chat revenue. On a $100 tip, you keep $96.80 on Ko-fi vs roughly $88.80 on Patreon's 8% tier.

What are the typical payment processing fees for Ko-fi?

PayPal and Stripe charge approximately 2.9% of the transaction plus $0.30 per transaction. On a $100 tip, that's $3.20 in fees. On a $5 tip, the fee is $0.45 (8.9%), which is why larger tips are more cost-efficient.

Does Ko-fi Gold membership change the fees?

Ko-fi Gold ($6/month) does not change the 0% platform fee on tips. It unlocks features like memberships, commissions, and shop functionality. The payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30) remain the same regardless of your plan.

How can I minimize fees on small tips?

The fixed $0.30 per-transaction fee makes small tips proportionally expensive. A $3 tip loses 12.9% to fees, while a $30 tip loses only 3.9%. Encourage supporters to tip in larger amounts less frequently, or use Ko-fi's 'buy multiple coffees' feature.

How much can I earn per month on Ko-fi?

That depends on your tip volume and average tip size. For example, 20 tips of $100 each would net you $1,936 per month ($23,232/year) after processing fees. The calculator's Tips per Month field helps you project these numbers for your situation.