Fourthwall vs Patreon (2026): Fees Compared

Fourthwall takes a 5% flat fee on memberships and also runs your merch shop. Patreon takes 10% plus processing and payout fees. Both are free to start. Fourthwall Pro is $15/month and removes the 5% fee on digital products. For a creator who also sells merch, Fourthwall keeps more money in one place.

Quick verdict

Choose Fourthwall if you want memberships, merch and digital products in one shop with lower fees.
Choose Patreon if your fans already use Patreon and you want its community tools.

Side-by-side comparison

Detail	Fourthwall	Patreon
Cost to start	Free. Pro: $15/month	Free
Membership fee	5% flat on both plans	10% (ShortStack data)
Digital products	Free: 5% fee. Pro: no fee	Not covered in this check
Merch	Flat fee per catalog product. 0% on self-sourced	Not covered in this check
Card fees	2.9% + $0.30 (US cards)	Processing, currency and payout fees
Donations	No platform fee	Not covered in this check
Best for	Creators selling merch plus memberships	Membership-only creators

Which one for a Shorts or TikTok creator?

On $1,000 a month of memberships, Fourthwall takes $50 and Patreon takes $100, before card fees. Fourthwall Pro also gives $120 of shop credit a year.

How to choose

Add up what you sell: memberships, merch, digital.
If you sell merch too, start on Fourthwall Free.
Move to Fourthwall Pro if you sell digital products.
Stay on Patreon if your members will not switch.

Questions people ask

Is Fourthwall cheaper than Patreon?

On memberships, yes: 5% vs 10%.

Does Fourthwall charge a monthly fee?

No. Free is $0. Pro is $15/month, a bit less billed yearly.

Can I sell merch on Patreon?

This check did not cover Patreon merch. Fourthwall lists catalog merch with a flat fee per product.

Sources: fourthwall.com/pricing, patreon.com/pricing. Patreon's pricing page blocked our checker (HTTP 403), so Patreon facts come from ShortStack data. Checked on 16 October 2026. Based on published plans and terms, not a hands-on test.