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[ COMPARE ]

Patreon vs YouTube Partner Program

Side-by-side comparison of Patreon and YouTube Partner Program referral programs. Which one earns you more? Here are the facts.

[ HIGHER PAYOUT ]

Patreon offers up to 95% revenue share (lifetime).

Patreon
YouTube Partner Program
CATEGORY
CREATOR
CREATOR
COMMISSION
5-12% commission (you keep 88-95%)
$1-30 per 1000 views (varies by niche)
MODEL
revenue-share
revenue-share
MAX REV SHARE
95%
55%
PAYOUT
fiat
fiat
MIN PAYOUT
$1
$100
FREQUENCY
MONTHLY
MONTHLY
FIRST PAYOUT
~30d
~30d
COOKIE
LIFETIME
LIFETIME
KYC
YES
YES
GEO BLOCKED
NONE
NONE
RISK
LOW
LOW
RATING
4/5 (1400)
4.1/5 (3500)
PROGRAM AGE
13y
18y

Patreon

PROS
  • +Recurring income from fans
  • +5-12% commission (lower than most)
  • +Tiered membership model
CONS
  • Need engaged fanbase first
  • Discovery is poor
  • Churn requires constant content

YouTube Partner Program

PROS
  • +Largest video platform
  • +Multiple revenue streams (ads, memberships, Super Chat, shopping)
  • +Long-form content compounds
CONS
  • 1000 sub + 4000hr threshold
  • Algorithm-dependent
  • Adsense cuts 45% of revenue