Spotify Memberships vs Patreon vs Apple Subscriptions: Where Should You Build Your Paid Tier?

Spotify Memberships keeps 90%, Patreon stacks fees, Apple pays 70% then 85%. Compare the real maths, data export and eligibility before you build a paid tier.

By Don karlos Fru · Published 2026-10-21

QUICK ANSWER

On fees alone, Spotify Memberships wins: creators keep 90% of revenue after payment processing. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions pays 70% in a subscriber's first year and 85% after. Patreon stacks a platform fee (10% for creators on its standard plan) plus payment processing and payout fees. But fees are not the whole decision: Spotify Memberships requires hosting on Spotify for Creators or Megaphone and sells inside Spotify; Patreon works with any host and gives you the full member relationship; Apple reaches listeners inside Apple Podcasts but offers no member email export. Match the platform to where your paying fans already are.

Spotify launched Memberships on October 20, 2026, in 34 markets, and the launch question landed in every podcaster's inbox at once: should the paid tier live inside Spotify now? The honest answer depends on four things — the fee maths, eligibility, where your fans listen, and who owns the relationship when you want to leave. Here is the comparison, built from each platform's published terms.

The fee maths at real price points

Take a $5/month membership and a $10/month membership, before any taxes:

Spotify Memberships: creators keep 90% of revenue after payment processing fees — roughly $4.50 on $5 and $9.00 on $10, minus processing. Sign-ups happen on the web, which is how the program avoids app-store commissions.
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions: Apple pays creators 70% of the subscription price in a subscriber's first year, rising to 85% after that subscriber completes a year — $3.50 then $4.25 on $5; $7.00 then $8.50 on $10. Selling subscriptions also requires the paid Apple Podcasters Program.
Patreon: the platform fee for creators on Patreon's standard pricing is 10% of earnings, then payment processing (typically around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) and payout fees stack on top. On a $5 pledge, processing eats a proportionally larger share because of the fixed $0.30 — small tiers are where Patreon's stack bites hardest. Existing creators may be on legacy fee plans, so check the rate your own account actually carries.

Two lessons fall out of the maths. First, Spotify's 90% is genuinely disruptive pricing, not a rounding difference. Second, fixed per-transaction processing makes very cheap tiers inefficient everywhere — a $3 tier loses a much bigger percentage than a $10 tier on any platform that charges per transaction.

A podcast creator's desk with a microphone, audio interface and keyboard — Editorial image from this article.

Eligibility: who can actually sell today

Spotify Memberships: your show must be hosted on Spotify for Creators or Megaphone, with at least 3 published episodes, at least 100 consumption hours and at least 100 listeners or viewers in the qualifying window, in one of the 34 launch markets. Unusually low thresholds — most active shows qualify — but the hosting requirement is absolute.
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions: available to creators enrolled in the Apple Podcasters Program, with subscription content delivered through Apple Podcasts Connect; some delivery routes require a participating host.
Patreon: no audience threshold and no hosting requirement. Anyone can open a page today, which is why it remains the default for small shows and for creators whose audience is not concentrated on one listening platform.

Who owns the member relationship

This is where the platforms differ most, and where the long-term money is:

Spotify Memberships: Spotify lets creators export member data — names, emails and subscription status — so the relationship is not fully locked in. That export clause is the single most creator-friendly detail of the launch.
Patreon: you get your patrons' email addresses and a relationship you can take with you; Patreon shows can also connect to Spotify through Open Access, so existing patrons can unlock member episodes inside Spotify without paying twice.
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions: Apple owns the transaction and the listener relationship. Creators receive aggregated reporting, not member emails. What you gain in frictionless in-app conversion you give up in portability.

So where should you build?

Your audience mostly listens on Spotify, and you host there (or on Megaphone): start with Memberships. The 90% share, in-app discovery and exportable member data make it the strongest default for Spotify-first shows.
Your audience is spread across apps, or your host is not Spotify/Megaphone: Patreon remains the practical home — platform-independent, no thresholds, full relationship ownership — and Open Access can still surface member episodes in Spotify.
Your listeners are deep in Apple Podcasts and value convenience over margin: Apple Subscriptions convert smoothly in-app; treat the 70/85 split as the price of that shelf space, not your whole business.
You already have Patreon members: do not migrate them for a fee headline. Layer Memberships for new Spotify-native fans if you qualify, keep Patreon as the portable base, and let the two coexist.

The asset underneath all three

Every option above rents you a billing relationship on someone else's terms — fees, eligibility and market lists can all change with a blog post, as this week's launch proved. The one asset no platform can reprice is your own listener email list. PodSubs lets listeners subscribe to your show by email, free: you collect and own the list, and your members, patrons and casual listeners alike hear from you directly. Build the paid tier where the maths works today — and build the list that survives every future fee change on PodSubs.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Spotify Memberships cost creators?

Spotify says creators keep 90% of Memberships revenue after payment processing fees. Sign-ups run through the web rather than in-app purchase. Eligibility requires hosting on Spotify for Creators or Megaphone, at least 3 episodes, 100 consumption hours and 100 listeners or viewers in the qualifying window, in a launch market.

What percentage does Patreon take from podcasters?

Patreon's standard platform fee is 10% of earnings for creators on current pricing, and payment processing (typically around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) and payout fees apply on top. Creators who joined under older plans may have legacy rates, so check your own account's fee page.

How much do creators keep from Apple Podcasts Subscriptions?

Apple pays 70% of the subscription price during a subscriber's first year and 85% after that subscriber has been subscribed for a year. Participating requires enrollment in the paid Apple Podcasters Program.

Can I use Spotify Memberships and Patreon at the same time?

Yes. They are separate products. Many creators keep Patreon as their portable base (Patreon also connects to Spotify via Open Access, so patrons can unlock episodes in Spotify) and add Memberships for Spotify-native fans. Avoid forcing existing patrons to move and pay twice.

Do I get my members' email addresses on each platform?

Spotify Memberships lets creators export member data including emails and subscription status. Patreon provides patrons' email addresses. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions does not give creators member emails; reporting is aggregated. For a list you fully own, pair any paid tier with an email subscription you control.

Which platform is best for a small podcast's first paid tier?

If you host on Spotify for Creators or Megaphone and your listeners are on Spotify, Memberships' low eligibility thresholds (3 episodes, 100 listeners/viewers, 100 consumption hours) make it the easiest start. If your audience is spread across apps or you host elsewhere, Patreon's lack of thresholds and hosting requirements usually wins.