I'm curious to hear from anyone who has tried Ko-fi or a similar platform for supporting their website, forum, blog, or online community.

I've recently set up a Ko-fi page for Spark Promotion and would love to hear about other people's experiences.

A few questions to get the conversation started:

• Have you ever used Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee, Patreon, or a similar platform?

• Did you find it worthwhile for your website or community?

• Have you received many donations or supporters, or has it been a slow process?

• Are there any alternatives you'd recommend?

• Do you have any tips for encouraging people to support your projects?

Here's our page if you'd like to check it out: https://ko-fi.com/Q3O8273CM1

I'm interested in hearing both the successes and the not-so-successful experiences. Every platform has its pros and cons, so it'd be great to learn from people who've actually tried them!

Have you given any of these platforms a go? How did it work out for you?

I have a Ko-fi that I use for personal donations only. I have a “Donate” image link in my signature on my board and the official support board. Likewise, I’ve had various donations, but I haven’t received one in some time now.

No, but there are people for whom it works very well—just like those who use Patreon. It depends on the type of content you offer and the level of support you get from your community; it could work out excellently for you.

They all take a significant amount away from whatever donations you get, Buy Me a Coffee for example takes almost half. If you want to accept donations, its better to just use Paypal

MonsterMadness said:

its better to just use Paypal

Doesn’t PayPal have fees too?

On Oct 14, 2026, Cory said:

Doesn’t PayPal have fees too?

I gather that the answer is yes; I don’t think it matters whether it’s a donation or not. PayPal charges fees per transaction, regardless of who is involved or the nature of the payment. As for your specific question about whether PayPal charges fees when you receive donations—I’m not entirely sure, but it is highly likely that they do.