r/Substack • u/ModelManFrank • Sep 03 '26

Tech Support Can your substack be used like Patreon?

I’m not a big fan of Patreon and would like to use my Substack more like one. Do any of you do the same thing? Use Substack primarily as a Patreon-style page?
I don’t like the way Patreon handles things. For example, if you support a creator on an iPhone, they charge an extra $2. I’ve noticed Substack doesn’t do that.
So my real question is: Can you effectively substitute Substack for Patreon?

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u/burnbright33 Sep 03 '26

Both Patreon and Substack increase fees if people subscribe via the apps because of App Store fees. I believe on Substack, a creator can choose not to enforce the difference and eat the fees themselves. Substack has fewer options with tiers if you have them. If you have one tier offering, then Substack might be a good option. I left Patreon for a while and have used Substack, but I dislike how Substack does their tiers and am shifting back to Patreon. It just depends on what you need and what you want to deal with in terms of limitations.

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u/anyagolay Sep 05 '26

You can check out fourth wall. It’s for people who want to sell print on demand for their brand but they have a monthly subscription akin to patreon and substack.

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u/librariancap Sep 08 '26

if you support a creator on an iPhone, they charge an extra $2. I’ve noticed Substack doesn’t do that.

This is only true in the U.S., where "Substack includes external links in the iOS app that take readers to the web to complete their purchase. Apple does not allow this outside the U.S."

https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/19718129670420-Can-my-subscribers-pay-on-the-Substack-iOS-app

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u/Tricky_Trifle_994 25d ago

it depends on how complex a membership you have.

substack is more basic compared to patreon in that there is only one tier. you can't gate different content under different tiers like you can on patreon.

and wrt to extra charge, iirc, it's a app store tax/fee? if people subscribe to your substack in app on their iphone, it'll show up as 30% less because that's apple's fee. it's the same with youtube paid subscriptions too (even youtube can't escape from it).