How Beacons and Patreon compare
Beacons is more than a link page. A link-in-bio, digital product store, email marketing, media kit, brand-deal invoicing, and AI tools give a creator a mini back office without leaving the app. For someone monetizing social attention with sponsors and downloads, it is a clever, generous bundle.
Patreon turned fans into patrons. Membership tiers, members-only posts, community chats, a shop for one-off items, and native podcast and video delivery give creators steady income from the people who care most. It is the default word for creator memberships, and the tools have grown up with it.
Where they are different
Beacons
- Beacons is a profile with tools.
- Beacons emails from its platform.
- Beacons sells downloads and links.
Patreon
- Patreon lives at patreon.com/yourname and gates most content.
- Patreon takes a percentage of membership revenue.
- Patreon messages patrons in-app.
Choose Beacons when you are monetizing a social audience with sponsors, downloads, and a bio link.
Choose Patreon when recurring fan support with tiers and members-only perks is the model.
Compare features
What's on Beacons and Patreon
A check means that capability is available. Beacons and Patreon are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteBeacons: IncludedPatreon: Not included
- Custom domainBeacons: IncludedPatreon: Not included
Public content
- Shop pagesBeacons: IncludedPatreon: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceBeacons: IncludedPatreon: Included
- Marketing emailsBeacons: IncludedPatreon: Included
- Campaign workflowsBeacons: IncludedPatreon: Not included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsBeacons: IncludedPatreon: Included
- Orders and fulfillmentBeacons: IncludedPatreon: Included
- Scheduling and bookingsLink to external scheduling available on Starter.Beacons: IncludedPatreon: Not included
Team
- Admin usersBeacons: IncludedPatreon: Included
- Per-admin permissionsBeacons: Not includedPatreon: Included
- AI AssistantBeacons: IncludedPatreon: Not included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Beacons or Patreon, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Beacons or Patreon may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Beacons vs Patreon pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Beacons
Current plans and prices
See what Beacons charges on their pricing page.
Patreon
Current plans and prices
See what Patreon charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Beacons and Patreon
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Beacons or Patreon?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Beacons or Patreon when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Beacons and Patreon are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Beacons or Patreon?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Beacons or Patreon for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Beacons and Patreon?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Beacons and Patreon set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Beacons or Patreon to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.