How Cardel and Patreon compare
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.
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. Cardel is not a membership platform; there are no tiers, no paywall, and no recurring billing.
Where they are different
Patreon lives at patreon.com/yourname and gates most content. Cardel lives on your domain, open to search and readers, with blog, Showcase, Shop, Videos, and Schedule pages.
Patreon takes a percentage of membership revenue. Cardel charges a plan and a small Shop fee, and your audience list is yours to email from your domain.
Patreon messages patrons in-app. Cardel gives you campaign workflows and a Messaging Center for chat, contact forms, and email.
Choose Patreon when recurring fan support with tiers and members-only perks is the model.
Choose Cardel when you want a public home you own with site, audience, shop or bookings, and inbox in one place.
You are the Forgemaster. Cardel is your forge. What you build is yours.
Common questions
Is Cardel a Patreon alternative?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Patreon when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list below shows where the two overlap and where they part.
Can I use Cardel and Patreon together?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Patreon for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared to Patreon?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Patreon sets its own prices, so check their pricing page below for current plans.
How do I switch from Patreon to Cardel?
Choose Start for Free, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.
Compare features
What's on Cardel and Patreon
A check means that capability is available. Patreon is marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteCardel: IncludedPatreon: Not included
- Custom domainUse your own domain with HTTPS. Cardel includes the DNS records for the site and for sending and receiving email.Use your own domain with HTTPS. Cardel includes the DNS records for the site and for sending and receiving email.Cardel: IncludedPatreon: Not included
Public content
- BlogCardel: IncludedPatreon: Not included
- Reader engagementCardel: IncludedPatreon: Not included
- Shop pagesCardel: IncludedPatreon: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceGroups, tags, and import so you can organize contacts and bring in an existing list.Groups, tags, and import so you can organize contacts and bring in an existing list.Cardel: IncludedPatreon: Included
- Marketing emailsCardel: IncludedPatreon: Included
- Emails on own domainCardel: IncludedPatreon: Not included
- Campaign workflowsCardel: IncludedPatreon: Not included
Messaging
- Built-in chatCardel: IncludedPatreon: Included
- Messaging CenterCardel: IncludedPatreon: Not included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsSell on your Shop pages with Stripe. Cardel takes a 0.5% application fee on those card sales. Stripe's own processing fees still apply, and you keep the rest.Sell on your Shop pages with Stripe. Cardel takes a 0.5% application fee on those card sales. Stripe's own processing fees still apply, and you keep the rest.Cardel: IncludedPatreon: Included
- Orders and fulfillmentCardel: IncludedPatreon: Included
- Scheduling and bookingsLink to external scheduling available on Starter.Cardel: IncludedPatreon: Not included
Team
- Admin usersCardel: IncludedPatreon: Included
- Per-admin permissionsCardel: IncludedPatreon: Included
- AI AssistantCardel: IncludedPatreon: Not included
Other
- Paid user membership tiersCardel: Not includedPatreon: Included
- Members-only postsCardel: Not includedPatreon: Included
- Discord integrationCardel: Not includedPatreon: Included
- Mobile app for membersCardel: Not includedPatreon: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Cardel or Patreon, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Cardel or Patreon may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Cardel vs Patreon pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Cardel
You don't pay until you publish
Build at no cost, then choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live.
Patreon
Current plans and prices
See what Patreon charges on their pricing page.
Forge your community
Choose Cardel
Looking for a Patreon alternative? Bring your work to a site of your own.
Compare Cardel
See how Cardel stacks up, or explore Patreon comparisons.
