Ko-fi gives creators one page for one-off tips, monthly memberships, a shop for digital and physical items, and commissions. It is free to start, with an optional paid plan. It is built around supporting the work you make and share — there are no live calls, so anything like a call is something you arrange yourself.
Winnerhello.fanLive paid calls by the minute — video, voice and chat — plus bookings and gifts.
vs
Ko-fiTips, memberships, a shop and commissions on one creator page.
Disclosure: PaidChatPlatform is published by the team behind hello.fan. Ko-fi is described from its public website (ko-fi.com) as of October 2026; check their current terms.
The short answer
Choose hello.fan if you want to be paid for live conversations — instant calls when you're online, per-minute pricing, booked sessions and video, voice or chat. Ko-fi is the better fit for one thing: creators collecting tips and memberships for the work they share.
Where each one wins
Why hello.fan wins
Paid conversations are the product: fans call you by video, voice or chat and pay by the minute.
Calls ring your phone when you're online; when you're not, fans book a time or send a 10-credit Icebreaker.
Booked and weekly sessions inside your working hours, paid up front.
Live translated subtitles in 30 languages, so supporters anywhere can talk to you.
What Ko-fi does well
Free to start, and one-off tips ask nothing more of supporters than a single payment.
Memberships, a shop and commissions live on the same page.
Stream alerts and goals for creators who also stream.
Yes Partly / with limits Not offeredBased on public information, October 2026.
How you earn on hello.fan
You set a per-minute rate for each call type (50–5,000 credits a minute; 100 credits = $1). Fans pay from a prepaid balance, billed in 15-second steps that start only once you're both connected. You keep 60% — so a 15-minute video call at 300 credits a minute earns you $27. Payouts go to your bank through Stripe from $100. Try your numbers in the earnings calculator.
Our verdictKo-fi is a friendly tip jar and shop. If what your supporters really want is time with you, put your hello.fan link next to your Ko-fi and let them call.
Questions
Is hello.fan better than Ko-fi?
For live, paid conversations, yes. Ko-fi is built for tips, memberships, a shop and commissions on one creator page; hello.fan is built for fans paying by the minute to talk to you live by video, voice or chat, with bookings, gifts and live translated subtitles as well. Ko-fi remains a good choice for creators collecting tips and memberships for the work they share.
Can I use hello.fan and Ko-fi together?
Yes. Many creators keep their existing tools and add their hello.fan link (hello.fan/yourname) wherever their audience already is, so fans can call them live.
How much does hello.fan cost creators?
Nothing up front: creating a page is free and there is no monthly fee. hello.fan keeps 40% of what fans pay; creators keep 60% (70% with an active store.fan shop).