Head-to-head comparison
Beamly vs Buy Me a Coffee
Two of the monetization tools podcasters reach for. Here's how they differ on pricing, features, audience, and the trade-offs that actually matter day-to-day.
Membership website builder with zero platform fees and Stripe payouts to your account.
Best for: Owned membership sites
Simple tipping and membership platform with a 5 percent cut and clean conversion UX.
Best for: One-time tips
At a glance
The honest trade-offs
Beamly
Pros
- 0% platform fees on memberships
- Up to 1,000 members free across all plans
- Annual billing saves up to 20%
Watch-outs
- No perpetual free plan post-trial
- Smaller ecosystem than Patreon
- Brand still building awareness
Buy Me a Coffee
Pros
- Single page, one-click tip UX
- 5% platform fee, no tier complexity
- No monthly subscription, ever
Watch-outs
- 5% applies to all transactions, not just sales
- No discovery or community features
- Membership depth lighter than Patreon
Which one should you pick?
Pick Beamly if
You’re building around owned membership sites. Beamly (formerly Podcastpage) sells memberships and digital products with 0 percent platform fees — you only pay Stripe processing. Up to 1,000 members free on every plan.
Pick Buy Me a Coffee if
You’re building around one-time tips. Buy Me a Coffee strips the patronage ceremony — no tiers required, one clean page, 5 percent flat platform fee. One plan, no upgrades.
Also worth comparing
Or see all Beamly alternatives.
Frequently asked
What does Beamly do better than Buy Me a Coffee?
Beamly's standout is "0% platform fees on memberships". Buy Me a Coffee doesn't make that promise — it leans into "Single page, one-click tip UX" instead. If the first sentence describes your workflow, pick Beamly; if the second does, pick Buy Me a Coffee.
What are the trade-offs?
Beamly: no perpetual free plan post-trial. Buy Me a Coffee: 5% applies to all transactions, not just sales. Whether either matters depends entirely on what you actually need — neither is a deal-breaker by itself.
Do they support the same platforms?
Buy Me a Coffee works on iOS, Android where Beamly doesn't. If you're on a specific OS or device, that may decide for you.
Can I use Beamly and Buy Me a Coffee together?
Both are monetization tools so most teams pick one. Some workflows do combine them — for example, using Beamly for one show or episode type and Buy Me a Coffee for another. Worth trying both free tiers before committing.