How does Ko-fi make money?

Ko-fi makes money by charging for premium features on free accounts, charging creators to post on the platform, and offering subscription services. If someone with a free account wants to use various services, such as Ko-Fi shop, they have to pay a 5% platform fee on those payments.

If you have a Ko-Fi Gold Subscription, which costs $6-$8 monthly, you do not need to pay for those various premium services from Ko-Fi. Ko-Fi also makes money by charging a fee to creators using their platform. This fee is a variable service fee that is based on the monthly earnings from a creator. Ko-FI takes 5% of the earnings from creators.