While YouTube has been a solid source of income for many creators, the platform is not designed for it. YouTube takes a cut of every video’s revenue, and because it relies on ads, the amount a creator earns per view can be unpredictable.
Patreon provides a predictable monthly income from fans willing to pay for exclusive access, extra content, or a closer look into your creative process.
This relationship between creator and fan is what Patreon was built on, and that’s why it’s so effective.
Key Takeaways
- Patreon is a platform where creators receive financial support from fans, while YouTube is a video-sharing platform that enables creators to earn ad revenue.
- Patreon allows creators to offer exclusive content and rewards to their supporters, while YouTube offers a wider audience reach.
- YouTube relies on advertising for revenue generation, whereas Patreon depends on direct financial contributions from supporters.
Patreon vs YouTube
Patreon is a membership-based platform that allows creators to earn recurring income from their supporters. YouTube is a large audience video-sharing platform that allows creators to earn money from ad revenue, sponsorships, and merchandise sales while getting exposure.
YouTube is a United States-based Google-owned online video sharing and social media network. On February 14, 2005, Steve Chen started it. It is the second-most-visited website in the world, immediately after Google.
You can browse the website’s video content, or you can find YouTube videos on other websites. Some mobile devices and tablets also feature pre-loaded YouTube apps.
You can also view most of the content without a YouTube account.
Patreon is a subscription service that connects content creators to their fans, allowing the latter to pledge recurring payments in exchange for premium content.
Patreon has become a popular means for musicians, podcasts, YouTube video producers, and other forms of digital media creators to make money.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Patreon | YouTube |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced in | Patreon was founded in May 2013. | YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005. |
| Flexibility | Patreon allows you greater flexibility in content distribution than YouTube. | YouTube is less flexible than Patreon when it comes to content distribution. |
| CEO | The CEO of Patreon is Jack Conte. | The CEO of Youtube is Susan Wojcicki. |
| Headquarters | The headquarters of Patreon is in San Francisco, California, United States. | The headquarters of Youtube is in San Bruno, California, United States. |
| User interface | Patreon features a more user-friendly interface. | YouTube’s user interface isn’t as good as Patreon’s. |
| Type of site | Patreon is an membership platform. | Youtube is an online video platform. |
| Revenue distribution | Patreon pays content creators a higher percentage of their earnings. | YouTube pays out less money to content creators as compared to Patreon. |
What is Patreon?
Patreon is a subscription service that links content producers with supporters and followers.
It primarily provides financial mechanisms that allow fans to subscribe to projects, providing artists with a steady cash source as they continue developing content.
By subscribing, fans get access to exclusive content, unique benefits, or early access to whatever the artist is creating. In exchange for their support, subscribers receive rewards related to the specific project or creator.
Every reward tier has its own set of benefits determined by the content producer. These rewards can be anything from art prints and private blog posts to live chats or just a thank-you note.
Patreon works closely with its creators to help them build their brand and make more money through its platform. Creators can also make use of Patreon’s analytics tools,
which show how much each subscriber has paid in total (including fees), as well as what they have spent on other creators.
This helps them better understand their audience and focus on creating more content that works best.
Patreon also offers its creators various business tools, including an online store to sell merchandise directly to fans. It also allows users to hold contests and giveaways among their subscribers, increasing engagement with their audience.
What is YouTube?
YouTube is a video-sharing website where users may post and share their videos. Millions of people have registered accounts on the site, allowing them to submit films that anybody may see.
The site has become very popular in recent years and is now one of the most frequently visited sites on the Internet.
The service is unique because it’s one of the few places on the Internet where users can post full-length videos without having to pay for them or take any special steps to prepare them for the Web.
The service has become wildly popular, and it has attracted the attention of some major media companies.
When you become a registered user of YouTube, you will also submit comments on videos that others have posted.
You can also rate videos and subscribe to channels from other users, and also You can view most of the content without a YouTube account. Still, you will need an account to upload videos and subscribe to other users’ channels.
Once you’re logged in, you’ll be able to visit your YouTube homepage. This page contains links that allow you to upload new videos, read comments from other users, and more.
To get started with uploading your first video, click the “Upload Video” link on your homepage. You’ll then be taken to a page where you can select the video files you want to post on the site.
Once you’ve selected the proper file, click “Continue.” And then your video is uploaded on YouTube.
Main Differences Between Patreon and YouTube
- When it comes to content distribution, Patreon offers more freedom than YouTube, whereas YouTube offers less flexibility than Patreon.
- Patreon’s UI is more user-friendly. YouTube’s user interface, on the other hand, isn’t as nice as Patreon’s.
- Patreon is a membership site, whereas Youtube is a video-sharing website.
- Patreon pays a more significant proportion of revenue to content producers, but YouTube pays less to content creators than Patreon.
- Jack Conte is the CEO of Patreon, whereas Susan Wojcicki is the CEO of Youtube.
- Patreon debuted in May 2013, whereas YouTube debuted on February 14, 2005.
- Patreon’s headquarters are in San Francisco, California, while Youtube’s are in San Bruno, California, both in the United States.
- https://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1618246045634009
- https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3341554
Last Updated : 18 July, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
