Ko-fi Payout Calculator
Estimate Ko-fi fees and creator payout in USD
Ko-fi payout calculator FAQs
What fees does this Ko-fi calculator include?
This calculator lets you model a combined Ko-fi + payment fee as one percentage plus an optional fixed payout fee. It then estimates total fees and your net payout in USD based on the earnings you enter.
How do I choose the right fee % for Ko-fi?
Check the Ko-fi pricing and payment docs for your account. Add together any applicable Ko-fi platform fee and your card or PayPal processor %, then enter that combined number in the “Ko-fi + payment fee (%)” field.
What counts as gross Ko-fi earnings?
Use the total amount supporters pay before fees over a period: one-off donations, memberships, commission payments, and shop orders. You can model a single stream, a month, or any custom window as long as everything is in USD.
Does this tool include tax or currency conversion?
No. To keep things simple, the calculator only covers Ko-fi and payment-style fees you enter. Sales tax, income tax, VAT, FX spreads, and bank charges are not included and should be handled separately in your budgeting and accounting.
Is this an official Ko-fi earnings calculator?
No. This is an independent estimator designed to help creators plan and compare take-home pay. Always rely on your Ko-fi dashboard, payment provider, and tax advisor for final numbers and compliance decisions.
How to use this Ko-fi payout calculator
This Ko-fi payout calculator is for creators who want a quick way to translate Ko-fi activity into real take-home pay. Instead of guessing what platform and payment fees do to your donations or shop sales, you can plug in earnings, apply a combined fee %, and see a clear breakdown of gross, fees, and net payout in USD.
1. Enter your gross Ko-fi earnings
Start by adding your gross Ko-fi earnings in USD for a period. That might be a week of donations, a month of memberships, or a launch with lots of shop orders. As long as the number represents what supporters actually paid before fees, the calculator can estimate how much you keep.
2. Add a net payout target if you have a goal
If you’re planning income, use “You want to receive after fees” to set a target net. The calculator will work backwards and show the minimum gross earnings you’d need so that, after the Ko-fi + payment fee and any fixed payout fee, you still hit that net amount.
3. Set the Ko-fi and payment fee fields
Ko-fi’s fees depend on your account type and how supporters pay. Use the Ko-fi + payment fee (%) field for your combined platform and processor rate, and the Other payout fees (USD) field for any extra flat fee, such as a bank withdrawal cost. You can tweak these whenever you want to test different setups or payment methods.
4. Read the payout summary and effective fee %
Once you hit Calculate, the results card shows either your net payout on the earnings you entered or the required gross earnings to reach your target net. Under that, it breaks out gross earnings, total Ko-fi and payout fees, and the effective fee percentage so you can see how much of each dollar you actually keep.
5. Use the copyable summary for planning and comparisons
The Copy summary button gives you a text version of the calculation that you can paste into a notes app, budgeting spreadsheet, or creator planning doc. Try different fee %, payout setups, and income targets to compare Ko-fi with other platforms or to design membership tiers that still leave room for your real-life expenses.
Remember: this calculator is focused on platform-style fees, not full profit. It doesn’t include your time, tools, promotion, or tax burden. Use it as a fast way to understand what Ko-fi itself takes, then layer that with your business costs to see true profit.
How the Ko-fi payout math works
The Ko-fi payout calculator uses a simple percentage fee + fixed fee model so you can plug in your own Ko-fi and payment processor numbers. Let G be your gross Ko-fi earnings in USD over a period, r be the combined platform and payment fee rate as a decimal (for example 0.05 for 5%), and f be any fixed payout fee in USD.
Total fees in this model are:
Ko-fi fees = G × r + f
Your net payout after fees is:
Net payout = G − (G × r + f)
When you enter a target net payout, the calculator rearranges the same equation to solve for the gross earnings you need. If N is your desired net in USD, the minimum gross amount required is:
Required gross earnings = (N + f) ÷ (1 − r)
The effective fee percentage shown in the results is:
Effective fee % = Ko-fi fees ÷ gross earnings × 100
All outputs are rounded to two decimal places and shown in USD. They’re meant as planning estimates based on your inputs, not as formal accounting or tax records.
References and further reading
- Ko-fi pricing overview – Official page explaining Ko-fi plans, platform fees, and what supporters pay.
- Ko-fi Help Center – Support docs that cover fees, payouts, payment providers, and account settings.