Patreon is launching a free membership tier — and will let fans buy things, too
Patreon built a user base with creators who wanted to charge a fee for the content they create. Now, the company is pulling down the paywall, allowing fans to subscribe to their favorite creators for free.
It’s the first time Patreon has offered a free subscription option for creators who want to give fans a taste of their content before having them pay for access. Patreon’s expansion into free content comes at a time when other platforms like TikTok and Instagram are increasingly adding paywalls and subscription features — with the idea being that, eventually, the free audience might level up and start to pay.
“There’s a lot of interest from fans [with paid membership], but subscribing to the paid membership right out the gate is a...