Statistics • Updated June 2026

Platform Fee Comparison 2026

What 145+ platforms actually take from earners — and why reported "fees" systematically understate what creators, freelancers, and gig workers lose.

Cite this page • CC BY 4.0

https://platformtaxhub.com/statistics/platform-fees-2026

Key Findings

  • Platform fees are significantly higher than most earners realise, with an average effective take rate of 15.1% across 145 platforms
  • Ecommerce sellers face the highest structural cost burden, losing 13.2% of revenue on average before tax
  • Some creator and ecommerce platforms take the majority of revenue, with effective take rates reaching 80–85% in extreme cases
  • Gig platforms appear low-fee (~18.5%), but this excludes major cost layers such as fuel, vehicle depreciation, and unpaid time
  • "0% fee" platforms are rarely free in practice, with most imposing 2–3% effective costs through payment processing and withdrawals
  • Across all categories, platform-reported payouts systematically understate real income, as most platforms report net payouts instead of gross transaction values
  • This creates a widespread "gross vs net" distortion, increasing the risk of underreporting income and miscalculating true profitability

Bottom line: Platform earners do not operate in low-fee environments — they operate in layered cost systems where platform fees are only the first deduction.

15.1%

Average effective take rate

53%

Highest: Creative Fabrica

2.9%

Lowest (non-zero): Bandcamp

🔴 Most Expensive Platforms (Top 10)

#PlatformTake Rate
1Creative Fabrica52.9%
2Creative Market42.9%
3Gojek42.9%
4Rappi42.9%
5Udemy39.9%
6Amazon KDP37.9%
7Grab35.9%
8Apple App Store33.0%
9Google Play Store33.0%
10Steam33.0%

🟢 Lowest Fee Platforms (Top 10)

#PlatformTake Rate
1Bandcamp2.9%
2Bilibili2.9%
3ConvertKit2.9%
4Douyin2.9%
5Facebook Reels Play2.9%
6Facebook Video2.9%
7Ghost(Pro)2.9%
8LinkedIn2.9%
9Medium2.9%
10NewsBreak2.9%

Average Take Rate by Category

Source: PlatformTaxHub (2026). 145 platforms analysed.

Full Platform Data (145 platforms)

Platform Category Commission Total Effective Rate Notes
Creative FabricaEcommerce Seller50.0%52.9%Rev share (≈50% to creator)
Creative MarketDigital Product Seller40.0%42.9%~40–60% to creator
GojekGig Worker40.0%42.9%Platform cut ~20–30% depending on service
RappiGig Worker40.0%42.9%Platform fee to customers/merchants; driver per job
UdemyFreelancer37.0%39.9%~25–37% to instructor with Udemy promos
Amazon KDPDigital Product Seller35.0%37.9%35% or 70% royalty tiers
GrabGig Worker33.0%35.9%Platform keeps ~15–25% of fare; incentives vary
Apple App StoreDigital Product Seller30.0%33.0%~30% standard; ~10–15% for small devs/programs
Google Play StoreDigital Product Seller30.0%33.0%~15–30% depending on category/scale
SteamDigital Product Seller30.0%33.0%~30% rev share
TwitchContent Creator30.0%32.9%~50–70% sub split; ad rev share
Apple PodcastsContent Creator30.0%30.0%30% year 1; 15% after
Apple BooksDigital Product Seller30.0%30.0%30% platform fee
Kobo Writing LifeDigital Product Seller30.0%30.0%30% for books $2.99-$9.99; 55% for other prices
DoorDashGig Worker25.0%28.0%Merchant fees ~15–30%; no driver fee
LyftGig Worker25.0%28.0%~20–25% commission
Postmates (Uber Eats)Gig Worker25.0%28.0%~20–30% restaurant fees
UberGig Worker25.0%28.0%~25–40% commission
ThemeForest (Envato)Digital Product Seller25.0%27.9%~37.5–60% to authors
WyzantFreelancer25.0%27.9%% per session (≈25%+)
DidiGig Worker25.0%27.9%~20%+ commission
ExpediaRental Host25.0%27.9%~10–25% commission
PeerspaceRental Host25.0%27.9%~15–20% host fee + guest fee
OnlyFansContent Creator20.0%22.9%Flat 20% platform commission on all earnings
Webflow MarketplaceDigital Product Seller20.0%22.9%~20% platform fee; 80% to creator
Chegg Tutors / Busuu-style language appsFreelancer20.0%22.9%Rev share or hourly rates; platform margin
Expert360Freelancer20.0%22.9%Varies (~15–30%)
FiverrFreelancer20.0%22.9%~20% on each order
BoltGig Worker20.0%22.9%~10–20% commission
DeliverooGig Worker20.0%22.9%~20%+ merchant fees
GlovoGig Worker20.0%22.9%~20%+ merchant fees
RoverGig Worker20.0%22.9%Owner fee ~5–7%; sitter fee ~20–25%
SwiggyGig Worker20.0%22.9%Merchant and service fees; riders per order
ThumbtackGig Worker20.0%22.9%% per transaction; lead costs
ZomatoGig Worker20.0%22.9%Platform takes merchant/service fees; riders per order
GetaroundRental Host20.0%22.9%Platform keeps ~40%+
TuroRental Host20.0%22.9%Turo keeps ~15–40% depending on plan
VrboRental Host20.0%22.9%~5–15% host service fee
Adobe StockDigital Product Seller18.0%20.9%~33% royalty
PreplyFreelancer18.0%20.9%~18–33% commission
PrintifyEcommerce Seller15.5%18.4%Base product + shipping; no % fee
99designsFreelancer15.0%18.0%Platform fee; tiered client and designer fees
BraintrustFreelancer15.0%18.0%Low platform fee to clients; user-owned model
Dribbble MarketplaceFreelancer15.0%18.0%Platform fee on projects
Freelancer.comFreelancer15.0%18.0%~10% project fee
GigsterFreelancer15.0%18.0%Platform margin on project budget
PeoplePerHourFreelancer15.0%18.0%~15–20% fee
ToptalFreelancer15.0%18.0%~10–20% platform margin
AcastContent Creator15.0%17.9%Hosting plans available (free/paid). 15% platform fee on Acast+ (listener subscriptions). Revenue share on ads/sponsorships (Acast's cut varies, often 30-50%).
PodbeanContent Creator15.0%17.9%Hosting plans available (free/paid). 15% platform fee on Patron Program (donations/subscriptions). Ad Marketplace revenue share (Podbean takes 30%).
ShutterstockDigital Product Seller15.0%17.9%15–40% royalty
Amazon Marketplace (3P)Ecommerce Seller15.0%17.9%Referral fees (8–15%) + FBA
Merch by AmazonEcommerce Seller15.0%17.9%Amazon base cut; ~10–37% to creator
PrintfulEcommerce Seller15.0%17.9%Base product + shipping; no % fee
Clarity.fmFreelancer15.0%17.9%~15% platform fee
IntroFreelancer15.0%17.9%% per booking (approx. 10–20%)
iTalkiFreelancer15.0%17.9%~15% commission
LawClerkFreelancer15.0%17.9%Platform fee from hiring firms
TalkspaceFreelancer15.0%17.9%Platform margin vs. client price
UpCounselFreelancer15.0%17.9%Platform fee; lawyer keeps majority
GrubhubGig Worker15.0%17.9%~10–20% restaurant fees
ShiptGig Worker15.0%17.9%No driver fee; membership + service fees
TaskRabbitGig Worker15.0%17.9%~15%+ service fees
AirbnbRental Host15.0%17.9%Host-only fee ≈15.5% many markets
Booking.comRental Host15.0%17.9%~10–20% commission
HipcampRental Host15.0%17.9%~10–20% commission
UpworkFreelancer12.0%17.0%0–15% variable (effective avg 10–12%; updated May 2025)
Epic Games StoreDigital Product Seller12.0%15.0%12% rev share
Mercado LibreEcommerce Seller12.0%14.9%Seller commissions ~8–17% + services
itch.ioDigital Product Seller10.0%13.0%Flexible; creator-set cut (often ~10%)
TruelancerFreelancer10.0%13.0%~8–10% fee from freelancer
WorkanaFreelancer10.0%13.0%Platform fee tiers on projects
BeehiivContent Creator10.0%12.9%Free + paid tiers; ad rev share
PatreonContent Creator10.0%12.9%~10% platform fee (new standard)
SubstackContent Creator10.0%12.9%10% platform fee
SupercastContent Creator10.0%12.9%% per subscriber (≈10%)
GumroadDigital Product Seller10.0%12.9%~10% on free tier; lower % on paid plans
AllegroEcommerce Seller10.0%12.9%Commissions ~5–15%
eBayEcommerce Seller10.0%12.9%~10–12% + listing fees
JumiaEcommerce Seller10.0%12.9%Category-based commissions ~5–15%
BetterHelpFreelancer10.0%12.9%Platform margin vs. client price
Coach.meFreelancer10.0%12.9%Platform fee on client payments
MavenFreelancer10.0%12.9%10% platform fee on all course sales
SuperpeerFreelancer10.0%12.9%~8–10% platform fee
AngiGig Worker10.0%12.9%Lead fees and/or % on jobs
Care.comGig Worker10.0%12.9%Membership and booking fees
HouzzGig Worker10.0%12.9%Marketing/lead fees; some % models
ProlificGig Worker10.0%12.9%No participant fee; client-side fees
UserTestingGig Worker10.0%12.9%No worker fee; clients pay platform
Guru.comFreelancer9.0%12.0%5–9% platform fee
PodiaDigital Product Seller8.0%10.9%8% on some plans or monthly fee
PaddleDigital Product Seller7.5%10.4%Blended % per transaction (~5–10%)
Draft2DigitalDigital Product Seller10.0%10.0%10-15% of retailer's net payment
EtsyEcommerce Seller7.0%10.0%~6.5% transaction + listing
Anchor (Spotify)Content Creator5.0%7.9%No hosting fee. 5% platform fee on Audience Support and Podcast Subscriptions. Ad revenue share varies.
Buy Me a CoffeeContent Creator5.0%7.9%~5% platform fee
KickContent Creator5.0%7.9%~5% cut on subs; ad rev share
Ko-fiContent Creator5.0%7.9%0–5% depending on plan
Lemon SqueezyDigital Product Seller5.0%7.9%~5% per sale + processing
PayhipDigital Product Seller5.0%7.9%Free/5%/2% tiers + processing
SellfyDigital Product Seller5.0%7.9%0–5% + monthly fee
TeachableDigital Product Seller5.0%7.9%5–10% + processing on lower tiers; monthly plans
InDriveGig Worker5.0%7.9%~20% commission
OlaGig Worker5.0%7.9%~20% commission
ShopeeEcommerce Seller4.0%6.9%Platform fees ~2–6% plus ads
PayPalFreelancer2.9%5.8%≈2.9–3.5% + fixed fee; FX surcharges
StripeFreelancer2.9%5.8%≈2.9% + fixed fee (varies by country)
SquareFreelancer2.6%5.5%≈2.6–2.9% + fixed fee
LazadaEcommerce Seller2.0%4.9%Commissions ~1–4% plus services
InstagramContent Creator0.0%3.0%Rev share/bonuses on eligible content; in-app purchase fees on subs
Instagram BonusesContent Creator0.0%3.0%No fee on bonuses
InstacartGig Worker0.0%3.0%No driver fee; service & delivery fees
BandcampContent Creator0.0%2.9%10–15% on digital; higher on merch
BilibiliContent Creator0.0%2.9%Platform rev share; details vary by program
ConvertKitContent Creator0.0%2.9%SaaS fee; small % on commerce
DouyinContent Creator0.0%2.9%Rev share on gifts/commerce
Facebook Reels PlayContent Creator0.0%2.9%No fee on bonuses
Facebook VideoContent Creator0.0%2.9%Platform keeps majority ad share; creators get rev share
Ghost(Pro)Content Creator0.0%2.9%Monthly hosting; no % on revenue
LinkedInContent Creator0.0%2.9%No fixed creator fee; some rev-share pilots
MediumContent Creator0.0%2.9%Revenue pool share
NewsBreakContent Creator0.0%2.9%Revenue share with performance thresholds
PinterestContent Creator0.0%2.9%No direct payout except select programs; ad tools
RumbleContent Creator0.0%2.9%Rev share on ads/subs
Snapchat SpotlightContent Creator0.0%2.9%No fee; bonus pool payouts
SoundCloud PremierContent Creator0.0%2.9%Rev share on net revenue
TikTokContent Creator0.0%2.9%No explicit fee; rev share from ad pool
X (Twitter)Content Creator0.0%2.9%Platform keeps majority share; creator rev share
YouTubeContent Creator0.0%2.9%Creators ~45% of ad rev on many formats
KajabiDigital Product Seller0.0%2.9%Monthly SaaS fee; no per-sale %
SkillshareDigital Product Seller0.0%2.9%Pooled rev share; no fixed %
RedbubbleEcommerce Seller0.0%2.9%Base cost + creator markup (~20%+)
Shopify (Markets)Ecommerce Seller0.0%2.9%Monthly SaaS + payment fees
Shopify Collabs + Link-in-bio toolsEcommerce Seller0.0%2.9%Affiliate/commission splits per program
Teespring (Spring)Ecommerce Seller0.0%2.9%Base cost; creator keeps margin
CamblyFreelancer0.0%2.9%No fee; fixed tutor rate
CourseraFreelancer0.0%2.9%Rev share via institutional deals
edXFreelancer0.0%2.9%Rev share via institutional deals
PayoneerFreelancer0.0%2.9%1–3%+ FX/withdrawal fees
WiseFreelancer0.0%2.9%Low FX spread + small fee
Amazon FlexGig Worker0.0%2.9%No fee to drivers; Amazon sets pay
AppenGig Worker0.0%2.9%No worker fee; client-side margin
ClickworkerGig Worker0.0%2.9%No worker fee; clients pay platform
Respondent.ioGig Worker0.0%2.9%No participant fee; client-side fees
Roadie (UPS)Gig Worker0.0%2.9%No driver fee; UPS/shipper pays platform

145 platforms shown. Data as of June 2026.

Insights

"Platform fees are only the visible layer of a multi-stage deduction system. See the gross-to-net income breakdown for the full 5-layer structure."

"Platforms that report '0% fees' still extract 2–3% through payment processing — making 'free' a relative term in every category."

"The gap between reported fees and effective take rates widens as platforms bundle advertising, fulfilment, and listing costs into opaque 'service' charges."

This Dataset in Context

Platform fees are only one component of total income reduction. This page documents the extraction layer — the other pages explain the full system.