How many members do I need to make a living?

At $10/month, 500 members = $5,000 MRR. At $25/month, 200 members = $5,000 MRR. The key insight: fewer, more committed members at a higher price point often creates a better community and more sustainable business than many low-paying members.

Which membership platform has the lowest fees?

Memberful at flat $25/month + 0% on revenue (after Stripe fees) is often cheapest at scale. Patreon Lite takes 5%, Pro takes 8%, Premium takes 12%. Substack takes 10%. For large membership communities (500+ members), dedicated platforms usually beat percentage-based ones.

How many members do I need to make a living?

At $10/month, 500 members = $5,000 MRR. At $25/month, 200 members = $5,000 MRR. The key insight: fewer, more committed members at a higher price point often creates a better community and more sustainable business than many low-paying members.

Which membership platform has the lowest fees?

Memberful at flat $25/month + 0% on revenue (after Stripe fees) is often cheapest at scale. Patreon Lite takes 5%, Pro takes 8%, Premium takes 12%. Substack takes 10%. For large membership communities (500+ members), dedicated platforms usually beat percentage-based ones.

Monetization

Membership Revenue Calculator

Calculate MRR from tiered memberships on any platform — Patreon, Memberful, Discord, or your own site. Model churn, upgrades, and annual vs monthly billing to project 12-month growth.

Your Membership Community

Total Members

Total active paying members

Monthly Price

Your monthly membership price

Annual Plan Mix

Portion of members on an annual plan

Annual Price Multiplier

How much annual members pay vs monthly rate

Platform

Monthly Churn Rate

% of members who cancel each month

Include Payment Processing (2.9% + $0.30/member)

Deduct Stripe/card processing fees from net revenue

Membership Revenue Breakdown

Net Monthly Revenue

$5,249.80

From 200 members after all fees

Net Annual Revenue

$63.0K

Gross Monthly Revenue

$5,703.33

Platform Fee (Circle (4% fee))

–$228.13

Payment Processing

–$225.40

Avg Revenue per Member (net)

$26.25

Churn Impact — Projected Net Monthly Revenue

Month 3

$4,501.05/mo86% of today

Month 6

$3,859.09/mo74% of today

Month 12

$2,836.78/mo54% of today

Based on 5% monthly churn. Reduce churn to protect long-term revenue.

Note

Revenue projections assume a stable member base with no new acquisitions. Actual churn varies by community engagement and content quality. Platform fees may change — verify current pricing on each platform's website. Annual plan revenue is shown as its monthly equivalent for comparison.

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How the Formula Works

Formula

MRR = Σ (Members per Tier × Tier Price) Annual Revenue = MRR × 12 × (1 − Annual Churn Rate) Net MRR = Gross MRR × (1 − Platform Fee) × (1 − Payment Fee)

Variables

MRRMonthly Recurring Revenue — the predictable monthly income from active members

Churn RateMonthly percentage of members who cancel — industry average is 3–7%

Platform FeePatreon 5–12%, Memberful 10%, Discord Nitro varies

Worked Example

50 members at $5 + 20 at $15 + 5 at $50 = $800 MRR. At 5% monthly churn over 12 months, annual revenue ≈ $8,000. After 8% platform fee: $7,360 net.

Why Recurring Revenue Changes Everything

Unlike ad revenue that varies month to month, membership revenue is predictable. Even $500/month in MRR provides a reliable income floor that lets you plan, invest in better equipment, and take creative risks. Most creators underestimate the compounding power of even a small membership community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Best-in-class membership communities see 2–3% monthly churn. Industry average is 5–7%. Annual billing dramatically reduces churn since members pay upfront and are less likely to cancel. If your churn is above 10% monthly, focus on member value and engagement before growing.