Liberapay
French non-profit that moves recurring donations to creators without taking a cut
At a glance
| Company | Association Liberapay |
|---|---|
| Category | Creator Membership Platforms |
| Headquarters | Querrien, France |
| Founded | 2015 |
| EU Presence | Yes - France (EU) |
| Data Location | not stated on the pages we read (the FAQ says only that Liberapay is based in France) |
| Open Source | Open project with code on GitHub; licence not named on the pages we read |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Recurring weekly donations, multiple currencies, payouts to your own Stripe or PayPal account, public totals by default |
| Pricing | No cut of payments; payment processor fees apply (the FAQ reports average fees of about 3% for Stripe and 5% for PayPal) |
| Best For | Creators and open source maintainers who want recurring gifts without rewards or tiers |
| Replaces | Patreon |
Full review
Liberapay is a recurring donation platform run by Association Liberapay, a non-profit based at 7 lieu dit La Croix Rouge, 29310 Querrien, France. The legal page lists the association under identifier W144000981.
Liberapay describes its purpose as a stable crowdfunded basic income for creators. A donor sets an amount per week, and the money goes to the recipient's own Stripe or PayPal account.
How Liberapay handles recurring gifts
Liberapay donors give on a weekly rhythm, with a minimum of EUR 0.01 per week and a cap of EUR 100.00 per week per donor, according to the about page and FAQ. Donors are asked to pay several weeks in advance to reduce fees.
Recipients do not learn who their donors are by default. Totals given and received are public by default, and a user can opt out.
What Liberapay costs
Liberapay states that it does not take a cut of payments and is funded by donations to its own account. Payment processing fees still apply and vary by processor, method, country and currency.
The FAQ names Stripe and PayPal as processors, with average fees of about 3% and 5%. Patreon's pricing page lists 10% of income plus processing, currency conversion and payout fees.
Liberapay compared with Patreon
Liberapay is a donation tool, and its FAQ says transactions must not be linked to a contract. That rules out paid tiers, rewards and gated posts, which Patreon offers.
Liberapay fits creators whose audience gives because they value the work, such as developers, writers and publishers of free knowledge.
Points against
Liberapay is only for donations, so there are no membership tiers, locked posts, chats or newsletters. The FAQ states that transactions must not be linked to a contract. Hosting location and the software licence are not stated on the pages we read. For gated content, look at Steady or Ghost.
Best suited to users of Liberapay
Creators and maintainers who want steady recurring gifts from supporters and do not need to sell tiers or exclusive posts.
Strengths and weaknesses
Pros
- Non-profit association with a published address and identifier
- No cut taken from payments
- Weekly recurring gifts with a EUR 0.01 minimum
- Payouts go straight to your Stripe or PayPal account
- Code published on GitHub as an open project
Cons
- No tiers, rewards or exclusive content
- Payment processor fees of about 3% to 5% still apply
- Donor cap of EUR 100.00 per week
- Hosting location and licence not stated on the pages we read
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Non-profit with a published address and identifier
- No cut taken from payments
- Weekly gifts from EUR 0.01
- Payouts to your own Stripe or PayPal account
- Code open on GitHub
Cons
- No tiers, rewards or exclusive content
- Processor fees of about 3% to 5% on top
- Donor cap of EUR 100.00 per week
- Hosting location and licence not stated
Alternatives to Liberapay
Further European creator membership platforms to compare:
See all European creator membership platforms or compare them directly against Patreon on our alternatives page.
Questions buyers ask
Yes, for donations. Liberapay is run by a French non-profit and moves recurring gifts to creators. It does not offer paid tiers or rewards, which Patreon does.
Liberapay states it does not take a cut of payments. Payment processing fees apply, and the FAQ reports average fees of about 3% for Stripe and 5% for PayPal.
No. The FAQ states Liberapay is only for donations and that transactions must not be linked to a contract, so rewards and gated content are not supported.