Apple to Soon Take Up to 30% Cut From All Patreon Creators in iOS App

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/28/patreon-apple-tax/

40 Comments

  1. Apple:
    Well we can’t have people buying our phones and then making money with it after they “own” it and not capturing their income can we?

  2. Patreon covers all of the platforms the streamers use, so how are they going to split that up across the platforms fairly?

    This just reeks

  3. *Technofeudalism is a term used to describe a modern economic system where big technology companies have power similar to feudal lords in the past. Instead of land, these companies control digital platforms, data, and online markets. People and smaller businesses rely on these platforms, just like peasants once relied on feudal lords for land and protection.*

    https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technofeudalism

  4. I found this out the hard way with youtube premium. If you sub to YT premium via ios, you’re paying more, as that 30% is passed onto you. (So cancel it, and resub via browser or desktop as the article notes)

  5. I thought Patreon was able to leverage the Epic decision to get around this. Disappointing to see that’s not the case.

  6. Not “soon”, they’re already doing it bc the deadline was supposed to be last year and they extended it. Multiple podcasts I listen to were already telling listeners interested in subscribing about this when it first started.

  7. I’ve been an avid Apple user for just over 30 years now, but for the last 5 years, their never-ending rapaciousness has really gotten on my nerves. I won’t subscribe to any of their services, nor do I ever plan to buy a new iPhone or Mac again. I still prefer them to the alternatives, but everything else I buy is used, so why not my computer and phone too?

  8. So what you’re saying is Patreon is going to remove the option to subscribe through the iOS app and make you do it on their website like many iOS apps already do…

  9. EffectiveEconomics on

    Life long apple fan, love the products. Dedicated owner.

    I HATE THIS level of a tax on the external service providers. Apple should know better.

    It wil only ruin the platform once antitrust is finally and correctly levied (not under Trump I guess? Apple can outbid patreon here).

  10. So we got apply acting this way and Google shortly to follow. Where do we go now?

    If someone tries to tell me to go get a Linux phone, I’ll get one and show it up ya bum. Linux phones aren’t ready yet.

  11. This seems odd. Wouldn’t this imply that Apple takes a 30% cut out of transactions in your banking app? Or from PayPal and venmo? These could all be considered “digital goods or services”

  12. I think there was a simple-ish solution, although tedious, that creators were asking people to do: Unsubscribe from within the app, re-sub on the site.

    Someone correct me, but: I *think* Patreon will do the math and not double charge you for the same period; I think it will start your new web sub after the current one runs out.

  13. ReputationFederal444 on

    Gotta pay for the pedophile’s gold trophy they gave him and a good chiropractor for all that bending over they’re doing.

  14. Ah yeah. They need that 30% to cover things like trust and safety in the App Store so they can, let me check the notes…allow Grok and other nudify apps?

  15. I love how Silicon Valley does nothing but bitch about taxing while they do it all the time in their own way but without loopholes…don’t they see the irony?

  16. Soon? Weren’t they already doing this? Patreon already has creator settings for eating the cost or charging more.

  17. ElementNumber6 on

    This is like taking a % cut of all Amazon sales made through Chrome.

    Beyond outrageous.

  18. weinerschnitzelboy on

    Didn’t a judge literally just give Apple a verbal beat down for this exact predatory practice? Has Apple not allowed 3rd party payment processors on their platform yet?

  19. Every creator worth a dang already has a good system to get ppl to pay via the website. Tim Apple can pound sand.

  20. UnknownSampleRate on

    So tired of these endlessly greedy parasitic corporations, constantly squeezing more money out of people while their products get worse all the time. 

  21. Endless greed is disgusting. This muppet has been a godsend to wall street, but that 750 billion in stock buybacks could’ve gone a long way in R&D.