Back in 2024, Patreon announced its plan to bring a greater “network effect” to its platform. By introducing new features that help active patrons find other accounts that might interest them, Patreon furthered its mission to serve as an all-in-one creator hub.
Now, all Patreon users can be part of the platform’s network. Existing discovery features are rolling out more widely, and Patreon is adding some new tools as well, including a short-form content format titled Quips.
A Patreon blog post describes Quips as “new, free, short-form posts that live in the Home feed and reach fans across Patreon’s app and website.” Creators can use Quips to preview exclusive perks that can be unlocked by paying patrons. On the other side of the equation, viewers will see Quips from creators they don’t yet support. Through that process, Patreon will act as a recommendation engine alongside its other functions.
Subscribe to get the latest creator news
Quips — and the redesigned homepage feed that houses them — have a lot in common with TikTok’s For You Page. Patreon, however, has firmly claimed that it’s not a social media platform. Its mission is to empower creators, and its approach to short-form content fits that bill. Rather than keeping viewers scrolling for as long as possible, the Quips format directs homepage visitors to relevant pages. And users who aren’t interested in discovering new accounts can toggle over to a “Memberships-only feed” instead.
“The network we brought to life prioritizes long-term relationships over mindless attention,” reads the blog post. “It makes finding new communities fun without sacrificing the connections creators and fans have already made.”
The other facets of Patreon’s discovery push also put communities first. New Collaboration posts resemble the similarly named feature on Instagram. Collaborating creators can put both their names on joint posts, building tighter connections between their respective patrons.
For a platform that built its name by facilitating close communications between creators and their fans, Patreon’s network-based approach represents a significant shift. Competitors like beehiiv and Substack have challenged Patreon by building robust toolkits for partner creators. By rolling out new features to 300,000 creators and nearly 80 million fans, Patreon is keeping while redefining its homepage at the same time.
