Kiip vs Whop: Which is better for global creator payouts?
Here's a question that sounds simple but isn't: Are you buying infrastructure or a marketplace?
Most platform operators don't realize they're asking this when they evaluate payout solutions. Whop and Kiip both process money. They both support creators worldwide. But they're solving completely different problems—and choosing wrong can quietly drain your control, your margins, and your community.
The infrastructure vs marketplace trap
Whop is a marketplace first. It happens to have payout infrastructure built in. Kiip is payout infrastructure first—we don't run a marketplace, and we won't lock you in.
When you send your creators to Whop to get paid, they land on Whop's platform. They see Whop's brand. They browse Whop's creator ecosystem. Some of them discover other creators on Whop. Some stay there. You lose direct relationship with your community.
When you use Kiip, your creators see your branding on their wallet. They get paid through your platform. You stay the trusted intermediary. You keep the relationship.
This is the lock-in most people don't see coming.
The fee reality check
Let's look at what you're actually paying per transaction:
Kiip: 1% + $0.10 per payout
- $100 payout: $1.10 (1.1% effective rate)
- $1,000 payout: $10.10 (1.01% effective rate)
Whop: 3% platform fee + 2.7% processing + $0.30 = ~5.7-6.2% total
- $100 payout: $6.00-$6.20 (6% effective rate)
- $1,000 payout: $60-$62 (6% effective rate)
That's 5-6x more expensive with Whop. On 10,000 creators earning $1,000 each, you're looking at an extra $500,000+ annually going to Whop instead of staying in your ecosystem.
The branding problem
Whop uses their branding, their interface, their ecosystem language. Your creators see the Whop experience, not yours.
We build white-label wallets. Your logo. Your colors. Your terms. Your brand stays the primary relationship with your community.
Your brand is your asset. Whop's brand is Whop's asset.
The "sending your community away" problem
This is the real risk.
When your creators land on Whop to access payouts, they're on a marketplace with 4M+ monthly visitors and 30k+ affiliates. They can browse. They can discover. They can find competitors.
With Kiip, your creators never leave your ecosystem. Payouts happen inside your product experience. They don't discover anyone else. They stay focused on you.
Side-by-side comparison
| Kiip | Whop | |
|---|---|---|
| Payout fee | 1% + $0.10 | ~5.7-6.2% |
| Branding | White-label (yours) | Whop brand |
| Speed | Instant | 1-5 days |
| Countries | 200+ | 200+ |
| Lock-in risk | None—infrastructure only | High—marketplace ecosystem |
| Control | Complete | Limited |
| Tax forms | W-9, W-8BEN, DAC7 | Standard |
When Whop actually makes sense
Whop works if you want marketplace exposure and don't mind the lock-in—if you actually want your creators discovering each other on a third-party platform and you're okay with them potentially leaving.
It's a trade-off. You get marketplace reach. You pay for it in fees and control.
For most platform operators, that's not the trade-off they want to make.
The bottom line
Do you want to own your creator relationship, or outsource it?
If you want to keep your community on your platform with your branding and your economics, you need infrastructure that gets out of the way. That's Kiip.
If you want a revenue-sharing partner that brings marketplace traffic but takes fees and branding control, Whop's the play.
Most platform operators don't realize they're making that choice until it's too late—when they're locked in and the fees are already baked into creator expectations.