Great for recurring revenue through monthly subscriptions. But limited to badges, emoji, and members-only videos.
Best for: Creators who want monthly recurring income and can qualify (1,000+ subs, monetization enabled).
Delivers perks YouTube can't: downloads, discount codes, private invites, community access. Works with free subscribers too.
Best for: Creators who want to reward subscribers with real value, not just digital flair.
They're not competitors. They're complements.
Use YouTube Memberships for recurring revenue. Use ForSubs to reward all your subscribers with perks YouTube doesn't support.
See exactly what each platform can (and can't) do.
| Feature | FS ForSubs | YouTube |
|---|---|---|
| Downloadable files (PDFs, presets, templates) | ||
| Discount codes for merch | ||
| Private event invites (Zoom, live streams) | ||
| Community access (Discord, Telegram) | ||
| Hidden links (unlisted videos, secret pages) | ||
| Custom badges and emoji | ||
| Members-only videos | ||
| Members-only community posts | ||
| Email collection from subscribers | ||
| Works with free subscribers | ||
| Works with paid channel members | ||
| Eligibility requirements | None | 1,000 subs + monetization |
| Revenue share | 0% | 30% to YouTube |
| Setup time | 60 seconds | Days (approval needed) |
Perks that YouTube Memberships simply don't support.
Share PDFs, presets, templates, fonts, sample packs. Any file your subscribers want.
Reward subscribers with exclusive promo codes for your merch, courses, or products.
Send Zoom links, live stream access, or Q&A invites to verified subscribers.
Give Discord or Telegram invites only to people who are actually subscribed.
Share unlisted videos, secret pages, or exclusive links behind subscriber verification.
Build your email list from verified subscribers. Own your audience off-platform.
It's easy
Upload a file, add a code, or paste a link. Takes 60 seconds.
Drop the link in your video description, pinned comment, or community post.
They sign in with Google. Subscribed? Instant access. No passwords, no waiting.
What your fans see
Exclusive for subscribers
Subscribed! Downloading...
No, they serve different purposes. YouTube Memberships let fans pay monthly for badges and members-only videos. ForSubs lets you deliver perks (downloads, codes, invites) to verified subscribers. Many creators use both.
No. ForSubs uses official Google OAuth and YouTube API to verify subscriptions. We don't access anything YouTube doesn't allow. It's just a way to verify someone is subscribed before giving them a perk.
No. YouTube Memberships require 1,000+ subscribers and monetization approval. ForSubs works for any channel size. Even brand new creators can reward their subscribers.
Free subscribers just click "Subscribe" with no payment. Channel members pay a monthly fee for YouTube Memberships. ForSubs can verify both: free subscribers on any plan, and paid channel members on Pro.
No. YouTube takes 30% of Membership revenue, but ForSubs is a separate platform. You pay ForSubs directly ($0 on Free, $19/mo on Pro) with no revenue share.