Type the price. See what you keep.
Every marketplace takes its cut somewhere: off the seller, on top for the buyer, or both. Put in a number, pick what you sell, and see the same deal on eight platforms side by side. Figures checked September 2026, sources under the table.
At $0 there is no order for a marketplace to take a cut of, and most of them will not list a split deal at all. On KollabMe a $0 plus split collab is a normal Collab Request. Both of you still confirm completion.
| Platform | Seller keeps | Buyer pays | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiverr | Seller pays 20%. Buyer pays 5.5%, plus $3.50 on orders under $200. Checked September 2026 | ||
| Upwork | Freelance fee 0% to 15% per contract. Client pays 3% to 10% plus a $0.99 to $14.99 contract fee. Checked September 2026 | ||
| BeatStars Marketplace | 0% seller commission on its paid plans (Starter is $19.99 a year). Buyer pays a 12% Marketplace fee at checkout, not on a Pro Page. Checked September 2026 | ||
| Airbit | 0% commission on every plan since September 2023. PayPal or Stripe fees still apply. Checked September 2026 | ||
| TrakTrain | 0% on an MP3 lease. 25% on a WAV lease, exclusive or kit on the Free plan. Buyer pays the producer directly. Checked September 2026 | ||
| SoundBetter | Free to hire. Providers pay a 5% commission on jobs paid through the platform, which holds the money until the job is marked complete. Checked September 2026 | ||
| Jammcard | Members pay 3%, which covers card processing. A booker who is not a member pays 10% on top. Jammcard holds the money in escrow. Checked September 2026 | ||
| KollabMe | No fee. KollabMe does not process the payment. You agree the rate or split on the Collab Request card and settle it yourselves. Checked September 2026 |
Platform fees only. Card, PayPal, Cash App and bank fees are on top everywhere, including on KollabMe, because KollabMe never touches the payment. Subscription costs are not in the numbers; where a platform needs a paid plan to sell, the note says so.
Where each number comes from.
Checked September 2026. Where a platform's own page was blocked when we checked, we say so and name the guide we used instead. Their pricing can change; the link is the source of truth.
- Fiverr
- FreelanceNation: Fiverr fees explained (July 2026) Fiverr's own help page on fees returned a 403 when we checked, so this is a third-party guide. Fiverr's Q2 2026 results put its trailing take rate at 28%.
- Fiverr Q2 2026 results (GlobeNewswire, July 29, 2026)
- Upwork
- goLance: Upwork fees explained 2026 (June 2026) Upwork's support pages returned a 403 when we checked, so this is a third-party guide. Client fee is 3% by bank transfer or 5% by card on the Basic plan, 8% or 10% on Business Plus.
- BeatStars Marketplace
- BeatStars Studio: Pricing
- BeatStars Help: Why is there a service fee on the Marketplace? The help article was not reachable when we checked. The 12% figure is confirmed by anotherxlife's BeatStars pricing guide (September 2024), which shows a $30 beat costing the buyer $33.60.
- anotherxlife: BeatStars pricing (September 2024)
- Airbit
- TrakTrain
- SoundBetter
- SoundBetter FAQ: How much does SoundBetter charge me to post a job or hire someone? SoundBetter's FAQ says it charges providers "a small commission" without a number. The 5% is from Cyber PR's guide to SoundBetter, updated August 2026.
- Cyber PR: The musician's guide to SoundBetter (updated August 2026)
- Jammcard
- KollabMe
Sometimes the cut is the cheapest thing on the invoice.
Pay the fee when it buys you something. A stranger you will never meet, a one-off master before a release date, a buyer in another country: that is what Fiverr and SoundBetter are built for. The platform holds the money, the seller knows they will get paid, the buyer knows they can dispute. Twenty percent of a $150 mix is $30. If $30 is the difference between getting paid and chasing a stranger for a month, it is money well spent.
Skip the fee when there is nothing for it to protect. Someone you have already worked with. A producer in your city you will book again. A split deal where no money moves up front. A $0 collab for a credit. None of those need escrow, and a marketplace will often refuse to list a split at all. What they need is the terms written down before the files move and both of you confirming when it is done. That is what a Collab Request is for, and it costs neither of you a cut. Read what the record does and does not do before you rely on it.
The calculator, answered.
Does KollabMe really take nothing?
Yes, because there is nothing to take it from. KollabMe never holds or processes the payment. The rate or split goes on a Collab Request card in the chat, and the money moves between the two of you on whatever app you both already use. That app may have its own fee, which is why the KollabMe row says price, not price minus zero.
Why do some rows show a range?
Because the platform charges a range. Upwork sets the freelance fee per contract between 0% and 15%, and its client fee depends on the plan and how the client pays. Jammcard charges a booker 10% only if they are not a member. TrakTrain charges 0% on an MP3 lease and 25% on a WAV lease or exclusive on its Free plan. The calculator shows both ends.
What if the deal is $0 and a split?
Then it is a real deal, and most marketplaces will not list it at all because there is no order to take a cut of. On KollabMe a $0 plus split collab goes on the same Collab Request card as a paid one, and both of you confirm completion the same way. Put the split in writing with a split sheet.
Keep reading
Agree the rate in the chat. Keep all of it.
Free to join. Setting up a profile takes about a minute.
