# Hotly vs Passes

Passes and Hotly both let fans pay to message you and unlock content. Passes is a closed platform that reviews creator applications and adds subscriptions, livestreams and merch, for 10-20% per transaction. Hotly does one thing - paid messages - hosted from $5.99/mo, and the code is open source if you ever want to leave.

## Side by side

| | Hotly | Passes |
|---|---|---|
| What fans pay for | A message you answer | Subscriptions, messages, unlocks, livestreams, merch |
| Paid messages | Yes - the core product. Fans pay $5-$20 per message. | Yes |
| Locked media | Yes. Send a locked photo, set the price. | Yes |
| Platform fee | Hosted: $5.99/mo + 20% commission, or $9.99/mo + 10% commission - servers, updates and backups included. Self-hosting the code: 0% commission, ~$430/mo to run. | 10% + $0.30 on Starter; 20% on Creators+. |
| Payouts | Stripe, straight to your bank. | Bank or PayPal, $50 minimum, every 1-4 weeks. Faster payouts cost up to 10% extra. |
| Open source | Yes. Apache 2.0 License - take the code with you anytime. | No |
| Signup | Request a hosted plan, no card - the team emails you to set it up. Or run the code on your own Linux server. | Application, reviewed by Passes. |

Passes details checked September 2026: [Passes fee tiers](https://www.passes.com/blog/posts/introducing-creators), [Passes payouts](https://help.passes.com/article/9a17babd-set-up-and-manage-payouts), [Passes 2026 rebrand](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/passes-rebrands-as-the-creator-accelerator-platform-302749690.html).

## Pick Passes if...

- You want subscriptions, livestreams and merch in one place.
- You'd like a platform that markets itself as an accelerator for creators.

## Pick Hotly if...

- You only need paid messages, run for you.
- You want open-source code, so you're never locked in.
- You'd rather keep your payouts on Stripe, to your bank.

## Questions

**Is Hotly a Passes alternative?**
Yes, for paid DMs. Both let fans pay to message you and unlock content. Hotly is open source, so anyone can run it; Passes reviews applications.

**Which takes a smaller cut?**
Hosted Plus is $9.99/mo + 10% commission, close to Passes' 10% + $0.30 Starter rate; Hosted is $5.99/mo + 20% commission, the same cut as Passes' Creators+. Self-hosting the code has 0% commission but costs about $430/mo to run.

**Do I need to apply to use Hotly?**
No. Request a hosted plan - no card needed - and the team emails you to set it up.

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**Start:** https://www.hotly.com/hosted?ref=hosted