Pricing tiers

Ark has three creator tiers. Your tier determines your commission rate and platform benefits. Progression is automatic based on revenue milestones.

Tier overview

Tier	How to reach it	Commission	Package limit
Starter	Create an account	20%	5 packages
Creator	3+ packages published AND $500 lifetime revenue	20%	Unlimited
Partner	$5,000 lifetime revenue OR invitation	15%	Unlimited

Starter

Every new creator starts here. You can publish up to 5 packages and earn at 20% commission (you keep 80%).

Starter is designed for creators testing the platform. It has no minimum commitment — publish one package, see how it goes.

Creator

Unlocks when you've published at least 3 packages and crossed $500 in lifetime revenue. No application needed — the upgrade is automatic.

Benefits:

Unlimited package count
Priority review (24h instead of 48h)
Access to the Creator dashboard with detailed analytics
Ability to create bundle packages (requires two published packages as components)

Partner

The top tier. Reached automatically at $5,000 lifetime revenue, or via invitation for strategic creators (flagship packages, platform contributors).

Benefits:

15% commission (you keep 85%)
Featured placement in the marketplace and CLI default search
Dedicated support channel (email + Telegram)
Early access to new package types and platform features
Annual payout option (Stripe single transfer vs. 7-day rolling)

Commission math

Commission is taken from the gross sale price before payout. Stripe's payment processing fee (2.9% + $0.30) is deducted from the creator's share.

Example — $49 sale, Starter tier

Sale price:                 $49.00
Ark commission (20%):      -$9.80
Creator amount:             $39.20
Stripe fee (2.9%+$0.30):   -$1.44
──────────────────────────────────
Creator payout:             $37.76

Example — $499 system, Partner tier

Sale price:                 $499.00
Ark commission (15%):      -$74.85
Creator amount:             $424.15
Stripe fee (2.9%+$0.30):   -$12.60
──────────────────────────────────
Creator payout:             $411.55

Subscriptions

System and OS packages can use the subscription sale model. Monthly subscriptions use the standard commission rate. Annual subscriptions get a 5% commission discount (Starter: 15%, Creator: 15%, Partner: 10%).

Refund policy: Ark offers a 7-day refund guarantee to buyers. Refunds are deducted from your next payout. If your refund rate exceeds 10%, Ark may review your packages and pricing.

→ Stripe payouts — payout schedule and setup
→ Creator accounts — set up your account