GitHub sponsor is donations in long term for open source projects. In this platform the repository ownership isn't transferred, and seller gets paid for every collaborator added and forked.
I don't think so. I do GitHub sponsor and i think its more sponsor then donation. The sponsor can get the reward specify by author. And one of the reward can be access to author private repository.
I think GitHub sponsor is more than donation. There is give and take between author and sponsors. Though it depends on the author to set up the reward and tier.
I believe selling a copy of your repo (software, solution, boilerplate) is more profitable than sponsors paying $2 once in a few month, and thats why I built this.
From my understanding, GitHub sponsor author can specify what tier sponsor can use so it not just monthly, it can be lifetime also. So author can specify, how much sponsor can paying each tier. For example, 50$ lifetime mean only paying once and get the reward.
Your website looks nice but if you ask me which one to choose between GitHub built in or GitHub third party, i would choose GitHub built in instead which GitHub sponsor.
If you ask me for suggestion, maybe instead of made site to sell repo, i think it's better to make site that can monetize repo. Maybe repo owner will get commission per download served from your site. This way, your site can be used not only to monetize repo but also to showcase good repo.
If you go commission per download, maybe the repo owner can specify on their release to download from your site. So the release will not has any download, instead the download is from your site. This way, your site can get more traffic because if user want to download from repo owner, they need to visit your site first.
For how you can commission repo owner, i don't really sure. Maybe, put ads from Adsense or company on your site or on the download redirect. For example, 'your download will begin shortly, while waiting check out this product (showcase ads)'. Another way or addition, you can made a premium member for your site, where they don't need to wait for downloading, but off course you need to split the revenue from premium member to repo owner, maybe like Quora where if your repo downloaded from premium member, then your commission will be much higher.
Well this is just what i have in mind while typing this. I think this way you have more target audience for you, such as open-source repo owner or simply someone who want to browse or find good GitHub project, or user from author repo who want to support author but cant do donation or sponsor. After all many open-source project is lack of funding.
I think GitHub sponsor is more than donation. There is give and take between author and sponsors. Though it depends on the author to set up the reward and tier.