10 Top Alternatives to Kickstarter for Crowdfunding Your Next Project

In the past, launching a service- or product-based business venture seemed unattainable to many. Fundraising for your business is often viewed as a daunting task in entrepreneurship. However, with the advent of the internet, fundraising for your project no longer requires tedious paperwork, dull presentations, or endless board meetings. Although traditional methods still fund a significant number of companies, crowdfunding offers a superior alternative for financing your project.

When building, often, it caters to final consumers. Imagine raising money from a crowd, potential early adopters. Crowdfunding epitomizes this: raising funds from willing customers to realize your vision. While Kickstarter is commonly associated with crowdfunding, superior alternatives exist.

Why Seek Kickstarter Alternatives?

Nearing $2 Billion in pledged funds and boasting over 90,000 successful projects, Kickstarter reigns as the premier online crowdfunding platform. From the $2.4 Million backing the Oculus Rift to a staggering $20 Million for Pebble Time, Kickstarter enjoys global renown for its top-tier projects. However, several drawbacks prompt exploration of superior crowdfunding alternatives.

Firstly, Kickstarter restricts campaign creation to specific countries: US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. If you’re not a citizen of these countries, you can’t start a campaign. Kickstarter operates on an ‘all-or-nothing’ model, meaning you only receive funds if you meet the threshold. Getting listed on Kickstarter is challenging, as each project undergoes scrutiny by staff. Additionally, Kickstarter imposes various restrictions and may not be suitable for non-product-based projects.

Top 10 Kickstarter Alternatives

Understanding the constraints of Kickstarter, here are 10 alternatives worth considering for your next crowdfunded endeavor.

1. Indiegogo

Indiegogo stands as one of Kickstarter’s major rivals, offering accessible features for launching campaigns worldwide. The platform’s lack of geographical restrictions facilitates easier campaign initiation compared to Kickstarter. However, this inclusivity also correlates with a lower average success rate, necessitating exceptional project quality.

Indiegogo imposes no project submission rules, giving you full freedom in how you present your project. Choose between Fixed and Flexible funding, enabling you to execute the project upon reaching its target or adapt flexibly to the funds raised. Indiegogo’s Campaign Editor offers extensive flexibility with various options tailored to your crowdfunding needs. With over 20 categories available, Indiegogo caters to diverse project types, surpassing Kickstarter’s focus on individual projects. Additionally, Indiegogo allows team members to be added to a project, fostering a positive investor response to your vision.

For a comprehensive comparison between Indiegogo and Kickstarter, refer to our detailed analysis here.

Countries Available: Worldwide.

Commission Charges: 5% of raised funds.

Categories Covered: Animals, Art, Comic, Community, Dance, Design, Education, Environment, Fashion, Film, Food, Gaming, Health, Music, Photography, Politics, Religion, Small Business, Sports, Technology, Theatre, Transmedia, Video, and Writing.

Well known for: Code.org’s Hour of Code, Solar Roadways, Skully Motorcycle Helmet, Stone Brewing Company, Gosnell Movie, etc.

2. GoFundMe

For individual or community causes, GoFundMe is an ideal crowdfunding platform. It enables users to create personal campaigns to raise funds for tuition or medical expenses during hardships. You can invite friends and family, as well as receive support from people worldwide. GoFundMe offers three campaign types: Personal, Charity, and All or Nothing projects. Personal campaigns provide flexible fundraising, allowing withdrawal of raised funds at any time.

Set up a campaign for a friend or injured pet in your neighborhood. You can run a campaign with a fixed funding goal using GoFundMe. The only drawback is that causes cannot be made 100% private to friends and family and will be listed in the GoFundMe directory. Most campaigns on GoFundMe are for personal causes and are popular for making community life easier and happier.

Countries Available: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, Finland, Austria, Italy.

Commission Charges: 5% of every donation + 2.9% by WePay or 1.9% by Stripe.

3. Ulule

A renowned crowdfunding platform originating from Europe, Ulule stands out as a premier alternative to Kickstarter for creative endeavors. It boasts a substantial presence in Art, Film, Book, and Theater campaigns. While accessible globally, Ulule exclusively facilitates Euro transactions for individuals with European Union bank accounts. For campaigns originating outside the EU, PayPal serves as the sole avenue for fund collection.

With over 10,000 successful creative projects funded, Ulule has raised over €37 Million, making it the premier crowdfunding network for your next campaign. While Ulule encompasses technology and other categories, successful projects typically revolve around the arts, such as book publishing, movies, music albums, and theater plays. Ulule operates on an ‘all-or-nothing’ funding model, ensuring funds are only collected if the campaign reaches its target.

Countries Available: Worldwide.

Commission Charges: 5% commission (8% after technical and transaction costs).

Patreon: Revolutionizing Content Creation Funding

Patreon epitomizes the cutting-edge crowdfunding platform, enabling today’s content creators to engage with their patrons directly, securing financial support. It fosters a symbiotic relationship between artists and supporters, facilitating mutual contribution. With Patreon, creators establish accounts, empowering patrons to make recurring monthly payments for early content access or opt for a ‘per release’ payment model.

Patreon empowers content creators, such as YouTube artists, comic artists, singers, writers, and other creatives, to connect directly with patrons and raise funds in exchange for exclusive perks. Despite having amassed over a million dollars in support for its creators, the idea of monthly recurring payments to back independent artists isn’t universally embraced. However, the ‘pay-per-release’ model simplifies fundraising for creators on this platform.

Countries: Worldwide.

Commission: 5% of each donation.

Categories: Video & film, Music, Writing, Comics, Drawing & paintings, Animation, Podcasts, Gaming, Photography, Comedy, Science, Education, Crafts, Arts & Theater.

Well-Known for: Comics, Novels, Drawings, Paintings, Podcasts, Comedy shows, YouTube video makers, etc.

5. Tilt

Tilt represents the evolution of crowdfunding networks, emphasizing group collaboration. Creating a campaign on Tilt is straightforward for individuals with a bank account from qualifying countries. For group fundraising, set a goal, designate a target amount, and invite friends and supporters. Tilt facilitates managing contributors and tracking contributions. Operating on an ‘All-or-nothing’ model, funds are only charged once the target is reached.

Collecting money from groups on Tilt is free, allowing users to create fundraising campaigns where even uninvited people can donate. Tilt has gained popularity in recent years due to its unique proposition for personal causes.

Countries Available: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Netherlands.

Commission Charges: Free for collecting money, 2.5% for selling items or fundraising.

Categories Covered: Personal fundraising goals.

Well-Known for: Parties, Birthday celebrations, gifts, and personal fundraising causes.

6. Pozible

Pozible stands as a premier Kickstarter alternative for creative content creators. Whether your forte lies in comics, writings, drawings, paintings, photography, music, film & video, or any similar creative endeavor, Pozible provides a platform to fund your vision. Utilizing an ‘all-or-nothing’ approach, Pozible ensures contributors aren’t charged unless your funding goal is met. Initiating your journey on Pozible involves creating a project and establishing a monetary target and deadline.

From family and friends to strangers, anyone can support your creative endeavors on Pozible. You have the freedom to offer both tangible and intangible rewards to your contributors. While occasional tech and science projects surface on Pozible, its primary focus remains on fostering creativity and innovation.

Countries Available: Worldwide

Commission Charges: 5% (up to $100K), 4% ($100-500K), 3% (500K+)

Categories Covered: Art, Comics, Craft, Design, Event, Fashion, Film, Food & drink, Game, Journalism, Music, Performance, Photography, Technology, Video, Writing, etc.

Well-Known for: Creative content campaigns like Writing, Comics, Design, and more.

WishBerry.in

Wishberry is India’s crowdfunding platform for creative content makers. It hosts hundreds of projects across India, operating on an ‘all-or-nothing’ model. Contributors are only charged once monetary targets are met within a 60-day period from project acceptance. Thus, you set a target monetary goal for your project.

Raise funds on Wishberry, reward contributors with VIP passes, goodies, free downloads, and more. Simply fill out a form on their platform to list your campaign. Once accepted, you’ll be redirected to a campaign page to provide specific details.

Countries Available: India

Commission Charges: 7% Commission + 3% transaction fees

Categories Covered: Arts & craft, Product design, Film & video, Music, Dance, Theater, Publishing, Comics, Fashion, Food, Photography, Games, Apps.

Well-Known for: Creative content campaigns.

8. TryCelery

Amidst crowdfunding’s predominant platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, Try Celery emerges as a pioneering network challenging conventional crowdfunding paradigms. With merely two lines of code, Try Celery transforms your product landing page into a comprehensive crowdfunding and pre-ordering hub for clientele. Offering customers the ability to pre-order products, Try Celery also provides flexibility in payment, allowing either instant charges or deferred payment upon product shipment.

Incubated by YCombinator, Try Celery challenges the crowdfunding industry by offering greater autonomy to product manufacturers. It enables them to continue selling without time restrictions, unlike Kickstarter or other platforms. If a third-party platform is hindering traffic to your website and imposing restrictions on your crowdfunding campaign, Try Celery might be the solution. With its e-commerce and crowdfunding capabilities integrated into your website, Try Celery is a modern platform deserving of attention.

Countries Available: All countries

Commission Charges: 2% of every transaction + PayPal/Stripe fees

Categories Covered: All your fundraising needs!

Renowned for: Pebble pre-ordering, August Smartwatch, and more.

9. CrowdFunder

For community-based crowdfunding in the UK, Crowdfunder.co.uk stands out as the top alternative to Kickstarter. With just five clicks, launch your campaign effortlessly. Crowdfunder.co.uk offers two funding models – ‘All-or-nothing’ and ‘Keep what you raise’ – with campaigns running for 2-8 weeks.

Crowdfunder.co.uk charges standard fees typical of major crowdfunding platforms for hosting campaigns. While all major categories are available on Crowdfunder.co.uk, the majority are community campaigns contributing to local welfare.

Available Countries: United Kingdom

Commission Charges: 5% + VAT

Categories: Community, Business, Environment, Arts, Politics, Publishing, Music, Film and Theatre, Food and Drink, Sports, Schools, University

Specialization: Community projects

10. Fig.co

Fig.co, a dedicated crowdfunding platform for games, disrupts the norm by offering equity to early investors. Unlike other platforms, Fig.co acknowledges the potential loss to investors if a project succeeds without rewarding them. For instance, Oculus early adopters missed out on bonuses when Facebook acquired the company for $2 billion. Fig.co addresses this issue by allowing accredited investors to invest significantly in a game title and share in its profits.

Operating on a per-game basis, Fig.co enables fans to contribute to a single game title at a time, earning early download rewards in return. Contributors investing over $1,000 receive equity in the game title. Fig.co’s advisory board and staff curate pitches and oversee the crowdfunding process for each game title.

Countries Available: United States

Commission Charges: 5% of successful campaigns

Categories Covered: Video Games

Well-Known for: Independent and major studio Game titles

As we conclude the 10 Best Kickstarter Alternatives, which platform impressed you most? Share your thoughts and comments on crowdfunding platforms below.