BackerKit vs Kickstarter
"BackerKit vs Kickstarter" can mean two things: launching your campaign on BackerKit instead of Kickstarter, or using BackerKit as the pledge manager after a Kickstarter. This page covers both.
Checked October 2026.
Running the campaign
| Kickstarter | BackerKit Crowdfunding | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 5% | 5% |
| Payment processing | About 3% + a fixed fee per pledge (around $0.20–$0.30 in the US) | 2.9% + $0.30 per pledge (US) |
| Funding | All-or-nothing | All-or-nothing |
| Prelaunch page | Free, with "Notify me on launch" | Free (BackerKit Launch); $99 per project to email your own imported list |
| Pledge manager | Kickstarter Pledge Manager: 5% + processing on money collected | Built in: 5% on pledge-manager charges for BackerKit campaigns |
| Payout | Starts 14 days after the campaign ends | Typically within 14 days |
| Audience | The largest crowdfunding audience across every creative category | Smaller, concentrated in tabletop games, comics and RPGs |
Which platform to launch on
Kickstarter brings more browsing backers, which matters most for first-time creators without a big list. BackerKit Crowdfunding makes sense when you already have a strong audience in tabletop, comics or RPGs and want the campaign and pledge manager in one place with no hand-off between tools.
Fees are close either way. The bigger differences are discovery (Kickstarter) versus an all-in-one workflow (BackerKit).
Using BackerKit after a Kickstarter
Many creators run the campaign on Kickstarter and then use BackerKit's pledge manager. In that case BackerKit charges a campaign fee of up to 2% (tiered by campaign size) plus 3.5% of the money collected in the pledge manager (add-ons, shipping, taxes).
The alternative is Kickstarter's own pledge manager: no campaign fee, 5% plus processing on money collected, and it collects and pays VAT and US/Canada sales tax for you. Hive and PledgeBox charge 3%. Full breakdown: pledge managers compared.
Questions
Is BackerKit better than Kickstarter?
Neither is better for everyone. Kickstarter has the bigger audience; BackerKit offers campaign plus pledge manager in one place and is strongest in tabletop, comics and RPGs.
How much does BackerKit charge?
For campaigns on BackerKit Crowdfunding: 5% plus payment processing (2.9% + $0.30 in the US). As a pledge manager after a campaign elsewhere: up to 2% of the campaign total plus 3.5% of money collected in the pledge manager.
Can I use BackerKit with a Kickstarter campaign?
Yes. BackerKit's pledge manager imports your Kickstarter backers so you can collect addresses, sell add-ons and take late pledges.
Where these numbers come from
- BackerKit Help: frequently asked questions, when your campaign ends, receiving funds
- Kickstarter: fees, Kickstarter Pledge Manager, prelaunch page
BackerKit's US processing rate comes from its pricing page; rates for other countries weren't published at the time of checking.
Turn your numbers into a finished campaign page
The PledgeBird Page Builder lays out your Kickstarter page the way top campaigns in your category do: headers, reward cards, specs, stretch goals and shipping tables. Free to build.
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