Kickstarter alternatives
Kickstarter is the biggest crowdfunding site for creative projects, but it isn't the only option, and sometimes it isn't the best one. Here's who the main alternatives suit and what they cost.
Fees checked October 2026.
Quick picks
- Board game or tabletop? Gamefound, or BackerKit Crowdfunding.
- Gadget or consumer product? Indiegogo, or Kickstarter's Design & Tech category.
- Open-source or electronics hardware? Crowd Supply.
- Based in France or selling mainly to Europe? Ulule.
- Making things every month rather than one project? Patreon.
- Raising money for a cause, with no rewards? GoFundMe.
Main platforms compared
| Kickstarter | Gamefound | BackerKit Crowdfunding | Indiegogo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Payment processing | About 3% + a fixed fee per pledge (varies by country) | 3% + 0.20 per pledge | 2.9% + $0.30 per pledge (US) | 3% + 0.20 per pledge |
| Funding model | All-or-nothing | All-or-nothing | All-or-nothing | All-or-nothing (flexible funding ended for new campaigns in 2025) |
| Best known for | Every creative category; the biggest audience | Tabletop games | Tabletop games, comics, RPGs | Tech and consumer products |
| Built-in pledge manager | Yes (5% + processing on PM money) | Yes | Yes | Yes (late pledges, formerly InDemand) |
| Payouts | Starts 14 days after the campaign ends | Weekly, on Fridays | Typically within 14 days | Weekly, on Fridays (5% rolling reserve) |
Fees are on funded campaigns; if you don't reach your goal on any of these, nobody is charged. Work out your exact numbers in the fees calculator.
Gamefound
A crowdfunding platform built for tabletop games, from Poland. Many of the biggest board game campaigns now launch here. Backers can manage everything (campaign, add-ons, shipping) in one account, and Gamefound has features tabletop creators ask for: stretch goals, add-ons, late pledges, instalments and a short extension when a campaign ends. In 2025 Gamefound bought Indiegogo and moved it onto Gamefound's software.
Good for: board games and miniatures. Watch out for: outside tabletop, the audience is much smaller than Kickstarter's.
BackerKit Crowdfunding
BackerKit started as a pledge manager and now runs its own crowdfunding platform. It's strongest in tabletop games, comics and RPGs, with a free prelaunch page (BackerKit Launch) and a pledge manager already connected. See BackerKit vs Kickstarter for a full comparison.
Good for: creators who want campaign and pledge manager in one place. Watch out for: you bring most of the audience yourself.
Indiegogo
The second-best-known name after Kickstarter, traditionally strongest for gadgets and tech. Since October 2025 it runs on Gamefound's platform: the fees match Gamefound's, campaigns are all-or-nothing, "InDemand" became "Late Pledge", and tips go to creators. See Kickstarter vs Indiegogo.
Good for: consumer products and tech. Watch out for: payouts hold back a rolling 5% reserve.
Crowd Supply
A curated platform for electronics and open-source hardware. Crowd Supply reviews projects carefully and can help with fulfilment, which suits hardware makers who don't want to build a shipping operation. Its fees and model differ from Kickstarter's, so check its current terms directly.
Ulule
A French crowdfunding platform popular across Europe, especially for French-speaking audiences. Worth a look if your community is mainly in France or nearby. Check its current fees on its site.
Patreon
Not a campaign platform: fans pay you every month. Great for ongoing work like webcomics, podcasts and regular releases, and some creators use it alongside Kickstarter for big one-off products. Patreon has said creators who join after August 2025 pay a 10% platform fee plus payment processing.
GoFundMe
For donations, not rewards. GoFundMe has no platform fee, only payment processing (2.9% + $0.30 per donation in the US), with optional tips from donors. It's the right choice for personal causes and charity, and the wrong one for pre-selling a product.
How to choose
- Go where your backers already are. Look at where the most successful projects like yours launched in the last year.
- Check you can launch from your country. Kickstarter supports creators in 25 countries; other platforms have their own lists.
- Compare total cost, not headline fees. Platform and processing fees are similar everywhere; pledge manager fees and payout timing differ more.
- Think about after the campaign. A platform with a built-in pledge manager saves a migration step.
Questions
What is the best alternative to Kickstarter?
For board games, Gamefound. For gadgets, Indiegogo. For campaign plus pledge manager in one place, BackerKit. For electronics, Crowd Supply. The best choice is wherever successful projects like yours launch.
Is Gamefound legit?
Yes. Gamefound is an established tabletop crowdfunding platform that has hosted many of the largest board game campaigns, and it bought Indiegogo in 2025.
Which crowdfunding site has the lowest fees?
Kickstarter, Gamefound, BackerKit and Indiegogo all charge a 5% platform fee plus roughly 3% processing, so they're close. GoFundMe has no platform fee but is for donations, not rewards.
Can I run a campaign on Kickstarter and use another platform afterwards?
Yes. Many creators run the campaign on Kickstarter, then use a pledge manager such as Gamefound, BackerKit, Hive or PledgeBox for add-ons, shipping and late pledges. See pledge managers compared.
Where these numbers come from
- Kickstarter: fees, who can use Kickstarter
- Gamefound: fees, payouts
- Indiegogo: fees, what changed with the platform upgrade, payouts
- BackerKit: when your campaign ends, receiving funds
- GoFundMe pricing · Patreon fee announcement
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