Kickstarter vs GoFundMe
They look alike but do different jobs. Kickstarter is for making something and giving backers a reward. GoFundMe is for donations to a person or a cause. Here's how they compare and how to pick.
Short answer: Use Kickstarter when backers get something in return, like a game, gadget or book. It's all-or-nothing and takes 5% plus about 3% processing. Use GoFundMe for donations to a person or cause: there's no platform fee (2.9% + $0.30 per donation in the US) and you keep what you raise, even if you miss your goal.
Checked October 2026.
| Kickstarter | GoFundMe | |
|---|---|---|
| What it's for | Creative projects: games, gadgets, books, art, film | Personal causes, emergencies, charities, community needs |
| Backers get | A reward: usually the thing you're making | Nothing in return; it's a donation |
| Platform fee | 5% | None |
| Payment processing | About 3% + a fixed fee per pledge (around $0.20–$0.30 in the US) | 2.9% + $0.30 per donation in the US (2.9% + £0.25 in the UK, 2.9% + €0.25 in the eurozone) |
| Funding | All-or-nothing: miss your goal and nobody is charged | Keep what you raise, goal or not |
| Time limit | 1–60 days | None; a fundraiser can stay open |
| Payout | Starts 14 days after the campaign ends | Withdraw as donations come in |
| Tips | None | Donors can choose to tip GoFundMe; it's never required |
| Charity fundraising | Not allowed | Its main use |
Which should you use?
Use Kickstarter if you're making something and backers will get it, or something related to it, in return. A board game, a gadget, a comic, an album. Kickstarter's rules require projects to make something to share, and they don't allow fundraising for charity or personal causes.
Use GoFundMe if people are giving because they want to help: medical bills, a community project, a memorial, a cause. There's no product to deliver and no goal you have to hit.
Don't use GoFundMe to pre-sell a product. It has no reward tiers, no pledge manager and no shipping tools, and donors don't expect a parcel. If you're selling something, a reward platform is the honest and easier choice.
What the fees mean in practice
On $10,000 raised from 200 backers in the US:
- Kickstarter: 5% ($500) plus about 3% and $0.30 a pledge for processing (about $360), so roughly $9,140 lands in your bank.
- GoFundMe: 2.9% ($290) plus $0.30 a donation ($60), so about $9,650.
GoFundMe is cheaper, but with Kickstarter you're also paying for an audience that comes looking for new projects to back. Most of your backers will still come from the people you bring. Try your own numbers in the fees calculator.
And Indiegogo?
Indiegogo is the closest thing to Kickstarter: also rewards-based, also 5% plus processing, and since 2025 also all-or-nothing. See Kickstarter vs Indiegogo, or every option in Kickstarter alternatives.
Questions
Is GoFundMe cheaper than Kickstarter?
Yes. GoFundMe has no platform fee, only a transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per donation in the US. Kickstarter takes 5% plus about 3% and a small fixed fee per pledge for processing.
Do you keep the money on GoFundMe if you don't reach your goal?
Yes. GoFundMe isn't all-or-nothing; you can withdraw what's been donated whether or not you reach your goal. On Kickstarter, if you miss your goal nobody is charged and you get nothing.
Can I offer rewards on GoFundMe?
GoFundMe has no reward tiers or tools for delivering them. If backers are paying for something they'll receive, use Kickstarter, Indiegogo or Gamefound.
Can I raise money for a charity on Kickstarter?
No. Kickstarter's rules don't allow fundraising for charities or causes. Use GoFundMe or a charity's own fundraising page for that.
Where these numbers come from
- Kickstarter Help Center: fees, maximum project duration, payouts · Kickstarter rules
- GoFundMe pricing and fees
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