Kickstarter vs Indiegogo
They used to be very different: Indiegogo let you keep money even if you missed your goal. Since 2025 they're much closer. Here's how they compare now and how to pick.
Checked October 2026.
| Kickstarter | Indiegogo | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 5% | 5% |
| Payment processing | About 3% + a fixed fee per pledge (around $0.20–$0.30 in the US) | 3% + 0.20 per pledge, in the campaign currency |
| Funding | All-or-nothing | All-or-nothing (flexible funding ended for new campaigns in 2025) |
| Campaign length | 1–60 days (30 or less recommended) | 24 hours to 60 days |
| Payout | Starts 14 days after the campaign ends | Weekly, on Fridays, with a rolling 5% reserve |
| After the campaign | Kickstarter Pledge Manager (5% + processing), or any outside pledge manager | Built-in pledge manager and Late Pledge (formerly InDemand) |
| Strongest categories | Games, comics, design, art, publishing, film | Gadgets, tech and consumer products |
| Owned by | Kickstarter PBC | Gamefound (since 2025) |
What changed with Indiegogo
Gamefound announced it was buying Indiegogo in July 2025, and on 16 October 2025 Indiegogo moved onto Gamefound's software. For creators, that meant:
- Fees now match Gamefound's: 5% plus 3% + 0.20 per pledge.
- No more flexible funding for new campaigns, so it's all-or-nothing like Kickstarter.
- InDemand is now "Late Pledge", and there's a built-in pledge manager.
- Tips go to creators rather than to Indiegogo.
Which should you choose?
Choose Kickstarter if you make games, comics, books, art or design objects. Its audience is the largest, and its Discover pages and "Projects We Love" can bring in backers you didn't find yourself.
Choose Indiegogo if you're launching a gadget or consumer product and your audience knows Indiegogo, or you want weekly payouts and a pledge manager on the same platform.
Either way, most backers come from the audience you bring: your email list, prelaunch followers and community. The prelaunch calculator shows how many you need.
And GoFundMe?
GoFundMe is for donations, not pre-selling a product. It has no platform fee (US processing is 2.9% + $0.30 per donation) and donors can add a tip. Use it for personal causes and charity; use Kickstarter or Indiegogo when backers get something in return.
Questions
Is Kickstarter or Indiegogo cheaper?
They're almost the same: both take 5%, plus about 3% and a small fixed fee per pledge for processing. Indiegogo also holds back a rolling 5% reserve from payouts, which affects cash flow rather than total cost.
Does Indiegogo still have flexible funding?
No, not for new campaigns. Since the move to Gamefound's platform in October 2025, Indiegogo campaigns are all-or-nothing.
Can I launch on both Kickstarter and Indiegogo?
Not at the same time for the same project; split audiences rarely help. A common path is to launch on one, then take late pledges or move to a pledge manager afterwards.
Is Kickstarter better than GoFundMe?
They do different jobs. Kickstarter is for projects where backers get a reward; GoFundMe is for donations to a cause or person.
Where these numbers come from
- Kickstarter Help Center: fees, maximum project duration, payouts
- Indiegogo Help: fees, what changed with the platform upgrade, payouts, project settings
- Gamefound buys Indiegogo · GoFundMe pricing
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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