Pledge managers compared
Your campaign is funded. Now you need addresses, add-on orders, shipping payments and late pledges. That's what a pledge manager does. Here's how the main ones compare on fees and features.
Fees checked October 2026 against each company's own help pages.
What is a pledge manager?
A pledge manager is a store and survey that opens after your crowdfunding campaign. Backers log in, confirm their reward, add extras, pay for shipping and enter their address. Most also let new people late pledge if they missed the campaign, and many handle VAT and sales tax for you.
You don't strictly need one for a single simple reward with shipping charged during the campaign. Once you have add-ons, several regions or late pledges, you almost certainly do.
The short answer
- Ran on Kickstarter and want the least hassle? Kickstarter's own Pledge Manager. Backers don't leave Kickstarter, and it collects and pays VAT and US/Canada sales tax for you, which the others leave to you.
- Want the lowest percentage? Hive or PledgeBox, at 3% of what's collected through them.
- Board game with lots of add-ons? Gamefound is built for tabletop and many backers already have accounts there. BackerKit is the long-standing choice with the deepest feature set.
- Ran on Gamefound, Indiegogo or BackerKit? Use that platform's own pledge manager; it's set up for your campaign already.
Fees side by side
| Kickstarter Pledge Manager | BackerKit | Gamefound | Hive | PledgeBox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fee on money collected in the PM | 5% (not on taxes) + processing | 3.5% | 5% + 3% + 0.20 per payment | 3% | 3% on add-ons, shipping and tax |
| Fee on your campaign total | None | Up to 2% (tiered) for campaigns run elsewhere | None (money raised elsewhere isn't charged) | None | None |
| Setup / upfront cost | None | None | None | None | None |
| Works with | Kickstarter campaigns only | Kickstarter, Indiegogo and its own campaigns | Kickstarter imports and its own campaigns | Kickstarter, Indiegogo and others | Kickstarter, Indiegogo and others |
| VAT / sales tax | Collects and remits EU/UK VAT and US/Canada sales tax for you (VAT opt-out possible) | Charges tax/VAT at your rates; you remit it | Collects and remits EU/UK VAT where it's liable (orders under €150 / £135) | Charges tax/VAT at your rates; you remit it | Charges tax/VAT at your rates; you remit it |
| Late pledges / store | Late pledges on Kickstarter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (pre-order store at 5%) |
| Payouts | Every 14 days, starting 21 days after opening | To your Stripe (or PayPal) | Weekly, on Fridays | Straight to your Stripe or PayPal | Straight to your Stripe or PayPal |
If you crowdfunded on BackerKit or Gamefound itself, their pledge managers are covered by your campaign fees: BackerKit charges 5% on pledge-manager charges for its own campaigns, and Gamefound applies its usual 5% + processing.
What it costs on a real campaign
Say you raised $30,000 on Kickstarter from 400 backers, and they spend another $8,000 on add-ons and shipping in the pledge manager. Roughly, before card processing:
| Kickstarter Pledge Manager (5% of $8,000) | $400 + processing |
| Gamefound (5% of $8,000) | $400 + processing |
| BackerKit (3.5% of $8,000 + up to 2% of $30,000) | up to $880 |
| Hive or PledgeBox (3% of $8,000) | $240 |
Card processing applies everywhere, either through the platform or your own payment account. Try your own numbers in the fees calculator, which has each pledge manager built in.
Each one in a sentence or two
Kickstarter Pledge Manager
Open to every Kickstarter creator since July 2025. Backers manage everything inside their Kickstarter account, which means fewer "where's my survey?" emails. It handles VAT and sales tax collection, which is a big deal for small creators. It only works for projects that ran on Kickstarter, and it must stay open for at least three weeks.
BackerKit
The long-time default for bigger campaigns, with surveys, add-on stores, tagging, shipping tools and integrations with fulfilment partners. Costs more than the 3% options on paper, so it's worth it when you'll actually use the extra tools. BackerKit absorbed CrowdOx in 2020.
Gamefound
Built around tabletop games. You can import a Kickstarter campaign, and backers who already use Gamefound feel at home. It charges its usual fees only on money collected through it, not on what you raised elsewhere.
Hive
A flat 3% on money collected, with all features included and no campaign fee: a rules-based shipping calculator, tax/VAT charging, fulfilment-hub integrations and Stripe or PayPal checkout. Popular with tabletop creators, especially in Europe.
PledgeBox
3% on survey revenue (add-ons, shipping, tax) and 5% on its pre-order store, with no campaign fee. Money goes straight to your Stripe or PayPal. A common budget pick for small and mid-size Kickstarter and Indiegogo projects.
Pledge manager questions
What is a pledge manager on Kickstarter?
It's the step after a funded campaign where backers confirm their reward, buy add-ons, pay shipping and enter their address. Kickstarter now has its own pledge manager, and creators can also use outside ones like BackerKit, Gamefound, Hive or PledgeBox.
Is Kickstarter's pledge manager free?
There's no upfront cost, but Kickstarter takes 5% of the money collected through it (not counting taxes) plus payment processing. Money you raised in the campaign isn't charged again.
Which pledge manager is cheapest?
On percentage alone, Hive and PledgeBox at 3% of money collected. But compare the whole picture: VAT handling, how easy it is for backers, and what you'd pay a person to do the work the tool does for you.
Do I need a pledge manager?
Not for one reward with shipping charged during the campaign. You'll want one if you have add-ons, charge shipping after the campaign, take late pledges or ship to the EU and UK where VAT applies.
When should I open the pledge manager?
Usually a few weeks after the campaign ends, once the payout has arrived and your shipping costs are confirmed. Tell backers the timing in your final campaign update.
Where these numbers come from
- Kickstarter: Kickstarter Pledge Manager, Bringing the Pledge Manager to all creators, pledge manager payouts, VAT collection
- BackerKit Help: Frequently asked questions; BackerKit welcomes CrowdOx
- Gamefound Help: fees, importing pledges, tax handling, payouts
- Hive pledge manager · PledgeBox pricing
BackerKit's tiered campaign fee is listed as "2% or less" on its help pages; the exact tiers depend on campaign size. Prices change, so confirm with each company before you commit.
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