Best Crowdfunding Sites

In the world of online crowdfunding, Kickstarter is definitely the biggest star. The company, founded in 2009, has already helped users raise more than $5 billion dollars for their creative projects and it shows no signs of slowing down. If you’re considering this platform for your next funding campaign, here are some of the details you should know.

First of all, while people from all over the world can back the projects and send their financial support, not everyone can start them. Before devoting yourself to the campaign, check out the list of supported countries to make sure you’re eligible for it. If your location is not on the list, you might have to switch to one of the other crowdsourcing sites.

One of the main reasons why users opt for Kickstarter in the first place is the marketing potential. Seeing how the platform is basically a synonym for crowdfunding, it organically attracts a lot of attention from the media and potential investors. If you have an interesting, eye-catching, creative project, there’s a good chance it will be naturally picked up by a news agency or magazine. You just need to ensure it’s presented in the best way possible.

Kickstarter is a rewards-based all-or-nothing system, which means you’ll only get the funds if you reach a pre-defined goal. There is no option for Kickstarter equity crowdfunding or charity campaigns. It is among the best crowdfunding sites for artists, musicians, game developers, and creative projects in general.

We could say that the Kickstarter fee falls below the industry’s standard, but this company basically created the standard. The platform gets 5% from the total amount you’ve successfully funded, plus 3% and $0.20 per pledge. There is a different fee for what the site calls micropledges (donations under $10) - 5% plus $0.05 per pledge.

It’s important to mention that you only get charged if you reach your goal. You won’t get into any debt if you don’t.

Pros:

• Excellent marketing potential
• Suitable for creative projects
• Fees charged only for successful campaigns
• Easy-to-use interface
• Live campaign statistics

Cons:

• Not everyone can start a project on this platform

With 15 million site visits every month, it’s clear why Indiegogo is among the leading crowdfunding sites for individuals in need of financial support. Although it was founded a year earlier, Indiegogo is still considered a great alternative to Kickstarter, especially in the countries that aren’t allowed to use the latter. So, what are the benefits and limitations of Indiegogo?

First off, the platform allows backers from 235 countries and territories across the globe. If you’ve had trouble funding projects elsewhere, Indiegogo might be your ticket to success. The company supports creative projects as well as technological innovations and educational campaigns.

The only limitation is with personal cause projects. While Indiegogo doesn’t support them, the platform will gladly point you in the direction of its partner company, GoFundMe crowdfunding.

While Kickstarter only supports fixed, all-or-nothing targets, the Indiegogo app gives you a flexible, keep-all-funds option as well. Both of these choices have their pros and cons, so it’s up to the user to figure out what works best. 

You can reward your backers by adding perks for each level and setting the featured one. The platform also pioneered the “secret perk” option, which lets you reward users who visit your page through a unique link you provide. This unlocks plenty of interesting opportunities and may draw in new investors.

Interestingly, this platform is often mentioned as one of the Patreon alternatives, because of its extended funding service. Namely, Indiegogo InDemand allows you to keep receiving donations on a regular basis even after you’ve successfully completed your goal.

When it comes to fees, Indiegogo stays within the industry standard at 5% for the total amount and 2.9% + $0.30 per donation. Note that, depending on the currency and location, you might be charged additional transaction or transfer fees.

Pros:

• Support for more than 200 countries and regions
• Fixed and flexible goals
• Post-goal donations
• Technological and educational campaigns
• Secret perks

Cons:

• Smaller user base compared to Kickstarter

If you’re looking for a crowdfunding site for medical bills, personal goals, special events, startups, or some other creative projects, GoGetFunding can deal with all of your needs.

There are practically no limitations, which is why it’s among the most popular platforms on the market. Combine that with a below industry-standard fee and you’ve got an amazing offer. Here’s what you can expect.

While most other funding websites tend to specialize in specific types of campaigns, GoGetFunding gives you a wide variety of choices. To get started, you need to fill out a form and pick the right category.

GoGetFunding lets you choose whether you want a campaign with a specific timeframe or a no-deadline ongoing fundraiser. In that same manner, you can opt for a fixed all-or-nothing goal, or choose a more flexible option where you keep all the money you raise regardless of the outcome. The platform also offers support in multiple languages to make sure you maximize your reach.

Overall, what sets GGF apart is the team’s dedication to your success. With every campaign, you get a personal online fundraising coach who guides you through the process.

You don’t need to wait to get your application reviewed - as soon as you set up the campaign, it’s immediately live. You even get a modest page customization option for those final touches.

The biggest crowd-pleaser, though, is the fee, which dips well below the industry standard at 4% of the total amount. This, along with a 2.9% card processing fee and $0.25 (if you’re using PayPal or $0.30 if you’re using Stripe) is immediately taken from every donation on the website as it arrives, so you don’t have to worry about it.

Pros:

• Ongoing or deadline-based campaign
• Fixed or flexible goals
• Personal and business ventures
• Partner companies for volunteering
• No manual reviewing

Cons:

• Products get low visibility

Kickbooster is an interesting choice because it gives you a far more involved approach to crowdfunding. Instead of just creating a page and letting it go live, you can invest in the pre-launch setup, manage a referral program, and give your backers awards. Whether that justifies the slightly higher fees is for you to decide.

Before you compare it to other top crowdsourcing sites, here are some of the most important details to be aware of.

With Kickbooster, you get the whole package that starts off with pre-launch landing page building. For $29 a month, you’ll be able to customize your landing page, collect emails from your visitors, and essentially create hype for your project before it even starts. Keep a close eye on the number of visitors through the platform's analytics and add a real-time counter to pump up the expectations.

The second part of the service pushes it to the next level with the referral marketing at another $29 per month plus commissions. This can put your backers to work and incentivize them to effectively spread the word about your project and bring on new visitors.

You can integrate Kickbooster with sites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter to track your progress through the dashboard. The referral program is quite flexible. This is one of the sites that don’t charge you additional commissions if you don’t reach your fixed goal.

The third part of Kickbooster’s offer is the so-called Pledge Manager. For the price of 10% of the total amount raised and $1 per backer, you get the ultimate managing tool for keeping track of your backers. You can offer them customized surveys, give refunds, upsell them, or manage their shipping addresses.

It’s an expensive but powerful tool that can save you a lot of time and make sure your investors don’t go empty-handed.

Pros:

• Pre-launch landing page creation
• Referral marketing program
• Live launch counter
• Indiegogo and Kickstarter integration
• Customized backer surveys

Cons:

• Expensive for larger projects

The success of any crowdfunding campaign often lies in its promotion. You can have the best page in the world, but if you don't know where or how to promote it, you might just be wasting your time. This is the whole philosophy behind CrowdFunding Exposure Inc. and its online offer.

The company offers a set of different packages starting with the simplest promotion and the potential reach of nearly 400,000 Facebook and almost 1.7 million Twitter followers. It is a one-time payment that gives you 15 days of advertising as a featured page. It’s not exceptional, but considering the price it’s not bad. The price goes up as you choose higher-tier packages, as does the potential reach and the number of features.

A popular package that might be worth your time and money will cost you $99 as a one-time payment for 60 days of advertising.

Besides the increased follower reach, the package gives you a guaranteed Google placement and features your project on more than 50 news sites. The company does the professional press release for you, which is well worth the money.

If you don’t consider the price to be a major obstacle, CrowdFunding Exposure will offer you plenty of other features and services. These include a complete campaign rewrite, advice from social media experts and news managers, as well as huge backer databases.

The site also offers custom quotes for high-profile clients, but beware of upselling.

Pros:

• Guaranteed Google placement
• Press release services
• Extensive database of backers
• Partnership with hundreds of news sites
• Various price bundles

Cons:

• Lots of upsells