Quick answer
Kickstarter and Indiegogo now charge almost the same: both take a 5% platform fee, and on a $50 pledge Kickstarter keeps $4.30 against Indiegogo's $4.20 because Indiegogo's fixed processing fee is lower. Kickstarter funding is all-or-nothing, and on Indiegogo Flexible Funding is no longer available for new campaigns, so neither charges a fee if a new campaign misses its goal. The bigger differences are the rules: Kickstarter requires new rewards and a prototype for design and technology projects, and Indiegogo runs a compliance review before launch.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, so it is not in the list or the fee example. See where Nation fits.
How we compared
Both platforms were checked against the same four questions. For a product launch, the funding model and the rules matter as much as the fees.
- Funding model Whether you keep the money when the campaign misses its goal, and whether backers are charged at all.
- Fees on each pledge Platform fee and payment processing on one pledge, read from each platform's own fee page for a US creator.
- Fees after the campaign What late pledges, pledge managers, installments and optional marketing cost once the campaign ends.
- Rules What each platform lets you launch, what it checks before launch, and what it expects while you deliver.
Kickstarter vs Indiegogo at a glance
Fees are charged only on campaigns that reach their goal. The source and check date for every number are listed under each platform and at the end of the page.
Indiegogo fees and Kickstarter fees on a $50 pledge
Fees are easier to compare on one pledge than as percentages. Example: one $50 pledge, paid by card in US dollars, on a campaign that reaches its goal. Kickstarter takes 5% and its processor charges 3% + $0.30 per pledge. Indiegogo takes 5% and charges 3% + $0.20.
- Indiegogo $4.20 no monthly plan Platform 5% $2.50, Processing 3% + $0.20 $1.70
- Kickstarter baseline $4.30 no monthly plan Platform 5% $2.50, Processing 3% + $0.30 $1.80
Assumes a $50 pledge, a US creator, a standard card, no currency conversion and a campaign that reaches its goal. Kickstarter's small micropledges pay 5% + $0.08 per pledge instead. Indiegogo's optional performance marketing (10% of ad revenue) is left out.
Kickstarter and Indiegogo in detail
Each platform gets the same five lines: price, fees per pledge, what it is strong at, who it is best for and its main limit.
The baseline. Funding is all-or-nothing, and Kickstarter says it is not a store: backers support a creative process.
- Price
- No monthly fee. no fees are charged if funding is not successful.
- Fees per sale
- A 5% platform fee on the funds raised, plus Stripe processing of 3% + $0.30 per pledge. Small micropledges pay 5% + $0.08 per pledge.
- Strong at
- Product launches that can be shown honestly: for design and technology projects a prototype must be demonstrated, and a prototype demonstration should not include any CGI or special effects to show functionality that does not yet exist.
- Best for
- Makers launching a new product they designed, with a prototype they can demonstrate.
- Limit
- Funding is all-or-nothing, all rewards must be new and unique, and all rewards must have been produced or designed by the project or one of its collaborators. Reselling stock you already have does not fit, because Kickstarter is not a store.
A crowdfunding site that also runs a pledge manager and Stretch Pay installments. Flexible Funding is no longer available for new campaigns.
- Price
- No monthly fee. Indiegogo lists setting up a project as FREE.
- Fees per sale
- A 5% platform fee and processing of 3% + $0.20 per transaction.
- Strong at
- Payments around the campaign: a pledge manager with a 0% setup fee, and Stretch Pay installments, which its fees page lists as FREE.
- Best for
- Makers who want to offer installment payments in every phase of the project.
- Limit
- Flexible Funding is no longer available for new campaigns. New campaigns go through a two-step compliance review: a platform compliance review and a financial Know Your Customer (KYC) check, and once a campaign is live, the end date cannot be changed.
Which one fits you
You are launching a new product you designed and can demonstrate a prototype.
Kickstarter
Its rules are written for this: all rewards must be new and unique, and for design and technology projects a prototype must be demonstrated.
You want backers to pay in installments.
Either
Kickstarter's Pledge Over Time has no additional fees. Indiegogo's fees page lists Stretch Pay as FREE, and the creator sets the number of installments.
You want to keep collecting payments after the campaign ends.
Either
Kickstarter's Pledge Manager takes 5% plus Stripe processing. Indiegogo's pledge manager has a 0% setup fee and charges 5% of each successfully collected payment and a fixed payment processing fee of 3% + $0.20 per transaction.
You care most about the fee on each pledge.
Indiegogo, by a small margin
On a $50 pledge it keeps $4.20 against Kickstarter's $4.30.
Where Nation fits
Nation
Category: an AI store builder
Nation says one description of what you make builds the store, then agents handle orders, customers and delivery and run ads, content and social posts, with you approving the work. It is a store builder, not a crowdfunding site, so it is not compared here.
Limits today
- Status: pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai.
- Pricing and fees: not announced yet.
- Shopper marketplace: no shopper marketplace has been announced.
- Track record: no independent reviews or public stores yet.
Nation publishes this page. Nation is not ranked here and is not part of the fee example.
Describe what you makeDisclosure and method
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. Nation is not a crowdfunding platform and is not ranked or compared here.
The page compares two crowdfunding sites a US maker can use for a product launch. Neither platform paid to be included, and none of the links are affiliate links.
Every fee and rule was read on the platform's own fee, rules or help pages on 3 Oct 2026. Each platform's section names its source, and the full list is below.
Questions about Kickstarter vs Indiegogo
Is Kickstarter or Indiegogo better for a product launch?
Kickstarter and Indiegogo now fund a product launch in a similar way: both charge a 5% platform fee and neither charges a fee when a new campaign misses its goal. Kickstarter suits makers whose product fits its rules on new rewards and prototypes. Indiegogo suits makers who want Stretch Pay installments and a slightly lower fee per pledge.
What are Indiegogo fees?
Indiegogo fees are a 5% platform fee plus payment processing of 3% + $0.20, and Indiegogo lists setting up a project as FREE. In an example on Indiegogo's help page, a $10,000 project with 100 transactions deducts its fee of $500 and a payment processing fee of $320, for a payout of $9,180. On Indiegogo, optional tips now go directly to the creator.
Does Indiegogo still offer flexible funding?
Indiegogo no longer offers flexible funding to new campaigns: Flexible Funding is no longer available for new campaigns. If a project does not reach its goal, the creator won't pay anything, including payment processing fees. Kickstarter funding is all-or-nothing, so for a new campaign the two platforms now work the same way when the goal is missed.
What are the rules for launching on Kickstarter and Indiegogo?
Kickstarter's rules say all rewards must be new and unique, and creators must be transparent about how AI is used. For design and technology projects, a prototype must be demonstrated. Indiegogo puts new campaigns through a two-step compliance review: a platform compliance review and a financial Know Your Customer (KYC) check, and reward prices must be listed as net amounts (excluding taxes).
Do Kickstarter and Indiegogo charge fees if the goal is not reached?
Kickstarter and Indiegogo charge nothing when a campaign misses its goal. On Kickstarter, no fees are charged when funding is not successful. On Indiegogo, if a project does not reach its goal the creator won't pay anything, including payment processing fees.
Which has lower fees, Kickstarter or Indiegogo?
Indiegogo has slightly lower fees than Kickstarter on each pledge. Both take a 5% platform fee, but Indiegogo's processing fee is 3% + $0.20 against Kickstarter's 3% + $0.30 per pledge. On a $50 pledge that is $4.20 on Indiegogo and $4.30 on Kickstarter.
Is Nation a crowdfunding platform?
Nation is not a crowdfunding platform and is not compared with Kickstarter or Indiegogo on this page. Nation is an AI store builder, it is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, and its pricing is not announced yet. Because it is a different kind of product, Nation is not ranked here and is not part of the fee example.