10 Best Crowdfunding Sites and Platforms in 2026

Crowdfunding is an innovative way for entrepreneurs to raise money from potential investors. You can find those investors through crowdfunding sites. 

In a 2025 Shopify survey,* 62% of store owners used additional funding from outside sources in addition to self-funding. Crowdfunding is a popular route—the market is predicted to grow from $1.68 billion in 2025 to $5.43 billion by 2033.

The right crowdfunding platform for your project depends primarily on your chosen crowdfunding model: reward, donation, equity-based funding, subscription, real estate, or crowdfunded loans. This guide covers what crowdfunding is and the top 10 crowdfunding sites to raise capital for your small business or project.

What is crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is a method of raising capital where numerous individuals contribute small amounts of money to support a business. This contrasts with traditional fundraising, which involves securing large investments from a limited number of sources, such as accredited investors or venture capital firms.

How does crowdfunding work?

To run a crowdfunding campaign, entrepreneurs or business owners choose a platform, set a funding target and deadline, publish a campaign page, then ask backers to contribute through the platform.

In exchange for their donations and support, crowdfunding “backers” are often offered incentives, such as:

• Equity
• Exclusive content or public recognition
• Early access to purchase a product, possibly at a discount
• The chance to preorder a product and contribute feedback to its development
• Exclusive rewards like ongoing discounts, enhanced customer loyalty status, or free merch
• Access to the founding team or other crowdfunders

In exchange for hosting crowdfunding campaigns, crowdfunding sites charge platform, transaction, and payment processing fees. 

Sites’ features, fee structures, and user bases vary, but their core concept prevails: you submit your crowdfunding project to the platform, complete with fundraising target and deadline, and then campaign for support.

Types of crowdfunding funding models

Before you choose a platform, decide what you are willing to exchange for capital. Platforms offer various types of crowdfunding and incentives, which include:

• Rewards. Backers contribute money in exchange for rewards like the product itself, exclusive merchandise, or early access. This works for product launches, creative projects, or pre-sales.
• Equity. Backers receive ownership in your company, and you can earn up to $5 million from the general public. It’s suited to seed funding for startups and high-growth small businesses.
• Donation. Donors contribute to support a cause with nothing in return. Charities, medical emergencies, and community events are most commonly funded through donations.
• Membership. Patrons pay a monthly or per-creation fee to support ongoing work. It’s a common model used by podcasters, YouTubers, writers, and musicians.
• Real estate. Investors pool money to fund projects in exchange for a share of the rental income or appreciation.

10 best crowdfunding platforms

1. Kickstarter
2. Indiegogo
3. Fundable
4. Crowdfunder
5. Patreon
6. Crowdcube
7. GoFundMe
8. Mightycause
9. Crowd Street
10. StartEngine

Considering crowdfunding as a fundraising strategy? Here are some crowdfunding websites in 2026.

1. Kickstarter

Kickstarter is a reward-based platform. Fundraisers incentivize potential backers with exclusive preorder discounts, gifts, and shoutouts; sometimes they create tiered reward structures, compensating bigger pledges with better rewards.

Since its launch in 2009, the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform has launched more than 650,000 projects—including physical and digital products. Over 4.47 million people have pledged their support for a business through the crowdfunding site.

Projects on Kickstarter tend to be high-quality and novel—it’s suited to creative, design, games, technology, and physical-product campaigns that can explain their promise quickly. 

LastObject, for example, raised over $700,000 from over 19,000 backers. They met their Kickstarter fundraising target in 22 minutes.

Kickstarter campaigns are all-or-nothing: you only receive your funds (and pay Kickstarter’s platform fee) if you meet your fundraising goal. If you fall short, all the money stays with your funders.

Fees: 5% platform fee plus roughly 3% to 5% payment processing on successful projects.

Pros:

• Large, active community
• All-or-nothing model to encourage donations
• Suited to creative projects

Cons:

• No funds unless goals are met
• 5% fee plus transaction costs
• Not for personal causes or charities

2. Indiegogo

Indiegogo is a crowdfunding platform that supports businesses, artists, and nonprofits. Like Kickstarter, it comes with fundraising tools and campaign options.

Indiegogo did offer a flexible funding option, which was retired in October 2025. Every new project must now have a fixed funding goal, meaning you’ll need to raise the full amount to receive funds. However, for extra support, Indiegogo offers automated stretch goals. Set the minimum target you need to make your project and layer in stretch goals to adapt as needed.

Fees: 5% platform fee. Payment processing for crowdfunding campaigns is a fixed fee in the project currency plus 20¢ per transaction. 

Pros:

• Wide range of project types
• Ongoing fundraising with stretch goals

Cons:

• 5% fee plus transaction fees
• Smaller community than Kickstarter
• No funds unless goal is met

3. Fundable

Fundable is part of the Startups.com platform and lets new businesses exchange rewards, including equity, for funding. They’ve reportedly raised $700 million from over 20,000 accredited investors.

Fundable’s platform offers self-managed fundraising and options for campaign support—it will help you create a pitch deck and find prospective investors. You can also use it to organize fundraising activities and track investor interest throughout your startup funding stage.

To run an equity crowdfunding campaign on Fundable, you must provide all the background materials accredited investors expect, including financial statements, a pitch deck, and a solid business plan.

If you’d rather look for loan-style crowdfunding instead of rewards or equity, consider a platform like Kiva instead.

Fees: $179 per month, with no success fees.

Pros:

• Flexibility to offer rewards or equity
• Built-in campaign support
• Startup and small business-friendly

Cons

• High monthly fee
• Complex signup requirements
• Equity crowdfunding requires extensive financial disclosure

4. Crowdfunder

If you already have a Shopify store and want to crowdfund a product through your website, consider the Crowdfunder app. It lets you run preorder campaigns on product pages, complete with progress bars, progress trackers, and preorder buttons.

Use Crowdfunder to gauge customer interest, test new product ideas, raise money for a cause, or launch a limited-run product. You pay a predictable monthly fee instead of the commissions charged by third-party platforms.

Sarah Resnick, founder of Gist Yarn, used the preorder model to launch her business. “We invited people to invest in a product line that was going to be six or seven months later. People were really excited to do that and we were really lucky to raise enough money,” Sarah says in a Shopify Masters interview.

Fees: $24 per month. Free seven-day trial available. 

Pros:

• Transforms product pages into crowdfunding pages
• Suited to Shopify store owners
• Monthly fees, not percentages

Cons:

• No community or marketplace
• Only for Shopify stores

5. Patreon

Patreon works on a subscription basis, unlike most crowdfunding sites that support limited-run campaigns. Creators develop membership programs for their fans, who pay to access exclusive perks among a community of like-minded patrons. 

Similar to Ko-Fi and Buy Me A Coffee, creators and internet personalities can use Patreon to monetize their audiences for recurring donations. You can upload videos, host livestreams, and run forums or newsletter groups for your patrons.

Patreon creators offer all kinds of exclusive perks based on different payment tiers, such as access to gated content, branded merch, sneak peeks, and shoutouts. 

Andrew Finn, co-founder of Wait But Why, used it to raise money for his blog. “I think part of the reason it’s worked out well for us is that high alignment with our audience where they know we’re not trying to sell them a bunch of stuff, we’re not trying to put ads everywhere—we’re just trying to make really cool stuff and share it with them,” Andrew says in a Shopify Masters interview.

Fees: For new creators, Patreon charges a 10% platform fee, plus payment processing, currency conversion, payout fees, and applicable taxes. Some legacy creators remain on older pricing plans.

Pros:

• Suited to subscription-based funding
• Allows community building
• Supports various integrations

Cons:

• Not for one-off projects
• 10% platform fee plus taxes and payout fees

6. Crowdcube

Crowdcube is an equity crowdfunding platform built for European businesses. You can set up several types of equity crowdfunding using Crowdcube, including private and follow-up rounds. 

Companies that are approved and succeed with their fundraising goals on the platform can join Crowdcube’s Funded Club, enjoying exclusive benefits from partner organizations. Promote your pitch to solicit investors from your network or to appeal to Crowdcube’s established community.

Business owners outside the US should check the terms and conditions of the current crowdfunding platforms listed to ensure they qualify to use all their features.

Fees: Crowdcube charges £4,995 to £9,995 to list your business on the crowdfunding site. It charges a 2.5% platform fee on funds raised, plus a success fee of 5% or 8% depending on your plan type. 

Pros:

• Created for European businesses
• Different types of equity crowdfunding allowed

Cons:

• Many fees and other charges
• Unsuitable for businesses outside Europe
• Relatively few campaigns

7. GoFundMe

GoFundMe is a free crowdfunding platform primarily intended to fundraise for individuals, charitable causes, and community projects.

Because GoFundMe is suited to personal fundraising, anyone can create a campaign. Backers on the fundraising platform tend to support campaigns originating from personal networks, local communities, or causes linked to their interests (like funding a youth sports facility renovation). 

Unlike other crowdfunding websites, GoFundMe isn’t designed for commercial activities. But if you’re a small business owner facing difficulties, or you need to raise money toward overcoming a personal challenge, consider GoFundMe.

Fees: No platform fee for fundraising campaigns, just 2.9% plus 30¢ transaction fee.

Pros:

• Ideal for charities and personal fundraising
• No platform fee

Cons:

• Not for commercial projects

8. Mightycause

Since its inception in 2006, Mightycause campaigners have raised more than $600 million for nonprofit causes.

Mightycause’s nonprofit crowdfunding platform offers tools and features you can use on your website. There’s a fundraising page creator, donation forms and buttons, and social media, email, and SMS integrations. A CRM system generates reports and offers a visual overview of fundraising activities.

You can run unlimited peer-to-peer, team, and event fundraising campaigns with Mightycause. Campaigns aren’t required to meet set goals, so if your fundraiser doesn’t reach its target, you can still use the donations you receive.

Fees: No subscription fee. Payment processing fees are as high as 1.99% plus 30¢ per donation.

Pros:

• Suited to nonprofits 
• Includes tools for nonprofit crowdfunding
• No goal requirements

Cons:

• Not for commercial projects

9. Crowd Street

Crowd Street is best suited to established real estate firms dealing in commercial properties. It offers individual investors the opportunity to contribute funds to real estate projects. There is a $25,000 minimum investment requirement.

Real estate sponsors can apply for access to the platform’s marketplace and raise passive capital for their construction or financial projects.

Fees: Specific fee structure varies depending on the deal. 

Pros:

• Real estate-specific platform
• Investor management and marketing support

Cons:

• Only for established real estate firms
• Thorough vetting process

10. StartEngine

StartEngine is an equity crowdfunding platform where you can raise capital through the site’s network of more than 2.1 million prospective investors.

In order to open investment to the public, StartEngine allows fundraising through Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF), an exception to SEC regulations enabling companies to raise up to $5 million. While this process is more streamlined than traditional methods of raising funds from accredited investors, it still has strict financial and legal requirements.

StartEngine provides the financial review and legal documentation necessary to launch a Reg CF campaign. Companies can save on costs and infrastructure by capping their fundraising at $1,070,000, under the threshold that requires extensive financial reporting.

StartEngine is best for startups that have already demonstrated a growth potential and can invest upfront funds into their crowdsourcing campaign.

Fees: Varies. Between 5.5% and 13% commission.

Pros:

• Equity crowdfunding platform
• Financial review and legal documentation provided

Cons:

• Extensive preparation and documentation required

How to choose the best crowdfunding site

With dozens of platforms available, picking the right crowdfunding site depends on your project type, funding model, fees, and audience trust. Here are factors to consider:

Funding model

Determine whether the platform requires an all-or-nothing goal where you receive funds only if your target is met. Kickstarter and Indiegogo use this model. Also confirm whether non-accredited investors can participate in the offering or if it is limited to accredited investors.

Audience trust

Research which platforms have the highest historical success rates for your specific industry or project category. 

“We had to actually really build trust with our customer before launching the crowdfunding campaign and educate them as to why we chose crowdfunding, why we chose the specific platform that we chose, and why it was best for our business stage and best for them as a customer,” says Susie Harrison, co-founder of Hearth Display, in a Shopify Masters interview.

Payout rules

Calculate your total costs to decide between predictable monthly fees (like Crowdfunder) or standard percentage-based commission models. Note you may need to include any money raised on Form 1099-K and pay applicable taxes.

Compliance

Evaluate whether securities laws apply to your campaign and if the platform is equipped to handle the associated compliance. StartEngine, for example, supports regulated crowdfunding.

Customization options

Look for an interface that lets you upload images and videos to your crowdfunding listing. Rocketbook, for example, shot a video that put their notebook into the microwave—a bizarre concept that got people’s attention on Indiegogo. 

Promotion tools

Check for marketplace-style functionality that makes your listing discoverable on the platform, as well as email marketing and social sharing features. “You have to drag people kicking and screaming to your Kickstarter campaign and convince them to back you,” says Will Nitze, founder of Iqbar. “And, by the way, if you do that in sufficient quantities, then you will be discoverable.”

Benefits of crowdfunding

There are plenty of advantages and disadvantages to crowdfunding. Some of the top reasons to consider it include:

Access to diverse funding sources

Crowdfunding lets you tap into thousands of potential backers who might love your idea, drawing support from a global community that believes in what you’re doing. 

Cassie Abel, founder of Wild Rye, took this approach after new tariffs dramatically increased costs. They raised almost $1 million through their equity crowdfunding campaign. “It was an opportunity to be very transparent ... and to give our customers a share on the upside,” Cassie says.

Validate your business idea

If people are willing to put their hard-earned cash behind your project, you have proof that there’s demand for what you’re offering. You can use this gauge demand and test fulfillment readiness.

Ghost Town Oats, for example, raised $250,000 in just four days, even attracting high-profile investors like NBA star Jimmy Butler.

You can also use feedback to tweak and validate your product idea before going all in. “The crowdfunding campaign gave us the framework to be able to figure out what the brand is, what the value proposition is, how we pitch it, what the copywriting is going to be, what the photography and design is going to look like,” says Dan Demsky, co-founder and CEO of Unbound Merino, in a Shopify Masters interview.

Read: Market Validation: How To Validate Your Idea in 8 Steps

Build visibility before launch

In a 2025 Shopify survey,* 53% of store owners cited word of mouth as their most common Year 1 growth strategy. A crowdfunding project gets exposure to a massive audience who might never have found you otherwise, and when people back your project, they might share it with their networks, creating a word-of-mouth marketing effect.

“I think one of the cool things with crowdfunding … is that it enables you to share your journey,” says Michelle Shemilt, founder and CEO of Numi, in a Shopify Masters interview. “Having a personal connection can be your strength as a small business.”

Read: How To Network Online Like a Pro: 15 Networking Tips

Crowdfunding tradeoffs to plan for

Crowdfunding can help you raise money to fund a startup, but there are some disadvantages to consider:

Funding uncertainty

Not every crowdfunding project is guaranteed to meet its funding goal. Statista reported that, as of January 2025, more than 376,000 projects on Kickstarter had failed to reach their targets. Roughly 304,000 reached less than 20% of their funding goal.

Mike Salguero, founder of ButcherBox, learned what it took to win a Kickstarter “Projects We Love” badge. This gave their campaign homepage placement and email marketing from the platform.

“They do all of this stuff for you,” Mike says in a Shopify Masters interview. “They do the pushing rather than you having to get your audience to do it.”

Platform and campaign costs

Evaluate how much you’ll raise after accounting for the crowdfunding site’s fees.

Kickstarter, Fundable, and Patreon have transaction fees that make your actual payout less than the total money you’ve raised. Alternatives like Fundable don’t have a transaction fee but a $179 monthly subscription instead.

Be realistic with your fundraising target. “What people don’t understand is that making products is really hard, and the reality is it took about 18 months to deliver those Kickstarter units,” says Jake Miller, founder of Fellow, in a Shopify Masters interview. “It cost me $300,000 to deliver on a $200,000 campaign.”

Fulfillment and legal obligations

Each platform has their own terms and conditions for founders who want to crowdfund on the site. If you successfully raise money on Kickstarter, for example, you must fulfill orders to each backer or process a refund if you can’t. You may also be subject to legal action from backers.

“The time to look for manufacturers is not during your Kickstarter campaign,” says Peter Dering, founder of Peak Design, in a Shopify Masters interview. “It’s months and most likely years before your Kickstarter campaign. You’ve gotta be there, ready to come with a working product relatively soon after that Kickstarter.” 

*All loans through Shopify Capital Loans are issued by WebBank. Offers are subject to change based on several factors including your store’s performance and the review of your financial information. Shopify Capital Loans must be paid in full within 18 months, and two minimum payments apply within the first two six-month periods. Offers to apply do not guarantee funding. Repayments are made based on a percentage of daily sales.

*Shopify Survey of Store Owners, Q4 2025