16 Unmissable Alternative Crowdfunding Sites To Kickstarter

So, you’ve got a great idea, you’ve done your research and you’re nearly ready to introduce your product or service to the world.

Exciting times are ahead but, first, you need the right funding to allow your brilliant idea to turn into a brilliant career.

Crowdfunding is a fantastic way of raising the money that you need to make sure your business succeeds and, with a bit of planning, can be extremely lucrative.

When thinking about Crowdfunding, the name Kickstarter will often spring to mind but, there are a number of alternatives available, all with different features and benefits.

Here, we’ve put together 15 of the best sites like Kickstarter to allow you to make the best, informed decision possible.

1. GoGetFunding

Founded in 2011, London based Go Get Funding was set up by Sandip Sekhon as a more flexible crowdfunding site where everybody’s welcome – including personal projects and causes which are not accepted by some other sites.

Categories allowed include medical expenses, creative projects, help with vets fees, assistance with funeral costs, tributes, events and much more; the sky really is the limit!

A very real benefit of GoGetFunding is that the campaigner gets to keep all monies raised (minus GoGetFunding’s fee), even if the target isn’t met – making it a win win for all involved! GoGetFunding offers an easy three step process to get campaigns up and running as quickly as possible.

GoGetFunding charges a non-refundable fee of 4% of the money raised – there are no fees for donators.

Check out GoGetFunding’s video

For more information on Go Get Funding visit: https://gogetfunding.com/

2. Indiegogo

Indiegogo was set up in 2008 by Danae Ringelmann, Eric Schell and Slava Rubin and now reaches 235 countries and territories around the world.

Initially set up to fund creative projects, Indiegogo has since expanded to include charities, startups and just about any reasonable project conceivable.

There is no charge to set up or contribute to a campaign on Indiegogo but, once complete, the company will take a commission of 9% on funds raised without meeting the target or 4% if the target is successfully reached.

Indiegogo’s process for launching a campaign is fairly straightforward although campaigners must take care to follow all guidelines to void time delays with campaigns being rejected.

In 2016 an Indiegogo campaign was launched for a ‘Smarty Ring’ which, like an Apple Watch, would perform many functions and be fully connectable to other devices. The campaign received just $400.170 of its $40,500.00 goal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmndtOqMahI

Take a look at Indiegogo’s video

For more information on Indiegogo visit: https://www.indiegogo.com/

3. Crowdfunder

The first thing you notice about Crowdfunder’s home page is the clearly marked categories which include education, business, food and drink, technology and publishing, making it easy to quickly navigate to the right page.

Relatively new, Crowdfunder was launched in 2016 in Dorset by Hannah Marie Rutland and prides itself on being a friendly – and user-friendly – resource for a great number of different projects.

With Crowdfunder, you can choose to either keep the money raised regardless of the target or you can go for the ‘All Or Nothing’ option. Crowdfunder charges a fee of 5% on all monies raised.

For more information on Crowdfunder visit: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/

4. Rockethub

Specializing in science, business and art projects, Rockethub is partnered with A&E’s Project Startup making it a force to be reckoned with in the crowdfunding world and one of the most viable alternatives to Kickstarter.

Founded in 2009 in New York by Brian Meece, Jed Cohen, Alon Hillel-Tuch, and Vladimir Vukice, Rockethub is part of the Efactor Group Corp and is one of the most successful crowdfunding initiatives worldwide. Rockethub prides itself on its no-nonsense, straightforward application and approval process.

Rockethub charges a fee of 4% on projects which reach their target and 8% on those that don’t but, beware, there will be a 4% credit card handling fee.

Updated: Now, RocketHub is part of the Crowdfunder family.

Take a look at Rockethub’s inspiring message. For more information on Rockethub visit: https://www.crowdfunder.com/rockethub

5. Crowdcube

Launched primarily for business and investment, Crowdcube was the brainchild of Balderton Capital and was launched in 2000 to provide investment to businesses across the world.

Campaigners can choose to work directly or through a nominee and fees vary from project to project. One of the fast-growing crowdfunding websites, Crowdcube is already a recognizable brand throughout the world.

Although the application and approval process is a little more lengthy than other crowdfunders, Crowdcube’s policies work toward responsibility and risk assessment.

Crowdcube campaigns were responsible for the successful launches of Brewdog, GoHenry and fitness brand, 1Rebel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9FbY-9xdrc

To see a Crowdcube success story, take a look at this

For more information on Crowdcube visit: https://www.crowdcube.com/

6. Fundable

Known for it’s fast pace and results, Fundable is a rewards and equity based crowdfunding platform similar to Kickstarter.

Founded by Wil Shroter in the United States in 2012, Fundable was set up primarily for business but is open to considering other projects. Something to note before going forward is that Fundable charges campaigners £179 per month to run their campaign which may be a sticking point for many.

If this isn’t an obstacle then there is no fee for unsuccessful campaigns and a low 3.5% fee for those which meet their target.

Fundable forbids campaigns for charities and social donations as well as prohibited and adult related products.

For more information on Fundable visit: https://www.fundable.com/

7. BEAM

New kid on the block and crowdfunder with a difference, BEAM was launched in September 2017 by London based Alex Stephany.

Unlike other Crowdfund sites, BEAM was set up with one purpose – to help the homeless into work. Donations are used to help train homeless people and get them into paid employment – and they, in turn, will then have the chance to return their donations in order to help others.

Supported by the Mayor of London, BEAM charges a fee of 10% to cover running costs.

For more information on BEAM visit: https://www.wearebeam.org/

8. Fund Anything

As the name suggests, anything goes (with the exception of illegal products) with this laid back and flexible crowdfunder.

Fund Anything charges a fee of 4% if a campaign reaches its goal but this rises to a whopping 9% if it doesn’t, plus an additional 3% transaction fee is charged.

Initially backed by Donald Trump who is still a shareholder, little is known about the founders of this American based crowdfunder which is a viable alternative to Kickstarter.

Check out their video

For more information on Fund Anything visit: https://fundanything.com/

9. GoFundMe

Hailed as the most trusted crowdfunding platform, GoFundMe specialises in charities and good causes and considers itself a ‘social fundraising platform.’

Launched in 2010 in California by Chairman Rob Solomon, GoFundMe charges a total of 8.5% of money raised which includes fees, taxes and transactions.

Gofundme also places no deadlines or restrictions on donations. Successful GoFundMe campaigns include Cookies 4 Mila, Ryder’s Rainboots, Paying It Forward and Haircuts For The Homeless.

For more information on GoFundMe visit: https://uk.gofundme.com/

10. Quirky

More a feedback support group than a crowdfunding website, Quirky allows users to pitch their product ideas to the Quirky community.

If the community gives the idea the green light, Quirky, rather than the initial campaigner, will launch the idea and the campaigner will receive a percentage of the profits.

Although a ‘safe’ option, the campaigner does relinquish all rights and say over how the product is handled. As Quirky launch themselves, no fees are charged.

Founded by Ben Kaufman in 2009, in the USA, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2015 but then announced new investment in 2016.

Quirky was responsible for funding the hugely successful launch of the Aros Smart Air Conditioner which allows users to control their home’s air conditioning remotely, saving time and energy.

For more information on Quirky visit: https://quirky.com/

11. Fundrazr

Launched in Canada in 2009, Fundrazr’s crowdfunding sites include embedded Facebook apps which allow users to set up their own crowdfunding pages on the social media site in order to raise money for positive social causes such as medicine, memorials, and rescue operations.

A benefit to campaigners is that Fundrazr charges a low 5% fee whether or not the campaign is successful but, does also charge a 2.9% fee on all transactions. Fundrazr also has a separate section for nonprofit organizations.

Fundrazr was founded by Daryl Hatton in Vancouver. In order to begin a campaign with Fundrazr, campaigners must have either a Paypal or Wepay account.

For more information on Fundrazr visit: https://fundrazr.com/

12. Ulule

The curiously named Ulule was launched in 2011 and boasts that it was the first European crowdfunding platform. Founders Thomas Grange and Alexandre Boucherot set up Ulule to give new and original projects a chance to gain recognition.

The bad news is that, with Ulule, if the target isn’t met, the campaigner receives nothing which can be seen as a major drawback to some but simply an incentive to those determined to succeed. Total fees including campaign, tax and transaction fees are 8%.

Ulule does not impose any restrictions on the kind of projects that can be implemented through their platform. Ulule also offers dedicated coaching to campaigners to maximise results.

See what Ulule is all about

For more information on Ulule visit: https://www.ulule.com/

13. BRITBOTS Crowd

Exclusively for investment into robotics companies, this Ipswich based investment platform is the world’s first dedicated robotics crowdfunder.

Launched by Dominic Keen in 2017, this specialist crowdfunder is a big money investment and fees vary from project to project. Although not an alternative to Kickstarter as such, BRITBOTS Crowd is a great solution for robotics companies looking for investment from like-minded people.

Because of the specific nature of BRITBOTS Crowd, the submission and approval process may be a little more complex and lengthy than some are expecting and should only be considered by serious, knowledgeable robotics professionals.

If your money’s burning a hole in your pocket, campaigns you can invest in right now include a freehand surgeon robot, a drone project and Zoa affordable robots inspired by nature.

For more information on BRITBOTS Crowd visit: https://britbots.envestry.com/

14. Pozible

Only active in Australia, Pozible was the brainchild of the casually named Rick and Alan and boasts a 57% success rate.

Unusually, Pozible charges no fees if the target is not met with a sliding scale of 3, 4 and 5% if it is. When it comes to categories, Pozible states that it accepts projects of ‘all shapes and sizes’ which is evident from the wide range of campaigns displayed on the website.

The Pozible site is straightforward and easy to use and offers campaigners a number of support resources to help polish and launch campaigns for maximum results.

Although its geography currently limits its use, its only a matter of time before Pozible reaches beyond Down Under.

Listen to Rick and Alan talk about their work

For more information on Pozible visit: https://pozible.com/

15. JustGiving

Chances are that if you’re on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll have come across at least one JustGiving page in the last couple of weeks.

Launched primarily for charities and tributes, JustGiving is popular among those who have lost a loved one and wish to give them a lasting legacy and those who want to raise money for medical research such as Cancer Research or The British Heart Foundation.

With the tagline ‘Make Good Things Happen’, Just Giving was launched by Zarine and Anne-Marie Huby in 2001 in the UK and, categories include charity, world causes, medicine, education, events and more.

As well as submission information, the JustGiving site features news, events and ways to get involved with a number of causes.

As JustGiving deals primarily with charities, security checks will be made and important information such as charity numbers etc may be required for a campaign to be approved.

Incidentally, President Donald Trump may have, at one time, been involved with Fund Anything but it has recently emerged that JustGiving began a campaign in 2016 to build a wall around the new President – unfortunately, the campaign reached just £50 of its £1000,000 target.

For more information on Just Giving visit: https://www.justgiving.com/

16. Fundbox

Fundbox, a San Francisco based online lender, makes access to credit simple, fast, and transparent so you can grow your Amazon business.

Fundbox provides approved Amazon Sellers with access to credit lines up to $100,000. These funds can help you increase your advertising spend, launch a new product, invest in high-quality photography — whatever your business needs to thrive.

There is no paperwork to get started, no waiting, and no headache. Sellers just connect their business checking account and provide some basic business details, and Fundbox does the rest.

The online application only takes a few minutes and you can receive funds in your bank account as soon as the next business day!

For more information on just visit: https://fundbox.com/

Launching a crowdfunding campaign is an exciting time for you or your venture and we hope that the information in this article has been useful.

Please do make sure that you always read the fine print before agreeing to pay for something or make your bank account details available.

Before going ahead, check that the company you plan to use is legitimate – you can do this by checking that they have a registered office, searching the FCA register or checking their website for a company registration number.