Kickstarter vs. Indiegogo Fee Comparison: Which Platform Keeps More of Your Money?
Choosing between Kickstarter and Indiegogo can mean hundreds or thousands of dollars in fee differences depending on your campaign size and backer count.
This calculator breaks down both platforms' fee structures side by side so you can see exactly how much you keep.
For a $10,000 campaign with 200 backers, Kickstarter nets you $9,160 while Indiegogo nets $9,150 — a $10 difference driven entirely by per-backer flat fees.
Fee Structure Breakdown
Both platforms charge a platform fee plus payment processing.
The key difference is in the per-transaction flat fee:
Kickstarter:
Platform fee = Funds Raised x 5%
Processing fee = Funds Raised x 3% + ($0.20 x Backers)
Total Fee = Platform fee + Processing fee
Net Payout = Funds Raised - Total Fee
Indiegogo (Fixed Funding):
Platform fee = Funds Raised x 5%
Processing fee = Funds Raised x 2.9% + ($0.30 x Backers)
Total Fee = Platform fee + Processing fee
Net Payout = Funds Raised - Total Fee
The percentage-based fees nearly cancel out (8% vs. 7.9%), so the per-backer flat fee is what creates the difference for most campaigns.
Worked Example: $10,000 Campaign with 200 Backers
Kickstarter (5% + 3% + $0.20/backer):
- Platform fee: $10,000 x 5% = $500.00
- Processing percentage: $10,000 x 3% = $300.00
- Per-backer flat fees: 200 x $0.20 = $40.00
- Total Kickstarter fees: $500 + $300 + $40 = $840.00
- Net Payout: $10,000 - $840 = $9,160.00 (effective rate: 8.40%)
Indiegogo Fixed Funding (5% + 2.9% + $0.30/backer):
- Platform fee: $10,000 x 5% = $500.00
- Processing percentage: $10,000 x 2.9% = $290.00
- Per-backer flat fees: 200 x $0.30 = $60.00
- Total Indiegogo fees: $500 + $290 + $60 = $850.00
- Net Payout: $10,000 - $850 = $9,150.00 (effective rate: 8.50%)
Kickstarter wins by $10.00 in this scenario because its lower per-backer fee ($0.20 vs. $0.30) offsets Indiegogo's lower processing percentage (2.9% vs. 3%).
When Each Platform Wins on Fees
The fee comparison depends on two factors: total funds raised and number of backers.
**Kickstarter wins when** you have many backers with smaller pledges. Its $0.20 flat fee per backer beats Indiegogo's $0.30, and this gap compounds with backer count. A 1,000-backer campaign saves $100 in flat fees alone on Kickstarter.
**Indiegogo wins when** you have few backers with large pledges. Its lower processing percentage (2.9% vs. 3%) saves more on high-value transactions, and the per-backer flat fee difference becomes negligible with fewer backers.
**They tie** when the average pledge is exactly $100 — at that price point, the percentage savings and flat fee differences cancel out perfectly.
Beyond Fees: Other Financial Considerations
While fees matter, your platform choice should also account for funding model risk. Kickstarter's all-or-nothing model means you pay zero fees if you miss your goal, but you also receive zero funds. Indiegogo's flexible funding lets you keep partial funds (at an 8% platform fee instead of 5%), which works well for projects that can deliver partial results.
Factor in your confidence level, minimum viable budget, and the financial cushion you need before choosing based on fees alone.