Finding The Best Crowdfunding Platform: Kickstarter Vs. Indiegogo

Table of contents

Open Table of contents

• What is Kickstarter?
• What is Indiegogo?
• Key Differences
  • 1. Registration and Approval
  • 2. Funding Model
  • 3. InDemand (Indiegogo Only)
  • 4. Platform Fees
  • 5. Geographic Reach
  • 6. Video Hosting
  • 7. Payment Methods
  • 8. Campaign Duration
  • 9. Backer Data Access
  • 10. Category Strengths
  • 11. Media and Press Coverage
• Which Platform Should You Choose?
• Crowdfunding Platforms — 2026 FAQ
  • Is Kickstarter still all-or-nothing in 2026?
  • What is Indiegogo InDemand and who should use it?
  • How do the fees compare?
  • Can I run campaigns on both platforms at the same time?
• Updated for May 2026

What is Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is a curated crowdfunding platform focused on creative projects: design, technology, games, film, music, publishing, and the arts. Creators set a funding goal and deadline. Kickstarter uses an all-or-nothing model — if the campaign falls short of its goal, no one is charged and the creator receives nothing. This protects backers and creates a strong incentive for creators to set realistic goals.

Campaigns must pass a review before going live. Kickstarter’s team checks that projects fit within their creative-project guidelines and that campaigns are presented honestly.

What is Indiegogo?

Indiegogo launched in 2008 and has grown into a global crowdfunding platform covering a wide range of project types, including tech hardware, creative work, and charitable causes. Its most distinctive feature is flexible funding: campaigns can keep whatever they raise even if they miss their goal, which is useful when a creator can deliver at any funding level.

Indiegogo also offers InDemand, a mode that lets successful campaigns continue collecting pre-orders indefinitely after the original campaign ends. This turns a time-limited crowdfunding push into an ongoing sales channel — something Kickstarter does not offer natively.

Key Differences

1. Registration and Approval

Kickstarter requires submitting your project for review. The team checks content quality, eligibility (the project must create something shareable), and compliance with their guidelines. Approval is not guaranteed, and you may be asked to revise before going live.

Indiegogo has no approval queue. You build your campaign page, connect a bank account, and launch. This makes it faster to get started, but the absence of curation means more variation in campaign quality on the platform.

2. Funding Model

This is the most important structural difference.

Kickstarter: all-or-nothing only. Hit your goal → funds are collected from backers. Miss it → everyone gets refunded. Backers don’t pay until the campaign succeeds.

Indiegogo: two options. Fixed funding works like Kickstarter’s model. Flexible funding lets you keep whatever you raise even if you fall short. Flexible is tempting, but it puts pressure on you to deliver even with partial funding — think carefully before choosing it.

3. InDemand (Indiegogo Only)

Once an Indiegogo campaign ends, you can activate InDemand mode to keep accepting pre-orders through Indiegogo’s storefront. This is especially useful for hardware products that need a longer ramp to full manufacturing. Kickstarter has no equivalent; once a campaign closes, it’s closed.

4. Platform Fees

Both platforms charge a percentage of funds raised plus a payment processing fee. Verify current rates on each platform’s pricing page before launching — fee structures do change, and quoting a specific number here risks being wrong by the time you read this. As a rough qualitative guide: expect a platform fee in the low single digits plus a payment processing cut of a few percent on top. Kickstarter waives its platform fee if you don’t reach your goal; Indiegogo’s flexible-funding campaigns pay fees on whatever they raise regardless.

5. Geographic Reach

Kickstarter is available in a more limited set of countries (verify the current list on kickstarter.com). Indiegogo is accessible in more than 200 countries, making it the better choice if your backer base is internationally distributed.

6. Video Hosting

Indiegogo embeds YouTube and Vimeo videos. Kickstarter hosts video natively on its own player. Both work well. The Indiegogo approach gives you YouTube discovery as a side channel; the Kickstarter approach keeps viewers on-platform.

7. Payment Methods

Indiegogo accepts credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay (verify current options). Kickstarter processes pledges through Stripe — credit and debit cards — but does not support PayPal or instant-pay services. More payment options on Indiegogo generally means less friction for international backers.

8. Campaign Duration

Both platforms allow campaigns from 1 to 60 days. The conventional wisdom still holds: 30–40 days is the sweet spot. Long campaigns lose momentum; short campaigns create urgency but limit discovery time.

Extensions work differently: Indiegogo allows a one-time extension (with limits on total days added). Kickstarter allows extensions only in the final week, and only with platform approval.

9. Backer Data Access

On Indiegogo, creator access to backer contact information happens earlier in the process. On Kickstarter, full contact details are only released after a campaign successfully funds. If you plan to run backer surveys mid-campaign, account for this.

10. Category Strengths

Kickstarter tends to outperform in: design, games, technology hardware, film, music, and publishing. The curation drives a quality signal that press and backers associate with the platform.

Indiegogo tends to do well in: tech hardware (especially through InDemand), charitable and civic initiatives, and internationally-distributed campaigns. It also accepts categories Kickstarter does not, including some charitable fundraising.

11. Media and Press Coverage

Historically, Kickstarter has attracted more press attention per campaign, partly because its approval process filters for quality and novelty. If earned media is a core part of your launch strategy, Kickstarter’s brand recognition can help. That said, viral hardware campaigns on Indiegogo have also generated significant coverage — the platform matters less than the product story.

Which Platform Should You Choose?

Use Kickstarter if:

• Your project is a creative work, game, or consumer product with a clear, shareable output
• You want the all-or-nothing model to protect backers and signal confidence
• Press coverage is part of your strategy
• Your backers are primarily in supported countries

Use Indiegogo if:

• You need flexible funding (you can deliver at various funding levels)
• You want InDemand for ongoing pre-orders after the campaign
• Your backer base is internationally distributed
• You need to launch quickly without a review queue

Most hardware founders I’ve seen go with Indiegogo specifically for InDemand — it’s a meaningful operational advantage when you’re managing a manufacturing ramp. For games, publishing, and pure creative projects, Kickstarter’s community and press halo still tends to win.

Crowdfunding Platforms — 2026 FAQ

Is Kickstarter still all-or-nothing in 2026?

Yes. Kickstarter’s all-or-nothing model is a core part of its identity and has not changed. If your campaign does not hit its goal by the deadline, backers are not charged and you receive nothing. This is by design — it protects backers and encourages realistic goal-setting.

What is Indiegogo InDemand and who should use it?

InDemand is a post-campaign mode that lets you keep accepting pre-orders after your Indiegogo campaign closes. It’s particularly valuable for hardware and physical products where manufacturing takes longer than the campaign window. If you expect demand beyond your campaign period, InDemand turns your crowdfunding page into an ongoing storefront.

How do the fees compare?

Both platforms charge a platform fee plus a payment processing fee on funds raised. Exact current rates vary — verify on each platform’s official pricing page before launching. Kickstarter waives its platform fee on failed campaigns; Indiegogo’s flexible-funding campaigns pay fees on all funds raised regardless of goal attainment.

Can I run campaigns on both platforms at the same time?

Technically possible, but generally not advisable. Running simultaneous campaigns splits your backer community, creates confusion, and can dilute press momentum. Most successful launches pick one platform and go all-in. Run on the second platform as a follow-up (e.g., Indiegogo InDemand after a Kickstarter close) rather than simultaneously.

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This guide is part of alejandrorioja.com — written by Alejandro Rioja, who now builds AI agent systems for founders. Including the agent that keeps this site current. How it works →

Updated for May 2026

A short note from May 2026: the workflow this post describes was checked against the current state of the underlying tools and platforms. Where specific tools, UIs, or features have evolved, the structural advice still holds — the implementation will look slightly different in 2026. If you hit a step that doesn’t match what you see on screen, that’s likely a UI refresh, not a fundamental change in approach. Drop a note via the contact form and I’ll patch it explicitly.