Indiegogo vs. Kickstarter — What's the Difference?

Indiegogo provides creators with the option to choose between flexible funding, where they keep all funds raised regardless of meeting the goal, and fixed funding, where funds are returned to backers if the goal is not met. Whereas Kickstarter operates on an all-or-nothing model, meaning projects must meet their set goals to receive any funds, which can push creators to set realistic funding targets.

Indiegogo allows a wider variety of projects, including charity and personal finance campaigns, which broadens its user base and types of projects. On the other hand, Kickstarter focuses strictly on creative projects such as tech innovations, games, and arts, maintaining a specific community and project type focus.

The fee structure on Indiegogo charges a 5% platform fee, plus payment processing fees, similar to Kickstarter’s fee structure, which also includes a 5% platform fee along with payment processing charges. However, Indiegogo offers an additional 5% fee for successful fixed funding campaigns, incentivizing successful funding.

Kickstarter has a rigorous project approval process to maintain a high standard of creativity and innovation within its campaigns. In contrast, Indiegogo’s process is less stringent, allowing for a faster and easier setup of campaigns but potentially leading to a wider variance in project quality.

Kickstarter boasts a large community with a strong reputation for launching successful creative and tech projects, which can attract backers looking to support the next big innovation. Indiegogo, while also having a significant user base, offers more variety in project types, which can attract a different kind of audience interested in more diverse initiatives.