Kickstarter & Indiegogo Fee & Pledge Calculator

All-or-nothing funding (Kickstarter default, and an option on Indiegogo) requires you to reach your funding goal to receive any money. If you fall short, no funds are collected and no fees are charged. Flexible funding (Indiegogo option) lets you keep whatever you raise minus fees, even if you don't reach your goal. All-or-nothing campaigns tend to have higher urgency and backer confidence, while flexible funding guarantees you at least keep something but may result in lower total pledges.

Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction for US-issued credit and debit cards. For international cards, an additional 1.5% fee may apply (total ~4.4% + $0.30). These fees are deducted from each individual pledge before the platform fee is applied. For a $25 early bird pledge, Stripe deducts approximately $1.03 (2.9% of $25 + $0.30). The fixed $0.30 per-transaction fee means that campaigns with many small pledges pay a higher effective processing rate than campaigns with fewer, larger pledges.

Fulfillment costs vary widely by product type and complexity. Simple rewards like stickers or digital downloads cost $0-5 per backer. T-shirts and apparel typically cost $10-20 per unit including production and shipping. Complex products like electronics or custom hardware can cost $30-100+ per unit. International shipping adds $10-30 per package depending on destination and weight. A good rule of thumb is to budget fulfillment costs at 20-30% of the pledge amount for physical rewards, and always overestimate rather than underestimate.

No. Kickstarter uses an all-or-nothing funding model, which means if your campaign doesn't reach its funding goal, no money changes hands and no fees are charged. This is one of the key advantages of the Kickstarter model - you only pay fees if your campaign succeeds. Indiegogo's flexible funding model does collect fees on whatever you raise even if you don't reach your goal, so the fee risk profile is different between the two platforms.

First-time crowdfunding campaigns should set a realistic minimum viable goal - the smallest amount needed to complete the project and fulfill all rewards. For most first-time creators, a goal between $10,000 and $50,000 is achievable. Remember that you need to account for platform fees (5%), processing fees (2.9% + $0.30/pledge), and fulfillment costs (20-30% of pledge amounts) when setting your goal. A good practice is to calculate your true minimum need and then add 15-20% to cover fees and unexpected costs.

Your break-even funding goal is the amount you need to raise so that after all fees, you net your target amount. The formula is approximately: Break-Even Goal = (Target Net + Backers × $0.30) / (1 - 0.05 - 0.029). For example, if you want to net $50,000 and expect 1,000 backers: ($50,000 + 1,000 × $0.30) / (1 - 0.05 - 0.029) = $50,300 / 0.921 = approximately $54,615. This means you should set your goal at about $55,000 to ensure you net $50,000 after all fees.

Yes, absolutely. All calculations in this Kickstarter and Indiegogo fee calculator run entirely in your browser using JavaScript. No data is sent to any server, no cookies are used to track your inputs, and no signup is required. Your campaign revenue projections, pledge tier details, and funding goals never leave your device. You can use the calculator with complete privacy.