Crowdfunding is a popular method of financing projects by collecting small contributions from many individuals, typically through online platforms. In recent years, crowdfunding has emerged as a powerful tool for funding a wide variety of initiatives, including creative projects, charitable causes, and startup ventures. For entrepreneurs, crowdfunding offers an effective way to raise capital without relying on traditional funding sources.
By leveraging crowdfunding platforms, startups can access initial funds from a diverse pool of backers, often in exchange for rewards or equity. If you’re considering crowdfunding to kickstart your startup but aren’t sure where to begin, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve thoroughly researched the top crowdfunding platforms for startups, weighing the pros and cons of each to help you make an informed decision.
How Does Crowdfunding Work?
Crowdfunding allows startups to raise funds by pooling small contributions from a large number of people. This is done by creating a campaign on a crowdfunding platform where potential backers can learn about the business and choose to support it financially. If the campaign meets its funding goal, the startup receives the pledged funds. Depending on the type of campaign, investors may receive rewards or a stake in the company in return for their contributions. Crowdfunding is an excellent way for businesses to raise capital without giving up significant ownership or control, and it also serves as a way to gauge market interest in a product or service before launching.
Why Crowdfunding is a Popular Choice for Startups
Crowdfunding has become one of the most favored methods for raising startup funds, and for good reason. It offers entrepreneurs access to a wide array of funding sources, with contributions varying in size. Crowdfunding often provides businesses with their initial capital, which is crucial for early growth. In return, backers may receive rewards such as product discounts or early access, while some may opt for equity in the company. If you’re ready to explore crowdfunding for your startup, we’ve broken down the top crowdfunding platforms, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each to help you find the best fit.
Best Crowdfunding Affiliate Programs In 2025:
The following is a list of several well-known websites for small business crowdfunding in 2025:
- Krowdster
- Crowd Funding Exposure
- Crowdcube
- Easyship
- Udemy
- SeedInvest
- Kickbooster
- Honeyfund
- StartEngine
- Donorbox
- GoGetFunding
1. Krowdster:
Krowdster is the ideal public relations and marketing resource for crowdfunding campaigns. A crowdfunding website called Krowdster supports projects looking for financial or in-kind contributions in addition to equity crowdfunding initiatives. According to the firm, consumers have raised nearly 900 billion dollars for innovative projects. Therefore, it is without a doubt the most well-known platform of its sort.
The main reason for using Krowdster is to advertise one’s idea, because this platform supports crowdfunding, it automatically attracts lots of media attention and possible investors. When using Krowdster, users get access to backers from important crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. They have the world’s largest crowdfunded supporter directory with over a million members.
Users could choose from any of Krowdster’s bundles or purchase a single service; the company offers a variety of price tiers. Anyone may organize a successful crowdfunding campaign with the aid of a Twitter marketing device, press release firms, and other resources. For instance, a subscription to a Backer Directory costs $99 a month.
Details:
- URL- Krowdster Affiliate Program
- 20% commission
- Payment: 15th of every month
- Cookie lifecycle: Forever
2. Crowd Funding Exposure:
A marketing tool called Crowd Funding Exposure assists fundraisers in getting the word out about their initiatives through a variety of media, giving them more time to handle day-to-day operations. They employ cutting-edge newswire services, social media advertising, targeted advertising, one-on-one consulting services, and more to reach over 80,000 editors and 400+ news websites. Many successful projects on IDIDIT Foundation, Kickstarter, GoFundMe, Indiegogo, as well as other crowdfunding sites, have used crowdfunding exposure.
People with an interest in the project and in crowdfunding, in general, will see it when consumers use their services to advertise their project. You can receive up to 30% of the proceeds from each sale you refer as an affiliate when you sign up for the Crowd Funding Exposure Affiliate Program. A special link will be given to you so you can advertise the program via an advertisement, Fb post, blog, tweet, etc. Due to the single-tier incentive structure of the program, affiliates inside the Crowd Funding Exposure program only get paid for purchases that they personally generate.
Details:
- 30% commission
- Payment: Monthly
- Cookie lifetime: thirty days
3. Crowdcube:
In contrary to most of the other crowdfunding websites on our list, which are created for an American audience, Crowdcube is an equity crowdfunding platform with a UK background. Since its establishment in 2011, Crowdcube has assisted over 700 different startups, early-stage businesses, and expanding enterprises in successfully raising millions of pounds. This serves as a platform where business owners may ask investors for money for their projects in return for a share in the company.
It’s possible to think of Crowdcube as a more investment-focused version of Kickstarter. Crowdcube’s main selling point is that it enables common investors to spend in companies. A privately owned company’s stock could be acquired by an investor with just a £25 initial investment Crowdcube offers helpful marketing tools that business owners can utilize to promote their activities and broaden their contact base in addition to its helpful funding capabilities. You may introduce your customers to Crowdcube’s cutting-edge crowdfunding platform and earn a commission for every successful introduction if you sign up as one of their referral partners.
Details:
- A maximum commission of £10,000
- Payment is due 30 days after the financing is received.
4. Easyship:
This platform was developed by Easyship with the goal of making it easier for vendors, small businesses, and crowdfunding projects to expand into new markets through the automation of shipping and fulfillment procedures. Easyship is unparalleled when it comes to helping online companies with international shipping.
Many organizations rely on Easyship to meet their demands, each with specific services and requirements. With its cloud-based infrastructure supporting businesses’ connections with customers all over the world, Easyship streamlines its users’ shipping experiences both locally and internationally.
There have already been more than 35 connections accessible, and the business is open to creating more if there is sufficient demand. Popular websites like Amazon, Shopify, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, eBay, and others are integrated by clients.
The Easyship affiliate program is ideal for affiliates that are interested in e-commerce, crowdfunding, drop shipping, small enterprises, or internet marketing. The affiliate gets either 100% of the customer’s first monthly plan once the trial period expires, or a 25% share of the annual payment if the user selects a yearly plan.
Details:
- 100% flat rate commission; 25% per month
- Monthly payments
- The cookie’s lifetime is 365 days.
5. Udemy:
It is the best platform available for online learning. Udemy is one of the most well-liked educational affiliate programs, according to our study. They offer thousands of programs in a variety of subjects, all created by world-renowned academics.
Students can even participate in classes to understand the ins and outs of crowdfunding. The launch of a crowdfunding campaign may also benefit from taking courses like “The Complete Crowdfunding Course on Kickstarter & Indiegogo” and “Crowdfunding for Changemakers,” which are quite helpful.
Depending on the publisher, commissions for marketing Udemy courses could reach 15%. Additionally, hundreds of banner advertising as well as dozens of text links are accessible through Rakuten Marketing. A professional affiliate manager is available to answer any queries that affiliates may have, in addition to a plethora of marketing resources and tools.
Additionally, affiliates have access to exclusive deals and discounts. Its cookies window spans 7 days, which is 75% lower than the 30-day norm. When customers click your link, they must be prepared to make a purchase.
Details:
- 15% commission
- No payment received
- Cookie lifetime: seven days
6. SeedInvest:
Since its launch in 2012, the crowdfunding platform SeedInvest has helped over 235 businesses raise money and built a community of over 500,000 investors. The majority of the platform’s profitable ads are run by tech and e-commerce businesses.
The idea of enabling non-accredited investors to take part in crowdfunding by buying stock in companies was invented by SeedInvest. Shareholders are those who invest money in a company. The main beneficiaries of SeedInvest’s equity crowdfunding approach are investors rather than supporters.
The referred company must go through an application as well as a screening process before the platform may carry out its due diligence. They would be able to sign up with SeedInvest and start looking for investment if their application is approved.
For recommendations that result in the opening of a Reg CF and Reg D offering, SeedInvest will pay $5,000; for a Reg A+ offering, SeedInvest will pay $20,000. Bonuses for referrals are offered a maximum of five times a year. Typically, a startup can start its fundraising efforts four to twelve weeks after submitting its formal application to SeedInvest.
Details:
- Maximum commission: $20,000
- Payment: 90 days of a referred business’s fundraising campaign.
7. Kickbooster:
Kickbooster is available to support creators at every level of a crowdfunding procedure, from the anxious building of prelaunch to the thrill of online sales. Offerings from Kickbooster are designed to facilitate projects’ smooth transition from the fundraising stage to the selling stage.
Users can expand their current service or turn their ideas into viable enterprises with the aid of Kickbooster. Members of Kickbooster may simply track fundraising efforts by connecting their dashboard to popular crowdfunding sites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter.
This is one of the best fundraising platforms available because there are no additional fees if customers fall short of their goal. Businesses may focus their marketing in the most effective ways by using the Kickbooster control center to track users’ clicks, pledges, and commissions as well as the source of their traffic.
Just for $29 per month, they can have everything they require, including a landing page created especially for their debut, email address collection from visitors to the site, and interest generation before their project even opens.
Details:
- Depending on the campaign, the commission
- Payment due on the first or fifteenth of the month
- Cookie life expectancy varies by the campaign.
8. Honeyfund:
A well-known free honeymoon registry and wedding gift registry are combined at Honeyfund.com. It is free and hassle-free for couples and their visitors to utilize. Honeyfund makes it simple for loved ones to support the couple by donating a thoughtful gift that reflects their unique personalities and turns gift-giving into a joyful event. Honeyfund, the most well-known crowdfunding platform for honeymoons, weddings, charities, down payments, and much more, has helped hundreds of thousands of newlyweds realize their dreams.
With an average value of $100 on Honeyfund Cards, Honeyfund has a cost per lead of $8 and a payout rate of 3.5% for gift card sales. ShareASale is where this program is housed. As an affiliate, you benefit from stunning creatives, current materials, a customized strategy, and the thrill of collaborating with Honeyfund, the top honeymoon registry in the world. The affiliate program for Honeyfund only pays out for successfully completed gift card purchases and account signups. No commissions are paid for using the site to sign up for contests, buy flights, buy gifts, or do anything else.
Details:
- 3.5% commission / $8 CPL
- Payment due on the first or fifteenth of the month
- Cookie lifecycle: 90 days
9. StartEngine:
It is a different equity crowdfunding website providing access to a database from over 750,000 potential investors. StartEngine is a platform for crowdfunding that makes it easier for private investors to connect with companies that need money.
Over 500 offerings were sponsored via the website, which gathered over 750,000 investors and generated about $500 million in total. Businesses can raise $5 million using Regulation Crowdfunding, an exemption from SEC guidelines that allows the general public access to the investing market, according to StartEngine.
Although there are still strict financial and regulatory requirements, the procedure is quicker than more traditional methods of getting funding from investors. StartEngine is useful since it provides the financial analysis and legal documentation needed to launch Reg CF campaign.
However, relative to other crowdfunding sites, it has a higher startup cost, and that cost may increase for companies looking to raise more than $5 million. After you fill out the Scout form as an affiliate, StartEngine will contact you or the company’s founder to start the screening process.
Details:
- $5,000 commission
- Payment: Variable
10. Donorbox:
Donorbox’s only objective is to provide NGOs with a simpler method of managing their fundraising initiatives and building closer bonds with their supporters. Since 2014, they have made it possible for millions of gifts to be connected with NGOs in much more than 30 countries.
Donorbox is a flexible tool for fundraising that may be used by nonprofit organizations, political campaigns, and other people looking for financial assistance. Their software may help charities, social impact organizations, and religious companies of all sizes to streamline and enhance their fundraising operations.
You will receive a 15% commission on your referrals’ Donorbox fees for the following three years if they successfully collect money through the service. Credit cards, e-wallets, or even direct fund transfers are all forms of payment that Donorbox supports.
The processing expenses related to each donation are voluntary for the customer, and contributions can be made occasionally or on a regular basis. Using Donorbox is entirely free in cases when users’ monthly donations do not exceed $1,000. Users would be charged 1.5% if monthly collections total more than $1,000.
Details:
- 15% commission for three years
- Payout: Variable
- The cookie’s lifetime is 45 days.
11. GoGetFunding:
GoGetFunding, one of the first significant personal crowdfunding services, was established in 2011. Since then, they’ve made it possible for millions of dollars to be raised online for causes that benefit people all around the world.
GoGetFunding was named one of the top crowdfunding sites in the world by Forbes, and its programs have received attention from a wide range of reputable media publications. Crowdfunding isn’t just for private use; it can also be utilized to benefit nonprofit organizations.
One can choose to run an ongoing or time-limited GoGetFunding campaign, and those that need recurring donations from their supporters should do so. To optimize fundraising for their client’s campaigns, their cutting-edge technology is continuously improved.
GoGetFunding allows customers to withdraw money at any point throughout a program, not just after it’s over, in contrast to rival platforms. As a result, GoGetFunding also offers the option of overfunding. Therefore, this isn’t always a concern. GoGetFunding affiliates get 2% of the funds earned by the campaign they have suggested. To provide you with an idea, you would receive $100 if you recommend somebody and they raise $5000.
Details:
- 2% commission
- No payment received
- Cookie lifecycle: 14 days
12. Indiegogo:
Since its founding in 2008, Indiegogo has contributed to the funding of more than 800,000 projects. You can start a campaign on the platform, which is accessible to 235 countries and territories, to raise money for any kind of initiative or cause. The platform allows you to construct campaigns that may last up to sixty days. You pay a minimal platform charge together with the money you collect. Within 15 days, the funds raised are transferred to your bank.
Another great feature of Indiegogo is indeed the seamless connectivity it offers with other platforms such as Google and Meta, which makes it easier to advertise campaigns and find additional investors. What people enjoy about it is how Google plus social media are integrated.
Its worldwide operations What people don’t like: In addition to the platform cost, there is a 3% third-party processing fee. With a BBB A+ Rating and global operations, Indiegogo is a successful platform for fundraising, particularly for business owners and investors.
Details:
- Price: Platform cost of 5% plus an extra third-party processing fee of 3-5% on cash rose.
13. Kickstarter:
Perhaps the most well-known name in artistic communities when it relates to crowdfunding is Kickstarter. Since the platform’s 2009 launch, artists, singers, creators, as well as filmmakers, have mostly used it to realize their ideas.
Set your target amount and the timeframe in which you want to reach it when starting a fundraising campaign just on the platform. Of course, before being accepted, your campaign will be subjected to a vetting process. This helps investors trust the platform by keeping it free of fraudulent fraud.
To thank your supporters, you might also set aside a special occasion or gift. If you reach your target, you’ll have a 14-day waiting time before you can receive the funds. Hundreds of artists and producers have used the widely used crowdsourcing portal Kickstarter to raise money for their projects.
It needs you to meet your financial objectives, thus you won’t collect your money unless your predetermined funding target is met. However, aside from that, the system makes it simple to build campaigns and locate investors to your ideas.
Details:
- Price: A platform fee of 5% is added to a processing cost of 3-5% for each transaction.
14. Patreon:
A subscription-based platform for fundraising called Patreon has assisted independent producers like YouTubers in building a continuous stream of income from individual users. After YouTube started to tighten up its monetization regulations, making it more challenging for them to earn ad income on the platform, the platform’s popularity skyrocketed.
Over 2,00000 podcasters, singers, painters, writers, and other creators have raised $2 billion on Patreon to promote their work. You can essentially design monthly membership plans for the audience, allowing them to support you in exchange for free material or access to Patreon-only stuff.
For independent creators, Patreon is like a blessing because it gives them a new revenue stream through which their audience may assist them by voluntarily making payments. For independent filmmakers who are just getting started on websites like YouTube and Vimeo, we highly recommend it. Price: 5% platform charge for the Lite plan, 8% platform fee for the Pro plan, and 12% fee added for the Premium Plan. 2.9% processing charges are also present.
Details:
- Price: A platform fee of 5% is added to a processing cost of 3-5% for each transaction.
15. Crowd Supply:
The sole purpose of Crowd Supply is to assist individuals in raising funds for more individualized ideas and hardware. Here, you may sell your hardware items as well as raise money for them by listing them on the marketplace.
All of the most recent projects that have been funded are displayed on the platform’s extremely simple, e-store-like interface. The items are listed along with information on the amount of money raised for just a project and the number of backers a project has attracted so far.
If you’ve got a hardware product concept that you’d like to fund and present to potential customers, Crowd Supply ought to be the right suitable for you. Given the number of platforms available for IP financing, Crowd Supply stands out as a novel departure from the norm. What people enjoy: Campaign Administration, creation of media assets, specialized PR team to support product promotion, simple creation and introduction of a fundraising effort.
Details:
- 5% of sales revenue is the standard plan; 6-15% of total sales are the range for custom plans.
Conclusion
Crowdfunding has revolutionized the way startups raise money, offering entrepreneurs the opportunity to access a large pool of potential backers. By carefully choosing the right platform and preparing a compelling campaign, you can secure the funds necessary to launch and grow your business. Whether you’re offering rewards or equity, crowdfunding allows you to engage with supporters while keeping control of your venture.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the benefits of crowdfunding for startups?
Crowdfunding allows startups to raise capital without giving up control or significant equity. It also helps gauge market interest in your product or service before launch and allows you to engage directly with potential customers.
How do crowdfunding platforms work?
Crowdfunding platforms enable entrepreneurs to create campaigns that describe their product or service. Backers then contribute financially, and if the campaign reaches its funding goal, the startup receives the funds. Rewards or equity may be offered to backers based on the campaign type.
What types of crowdfunding are available for startups?
The most common types are reward-based crowdfunding, where backers receive products or perks, and equity crowdfunding, where backers receive shares in the company. Some platforms also offer donation-based crowdfunding for charitable causes.
What happens if a crowdfunding campaign doesn’t meet its goal?
If a campaign doesn’t reach its goal, most platforms return the funds to the backers. However, some platforms allow startups to keep the funds even if the goal isn’t met, depending on the funding model.
How can I choose the best crowdfunding platform for my startup?
When choosing a platform, consider factors such as the type of crowdfunding (reward vs. equity), platform fees, the audience it attracts, and the ease of use. Research each platform’s success rates and how well it aligns with your campaign goals.
