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Source-backed analysis15

Review basis

Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.

15 reference sources

Information updated Nov 11, 2026

How we review
Kickstarter logo

Kickstarter Review

Crowdfunding platform for creative projects: games, hardware, film and books

Editorial Team6.7/10Write the first review

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
Free · Free
Visit Kickstarter
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Decide at a glance

Our verdict

Kickstarter suits people who like backing creative projects early and creators who want to raise money with no upfront fee: the app is free and the platform takes 5% plus payment fees only on funded projects. The trade-off is that Kickstarter issues no refunds and does not guarantee delivery, and its Trustpilot score is just 1.1/5, mostly from complaints about undelivered projects and lack of support.

Best for: Backers who like funding creative products (games, hardware, comics, film) before they exist

Skip it if: Shoppers who want guaranteed delivery and refunds: per the Terms, backers are not buying a product but helping fund one

Pros

  • Free for backers; creators pay nothing if a project misses its goal
  • Published fees: 5% plus 3% + $0.30 payment processing per pledge (US fee page)
  • Well-rated apps: 4.8/5 on the US App Store (about 60K ratings) and 4.7/5 on Google Play (about 68.5K reviews)

Cons

  • No refunds once funds are collected: the Terms say backers must ask the creator and Kickstarter takes no responsibility
  • Does not oversee project performance or mediate disputes between users
All pros and cons · Who is it for?

Pros

  • Built-in Pledge Manager since May 2025: backer surveys, add-ons, shipping, tax and tariff charges
  • Web interface in seven languages (English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Traditional Chinese)

Cons

  • Only 1.1/5 on Trustpilot from 1,354 reviews, with many complaints about undelivered projects and lack of support
  • February 2014 data breach (almost 5.2 million accounts per Have I Been Pwned)

Best for

  • Creators who want to test demand with all-or-nothing funding and no fees if the goal is missed

Skip it if

  • Creators who need recurring monthly income; Kickstarter funds one project at a time

Experience & key features

What is Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform launched on 28 April 2009, where creators post projects and backers pledge money to help them happen. Its About page says more than 26 million people from every continent have helped fund projects. It became a Public Benefit Corporation in 2015 and is based in New York. Backers are charged only if a project reaches its goal by the deadline.

How it works and the rules

Backers pick a reward and pledge an amount, which they can change or cancel before the deadline. The Terms stress that backers are not buying a product but helping fund something new; a collected pledge works like a conditional voucher, redeemable for a reward if the project is completed. After the campaign, the Pledge Manager (open to all creators since May 2025) handles surveys, add-ons, shipping and tax. The Rules require new rewards, honest presentation and real prototypes for technology projects; per TechCrunch, since August 2023 projects using AI must disclose relevant details on the project page.

Fees and value

For backers, the app and browsing are free. Creators in the United States pay 5% of total funds raised plus payment processing of 3% + $0.30 per pledge when a project succeeds; pledges under $10 cost 5% + $0.08. Late pledges carry the same fees. A project that misses its goal pays nothing. Each country has its own fee table, and only the US one was used for this review.

More analysis

Who it's for and how it compares

Kickstarter suits specific projects with a clear goal and deadline. Indiegogo is a comparable crowdfunding platform, Patreon leans toward recurring income from supporters, and GoFundMe focuses on personal and charitable fundraising. Backers should factor in the risk of delays or non-delivery, since the platform neither refunds nor guarantees products.

Screenshots

Project discovery screen of the Kickstarter iPhone app (App Store product image)
Project discovery screen of the Kickstarter iPhone app (App Store product image)
Reward carousel of a project in the Kickstarter app (App Store product image)
Reward carousel of a project in the Kickstarter app (App Store product image)
Campaign tab in the Kickstarter app (App Store product image)
Campaign tab in the Kickstarter app (App Store product image)

Plans & pricing

Prices last verified Nov 11, 2026

Backer

Personal

Free

Free to sign up and use the app (18+). Backers pay only their pledge plus any shipping or tax. Once a pledge is collected, Kickstarter does not issue refunds; a refund has to be requested from the creator.

Creator

Business

Contact sales

No fee to list a project. A successfully funded project pays 5% of total funds raised plus payment processing of 3% + $0.30 per pledge (pledges under $10: 5% + $0.08). No fees if the goal is missed. Figures are from the US fee page; other countries have their own fee tables.

Free plan limits
Browsing, following and backing projects is free; fees apply only to successfully funded projects.
Free trial
No free trial
Cancellation & refunds

While a campaign is live, backers can increase, decrease or cancel a pledge, with some exceptions (for example, in the last 24 hours they must contact support if cancelling would drop the project below its goal). Once funds are collected, the Terms of Use say Kickstarter does not offer refunds and is not responsible for cancellations or refunds; backers can only ask the creator. Creators may refund individual pledges at any time after funding. Late pledges are charged immediately and cannot be cancelled.

Privacy

Per the privacy policy (effective 16 Apr 2024, updated 6 Aug 2024), Kickstarter collects account details, user-posted content, creator identity-verification data, transaction history and usage data such as IP address, device and approximate location. Stripe handles payments; Kickstarter stores only the last four digits, expiry date and country, not full card numbers. Creators and collaborators can see backers' names, emails, shipping addresses and survey answers, but may not sell that data or use it for targeted advertising. The cookie consent banner includes advertising and sale-of-personal-information categories. Google Play's data safety section says data is encrypted in transit and deletion can be requested. Track record: in February 2014 Kickstarter disclosed a breach; per Have I Been Pwned, almost 5.2 million email addresses, usernames and salted SHA1 password hashes were exposed.

Official pricing page

Kickstarter alternatives

Patreon logo7.0/10

Patreon

Membership platform where creators earn directly from their supporters

Freemium
GoFundMe logo6.4/10

GoFundMe

Crowdfunding platform with no platform fee, only transaction fees

Freemium

Controversies & incidents

Issues documented by the press, regulators, courts or the vendor itself. Every item is sourced; unproven claims are labelled as allegations. Last researched: Nov 11, 2026

  • Medium impactAllegedBilling ·

    Trustpilot complaints about undelivered projects and lack of support

    Per Trustpilot's AI-generated summary, most reviewers (1.1/5 from 1,354 reviews) were let down after losing money on failed projects with no help from the platform. These are user claims, not established by any authority.

    Read the full account

    Kickstarter's Trustpilot page scores 1.1/5 from 1,354 reviews. Its AI-generated summary (based on 148 reviews) says many reviewers are frustrated with customer service and describe no accountability or help when campaigns fail and money is lost, while a few received their items as promised after waiting. These are individual opinions that have not been independently verified. Kickstarter's Terms of Use confirm that the platform does not issue refunds, guarantee projects or mediate disputes between users. Trustpilot notes the profile has not replied to negative reviews.

    Vendor response

    No public response to these reviews was found. Kickstarter's Terms state that creators are responsible for finishing projects and that Kickstarter does not issue refunds.

    Sources:Trustpilot reviewsKickstarter Terms of Use

  • Low impactResolvedEthics ·

    Labor dispute over fired union organizers

    Per Vice, two employees involved in a union drive were fired in September 2019 and filed NLRB charges alleging retaliation. Kickstarter said the firings were for legitimate reasons and settled one charge in October 2020.

    Read the full account

    Per Vice, in September 2019 Kickstarter fired Taylor Moore and Clarissa Redwine, two staff members active in the Kickstarter United organizing campaign; both filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board alleging retaliation. In September 2020 the NLRB found "sufficient merit" in Moore's charge, and in October 2020 Kickstarter settled it by agreeing to pay $36,598.63 in back pay and post a notice to employees; the union withdrew Redwine's charge. Employees had voted 46–37 to unionize on 18 February 2020, per TechCrunch. The dispute concerns workplace practices and does not directly affect backers or creators.

    Vendor response

    Per Vice, a Kickstarter spokesperson said the charges were resolved with no complaints filed and that the company maintained it parted ways with Moore for legitimate reasons. After the vote, the CEO told TechCrunch the company supports and respects the staff's decision.

    Sources:Vice: Kickstarter settles complaint that it retaliated against union organizer (2020-10-06)TechCrunch: Kickstarter workers vote to unionize (2020-02-18)

  • Medium impactResolvedLawsuit ·

    FTC action against a creator whose funded game did not deliver or refund

    Per SiliconANGLE, the FTC alleged that a creator raised about $122,000 on Kickstarter but neither delivered the game nor refunded backers. The case ended in a settlement.

    Read the full account

    Per SiliconANGLE, the FTC said Erik Chevalier raised $122,000 from 1,246 backers for the board game The Doom That Came to Atlantic City, cancelled it 14 months later and promised refunds that were never paid. The FTC alleged he spent most of the money on personal expenses. Under the settlement he is barred from misrepresenting crowdfunding campaigns and must honor stated refund policies; a $111,793.71 judgment was suspended due to inability to pay. The article carries no comment from Kickstarter and quotes an unnamed observer saying the platform had outsourced fraud prevention to the FTC. The case illustrates that Kickstarter does not guarantee delivery, as its current Terms of Use state.

    Sources:SiliconANGLE: FTC takes legal action against Kickstarter project (2015-06-12)Kickstarter Terms of Use (backer and creator responsibilities)

Show 1 more
  • Medium impactResolvedSecurity ·

    February 2014 data breach

    Per Have I Been Pwned, Kickstarter disclosed a breach in February 2014 that exposed almost 5.2 million email addresses, usernames and salted SHA1 password hashes.

    Read the full account

    Have I Been Pwned records that Kickstarter disclosed a breach in February 2014; the dataset contains almost 5.2 million email addresses, usernames and salted SHA1 password hashes and was added to the service on 6 Oct 2017. It advises affected users to change passwords and enable two-factor authentication. The original Kickstarter announcement was not found, so no details of the company's response are given.

    Sources:Have I Been Pwned: Kickstarter data breach

Frequently asked questions

Does Kickstarter issue refunds?

Kickstarter itself does not. Before the deadline you can cancel a pledge yourself (with some last-24-hour exceptions); once funds are collected, you can only ask the creator for a refund.

How much does Kickstarter charge?

Per the US fee page, a successful project pays 5% of funds raised plus payment processing (3% + $0.30 per pledge). No fees apply if the goal is missed.

What happens if a project misses its goal?

Kickstarter uses all-or-nothing funding: if a project misses its goal, backers are not charged and the creator pays no fees.

Does Kickstarter guarantee that projects deliver?

No. The Terms say Kickstarter does not guarantee creators' work and does not oversee project performance; creators are responsible for delivery and may face legal action from backers.

Review evidence & sources15

Scores

Ease of use
7.8
Why this score

Browsing, saving and backing projects is straightforward, with iOS and Android apps and a web interface in seven languages. Some older (2019–2020) Google Play reviews mention slow loading, extra taps and unreliable notifications, and the rules on rewards, taxes and surveys take some learning.

Features
7.4
Why this score

A full campaign toolset: funding progress, updates, backer messaging, reminders before projects end, late pledges and, since May 2025, a Pledge Manager with surveys, add-ons, shipping, tariff charges and US sales tax / EU-UK VAT collection. Scope is narrower than multi-purpose platforms: each raise is a one-off project with no recurring-membership model.

Value for money
7.0
Why this score

Free for backers and no fees if a campaign fails; a funded project pays roughly 8–10% in total (5% platform fee plus 3–5% payment processing, per the fees page). Marked down because once funds are collected, backers have no refund route through the platform.

Performance
7.0
Why this score

Running since 2009, with more than 26 million people having backed projects per its About page. No independent speed data was found; a few Google Play reviews mention slow project loading and video playback problems.

Support
4.8
Why this score

There is a help center, a support contact and clear rules. But the Terms say Kickstarter does not mediate disputes between users, Trustpilot reviewers (1.1/5) say the platform offers little help when campaigns fail, and the profile has not replied to negative reviews.

Privacy & security
6.2
Why this score

A clear public policy; Stripe handles payments so full card numbers are not stored; Google Play lists encryption in transit and deletion requests. Marked down for the 2014 breach, advertising cookies, and creators' access to backers' personal details.

What users say

Sources

Specs & compatibility
Developer
Kickstarter, PBC
Headquarters
United States
Launched
2009
Category
Community

Capabilities

  • Mobile app
  • Integrations

Platforms

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android

Interface languages

  • English
  • German
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Japanese
  • Chinese

Integrations

  • Stripe (payments)
  • Sign in with Apple
  • Facebook login

Support

  • Help center
  • Email

Change history

  1. Feature.Kickstarter opens its Pledge Manager to all creators after a beta.
  2. Update.Kickstarter announces that projects using AI to generate images, text or audio must disclose relevant details on the project page.
  3. Company.Kickstarter employees vote 46–37 to form the Kickstarter United union.
Full change history (6)
  1. Update.The FTC announces its first action over a Kickstarter-funded project that did not deliver or refund backers.
  2. Company.Kickstarter announces a data breach; per Have I Been Pwned, almost 5.2 million email addresses, usernames and salted SHA1 password hashes were exposed.
  3. Launch.Kickstarter launches to the public.
About the author

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