Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover crowdfunding and monetization & payments. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| BackerKit | Zeffy | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | 5% of what you earn | None |
| Runs on | Web | Web |
| Covers | Crowdfunding, Monetization & Payments | Crowdfunding, Monetization & Payments, Tips & Donations |
| Works with | Nothing in particular | Nothing in particular |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
Crowdfunding with the pledge manager attached
BackerKit started as the thing campaigns moved to after Kickstarter closed, to collect addresses and sell add-ons, and now runs the campaign itself as well. Keeping both halves in one place removes the export and re-import that loses backers. It leans heavily toward tabletop games, which shows in the templates and in who is browsing.
Our note
The reason to launch here rather than on Kickstarter is the second half of the job. If the project is a straightforward one-reward campaign with no add-ons and no shipping tiers, Kickstarter's larger browsing audience is worth more than the pledge manager.
Fundraising with no platform or processing fee
Zeffy takes nothing from a donation, and covers card processing itself out of the optional tips donors leave at checkout. Donations, ticketed events, raffles, auctions, memberships and a donor database are all in the same account. It is built for nonprofits, and the sign-up asks you to be one.
Our note
If you qualify as a nonprofit, start here, because no competitor can beat zero. Read the tip prompt on a live form first and decide whether you are comfortable with your donors seeing it, since that is the whole trade.
Only on this side
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.