Kickstarter fees explained: what it takes in 2026
By Fees.tools · Updated · Fees verified
Kickstarter charges a 5% platform fee plus payment processing — which it publishes only as "roughly 3-5%" — and charges both only if the project reaches its funding goal. A project that misses its goal pays nothing at all, because no money changes hands. This guide sets out each fee as Kickstarter states it, with worked examples computed by the same engine as the Kickstarter fee calculator. Every rate is quoted from Kickstarter's own fees documentation and was verified on 5 September 2026.
What Kickstarter charges
| What it applies to | Fee |
|---|---|
| Funded project, pledge of $10 or more — Kickstarter's platform fee | 5% |
| Funded project, pledge of $10 or more — payment processing by Stripe | roughly 3–5%; this calculator uses 3% |
| Funded project, pledge under $10 — micropledge fee, instead of the two above | 5% + $0.05 |
| Unfunded project | Nothing |
Nothing is charged unless the project funds
Kickstarter is all-or-nothing: "if a project is successfully funded, Kickstarter collects a 5% fee from the funds collected for creators", and the processing fee rides on the same condition. Funding is a fact about the project rather than about any one pledge, so it is the calculator's single toggle, on by default — a creator asking what Kickstarter costs is asking what a funded project costs.
The same $100 pledge if the project misses its goal, the fee on $100.00 is $0.00 and you keep $100.00, an effective rate of 0%.The processing rate is a floor, not a quote
Kickstarter does not publish a payment-processing percentage. Its wording is that Stripe "will also collect a payment processing fee (roughly 3-5%)", so this schedule stores the low end of that range. Every standard pledge priced here is therefore a floor on what the fees will actually be: a real project may well pay more, and nothing on the page tells you where in the range you will land.
The micropledge fee replaces the standard pair
A pledge under $10 pays "a discounted micropledge fee of 5% + $0.05 per pledge" instead of the platform fee and payment processing, not on top of them. That makes the boundary at $10 the one place on this site where a creator keeps more from a smaller pledge:
On a $9.99 pledge, the fee on $9.99 is $0.55 and you keep $9.44, an effective rate of 5.51%. On a $10.00 pledge, the fee on $10.00 is $0.80 ($0.50 kickstarter platform fee plus $0.30 payment processing (Stripe)) and you keep $9.20, an effective rate of 8%.The tier is charged per pledge, which is why the amount to enter is one pledge rather than a whole funding total. Percentages make those identical for standard pledges — 5% of the total is 5% of every pledge — but a project funded by a thousand $5 pledges pays the micropledge fee a thousand times, and that is not the same as one $5,000 pledge.
On a $25 pledge, the commonest reward tier, the fee on $25.00 is $2.00 ($1.25 kickstarter platform fee plus $0.75 payment processing (Stripe)) and you keep $23.00, an effective rate of 8%.Pricing a reward so you keep a round number
The fees come out of what the backer pays, so adding 8% to the figure you want to keep lands short. Work backwards instead:
To keep $100.00 you charge $108.69, and the fee is $8.69.Remember that this uses the low end of the processing range, so treat the answer as the least you should charge rather than the exact figure.
How it compares
GoFundMe raises money without an all-or-nothing goal and charges per donation instead — the GoFundMe fee calculator prices the same amount under that model. For recurring rather than one-off funding, Patreon fees explained: what it takes in 2026 covers a platform that charges a plan percentage plus processing every month. Kickstarter's advantage is the zero it charges on a failed campaign; its cost is that the whole schedule only applies if you hit the goal.
What this guide leaves out and why confidence is medium
The verified schedule covers a US project raising US dollars. Out of scope are rewards-fulfilment costs, promotional spend, currency effects outside the United States, and the taxes a funded project owes.
Confidence is medium for a reason worth stating plainly: Kickstarter's canonical fee table could not be captured for a dated snapshot despite repeated attempts, so the rules here trace to two other Kickstarter-owned pages — its help-centre article "What are the fees?" and its creator guide on updates.kickstarter.com — which agree word for word on the 5% platform fee, the "roughly 3-5%" processing language and the micropledge tier. Neither states a fixed per-pledge amount for standard pledges, which is why the processing component holds the range's low end and is flagged indicative.
The schedule was first verified on 5 September 2026, so the Kickstarter fee changelog holds one entry; later changes are added there with the date and the rule affected, and the schedule is re-verified every 60 days. The methodology explains the check, and if a figure here disagrees with what Kickstarter shows you, report it.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage does Kickstarter take?
5% of the funds collected, plus payment processing that Kickstarter describes only as roughly 3-5%. Both apply only to a project that reaches its goal.
Does Kickstarter charge anything if my project fails?
No. An unfunded project collects no pledges and pays no fees.
Why does a $9.99 pledge cost less than a $10.00 one?
Because the micropledge fee replaces the standard fees rather than adding to them. Below $10 a pledge pays 5% + $0.05 and nothing else; at $10 the platform fee and processing take over.
Are Kickstarter's fees the same everywhere?
This schedule covers a US project raising US dollars, which is the only market verified here. Kickstarter's own fee page sets out the rates for other countries.
Work out your own numbers with the Kickstarter fee calculator, or read the changelog.