Creator income
Kickstarter fee calculator.
Enter your expected pledges. See the 5% platform fee, processing and micropledge fees, and what reaches you if the project funds.
Payout = funds - 5% fee - processing on each pledge. $12,500.00 in pledges (200 at $60 and 100 at $5) pays out about $11,422.00.
Your numbers
Result
Worked example
200 pledges averaging $60 plus 100 micropledges averaging $5 gives $12,500.00. Kickstarter's 5% is $625.00. Processing on the 200 larger pledges at 3% + $0.30 is $420.00, and the 100 micropledges at 5% + $0.08 cost $33.00. You receive $11,422.00, or 91.4% of what backers pledged. To net $10,000 with the same mix you would need pledges of about $10,943.79.
How it works
Kickstarter's fees page for the United States lists a 5% fee on the funds collected, payment processing of 3% + $0.30 per pledge, and a discounted micropledge fee of 5% + $0.08 for pledges under $10. Kickstarter's own creator guide confirms the 5% fee applies only when a project is successfully funded; a project that misses its goal collects no fees.
The calculator treats a micropledge as paying the micropledge fee in place of the standard processing charge, which is how the fee is listed for pledges under $10. Fixed fees per pledge are why a campaign made of many small pledges keeps a smaller share than one made of fewer large ones.
Fees differ in other countries and currencies, and Kickstarter says they can change, so check the live page for your country. Rewards, shipping, taxes, failed pledges and currency conversion are not modelled. Everything runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent or stored.
Sources
The 5% fee, 3% + $0.30 processing and 5% + $0.08 micropledge fee come from the US fees page. The 5% fee on funded projects is also stated in Kickstarter's creator guide (13 March 2024). Pages checked 2026-10-19:
FAQ
How much does Kickstarter take?
Kickstarter charges a 5% fee on the funds collected for a successfully funded project, plus payment processing. The US fees page lists processing at 3% + $0.30 per pledge, and pledges under $10 pay a 5% + $0.08 micropledge fee instead.
Does Kickstarter charge anything if my project does not fund?
No. Kickstarter says its fee and the payment processing fees are collected only if the project is successfully funded.
Why do small pledges keep less?
Each pledge carries a fixed amount. With the example mix the 100 micropledges of $5 lose 11.6% each to the platform and micropledge fees, against 8.5% on a $60 pledge.
Are these fees the same outside the United States?
No. Kickstarter publishes a fees page per country with its own processing amounts, so use the page for your country.