Crowdfunding United Kingdom: Top 15 Crowdfunding Platforms in UK

Introduction To Crowdfunding Platforms in UK

Crowdfunding has revolutionised the way entrepreneurs, artists, and philanthropists raise money for their projects. Crowdfunding in the UK has gained immense popularity, making it easier than ever for individuals and organisations to turn their ideas into reality. With a wide range of crowdfunding platforms available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for your needs. In this ultimate guide, we will explore the best crowdfunding platforms in UK, their features, fees, and everything you need to know to make an informed decision.

Types of Crowdfunding in the UK

Before diving into the top crowdfunding platforms in the UK, it’s essential to understand the different types of crowdfunding available. The UK offers four main types of crowdfunding: equity-based crowdfunding, reward-based crowdfunding, debt-based crowdfunding, and donation-based crowdfunding.

• Equity-based crowdfunding allows individuals to invest in a company in exchange for shares or equity. This type of crowdfunding is popular among startups and small businesses looking to raise capital and gain support from investors.
• Reward-based crowdfunding involves offering rewards or products in return for financial contributions. This type of crowdfunding is commonly used by creative individuals, such as artists, musicians, and filmmakers, who offer unique experiences or limited-edition products to their backers.
• Debt-based crowdfunding, also known as peer-to-peer lending, allows individuals or businesses to borrow money from a crowd of lenders. The borrowed funds are repaid with interest over a specified period.
• Donation-based crowdfunding is primarily used by charitable organisations and individuals seeking financial support for a cause. Backers contribute funds without expecting any financial returns, driven solely by their desire to make a positive impact.

Understanding these different types of crowdfunding will help you determine which platform aligns best with your goals and project requirements.

Quick Comparison: All 15 Platforms at a Glance

Fees verified March 2026. Always confirm current rates directly with each platform before launching.

15 Best Crowdfunding Platforms in the UK

1. WhyDonate

Type: Donation | Best for: Individuals, nonprofits, and international charities

WhyDonate is one of the most cost-efficient donation platforms available to UK fundraisers. Its standout feature is a 0% platform fee — meaning more of every donation reaches its intended cause. The platform offers immediate payouts, a customisable fundraising page, and donation tax receipts, which are particularly useful for registered charities managing Gift Aid.

The dashboard is clean and well-suited to both first-time fundraisers and organisations running multiple simultaneous campaigns.

Fees – WhyDonate charges a 0% platform fee and a minimum of €0.25 + 1.9% transaction fees to all its users.

Pros: No platform fee, immediate payouts, tax receipt generation, international reach

Cons: Transaction fees are denominated in euros, which may cause minor FX friction for UK-only campaigns.

Create your campaign with WhyDonate now and turn your idea into reality.

2. GoFundMe

Type: Donation | Best for: Personal causes, emergencies, and community appeals

GoFundMe also specialises in donation crowdfunding, making it an excellent choice for creative individuals and artists. It is one of the most trusted crowdfunding platforms in the United Kingdom that provides a seamless campaign creation process, social sharing features, and analytics to track your campaign’s progress. 

Fees – GoFundMe charges a 0% platform fee and €0.25 + 1.9% transaction fees to its users.

Pros: Highest brand trust, no platform fee, fast setup, strong social sharing 

Cons: Less suited to business or equity fundraising; limited campaign analytics compared to specialist platforms

3. Indiegogo

Type: Reward | Best for: Product launches, gadgets, and creative projects

Indiegogo is a popular crowdfunding platform that allows individuals and organisations to raise funds for their projects or causes. Its flexible funding option — which lets campaign creators keep funds raised even if they fall short of their goal — is a significant differentiator from Kickstarter’s all-or-nothing model.

Indiegogo also hosts a marketplace for successfully funded products, giving campaigns continued visibility after their funding period ends.

Fees: 5% platform fee | 3% + £0.20 transaction fee

Pros: Flexible funding option, global marketplace, supports a wide range of project types 

Cons: Higher total fees than WhyDonate; the platform has less brand recognition among UK backers.

4. Crowdcube

Type: Equity | Best for: Growth-stage UK startups and scale-ups | FCA regulated: Yes

Crowdcube is one of the UK’s founding equity crowdfunding platforms, having launched in Exeter in 2011. It has backed some of the UK’s best-known startups, including Revolut and Monzo, in their early stages.

The platform has a rigorous vetting process — only a fraction of businesses that apply are listed — which gives investor confidence. Businesses receive pitch support, legal guidance, and access to Crowdcube’s large investor community. Investors can start from as little as £10 and track portfolios through an online dashboard. Many investments qualify for SEIS/EIS tax relief, which can significantly reduce the effective cost of investing.

Fees: 7% success fee (excl. VAT) | 0.75–1.5% completion fee on funds raised

Pros: Strong brand among UK investors, SEIS/EIS eligible campaigns, extensive vetting builds trust, secondary market available 

Cons: Selective — not all businesses will be approved; fees are among the higher end for equity platforms

5. Fundable

Type: Equity & Reward | Best for: US-linked startups and businesses with American investor targets

Fundable operates primarily in the US market but is available to UK businesses, particularly those with US operations or seeking American investors. It offers both reward-based and equity-based models, and its investor management tools — which let businesses track stakeholder relationships and send progress updates — are more sophisticated than most platforms.

Note that the subscription model (a flat monthly fee rather than a percentage success fee) makes Fundable cost-effective only if you’re confident of raising quickly.

Fees: $179/month subscription | 3.5% + 30¢ processing fee per transaction

Pros: Advanced investor management tools, flexible campaign models, no percentage-based success fee 

Cons: Monthly subscription means you pay regardless of whether you raise; more US-focused than UK-centric

6. Kickstarter

Type: Reward | Best for: Creative projects — film, music, design, games, art | FCA regulated: No (reward only)

Kickstarter invented the modern reward crowdfunding model and remains the gold standard for creative projects. Its all-or-nothing model — where funds are only collected if the project hits its goal — creates a powerful social proof dynamic: projects that are close to their goal attract a surge of late backers.

The platform has a large, active community of backers specifically looking for creative and cultural projects to support. For music, film, publishing, or game projects targeting a creative audience, Kickstarter’s platform advantage is difficult to replicate elsewhere.

Fees: 5% platform fee | 3–5% payment processing fee

Pros: Best platform for creative projects, large engaged backer community, all-or-nothing model drives urgency 

Cons: All-or-nothing means you get nothing if you miss your goal; no flexible funding option

7. Seedrs

Seedrs was one of the world’s first equity crowdfunding platforms and remains one of the most institutionally respected. Its nominee structure — where Seedrs holds shares on behalf of investors — simplifies cap table management enormously for founders and ensures all investors have standardised rights.

The Auto Invest feature allows investors to automatically allocate funds to startups that match their criteria, which helps campaigns reach funding thresholds faster. Seedrs also runs a secondary market where investors can sell shares — an unusual but valuable feature in the illiquid world of startup investing.

Note: Seedrs merged with Crowdcube in 2021, though both platforms continue to operate independently.

Fees: 6% success fee | £2,500 project completion fee | 0.5–1% payment processing

Pros: Nominee structure simplifies cap tables, secondary market for investors, Auto Invest feature, strong deal flow 

Cons: £2,500 flat completion fee makes it relatively expensive for small raises; merged with Crowdcube may affect platform direction

8. JustGiving

Type: Donation | Best for: Registered charities and sponsored fundraising events

JustGiving is the dominant platform for charity-linked fundraising in the UK. Founded in 2000, it has processed billions in charitable donations and is the default platform for marathon runners, cycle challenges, and sponsored events. Its integration with Gift Aid processing is seamless, which is a significant operational advantage for UK charities.

For personal causes or non-charity campaigns, GoFundMe or WhyDonate may be more cost-effective depending on volume.

Fees: Flexible platform fee (varies by charity agreement) | 2.9% + 25p transaction fee

Pros: Dominant brand for UK charity fundraising, excellent Gift Aid integration, large existing donor base 

Cons: Primarily designed for charities — less suited to individual or business campaigns

9. Funding Circle

Type: Debt (P2P lending) | Best for: Established SMEs seeking business loans | FCA regulated: Yes

Funding Circle is the UK’s largest peer-to-peer business lending platform, having facilitated over $10 billion in loans globally since its founding in 2010. It is specifically designed for established businesses — not startups — that want an alternative to traditional bank lending.

The process involves a credit assessment and risk rating for each loan. Investors then select loans to fund based on risk appetite. Once fully funded, the loan is disbursed and the borrower repays investors directly over the loan term. Funding Circle handles all loan servicing, collections, and reporting.

Fees: 0.9–4.9% (6–12 month loans) | 2.9–6% (2–3 year loans) | 4.5–6% (4–5 year loans)

Pros: Large investor base accelerates funding, established FCA-regulated platform, handles all loan admin 

Cons: Not suitable for startups or pre-revenue businesses; loan fees increase significantly with term length

10. Crowdfunder

Type: Reward | Best for: UK community projects, local businesses, and social enterprises

Crowdfunder is a reward-based platform with a particularly strong focus on UK community and social projects. Uniquely, it charges zero platform fees to registered charities, which makes it the most cost-efficient reward platform for the third sector.

For non-charity projects, the standard 5% platform fee is competitive. Crowdfunder also partners with various public bodies and grant-givers, occasionally offering matched funding for projects in certain categories — a potentially significant funding multiplier.

Fees: 0% (charities) / 5% (other projects) | 1.9–2.4% + 20p + VAT transaction fee

Pros: Zero fees for charities, strong UK community focus, matched funding opportunities, and trusted by local councils 

Cons: Primarily UK-focused; less useful if you’re targeting an international backer audience

11. Abundance Investment

Type: Debt (green/ethical) | Best for: Renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, and low-carbon projects | FCA regulated: Yes

Abundance Investment is one of the UK’s most specialised crowdfunding platforms, focused exclusively on green and ethical investments. It connects everyday investors with projects tackling climate change — wind farms, solar installations, electric vehicle infrastructure, and sustainable housing.

Investments are structured as fixed-income bonds, offering predictable returns over a defined period. Abundance is transparent about project risks and potential returns, which is reflected in its strong reputation among socially conscious retail investors.

Fees: 0% to investors | Fees charged to the companies raising funds (disclosed per project)

Pros: Unique green/ethical focus, fixed-income structure, high transparency, FCA regulated

Cons: Very sector-specific — not appropriate for mainstream business or personal fundraising

12. Crowd2Fund

Type: Debt & Equity (hybrid) | Best for: Growing UK businesses seeking flexible investment structures | FCA regulated: Yes

Crowd2Fund is notable for its hybrid model — offering both revenue loans and equity investments on the same platform. This flexibility lets businesses choose the structure that works best for their stage and circumstances. Its Smart-Invest feature automatically allocates investor funds based on user preferences, similar to Seedrs’ Auto Invest.

A secondary market for trading investments adds liquidity for investors — a meaningful advantage over most equity platforms.

Fees: 6% success fee on funds raised | 1% fee on investments from backers

Pros: Hybrid equity/debt model, secondary market, Smart-Invest automation, good for growing businesses 

Cons: Less brand recognition than Crowdcube or Seedrs; smaller investor community

13. SeedBlink

Type: Equity | Best for: UK and EU tech startups seeking co-investment from institutional and retail investors | FCA regulated: Partial (EU-licensed, expanding into UK)

SeedBlink is headquartered in Romania but has expanded aggressively into UK and EU markets. Its co-investment model is unusual: institutional partners and individual retail investors invest side-by-side in each deal, giving startups access to both credibility and capital simultaneously.

The platform is highly curated — fewer deals, but each is thoroughly vetted. For tech startups with EU ambitions, SeedBlink offers a meaningful route into the European investor ecosystem.

Fees: Up to 7% success fee (startups) | 2% platform fee (investors)

Pros: Co-investment model with institutional validation, EU market access, curated deal flow

Cons: Fees apply to both sides; smaller UK presence than Crowdcube or Seedrs; regulatory position in the UK still maturing

14. Ethex

Type: Equity & Debt | Best for: Social enterprises, community energy projects, and values-aligned organisations | FCA regulated: Yes

Ethex is a UK-based ethical investment marketplace connecting retail investors with organisations that have explicit social or environmental missions. Project types include community energy schemes, social housing bonds, and sustainable agriculture. Ethex makes it simple for ordinary investors to discover and support mission-aligned organisations without needing large minimum investments.

Fees: 0% to investors | 5–7% charged to organisations raising funds

Pros: Strong ethical/impact focus, accessible to retail investors, FCA regulated, UK-based

Cons: Very specific audience — not appropriate for mainstream businesses or standard startups

15. Angel Investment Network

Type: Equity (matchmaking) | Best for: Startups seeking direct relationships with angel investors | Not FCA regulated as a crowdfunding platform

Angel Investment Network operates differently from the other platforms on this list — rather than facilitating direct public investment, it connects entrepreneurs with a curated network of high-net-worth angel investors. Entrepreneurs pitch their businesses, and interested investors initiate private discussions.

With a presence in over 80 countries and thousands of registered investors, it offers significant reach. The 5% success fee only applies if you successfully connect with and close an investment through the platform.

Fees: Free to list | Optional premium packages | 5% success fee on connected investment

Pros: Global angel investor network, no upfront cost, direct investor relationships 

Cons: Not a traditional crowdfunding platform; no public campaign page; success depends heavily on pitch quality

Tips for Successful Crowdfunding Campaigns in the UK

Running a successful crowdfunding campaign requires careful planning and execution. Here are some tips to help you maximise your chances of success in the UK:

• Set realistic funding goals: Be realistic about the amount of money you need to achieve your project’s objectives. Setting an achievable funding goal increases your credibility and motivates backers to support your campaign.
• Tell a compelling story: Craft a compelling narrative that resonates with your target audience. Clearly communicate your project’s purpose, impact, and why it deserves support. Use engaging visuals and videos to enhance your storytelling.
• Build a strong network: Start building a network of potential backers before launching your campaign. Engage with your audience through social media, events, and industry communities. Leverage your network to create buzz and generate initial support for your campaign.
• Offer attractive rewards: Design enticing rewards that incentivise backers to contribute to your campaign. Ensure that the rewards align with your project’s theme and provide value to your supporters.
• Communicate transparently: Keep your backers informed about your project’s progress and any challenges you may encounter. Regularly update them through campaign updates, emails, and social media. Transparency builds trust and keeps your backers engaged throughout the campaign.

These practices are vital for boosting visibility and engagement for your crowdfunding in UK.

Benefits of Crowdfunding in the UK

Beyond the obvious goal of raising money, UK crowdfunding platforms offer several structural advantages:

Market validation: A successful campaign proves real demand for your product or cause before you spend on development or delivery. Investors and grant-givers increasingly treat crowdfunding performance as evidence of market traction.

Community building: Backers become invested stakeholders — literally in the case of equity campaigns. They advocate for your brand, provide feedback, and often return as customers.

FCA protection: For equity and debt platforms, FCA regulation means investors have defined rights and recourse. This makes UK platforms significantly safer than unregulated alternatives elsewhere.

Tax incentives: Many equity campaigns on FCA-regulated platforms qualify for SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme) or EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme) relief, allowing investors to offset up to 50% of their investment against income tax. This is a major incentive for UK angel investors and materially increases your fundraising potential.

Get Started With the Best Crowdfunding Platform in the UK

Online fundraising platforms UK have democratised the funding landscape, allowing individuals and organisations to pursue their dreams and make a positive impact. In this ultimate guide, we explored the different types of UK crowdfunding platforms, their benefits, factors to consider when choosing a platform, and the best online donation platforms UK. 

We also delved into charity crowdfunding, equity crowdfunding, and fundraising platforms. Armed with this knowledge, you are now equipped to make an informed decision and embark on a successful crowdfunding journey.

Ready to take the next step? Choose the right platform, follow best practices, and start fundraising with crowdfunding in the United Kingdom today!