One fee, split across the two moments that matter. A small piece at greenlight pays to run the platform. The bigger piece waits until delivery, held until backers are watching the work. Same all-in cost as Kickstarter, with the incentives pointed the other way.
Stripe's cost, passed through at cost and shown as its own line. Not our revenue.
About the same as Kickstarter's 5% plus processing. The difference is when we get paid, not how much.
Your card is saved with Stripe, not charged. The platform never holds the money itself.
Platform takes: $0Backers are charged. Funds disburse to production. Work begins immediately.
Platform takes: 2%Backers watch progress in the open. The remaining fee sits in reserve until the work exists.
Platform holds: 3%The named artifact posts to backers first. After a 14-day window, the delivery fee releases.
Platform takes: 3%No backer is charged, no fee is taken, nothing is owed. A stage that misses its goal costs nothing.
Every stage names its deliverable up front. "Delivered" means that exact thing is posted to backers. The bar is set before the stage opens, not argued after.
If a stage runs long, the 3% stays in reserve until it ships. Most of our fee always comes after your deliverable.
Studio-owned campaigns like Petey & Jas skip the platform fee entirely, and the page says so. Our show, our platform, no circular fees.
Launching a campaign is free. Charging creators to try would gatekeep exactly the people this platform exists for.
The first group of creators keeps the 5% rate forever, whatever the platform charges later.
| Kickstarter | ShowSparks | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee timing | 100% when funds are raised | 2% at greenlight, 3% after delivery |
| Incentive | Maximize money raised | Maximize stages shipped |
| Failed goal | $97K pledged can equal $0 made | Small stages clear, and failure charges no one |
| Budget visibility | Optional, rare | Required on every stage, every line, fee included |
| All-in cost | ~8 to 10% | ~8%, with payout tied to delivery |