Best Equity Crowdfunding Platforms in 2026: Founder Fees Compared

Best for: US startups and small businesses that want a clear success fee and no upfront platform charge for a Reg CF community round.

• Fee is charged only on a successful close, so a failed round costs no platform fee.
• Investors you invite through your own link to a private round pay no carry or management fees.
• A 7.9 percent fee on a 1 million dollar round is 79,000 dollars, before legal, accounting and marketing costs.

Our take: Wefunder publishes its Reg CF fee in its help center: 7.9 percent of the amount raised in a community round, taken only when the round closes, and nothing upfront. Private rounds are free for founders, and investors who come through your own link pay no fees, while Wefunder-introduced investors in private rounds pay management fees and carried interest. Investors in community rounds pay a transaction fee of 2 percent on ACH or wire, capped at 150 dollars, or 5.5 percent plus 2 dollars on cards. In practice, Wefunder suits founders with an engaged customer base who can drive early commitments, since platform traffic alone rarely fills a round. Before launching, budget for a Form C, financial statement review or audit depending on raise size, and campaign marketing. Ask how SPVs are used to keep your cap table clean. Compared with Republic, Wefunder publishes its fee openly; compared with Netcapital, its percentage is higher but it is published in advance.

Best for: Small US companies raising modest Reg CF rounds that want a lower percentage fee.

• Disclosed percentage fee in a recent filing is lower than Wefunder's published rate.
• Netcapital says there are no hidden costs beyond the flat fee and percentage.
• Without a published fee schedule, you must request terms and check them against filings.

Our take: Netcapital runs an SEC-registered funding portal for Reg CF offerings. Its issuer page describes the fee as a flat fee plus a percentage of the raise without listing amounts. A Form C filed in July 2026 by one issuer disclosed that the portal would receive cash compensation of 4.9 percent of securities sold through Reg CF, and its record ownership agreement states that investors pay no fees. Because fees in filings reflect a single offering, ask for your own fee agreement before you commit. In practice, Netcapital suits founders raising smaller amounts who want a lower percentage and are prepared to bring most investors themselves. Before signing, ask for the flat fee amount, what marketing support is included, how investor funds are held in escrow, and how securities are held after close. Compared with Wefunder, the disclosed percentage is lower; compared with Republic, its disclosed fee structure in that filing had fewer components.

Best for: US startups that can pass a selective review and want a platform with a broad retail investor audience.

• Republic itemizes baseline Form C and escrow costs at about 3,000 dollars.
• Commission is charged only on successful campaigns.
• Total cost can include a cash fee, a securities commission and an onboarding fee, so it may exceed a flat percentage platform.

Our take: Republic says it takes commission only on successful campaigns and itemizes the upfront costs of a Reg CF raise: 1,500 dollars for Form C at the start, about 1,500 dollars of escrow paid from proceeds, attorney review between 0 and 3,500 dollars through its partners, and financial statements between 1,000 and 4,000 dollars. Its help center does not show the commission rate, but a Form C filed in September 2026 through Republic's portal disclosed a cash fee of the greater of 15,000 dollars or 6 percent of amounts raised above 100,000 dollars, 2 percent of securities sold, and a 5,000 dollar onboarding fee. Investors pay an administrative fee of typically 2.5 percent, capped at 250 dollars. In practice, Republic suits startups that expect to benefit from the platform's audience and are comfortable with a multi-part fee. Ask for your exact fee schedule and model it against Wefunder's flat 7.9 percent. Compared with StartEngine, Republic is less focused on Reg A+.

Best for: Growth-stage consumer and tech companies that may move from a Reg CF raise to a larger Reg A+ offering on the same platform.

• Reports 1.2 billion dollars raised for startups and over 1,000 rounds including SeedInvest.
• Offers a secondary trading market for some shares after the raise.
• Issuer fees are not published, and StartEngine Premium marketing is sold for an additional fee.

Our take: StartEngine supports Reg CF raises of up to 5 million dollars a year through StartEngine Capital LLC and Reg A+ offerings of up to 75 million dollars. Its raise page says Reg CF campaigns can launch in 4 to 6 weeks and reports 1.2 billion dollars raised across more than 1,000 rounds, including rounds completed on SeedInvest. The parent company changed its name to StartEngine Inc. in June 2026, according to its Regulation A filing. Fees are not published; the raise page refers only to low upfront costs for Reg CF compared with Reg A+, and filings by past issuers show equity commissions paid to StartEngine. Optional StartEngine Premium marketing is sold for an additional fee. In practice, StartEngine suits companies with consumer brands that may graduate to Reg A+. Ask for the full fee schedule, including cash and equity commissions, before signing. Compared with Wefunder, it publishes less about fees; compared with Crowdcube, it serves US rather than UK raises.

Best for: UK companies raising from the public that want published listing and success fees and support for EIS-eligible rounds.

• Publishes a full founder fee schedule in its help center.
• Supports EIS-eligible rounds and explains how to apply for EIS relief with HMRC.
• The combined listing, success and platform fees can be higher than US success-only models for smaller raises.

Our take: Crowdcube is an FCA-regulated UK platform that publishes its founder fees. A Focus Raise, marketed only to your network, carries a 4,995 pound listing fee and a 5 percent success fee. A Full Access raise, marketed to the wider Crowdcube community, carries a 9,995 pound listing fee and a success fee of up to 8 percent. A 2.5 percent platform fee applies to all funds raised, with VAT on that fee, and an annual nominee fee of 750 or 1,000 pounds applies after the first 12 months. In practice, Crowdcube suits UK consumer and tech companies that want to offer EIS tax relief and can bring lead investment before going live. Crowdcube's help center also covers convertibles, secondary sales and employee liquidity programs. Before applying, model total fees on your target raise and ask how the nominee structure affects your cap table. Compared with Republic Europe, Crowdcube publishes more fee detail; compared with US platforms, it charges a listing fee upfront.

Best for: UK and Irish companies that want a regulated platform covering both UK and EU investors under the Republic brand.

• Seedrs Limited is FCA-authorized (FRN 550317) and Seedrs Europe Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
• The seedrs.com domain now redirects to Republic Europe, part of the Republic group.
• Fee information was not available on the pages we checked, which makes comparison with Crowdcube harder.

Our take: Seedrs, a long-running UK equity crowdfunding platform, now trades as Republic Europe, and the seedrs.com domain redirects to europe.republic.com. Seedrs Limited is authorized by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and Seedrs Europe Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, which lets the platform serve investors in the UK and Ireland. The pages we could access did not list founder fees, so treat it as quote-based and ask for a full schedule covering any listing, success, legal and nominee fees. In practice, Republic Europe suits UK and Irish companies that want access to both UK and EU investors and value the link to the wider Republic network. Before applying, ask how shares are held after the raise, whether EIS or SEIS advance assurance support is offered, and what ongoing fees the company pays. Compared with Crowdcube, it covers an EU entity; compared with Republic in the US, it operates under different regulators and terms.