Crowdfunding Platform Fees in Japan: A Neutral Comparison (as of July 2026)
Bottom line: reward-type crowdfunding fees in Japan run roughly 10–20% of the amount raised.
Crowdfunding doesn't send all of what backers pledge straight to the creator — the platform takes a cut. The short version: reward-type fees run roughly 10–20%. The cheapest are MOTION GALLERY and kibidango (10%), Makuake sits at 20%, CAMPFIRE's reward-type charges 12% platform + 5% payment, and on the donation/social side, For Good charges creators 0%.
KAKEHASHI doesn't host campaigns and takes no fee of its own — no referral affiliate links, either. That's why this article is a neutral cheat-sheet for reading where the money goes, useful to backers and creators alike, without boosting or bashing any one platform. One more thing: rates get revised. The table below is current as of June 2026 — always confirm the final number on each company's own pricing page.
Fee cheat-sheet (checked against official pages on July 9, 2026)
🧮 NEW: Fee calculator (/fees) — enter the amount you want to raise and see each platform's estimated take-home (tax-adjusted, effective basis) instantly. A reverse-calculation mode is included too.
| Platform | Main type | Creator fee | Payment fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAMPFIRE | Reward | Platform 12% + payment 5% (each pre-tax, ~17% effective) / Community-type: 15% | Separate |
| Makuake | Reward | 20% (pre-tax, payment included → 22% with tax); backers also separately cover a 2.2% "peace-of-mind" system fee | Included |
| GREEN FUNDING | Reward | Standard 20.0% (tax included, 4% payment included) / Partner plan 13.0% (setup cost separate) | Included |
| READYFOR | Reward/Donation | Basic 14% (9% ops + 5% payment, pre-tax) / Support & consulting plans: 14% + individual quote | Included |
| MOTION GALLERY | Reward | 10% (5% fee + 5% payment, pre-tax) | Included |
| kibidango | Reward | 15% (pre-tax, payment included; unified under a July 2025 revision) | Included |
| For Good | Donation/social | 0% (backers optionally cover ¥200 + 5%) | Backer-borne |
| Furusato Choice (GCF) | Furusato Nozei (GCF) | Standard 10% for municipalities (official, announced 2026-05-28; 3% via the municipality's own "Choice3" channel). Donors pay zero fee | — |
| FUNDINNO | Equity | ¥100,000 screening fee + 20% of total issuance (18% from the 2nd round on) / free for investors | Investors pay only the bank transfer fee |
| Funds | Lending | Free for investors (the operator earns from the borrowing company) | Investors pay only the bank transfer fee |
Whether a rate is quoted tax-included/excluded, or payment-inclusive/separate, differs by company — see each platform's profile and the Sources below for detail. For a broader look at what each platform is actually like, see the platform directory.
Reading the table — three things to watch
- "Payment included" vs. "billed separately." Makuake, kibidango and MOTION GALLERY quote all-in, payment-inclusive rates. CAMPFIRE's reward-type is 12% platform + 5% payment, billed separately — add them and the effective rate is about 17%. A bare "12%" looks cheap in isolation — always compare the combined number.
- Tax-included vs. tax-excluded. GREEN FUNDING quotes 20.0% tax-included; Makuake quotes 20% tax-excluded. The baseline differs by company — normalize before you compare.
- Plan tiers and extra costs. READYFOR's Basic plan starts at 14%, with a higher, individually quoted rate for hands-on support/consulting plans. GREEN FUNDING's Partner plan has a lower rate but an upfront setup cost. Some platforms (GREEN FUNDING among them) also bill the backer a separate fee.
Why fees mean something different by funding type
- Reward-type (CAMPFIRE / Makuake / GREEN FUNDING / MOTION GALLERY / kibidango / READYFOR): the creator bears the fee, roughly 10–20%. Backers don't pay it directly, but it's reasonable to assume it's already baked into the reward's cost and pricing.
- Equity (FUNDINNO) and lending-type (Funds): this is investing, not shopping. Investor-side fees are often free, but principal loss is possible. Understand the risk before you shop for the cheapest fee — see the risks of equity crowdfunding.
- Furusato Nozei-type (GCF): from a donor's perspective this works like ordinary furusato nozei and qualifies for the donation tax deduction. The platform-usage rate the municipality itself pays isn't published. Unlike ordinary crowdfunding, an unmet goal is not refunded — funds go to the project anyway, the opposite of the usual rule (see how GCF works).
For the full picture of funding types, see the six types of Japanese crowdfunding; for how rewards are taxed, see rewards and your tax return.
The other answer to "fees": For Good's 0% model
For Good, which focuses on social-cause campaigns, charges creators a 0% listing fee. In exchange, backers optionally cover a system-usage fee (¥200 + 5% payment, pre-tax), and the full amount raised reaches the creator. See a billion yen — and the 0%-fee alternative for more on the record and the thinking behind the 0% model.
What this means for you as a backer
- Fees are an invisible cost. Even when you're "supporting" the same way, not all of what you pledge reaches the creator.
- Fee level is only one factor in choosing a platform. Genre fit, screening rigor, reach, and support matter just as much in practice — browse the platform directory to compare them side by side.
- And crowdfunding is support for an early attempt, not a risk-free purchase. Prioritize whether it will actually arrive over which platform is cheapest. If you're unsure, run it through Campaign Check for a go / caution / stop verdict.
A one-line definition is also in the glossary's "platform fee" entry.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Who pays the crowdfunding platform fee?
A. Usually the creator, out of the funds raised — for reward-type campaigns that's roughly 10–20%. The exception is For Good, where the creator's fee is 0% and backers optionally cover a system-usage fee (¥200 + 5%).
Q. Which platform has the cheapest fee?
A. Among reward-type platforms, MOTION GALLERY and kibidango are on the low end at 10% (payment included). For donation/social causes, For Good charges creators 0%. That said, it's realistic to weigh genre fit, reach, screening and support alongside fee level, not fee level alone. Rates are current as of June 2026 and are subject to revision.
Q. Is the fee shown tax-included, or does it include the payment-processing fee?
A. It depends on the platform. Makuake, kibidango and MOTION GALLERY quote payment-inclusive rates; CAMPFIRE's reward-type is billed as 12% platform + 5% payment, separately. Tax-included vs. tax-excluded notation also varies by company — always check the official pricing page under matching conditions.
Bottom line
- Reward-type fees run roughly 10–20%. Cheapest: MOTION GALLERY and kibidango (10%).
- Payment-inclusive vs. separate, tax-included vs. tax-excluded change how a rate looks — compare on equal terms.
- Equity and lending types may be fee-free for investors, but principal risk remains. GCF: no refund even if the goal is unmet.
- Rates get revised (current as of June 2026) — always confirm the final number on each company's official page.
Sources
- CAMPFIRE: fees when listing a project (official help center)
- Pricing & fees (Makuake official)
- About GREEN FUNDING / pricing (GREEN FUNDING official)
- Notice: plan names and fee revision (READYFOR official, 2024)
- Start a project / fees (MOTION GALLERY official)
- About fees (kibidango official)
- How the ¥0 listing fee works (For Good official)
- What is Government Crowdfunding / GCF (Furusato Choice official)
- Fees and other costs (FUNDINNO official)
- About fees (Funds official)
