Crowdfunding Platform Fees in Japan Compared: Makuake, CAMPFIRE, READYFOR and 7 More (verified Sep 2026)

Bottom line: creators pay Makuake 20% (excl. tax, payment fee included), CAMPFIRE 17% (12% platform + 5% payment, excl. tax) and READYFOR 14% (9% service + 5% payment, excl. tax) — and all three also charge backers a fee on every pledge. (As of 18 Sep 2026, verified on each platform's official page.)

Crowdfunding doesn't send all of what backers pledge straight to the creator — the platform takes a cut. Reward-type fees in Japan run roughly 10–20% (as quoted, before tax). Among reward platforms, MOTION GALLERY is the cheapest at 10% (5% fee + 5% payment, excl. tax); kibidango charges 15% (excl. tax) for projects started on or after 1 Jul 2025; and on the donation/social side, For Good charges creators a ¥0 listing fee.

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. Rates get revised, so each table row carries its own verification date — always confirm the final number on each company's own pricing page. To plug in your own numbers, use the fee calculator (/fees).

Makuake vs CAMPFIRE vs READYFOR: fees and terms (verified on official pages, 18 Sep 2026)

Note: the checkout screen always shows the binding amount. CAMPFIRE (failed All-or-Nothing campaigns) and READYFOR (failed or cancelled campaigns, and cancelled pledges) officially refund the backer-side fee too. Makuake officially states that if a project is cancelled, or a pledge is cancelled, between the end of the campaign and the refund guarantee applying, only the reward price is refunded — the anshin system fee is not (Makuake official).

Want to compare CAMPFIRE and READYFOR from a backer's seat, including screening and tax-deductible giving? See CAMPFIRE vs READYFOR for backers.

Fee cheat-sheet: 10 major platforms

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

1. "Payment included" vs. "billed separately." Makuake, kibidango and MOTION GALLERY quote payment-inclusive rates. CAMPFIRE's reward-type is 12% platform + 5% payment, billed separately — 17% combined before tax, 18.7% once tax is added. A bare "12%" looks cheap in isolation — always compare the combined number.
2. 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.
3. Plan tiers and extra costs. READYFOR's Basic plan is 14%, with an add-on fee on its Support/Consulting plans. GREEN FUNDING's Partner plan has a lower rate but an upfront setup fee. And Makuake, CAMPFIRE and READYFOR also charge backers a per-pledge fee (see the comparison table above).

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 fee the municipality pays is 10% as standard, or 3% via its own channels, according to Trust Bank. 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 (run by Borderless Japan), which focuses on social-cause campaigns, charges creators a ¥0 listing fee. Instead, backers pay a system fee (¥200 + 5% card fee, each excl. tax), so the creator receives the full amount raised. 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.
• On Makuake, CAMPFIRE and READYFOR you also pay a backer-side system fee on top of the pledge — check the checkout total (ballpark amounts are in the comparison table above).
• 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.

Bottom line

• Creator fees: Makuake 20% (excl. tax, payment incl.) / CAMPFIRE 17% (excl. tax) / READYFOR 14% (excl. tax) — 22.0%, 18.7% and 15.4% once tax is added.
• All three also charge backers per pledge (Makuake 2.2%, CAMPFIRE ¥228 or 2.27% + tax, READYFOR ¥220).
• Reward-type fees overall run roughly 10–20%; the cheapest reward platform is MOTION GALLERY (10%, excl. tax). Compare payment-inclusive vs. separate and tax-included vs. excluded 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 (each row shows its verification date) — always confirm the final number on each company's official page.

Sources

• Pricing & fees (Makuake official)
• Introducing the anshin system fee and the refund guarantee (Makuake official, 28 Jun 2024)
• CAMPFIRE: fees when listing a project (official help center)
• CAMPFIRE: the system fee paid by backers (official help center)
• CAMPFIRE: when is the money paid out? (official help center)
• CAMPFIRE: the early-payout service (official help center)
• Pricing plans for project owners (READYFOR official)
• Notice: plan names and fee revision (READYFOR official, 2024)
• Introducing the backer system fee (READYFOR official)
• About GREEN FUNDING / pricing (GREEN FUNDING official)
• Start a project / fees (MOTION GALLERY official)
• Start a project / 15% fee (kibidango official)
• Fee revision notice (kibidango official)
• How the ¥0 listing fee works (For Good official)
• Operating company (For Good official)
• “Choice3” (3% fee rate) status report (Trust Bank, 28 May 2026)
• What is Government Crowdfunding / GCF (Furusato Choice official)
• Fees and other costs (FUNDINNO official)
• About fees (Funds official)

Related reading

• Where does your crowdfunding pledge go? Following ¥10,000 through the fees
• How to back a Japanese crowdfunding campaign, safely: the 7-step backer's guide