Launching a new business is thrilling, and obtaining the right financing is the factor that turns the dream into a successful business. One of the most talked-about innovations in financing that has spread worldwide is crowdfunding. This method of funding allows the entrepreneurs to use the communal power of a large number of people, and the result, in most cases, is the creation of not only the capital but also a community of supporters who are the first to take the product or service.
Are you aware that the global crowdfunding market size was valued at USD 1.60 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow from USD 1.83 billion in 2025 to USD 4.45 billion by 2032? Such an increase signifies the great importance of this phenomenon, especially for companies at their early stages and start-ups that are in need of a quick, easy, and accessible way to get a loan or investment as an alternative to the traditional methods.
Besides that, for numerous founders, their undertaking serves as marketing through which their product is verified, and the buzz is created even before the real launch. In this article, we will explain what crowdfunding is and provide a comprehensive list of the best crowdfunding sites for startups in India to help you get started.
What is Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is a means of obtaining money for a business or a new project by collecting small contributions from a large number of people, usually via the internet.
Crowdfunding drastically changes the dynamics of capital raising, as the whole idea is not to find a handful of prominent investors but an extensive network of small individual backers.
When should a startup choose Crowdfunding vs VC/Angel?
Choosing the right funding path is critical for a startup’s trajectory, and understanding the nuances between crowdfunding and traditional venture capital (VC) or angel investment is key. The main points that have to be considered in this relation are:
- Proof of Concept: Crowdfunding is the way to go for showing that there is a market demand before one banks on the full-fledged launch. Furthermore, the triumph on the fundraising front could be used as a hedge recourse when seeking institutional capital in the future.
- Speed and Accessibility: The initiation of the best crowdfunding sites for startups is usually more rapid and open than the due diligence that is both demanding in length and exclusive in nature, which is the prerequisite for VC or angel investors.
- Retaining Equity: Both reward and donation-based crowdfunding give the chance to the founders to get money for their projects without the need to sell shares in the company, so that they can keep total control and ownership of their business.
- Scale of Funding: The most common feature of VC and angel rounds is that they bring about a considerable sum of money, which is the main reason why those startups that are looking at such a rapid, billion-dollar ‘unicorn’ growth are the ones that are eligible for such funding.
- Investor Involvement: In addition to the money, the Angels and VCs can bring the experience, and likewise, they may become the industry contacts who facilitate introductions, thereby providing strategic guidance at a high level, which is typically not the case with crowdfunding investors.
How to choose the Best Platform?
Selecting the right platform from the best crowdfunding sites for startups is primarily dependent on what kind of project you have, how much you want to raise, and who’s going to support you.
The key points for platform choosing are:
- Type of Crowdfunding: You should choose a platform that offers what you need to achieve your goal.
- Platform Fee Structure: Note the percentage of the funds that are taken, and only in the case of success, are the fixed-goal platforms charging, which affects the amount of the final available capital.
- Target Audience and Community: It is worth checking whether the current users of the platform are a good fit for your product or service and your cause, since a relevant community means much more campaign visibility and success.
- Legal and Regulatory Compliance: It is advisable that you ensure the platform complies with Indian regulations (SEBI, RBI) for the respective types of funding, particularly for equity-based campaigns, if you want to stay away from hassles in the future.
- Platform Tools and Support: There are features like marketing support, analytics dashboards, and customer service that you may utilize to run your campaign and broaden your reach effectively.
10+ Best Crowdfunding Sites in India (2026 Edition)
1. Milaap

Milaap is one of India’s largest and most dependable platforms, which mainly supports social and personal causes such as medical emergencies, education, and community-driven projects. This platform is highly rated due to its easy-to-use interface and no platform fees for personal causes (they are supported by voluntary tips from donors). Besides, it is a strong point of emphasis for transparency and quick fund issuing, which makes it a preferred choice for urgent needs. However, the platform is not ideal for product-based or equity-based startup funding.
- Key Features: No platform fee for personal causes, presence all over India, and
- Pros: Great public trust, fund transfer is quick, and easy campaign setup.
- Cons: Not a business/equity platform, depends on voluntary tips for income, and social causes have too much competition.
- Best For: Personal medical emergencies, charity, social, and community causes.
- Minimum Investment: ₹100 – ₹500 (depends on donor preference).
- How It Works: The campaign is created, and then the team verifies it. After that, it is shared online, funds are collected, and handed over to the beneficiary.
- Website Link: https://milaap.org/
2. Ketto

Ketto is a top-tier Asian crowdfunding platform that serves various needs, such as social, medical, creative, and personal ones. Its broad reach and conspicuous campaigns have made it a vital actor among the best crowdfunding sites for startups that focus on social ventures or rewards for creative projects. Additionally, Ketto offers a support team to a campaigner for achieving their goal and success in the campaign. Besides, they have a well-organized system for handling both local and foreign donations. Further, the platform presents various fee structures depending on the fundraiser’s category.
- Key Features: Long category coverage, dedicated fundraiser assistance, and acceptance of foreign donations.
- Pros: Large number of donors, a brand that is trusted, and funding options are flexible.
- Cons: Some categories have more substantial transaction fees. The main concentration is on social and personal sectors.
- Best For: Medical fundraisers, creative projects, and individual social initiatives.
- Minimum Investment: ₹100 – ₹500.
- How It Works: A user initiates a campaign, sets the target, promotes it, and then receives the funds either when the target is met or upon request.
- Website Link: https://www.ketto.org/
3. ImpactGuru

ImpactGuru is a tech-savvy platform that initially specializes in medical and social fundraising, but later supports NGOs and social startups also. They are very well-known for holding CSR( Corporate Social Responsibility) partnerships and have a high success rate in cases of critical health. Besides, their AI-powered features enable the campaigns to get more exposure and attract corporate matching grants. Additionally, the platform’s partnerships with hospitals and payment gateways make the process easy for the beneficiaries.
- Key Features: CSR partners, AI-powered tools for more visibility, and customer support is available 24/7.
- Pros: The focus is on well-being, social, and medical cases. Open and honest monitoring of funds.
- Cons: Mainly focuses on social/non-profit aspects. Not the best choice if you want to expand your business.
- Best For: Critical medical treatments, duly registered non-profit organizations, and social startups.
- Minimum Investment: ₹100 – ₹500.
- How It Works: Submitting your campaign, verifying it with the documents, publishing it, getting contributions, and, finally, transferring the collected money directly to the hospital/beneficiary.
- Website Link: https://www.impactguru.com/
4. FuelADream

FuelADream is a platform that uses the rewards system as a means of funding, which has built its reputation mainly on creative projects, product innovation, and social causes. It is most often referred to as one of the best crowdfunding sites for startups intending to launch a new product by way of pre-sales, just like the Kickstarter model. Additionally, the company gives its full support to the creators on topics such as reward structuring and campaign storytelling, which is very important for the achievement. Apart from that, they provide services to the younger, more technologically advanced group of people who are interested in innovation and want to support it.
- Key Features: Reward-based model, mentorship for campaign creation, focus on creative and product ventures.
- Pros: Great for product validation, strong support for creators, and a well-defined rewards structure.
- Cons: All-or-nothing funding for fixed goal campaigns, and fees are charged by the platform on successful campaigns.
- Best For: Product launches, creative projects (films, music), tech-based startups.
- Minimum Investment: ₹500 – ₹1,000 (usually connected to a product reward).
- How It Works: A creator lays out the project and the rewards, sets a target, and the rewards are given after the successful funding.
- Website Link: https://www.fueladream.com/
5. Catapooolt

Catapooolt is a platform that mainly focuses on the creative arts, media, and film projects; thus, it is a specialized niche among the best crowdfunding sites for startups in the entertainment sector. They provide both rewards and an “Engage-to-Fund” model, which involves the active participation of the crowd. Additionally, they offer production support and promotional assistance to the chosen campaigns apart from the capital. Besides that, their focus on niche creative projects is the reason for a highly engaged, targeted audience.
- Key Features: Focus on films and media, “Engage-to-Fund” model, production support.
- Pros: Extremely targeted audience, filmmakers get complete support.
- Cons: Only creative/media projects allowed, smaller user base compared to general sites.
- Best For: Indie films, music albums, web series, and theatre projects.
- Minimum Investment: ₹300 – ₹1,000.
- How It Works: A project is presented, a budget and engagement plan are created, and the money is raised through rewards and engagement activities.
- Website Link: https://www.catapooolt.com/
6. Faircent

Faircent is a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform, which denotes a form of debt crowdfunding, thus not a traditional one for equity or rewards-based crowdfunding. The platform brings the borrowers (individuals and businesses) directly to the investors (lenders) for loans. Along with that, it is regulated by the RBI as an NBFC-P2P, which gives it a solid legal base. Besides that, the businesses avail of it to open up the capital for the day-to-day running of the company or get a loan for business expansion. However, it comes with a repayment obligation, unlike equity or rewards funding.
- Key Features: P2P lending as per RBI norms, debt crowdfunding, and credit scoring for borrowers.
- Pros: A regulated platform provides quick loan access for businesses and passive income for lenders.
- Cons: Loans have to be repaid with interest, lenders face higher risks, and it is not suitable for equity fundraising.
- Best For: SMEs and startups needing business loans/working capital.
- Minimum Investment: ₹1,000 – ₹5,000.
- How It Works: The borrower applies for a loan, a credit assessment is made, investors provide the money, and the borrower repays the loan in EMIs.
- Website Link: https://www.faircent.in/
7. Rang De

Rang De is a non-profit peer-to-peer micro-lending platform that focuses on social startups and rural entrepreneurship, which substantially differs from commercial P2P platforms. It features individuals who lend small amounts to low-income entrepreneurs, generally women, who are then able to start or scale their small businesses. Moreover, it runs on a social investment model where investors accept a very low-interest return or even no return to create a higher social impact. Additionally, their mission-driven approach helps them attract a highly engaged community of social investors.
- Key Features: Micro-lending for rural and social entrepreneurs, social impact focus, non-profit model.
- Pros: Strong social mission, very transparent in terms of using the loan, and a low default rate.
- Cons: Little or no financial return for lenders, and not designed for mainstream commercial funding.
- Best For: Micro-entrepreneurs, social enterprises, and NGOs.
- Minimum Investment: ₹100 – ₹500.
- How It Works: A social entrepreneur gets a loan through a Field Partner, then lenders’ money is pooled to fund the loan, after which the entrepreneur repays the loan, and the funds are reused.
- Website Link: https://rangde.in/
8. Donatekart

Donatekart is a platform with a unique model among the best crowdfunding sites for startups with a social focus, which allows donors to donate essential products instead of just money. The idea ensures transparency as the necessary items, e.g., blankets, food, or stationery, are directly given to the registered NGOs and charities. Besides that, it creates a real bond between the donor and the cause. Furthermore, NGOs use it to request their needs instead of the generic cash specifically. However, it is only meant for nonprofit and charitable giving and not for business funding.
- Key Features: Donating products instead of cash, high transparency, and inventory management for NGOs.
- Pros: Donors are sure that their money is used to buy specific products, which is excellent for in-kind donations.
- Cons: Only for NGOs/charity, not for business capital.
- Best For: NGOs, charities, disaster relief, and social causes needing specific items.
- Minimum Investment: The cost of one essential product (Varies).
- How It Works: A donor picks a product from the NGO’s wishlist, pays online, and Donatekart delivers the product to the NGO.
- Website Link: https://www.donatekart.com/
9. SmallChange

SmallChange is about creating links between the social and environmental impact organizations and both individual and corporate donors. As a platform, it is committed to building a significant impact through numerous small contributions. Besides that, the primary focus of the platform is the promotion of smaller, verified NGOs that are often overlooked. Also, their corporate tie-ups help facilitate CSR spending. Nevertheless, similar to most social platforms, it isn’t intended for the commercial funding requirements of a regular tech startup.
- Key Features: Focus on social and environmental causes, NGO verification, and easy-to-use donation tools.
- Pros: Connects small NGOs to funding, suitable for corporate social responsibility.
- Cons: Strictly non-commercial, smaller platform size.
- Best For: Environmental causes, social welfare NGOs, and community development projects.
- Minimum Investment: ₹100 – ₹500.
- How It Works: An NGO campaign is vetted and posted; donors contribute; funds are transferred to the verified NGO.
- Website Link: https://www.smallchange.co/
10. FundMyPitch

FundMyPitch is an equity-based crowdfunding platform that intends to link promising Indian startups with a group of both accredited and non-accredited investors. The goal of this platform is to open up the investment process to early-stage ventures to a broader audience. Besides, they offer a well-organized setting for the presentation of the pitch and communication with the investor. In addition, in exchange for shares, this platform makes it possible for the founders to collect a large sum of money, thus making it one of the best crowdfunding sites for startups that are in dire need of hefty financial backing.
- Key Features: Equity crowdfunding, focus on Indian startups, and investor management tools.
- Pros: Access to high-growth capital, network of investors.
- Cons: High legal/compliance costs, loss of equity, high risk for investors.
- Best For: Scalable tech startups and high-growth businesses seeking early-stage equity.
- Minimum Investment: ₹20,000 – ₹50,000.
- How It Works: A startup hands over its business plan, the plan undergoes verification, a campaign with valuation is created, and investors agree to provide funds in return for equity.
- Website Link: https://www.fundmypitch.com/
11. LetsVenture (LVX)

LetsVenture, also known as LVX, is one of the major Angel Investing and Syndication platforms in India. Even though it is not a traditional “public” crowdfunding site (the investments are generally limited to accredited or institutional investors), it is the main tech-enabled platform that helps Indian startups to get organized, high-value seed and early-stage equity funding. It makes the whole investment process digital, allowing entrepreneurs to pitch to hundreds of angels, family offices, and VCs at the same time. Moreover, LVX is the go-to alternative for public equity crowdfunding for a high-growth startup; thus, it is very valuable as it provides the essential early-stage capital for scaling.
- Key Features: Syndication model, very curated deal flow, efficient post-investment portfolio management, SEBI-registered AIF (Alternative Investment Fund) options.
- Pros: Access to large pools of ‘smart’ capital (mentors/strategic investors); legally compliant equity deals; high-quality network.
- Cons: Not available to retail/non-accredited investors; high minimum investment; strict vetting process.
- Best For: High-growth technology startups and deep-tech ventures looking for seed to pre-Series A equity funding from strategic angel investors.
- Minimum Investment: ₹50,000 to ₹5,00,000
- How It Works: Vetted startup presents, angel syndicate capital through a fund vehicle, and funds are released upon legal closure.
- Website Link: https://lvxventures.com/
12. Pepcorns

Pepcorns is a platform of Indian origin that primarily focuses on equity investment in startups and SMEs. The platform mostly operates via a private placement or Angel Network model to facilitate the connection of promising ventures with high-net-worth individuals and accredited investors. As a platform specifically designed for Indian businesses, they make it easier for less familiar entities to do the complicated paperwork and follow the necessary rules for equity deals. They offer a viable alternative for high-growth tech startups to get serious seed capital without going through the regulatory hurdles that the public faces in the case of true equity crowdfunding (which is currently restricted by SEBI).
- Key Features: Focus on equity for accredited investors, Indian SMEs, and structured compliance support.
- Pros: Access to large amounts of ‘smart’ money from experienced investors; a compliant structure for seed rounds.
- Cons: General retail investors cannot access it; there is a high bar for approval; you have to give up equity.
- Best For: Scalable B2B/Tech startups and established SMEs looking for institutional-style seed/pre-Series A rounds.
- Minimum Investment: ₹1,000 – ₹5,000.
- How It Works: Startup submits a business plan, launches an offering, and investors contribute based on the structure.
- Website Link: https://pepcorns.com/
13. Indiegogo

Indiegogo, being a globally acknowledged platform, is not India-based but is largely used by Indian creators and startups because of its flexible funding options. Unlike Kickstarter (another global player), Indiegogo gives campaigns the liberty to select either a Fixed Goal (all-or-nothing) or a Flexible Goal (Keep What You Get) model, thus providing a safer option for creators who need funds irrespective of whether the full target is reached. It is perfect for international product launches, tech gadgets, and creative works, especially when the startup is targeting a global audience.
- Key Features: Global reach, flexible vs. fixed funding goals, InDemand feature for post-campaign sales.
- Pros: Easy to enter; large and varied international backer community; the flexible model helps to mitigate risks.
- Cons: To be successful, you have to be very active in promoting your campaign; you compete with projects from all over the world.
- Best For: Tech startups launching consumer products (hardware/gadgets) targeting a global market.
- Minimum Investment: $1 (Donor can pledge any amount).
- How It Works: Creator launches a campaign (fixed or flexible goal), promotes it, and funds are disbursed after the campaign ends.
- Website Link: https://www.indiegogo.com/en
Conclusion
Crowdfunding is a prosperous and democratic tool for the Indian financial system, which it uses as an indispensable alternative to bank loans and VC funding. Startups and creators, by using the best crowdfunding sites for Startups in India, get not only the capital but also real market validation and a loyal base of early supporters.
No matter if your project is a short-term, reward-based product launch or a long-term social impact initiative, there is a perfect platform ready to help you turn your idea into a funded reality.
FAQs
1. What is the primary difference between reward and equity crowdfunding?
With reward crowdfunding, the backers get the product or a special perk in return for their pledge, and it is a non-equity method of funding, whereas with equity crowdfunding, the investors get a small ownership stake in the company in exchange for their funds.
2. Is crowdfunding legal in India?
Yes, donation and reward-based crowdfunding are generally legal and widely practiced. However, equity crowdfunding is currently unregulated by SEBI and thus carries a high legal risk; most platforms only allow it for accredited investors or through private channels.
3. Do I have to pay taxes on crowdfunded money?
Money raised through reward-based crowdfunding may be treated as business revenue and therefore taxable, whereas donations collected for personal use or medical emergencies are usually free from tax, but it is always best to check with a tax expert.
4. What is an “all-or-nothing” campaign?
An “all-or-nothing” campaign means that the creator can only use the money pledged to them if they manage to complete their fundraising goal fully and on time.
5. Can foreign investors contribute to my Indian crowdfunding campaign?
Yes, most of the major Indian crowdfunding platforms, such as Milaap and Ketto, allow donations and contributions that come from abroad to be made. However, the transfer is subject to foreign exchange regulations.
