12 Best GoFundMe Alternatives & Competitors (2026)

Kickstarter is a large general crowdfunding platform popular for creative and tech projects that occasionally include scientific research. It provides strong community visibility and all-or-nothing funding but lacks Experiment's dedicated science categories, open lab notebooks, and daily research-focused discovery features. Researchers may reach more backers yet face less targeted audiences for pure ecology or neuroscience work.

Kiva is a large-scale microlending platform connecting lenders to borrowers in developing countries through field partners. It offers broad geographic coverage and a wide variety of loan types including agriculture and education. Unlike Zidisha's direct messaging model, Kiva routes most communication through partner organizations and does not enable ongoing personal updates from the specific entrepreneur. Kiva maintains a 0% interest rate for lenders but relies on partner fees; Zidisha emphasizes zero middle-layer organizations and automatic reinvestment of repayments. Users seeking direct relationships may prefer Zidisha while those wanting larger loan volumes and established partner networks often choose Kiva.

GoFundMe is a large personal crowdfunding platform where anyone can start a campaign for medical bills or other needs. Unlike Watsi’s model of only listing verified partner-hospital cases with fixed procedure costs, GoFundMe campaigns may include broader expenses and variable fees. It offers wider geographic reach and easier campaign creation but less centralized medical-partner screening.

Kiva is a large-scale microlending platform connecting lenders to borrowers in developing countries through field partners. It offers broad geographic coverage and a wide variety of loan types including agriculture and education. Unlike Zidisha's direct messaging model, Kiva routes most communication through partner organizations and does not enable ongoing personal updates from the specific entrepreneur. Kiva maintains a 0% interest rate for lenders but relies on partner fees; Zidisha emphasizes zero middle-layer organizations and automatic reinvestment of repayments. Users seeking direct relationships may prefer Zidisha while those wanting larger loan volumes and established partner networks often choose Kiva.

GlobalGiving connects donors to vetted nonprofits running health projects worldwide. It differs from Watsi by funding organizations rather than individual named-patient surgeries with published cost breakdowns. Donors can give to specific causes such as surgery access but lack the direct patient-profile selection Watsi provides.

Indiegogo supports flexible funding for science, tech, and social impact campaigns with international reach. Compared to Experiment it offers broader project types and flexible payout options but fewer specialized tools for open research sharing or biology-specific browsing. It suits mixed science and innovation projects seeking wider exposure beyond dedicated research backers.

Patreon enables recurring monthly support for creators including scientists sharing ongoing work. Unlike Experiment's project-based crowdfunding with lab notebooks, Patreon focuses on subscription-style funding across many fields. It works well for long-term research updates but provides less emphasis on one-time experiment goals or category browsing like ecology and neuroscience.

Mightycause supports recurring donations and peer-to-peer fundraising for nonprofits, including health programs. Compared with Watsi’s 100%-to-procedure guarantee and single-surgery focus, it spreads gifts across organizational budgets and may charge platform fees. It suits donors seeking ongoing support for multiple causes.

Classy powers online fundraising for established nonprofits, often with branded campaign pages. It lacks Watsi’s patient-level transparency and fixed-price surgery listings, instead directing funds to charity partners. Best for larger organizations running sustained health initiatives rather than one-time individual procedures.

DonorsChoose focuses on classroom and education projects with many science-related requests from teachers. It provides targeted education funding unlike Experiment's open research platform for professional scientists. The site excels at school-level biology or ecology kits but does not support independent lab notebooks or broad research crowdfunding.

RocketHub offers crowdfunding for creative, tech, and social projects with some science campaigns. Compared with Experiment it has fewer research-specific features like open notebooks or daily science highlights. It provides mentoring resources and flexible funding suitable for early-stage experiments seeking general audiences.