Spacehive
UK community fundraising for local places with partner funds alongside pledges
Key data
| Company | Spacehive Ltd |
|---|---|
| Category | Crowdfunding Platforms |
| Headquarters | England (address cut in extract), United Kingdom |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - United Kingdom |
| Data Location | not stated on the pages we read |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Community project pages, pledges, partner funds, programmes, fundraising guidance, Stripe payments |
| Pricing | A fee stated as a percentage (+VAT) of the project target, added to the campaign target before fundraising; the exact percentage is not clearly legible in our extract. |
| Best For | Councils, charities and residents running neighbourhood projects in the UK and Ireland |
| Replaces | Kickstarter, GoFundMe |
Our review
The terms name Spacehive Ltd, registered in England and Wales under company number 7553730, and the footer repeats the registration number. English law governs and the courts of England and Wales are exclusive.
Spacehive says it helps crowdfund local ideas and has raised over £42 million across the UK and Ireland. It describes itself as the home of community fundraising, so it differs from Kickstarter's creator-and-product model.
Community fundraising
Typical projects on the site are playgrounds, street markets, city farms and learning hubs. The site says 65% of project creators are crowdfunding for the first time and 85% of projects hit their target; both are the platform's claims.
Spacehive also says £7 million is available from its funding partners at the time of reading.
Payments and fees
Backers pledge through Stripe Payments Europe Limited. Terms mention a fee expressed as a percentage (+VAT) of the project target, which is added to the campaign target before fundraising starts.
The percentage digits were cut in the text we extracted, so we do not quote a rate.
Fit for Kickstarter users
Spacehive does not target product launches or games. If your campaign is a local civic project, it is closer than Kickstarter.
The company's address was only partially visible and the pages gave no information on hosting.
Where it falls short
Not suited to product or creative launches. Fee percentage and registered address were not fully legible in our extract, and hosting is not stated. The audience is limited to the UK and Ireland.
Best suited to users of Spacehive
UK community groups and local authorities. Elsewhere in Europe, Produzioni dal Basso or Startnext also support civic and non-profit campaigns.
Strengths and weaknesses
Pros
- Registered English company with public number
- Partner funds sit alongside pledges
- Clear focus on local and community projects
- Stripe handles card payments
- Guidance for first-time fundraisers
Cons
- Fee percentage not clearly shown in our extract
- Limited to UK and Ireland
- Not for product launches
- Hosting not stated
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Registered English company with public number
- Partner funds sit alongside pledges
- Clear focus on local and community projects
- Stripe handles card payments
- Guidance for first-time fundraisers
Cons
- Fee percentage not clearly shown in our extract
- Limited to UK and Ireland
- Not for product launches
- Hosting not stated
Alternatives to Spacehive
More European crowdfunding platforms you can weigh against it:
See all European crowdfunding platforms or compare them directly against Kickstarter on our alternatives page.
Questions buyers ask
Yes. Its terms name Spacehive Ltd, company number 7553730, registered in England and Wales.
Its terms describe a percentage fee (+VAT) of the project target that is added to the campaign target. The exact rate was not clear in our extract.
Probably not. The site is built around local community projects such as parks and markets.