This is a subscriber-only article.

Save 20% on Entrepreneur+ during our Spring Growth Flash Sale

Use code SPRING20 at checkout.

Subscribe Now

Already have an account?

Sign in
Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

Thinking of Crowdfunding? This Review Site Helps You Choose Wisely With hundreds of crowdfunding platforms online, it's hard to know which to choose. CrowdsUnite aims to cut through the confusion by providing a comprehensive review site of all the available options.

By Michelle Goodman

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

With hundreds of crowdfunding platforms online, it's hard to know which to choose. Do you go with a donation-based service like Kickstarter or RocketHub? An equity-investment site like EarlyShares? A debt-investment platform like Prosper? Should you pick one that lets you keep whatever you raise, or one that requires you to raise a predetermined amount? Or should you eliminate the middleman altogether and build your own page using a white-label platform like Crowdhoster?

CrowdsUnite aims to cut through the confusion. Alex Feldman, an MBA who spent six years working in IT at New York's investment banks, launched the site in 2012, after the U.S. JOBS Act was passed, paving the way for legal equity crowdfunding from non-accredited investors. Feldman's first thought was to build a platform of his own. But while researching the competition, it struck him: A platform that crowdsources user reviews of crowdfunding sites could be a big assist for business owners befuddled by all the options. CrowdsUnite was born. "What I'm trying to become is a Yelp for the crowdfunding industry, a resource that anybody can use," Feldman says.

He believes there are more than 1,000 global crowdfunding sites in existence. CrowdsUnite lists nearly 100 of them, with a focus on U.S. sites that serve entrepreneurs. To be listed, a platform must have at least 10 successfully funded projects. "I want to make sure I don't include any sites that might be fraudulent," Feldman says.