When comparing Early Access vs Kickstarter , the Slant community recommends Kickstarter for most people. In the question“What are the best ways to fund development of an independent game?” Kickstarter is ranked 1st while Early Access is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Kickstarter is:
Knowing that there is enough funding will allow long-term budget planning. Knowing that there's *not* funding allows users to move on.
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Pros
Pro Get end-user feedback earlier in development
Because early access doubles as a public playtest, you can get valuable user feedback while there's still time to implement changes.
Pro All-or-nothing model allows commitment with certainty
Knowing that there is enough funding will allow long-term budget planning. Knowing that there's not funding allows users to move on.
Pro Helps to promote projects
Potential pledgers are encouraged to browse Kickstarter much like Pinterest. While most of the funds will be generated by personal effort, Kickstarted certainly offers a good boost for those who need it.
Pro Popular site
Kickstarter is one of the most well known crowdfunding site. Over $1.2 billion has been pledged so far, with 10 million monthly visitors to the site.
Cons
Con Not viable until the game is in a playable state
Early access depends on consumer interest, and few consumers will be interested in an unplayable pre-alpha build. Another option must be used for early development.
Con 5% fee is applied to successful funding
Any successful crowdfunding operation run on Kickstarter will have a 5% fee. The payment processor will take an additional 3-5%.