Guides
Practical playbooks for creators and for the people who fund them.
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The Best Kickstarter Alternatives in 2026, by Use Case
The best Kickstarter alternative depends on what you are funding: Indiegogo for hardware, Patreon for recurring income, Gumroad for finished products, Pieces for digital work funded up front.
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The Kickstarter Alternative for Artists
A guide for artists and illustrators who want to fund digital work up front, stop it from being reposted for free, and give fans a refund plus a bonus if it falls short.
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The Kickstarter Alternative for Writers
A guide for writers who want to fund a book, essay, or series up front, keep it from being pirated, and give readers a refund plus a bonus if it falls short. How to use Pieces.
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How Backing and Bonding Work on Pieces
Beyond creating, Pieces has two ways to take part: back a Piece to help fund and unlock it, or bond a Piece to stand behind a creator. Here is how each role works and how they fit together.
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How to Get Paid Up Front for Digital Content
A guide for creators who want to be paid before they release. Learn how to fund a piece of work up front using a dominant assurance contract on Pieces.
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How to Make Money With Content Creation Without Ads
Ads and sponsorships pay you for attention, not for your work. Learn how to make money creating content by getting funded up front through Pieces.
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How to Sell Digital Content Without Getting Pirated
Piracy is a sequencing problem: you release, then it spreads. Learn how funding content before release on Pieces lets you sell digital work without it being copied first.
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The Kickstarter Alternative for Musicians
A guide for musicians who want to fund a release up front, protect it from leaks, and give fans a refund plus a bonus if a release falls short. How to use Pieces instead of Kickstarter.
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