LaunchBoom alternatives in the UK: how to choose a crowdfunding agency (and when to skip one)
Jun 24, 2026
LaunchBoom is the name every first-time creator hears first. They have raised over $175 million and launched more than a thousand products since 2013, so the reputation is earned. But they are one option among several, and the right choice depends on your budget, your stage, and how much you want to hand over. Here is a plain comparison of the main alternatives, and a simple way to decide.
First, do you even need an agency?
Plenty of campaigns get funded without one. If you already have an audience, some time to learn paid ads, and a few months to prepare, you can run a solid pre-launch yourself. The free guides from most agencies, LaunchBoom's included, will teach you the core method.
You start to need help when one of these is true: you have no list and no time to build one, you have never run paid ads, or a failed campaign would cost you real money and reputation. If that sounds like you, the question becomes which kind of help.
The two models of crowdfunding help
Almost every agency falls into one of two camps.
Full-service, retainer-based. A team owns the whole launch, from page to ads to PR. You pay a monthly retainer, roughly $3,000 to $15,000, plus a percentage of what you raise. Powerful and hands-off, and priced for proven products with budget.
Ads-led, performance-based. A smaller team focuses on the paid-ads funnel that builds your pre-launch list, and takes most of its fee as a percentage of the pledges those ads bring in. Small upfront, paid mainly on results.
The big full-service agencies
LaunchBoom. The category leader. Strong pre-launch testing and email-list building, plus a large library of free guides. Pricing is not public, so you book a call for a quote. Best for creators with budget who want the proven, full-service route.
Funded Today. One of the largest by client volume, with thousands of campaigns behind them. Broad category support and a performance-heavy fee model. Best if you want a big team with a long track record.
Enventys Partners. The only one of the three that also does product development, so they can take you from a rough design through to fulfilment. Over $100 million raised across 4,000 campaigns. Best if you need help across product, marketing and PR at once.
The ads-led option
This is the lighter route. The agency builds and runs the pre-launch ad funnel, the part that decides whether you hit your goal on day one, and earns mostly from a percentage of the pledges it drives. Specialist ads-led partners often charge around 15% of attributable pledges with little upfront. Best for first-time creators who want a small bet and a partner whose pay depends on results.
A quick comparison
OptionUpfrontHow they are paidBest forFull-service: LaunchBoom, Funded Today, EnventysRetainer, $3k to $15k per monthRetainer plus % raisedProven products, budget, hands-offAds-led partnersLow or none~15% of pledges raisedFirst-timers, small bet, results-basedDo it yourselfYour time plus ad spendFree, you keep it allExisting audience, time to learn
How to choose
Four checks settle most decisions:
How much is at risk upfront. A smaller upfront is a smaller bet on a first launch.
How they get paid. A percentage of what they raise keeps a team motivated to actually raise it.
Whether they have launched, not just advised. A team that has run its own campaigns knows the nerves and the deadlines you are about to feel.
How much time you get. Big agencies carry many clients at once; a small team can sit with you and learn your product.
Where SVBY fits
For full disclosure, we run one of these ads-led options, based in the UK. We take a small number of crowdfunding projects so each one gets real attention. Our model is a £99 campaign audit to start, a £499 setup fee if you want us to run it, then 10 to 15% of the donations our ads raise.
We are a fit if you are a first-time creator who wants a small upfront and a partner paid on results. We are not the fit if you want a large team to handle product development, or you are a seasoned creator with the budget for full-service. In that case, the agencies above are the better call.
The takeaway
Start with the cheapest, lowest-risk step: a clear-eyed audit of where your campaign stands and whether you need help at all. Most creators can answer that in an afternoon, and then the choice between doing it yourself, going ads-led, or hiring full-service tends to make itself.
