Skip to main content

Kickstarter’s new budget tool could save projects from collapse

Kickstarter has come up with a new tool designed to help creators work out their budget more effectively, and also enable them to be more transparent with those who back their ideas.

With some projects collapsing due to a lack of financial planning, the tool, called Project Budget, can provide valuable assistance to creators in the important early stages of their work.

Recommended Videos

“Project Budget is essentially a budgeting spreadsheet that’s available from the Funding tab in the project editor,” Kickstarter’s Meg Helm said in a post announcing the new feature. “Creators can use it to map out the cost of their entire project, from prototyping and R&D to packaging and shipping.”

While some creators already lay out in great detail exactly how they intend to execute a project, the new tool aims to encourage creators who might not ordinarily offer such information to do so.

Funding Calculator

Project Budget has some similarities to the Funding Calculator that Kickstarter launched in August, but the company describes the latest tool as “much more robust.”

And unlike the Funding Calculator, Project Budget’s custom graph showing estimated costs can be easily shared with potential patrons, which could be what it takes to turn someone from being merely interested in a project into a vital, cash-giving backer.

Helm said the new tool will help to remind creators “of important expenses they may not have considered, such as the cost of paying themselves and team members.”

She added: “We hope that this feature will give backers a sense of where their pledges are going, and how much it actually costs to bring an idea to life.”

The new feature will be available first for projects in the Design and Technology categories, with additional sections added in the near future.

The Cost To Create

Project Budget is part of a suite of Kickstarter tools and content called The Cost To Create, which focuses on the funding needed to turn an idea into something real.

The company said it’s also looking to build a tool that allows creators to share with backers how they’re spending their funds during the “making” phase of their campaign, which, depending on how a particular project proceeds, may be different from the creator’s initial forecasts during the planning stages.

As a backer, there’s always an element of risk when you cough up cash for a crowdfunding project, but hopefully Kickstarter’s new tool can help a campaign meet its goals as outlined in the original pitch.

For a look at some awesome tech projects currently running on Kickstarter and similar sites, be sure to drop by Digital Trends’ popular and regularly updated Awesome Tech You Can’t Buy Yet feature.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more