Raise Capital
Products
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We didn't want our ad spend driving traffic to a marketplace platform or sharing our customers. With DealMaker, every dollar we spent came back to us.
Dan Novaes
Co-founder & CEO,
Mode Mobile
Mode Mobile
TL;DR
DealMaker is best for companies raising $1M+ that have a differentiated brand and want to use retail capital to strategically grow the business. bridge the gap.
StartEngine is best for early-stage companies, with an audience, raising under $1M and testing the waters on equity crowdfunding.
The Amazon vs Shopify
Of Capital Raising
Selling securities online works the same way as selling anything else online. You can run on a marketplace (Amazon, Kickstarter, StartEngine) or on white-label infrastructure (Shopify, your own checkout, DealMaker). Each makes the same trade-off in opposite directions: traffic for ownership, or ownership for traffic..
DealMaker vs StartEngine
2025 Total Capital Raised (Reg CF + Reg A)
Average Raise Size, 2025
Average Reg A Raise Size, 2025
Average Individual
Investment, 2025
Investment, 2025
Pricing Model
Reg CF Fees
Reg A+ Fees
Reg D Supported
Self-Hosted On Your
Domain
Domain
Data Ownership
$358M
$2.37M
$358M
$2,500
Mix of setup fees, monthly
fees and commission
fees and commission
~6-10%
~3-6%
You own the full list
$146M
~$600-850K
$146M
$1,044
Mix of setup fees, monthly
fees and commission
fees and commission
~5.5-10%
~4.3-7.5%
Limited (select customers)
StartEngine owns the contact
list, including investor data;
you get access
list, including investor data;
you get access
Notes:
Both DealMaker and StarEngine offer marketing and transfer agent services.
Pricing varies by company and raise structure. Issuers running Reg CF raises under $1.2M often see slightly lower fees
on StartEngine. Above $1.2M, the platforms are similar. For Reg A+ raises, fees on DealMaker are typically lower, and
the gap widens as the raise grows.
Sources: StartEngine 10-K filings, public pricing, Kingscrowd 2025 Annual Report.
Both DealMaker and StarEngine offer marketing and transfer agent services.
Pricing varies by company and raise structure. Issuers running Reg CF raises under $1.2M often see slightly lower fees
on StartEngine. Above $1.2M, the platforms are similar. For Reg A+ raises, fees on DealMaker are typically lower, and
the gap widens as the raise grows.
Sources: StartEngine 10-K filings, public pricing, Kingscrowd 2025 Annual Report.
Own Your Audience
Rent An Audience
You already have an audience, or you're ready to build one. DealMaker is white-label infrastructure paired with services built for running raises like ecommerce campaigns. Raise on your domain, with your brand, with full funnel visibility on every
contact. The list is yours. The relationship is yours. Your investors don't get marketed to other companies between rounds. You can scale with paid acquisition the way you would with any ecommerce funnel.Effective for $5M+ raises where the audience compounds across rounds and product launches. Limiting under $1M, where marketplace traffic helps more, or for businesses that aren't a clean fit for retail investors. Our marketing team builds high-intent, campaign-specific audiences to bridge the gap.
You bring the first investors. Once you hit StartEngine's promotion thresholds, they amplify your raise to their broader investor audience. The trade-off: every contact who touches your offering, including the investors you brought to the platform, belongs to StartEngine. The data is theirs. The relationship is theirs. Effective for sub-$1M raises that need extra reach. Limiting if you want full data control or plan to reuse the audience for your next round.
Switching From StartEngine?
Many of our 2025 issuers came to DealMaker after a previous raise on another platform. Here's what switching looks like:
Investor Data Export
We migrate your historical investor records into your DealMaker CRM on day one
Marketing Audit
We have a marketing specialist audit what went well with your previous raise, and what can be improved. We build a custom success plan.
Parallel-List Build
Every new investor in your next raise becomes yours, on your domain, in your data.
Dedicated Transition Support
A success manager owns your migration end-to-end, including timeline, compliance, and communication to existing investors.
Get a switching plan for your Next Raise
FAQ
Can I migrate investors from StartEngine to DealMaker?
Yes. DealMaker exports your historical investor data and helps you build an owned list for your
next round. Investors from your StartEngine raise stay tied to StartEngine's platform, but every
new investor you bring through DealMaker becomes yours, in your CRM, on your domain.
How do DealMaker's fees compare to StartEngine's?
Yes. DealMaker exports your historical investor data and helps you build an owned list for your
next round. Investors from your StartEngine raise stay tied to StartEngine's platform, but every
new investor you bring through DealMaker becomes yours, in your CRM, on your domain.
Can I migrate investors from StartEngine to DealMaker?
Yes. DealMaker exports your historical investor data and helps you build an owned list for your
next round. Investors from your StartEngine raise stay tied to StartEngine's platform, but every
new investor you bring through DealMaker becomes yours, in your CRM, on your domain.
Does DealMaker have a built-in investor base like StartEngine?
Yes. DealMaker exports your historical investor data and helps you build an owned list for your
next round. Investors from your StartEngine raise stay tied to StartEngine's platform, but every
new investor you bring through DealMaker becomes yours, in your CRM, on your domain.
Is DealMaker a broker-dealer?
Yes. DealMaker exports your historical investor data and helps you build an owned list for your
next round. Investors from your StartEngine raise stay tied to StartEngine's platform, but every
new investor you bring through DealMaker becomes yours, in your CRM, on your domain.
What size raises is DealMaker built for?
Yes. DealMaker exports your historical investor data and helps you build an owned list for your
next round. Investors from your StartEngine raise stay tied to StartEngine's platform, but every
new investor you bring through DealMaker becomes yours, in your CRM, on your domain.
How much capital did DealMaker raise in 2025?
Yes. DealMaker exports your historical investor data and helps you build an owned list for your
next round. Investors from your StartEngine raise stay tied to StartEngine's platform, but every
new investor you bring through DealMaker becomes yours, in your CRM, on your domain.
Is DealMaker better than StartEngine?
Yes. DealMaker exports your historical investor data and helps you build an owned list for your
next round. Investors from your StartEngine raise stay tied to StartEngine's platform, but every
new investor you bring through DealMaker becomes yours, in your CRM, on your domain.
Should I choose StartEngine or DealMaker?
Yes. DealMaker exports your historical investor data and helps you build an owned list for your
next round. Investors from your StartEngine raise stay tied to StartEngine's platform, but every
new investor you bring through DealMaker becomes yours, in your CRM, on your domain.
