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Comparison

StartEngine vs SeedInvest

StartEngine lands on Depends, and SeedInvest lands on Skip.

SeedInvest

seedinvest.com

Skip
Confidence: Medium

Only suits risk-tolerant investors and startup founders . but SeedInvest was absorbed by StartEngine in 2023, so the standalone platform is effectively gone; use StartEngine or Wefunder directly.

Read the full report

StartEngine versus SeedInvest
CompareStartEngineSeedInvest
VerdictDependsSkip
Best forRisk-tolerant retail investorsRisk-tolerant startup investors
Who it's not forAnyone needing liquidity or incomeAnyone needing liquidity within 5+ years
PrivacyNo known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.⁸No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.
Support quality38 complaints on ComplaintsBoardNegative Trustpilot sentiment; complaint threads about contact channels
Public sentimentOpinion is sharply split: Trustpilot shows 4/5, but many Reddit investors call the returns dismal and one post bluntly labels the platform a scam.¹Reddit threads question whether small investors ever see returns, and ratings average 2.5/5.15
Biggest gotcha3.5% fee on every purchase; withdrawal fees can also apply.⁷Platform was acquired by StartEngine; expect migration friction and support gaps.11

Pick StartEngine when

  • Risk-tolerant retail investors
  • Small startup bets with disposable cash
  • Founders raising Regulation CF capital

When StartEngine is not a fit

  • Anyone needing liquidity or income
  • Retirement or emergency savings
  • Investors expecting reliable returns
  • People who won't eat 3.5% fees on losers

Pick SeedInvest when

  • Risk-tolerant startup investors
  • Founders raising Reg CF/A rounds (now via StartEngine)
  • Non-accredited investors seeking vetted deals

When SeedInvest is not a fit

  • Anyone needing liquidity within 5+ years
  • Risk-averse investors or retirement money
  • Founders expecting a standalone SeedInvest raise . it no longer operates
  • Buyers hunting a SaaS product . this is an investing marketplace, not software

Sources

  1. Trustpilot reviews of StartEnginetrustpilot.com
    review
  2. StartEngine Review 2026: Honest Assessmentangelinvestorsnetwork.com
    review
  3. ComplaintsBoard StartEngine reviewscomplaintsboard.com
    review
  4. Reddit: StartEngine is a SCAM threadreddit.com
    review
  5. Reddit: Flushing money down the toilet threadreddit.com
    review
  6. FINRA enforcement actions against StartEngine and Wefunderjdsupra.com
    news
  7. StartEngine fees overviewthecrowdspace.com
    news
  8. StartEngine Cobalt penetration testing case studycobalt.io
    security
  9. StartEngine official sitestartengine.com
    official
  10. StartEngine app listingplay.google.com
    official
  11. StartEngine Acquires SeedInvest Assetsstartengine.com
    official
  12. SeedInvest Joins StartEnginestartengine.com
    official
  13. SeedInvest 2.5 stars (13 reviews) . RFP.wikirfp.wiki
    review
  14. Trustpilot reviews of seedinvest.comtrustpilot.com
    review
  15. Reddit: I gave a startup $2k on SeedInvestreddit.com
    review
  16. Wefunder vs Republic vs SeedInvest fee comparisongrowthturbine.com
    review