StartEngine
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Fine for risk-tolerant investors making small, disposable-cash bets on startups they believe in.
Comparison
StartEngine vs Wefunder
StartEngine and Wefunder both land on Depends.
Wefunder
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you're a founder with a genuine customer or fan community raising a round.
| Compare | StartEngine | Wefunder |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Risk-tolerant retail investors | Founders raising community rounds |
| Who it's not for | Anyone needing liquidity or income | Investors who need liquidity or short horizons |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.⁸ | No public breaches or vulnerabilities found; but FINRA fined Wefunder $1.4M in 2022 for millions of crowdfunding-rule violations over five years. |
| Support quality | 38 complaints on ComplaintsBoard | Reddit reports unanswered inquiries |
| Public sentiment | Opinion is sharply split: Trustpilot shows 4/5, but many Reddit investors call the returns dismal and one post bluntly labels the platform a scam.¹ | Founders report successful raises and broad reach, while investor reviews on Reddit and Trustpilot skew negative on illiquidity, returns, and support.14 |
| Biggest gotcha | 3.5% fee on every purchase; withdrawal fees can also apply.⁷ | FINRA fined Wefunder $1.4M for five years of crowdfunding-rule violations . diligence the platform itself |
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 Wefunder when
- Founders raising community rounds
- Consumer brands with loyal customers
- Founders wanting capital plus publicity
- Retail investors making small startup bets
When Wefunder is not a fit
- Investors who need liquidity or short horizons
- Anyone investing money they can't lose
- Founders chasing lead-VC term sheets and large checks
- Teams without an existing audience to convert
Sources
- Trustpilot reviews of StartEnginetrustpilot.comreview
- StartEngine Review 2026: Honest Assessmentangelinvestorsnetwork.comreview
- ComplaintsBoard StartEngine reviewscomplaintsboard.comreview
- Reddit: StartEngine is a SCAM threadreddit.comreview
review
news
- StartEngine fees overviewthecrowdspace.comnews
security
- StartEngine official sitestartengine.comofficial
- StartEngine app listingplay.google.comofficial
- Wefunder . Raise Capital from Your Communitywefunder.comofficial
- Wefunder Pricingwefunder.comofficial
- Wefunder SPVswefunder.comofficial
- Wefunder Trustpilot Reviewstrustpilot.comreview
review
- Wefunder Review 2024 . Boring Business Nerdboringbusinessnerd.comreview