Which Platform Is Best for You?

Looking for a new investment route to venture down? Yieldstreet and CrowdStreet may not be rival turf gangs, but they’re definitely leading the pack when it comes to online investing platforms. 

Each site offers unique investment opportunities, so you can put your hard-earned cash to good use and potentially boost your bank account. 

Let’s find out how Yieldstreet and Crowdstreet compare to see which one is right for you—

Read more: 

Yieldstreet vs. Crowdstreet Review: Key Features 

To get you started, here’s a summary of the basics:

Before we dig deeper, it’s worth pointing out that both Yieldstreet and Crowdstreet are focused on accredited investors.

And if you want to get the accredited status, there are a few hoops you’ll jump through first. 

Here’s what you need to become an accredited investor: 

• Have a net worth of at least a million (minus your primary residence). 
• Earn $200,000 a year ($300,000 with your spouse) for the past two years and maintain your income. 

And if that’s out of reach—don’t give up just yet. 

The Yieldstreet Prism Fund is accessible to non-accredited investors, with minimum amounts starting at $2,500. 

The fund pays quarterly distributions at an annualized rate of 8%, and investments are safely spread across various asset classes. 

However, the fund is set to expire in March 2024—so don’t wait around if you’re interested. 

Read more: Passive Real Estate Investing: What Is It and Is It Worth It?

What Is Yieldstreet?

Yieldstreet is an online crowdfunding platform that gives accredited investors access to different types of alternative investment opportunities. 

From real estate and art to commercial loans and legal settlements, Yieldstreet is leading the pack for alternative investing—with the opportunity for some sizeable returns. 

Founded in 2015 by Milind Mehere and Michael Weis, the platform lets individual investors get their hands on opportunities that were once only available to established investors. 

Over time, Yieldstreet has seen upward growth as a company—with investor returns totaling $2.1 billion with over 438,160 members and counting. 

Check out our full Yieldstreet review for the complete low-down. 

How Does Yieldstreet Work? 

With Yieldstreet, you can join forces with others to crowdfund alternative assets by investing smaller amounts to reach the same larger goal. 

To start your investment journey, all you need to do is sign up for an account online. Once you’re in, you can browse their range of investment opportunities. 

If you spot an investment that aligns with your risk tolerance, you can go ahead and make the purchase. 

The investment amount can vary, but most opportunities come with a minimum investment of $10,000.

With a fixed term ranging from several months to several years, you’ll have plenty of time to see your investment grow while tracking its progress and performance. 

Investments offer payments through a pre-defined or event-based schedule. 

If it’s pre-defined, they’ll let you know if you’ll receive your money in regular intervals (monthly, bi-weekly, quarterly) or at the maturity of the deal. 

An event-based schedule means investors will get payments as soon as individual cases within a portfolio settle. These payment dates and amounts can’t be pre-determined because the timing of the settlement isn’t set in stone. 

Why we like it 

Things to note 

What Is CrowdStreet?

CrowdStreet is a leading online real estate investing platform that lets users crowdfund and explore commercial real estate investments in the US. 

The platform gives accredited investors the chance to access investment opportunities, a marketplace for buying and selling shares, and educational resources to stay ahead of the game.

Founded in 2013 by Tore Steen and Darren Powderly in Oregon, the company initially offered real estate crowdfunding opportunities. 

As CrowdStreet grew, it expanded its services to include private placements, institutional-grade investments, and advisory services. 

Since 2014, CrowdStreet investors have funded 732 deals with 151 realized (sold) investments. 

The company also has an impressive valuation of $100M–$500M. 

For more details, take a look at our Crowdstreet review. 

How Does CrowdStreet Work? 

For accredited investors only, once you sign up online, you’ll get access to their selection of commercial real estate investments.

On the platform, sponsors list their commercial real estate projects, where you can invest money into the projects you want through crowdfunding. 

But don’t worry, CrowdStreet doesn’t just throw any opportunity your way. They carefully scrutinize each investment opportunity before putting it on the platform. 

From there, you can view all the handy details, such as property photos, market reports, and hold times. 

Once you find an investment, it’s time to put down some cash—just keep in mind that you’ll need a hefty minimum of $25,000 to invest. 

Then you can track your portfolio’s performance with regular updates on your asset’s performance. 

Most of Crowdstreet’s investments are illiquid. So if the long-term hold times aren’t for you, there’s also the marketplace where you can buy and sell shares in previously funded investments. 

This gives you more liquidity and the flexibility to adjust your portfolios. 

Why we like it 

Things to keep in mind 

Yieldstreet vs CrowdStreet: Investment Types 

Yieldstreet and CrowdStreet may sound like rival street gangs, but their main difference lies in their investment types. 

CrowdStreet takes a traditional approach, offering a variety of real estate assets, while Yieldstreet goes rogue with a focus on more alternative offerings.

When looking for the right investment, Hayden Miyamoto, co-founder of Acquira, says:

Yieldstreet investments 

Here’s a rundown of the different investments you’ll find on Yieldstreet:

Crowdstreet investments 

On the flip side, Crowdstreet puts the spotlight on real estate investments, such as: 

• Multifamily 
• Offices
• Industrial 
• Retail 
• Hospitality 

You can also choose the level of support, service, and personalization that’s right for you. 

Here are the different real estate investment types you can opt for:

Want to make your money stretch? Find out how to invest 200k to make $1 Million.

Yieldstreet vs. Crowdstreet: Returns

Before you start counting your dollars, you need to know the basics of Internal Rate of Returns (IRR). 

In simple terms, the IRR calculates the profitability of an investment, representing the expected annual rate of return over a certain period. So the higher the IRR, the more profitable the investment opportunity may be.

So, which real estate platform is raking in the returns? 

First up is Crowdstreet—which claims to have an impressive track record of 19.2% realized IRR. 

But remember that Crowdstreet doesn’t guarantee returns, and results can depend on the state of the economy and the investment performance. 

As for Yieldstreet, their returns aren’t so clear-cut. Different investment types come with varying returns.

Here’s a breakdown of Yieldstreet’s target returns for each asset type: 

• Real estate: 14% + IRR
• Marine: 10% + IRR
• Legal: 9.8% + IRR
• Art: 8% + IRR 

And while higher returns may sound tempting, tread carefully, as they often come with higher risks. 

It’s crucial to do your research and check out the risks that come with each investment opportunity before making the leap.

Try out our free investment calculator to keep tabs on your finances. 

Yieldstreet vs. CrowdStreet: Fees

Here’s a summary of the fees you need to know:

Yieldstreet makes it pretty tricky to pinpoint all their fees—they vary depending on the investment type and amount. 

But expect to pay extra for origination fees, wire transfers, and third-party charges.

Yieldstreet is upfront about its management fee, which covers the costs associated with managing and servicing your investment opportunity. 

Like Yieldstreet, CrowdStreet won’t charge you a registration fee—but you’re here to invest, so you’ll need some dough for that. 

The sponsor sets the minimum investment, which starts at $25,000, with some going up to a cool $100,000. 

On top of that, investors will be charged an annual management fee of 1-2%—and if you’re looking for a customized portfolio, that fee can shoot up to 2.5%.

To avoid any unwelcome surprises, carefully review the fee structure for each investment opportunity before investing. 

Yieldstreet vs. Crowdstreet: Customer Service 

Feeling the need to vent? You can head to the Contact page on the CrowdStreet website, where you’ll find a form or the Crowdstreet ChatBot.

But, if you’re looking to have an actual conversation with a real human, you might run into a few roadblocks as there’s no contact number available on the site. 

Lucky for you, we did some digging—

Here’s CrowdStreet’s customer support number:

• 888-432-7693 (Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time)

But while Crowdstreet has its fair share of satisfied customers, it’s also received negative reviews on Trustpilot. 

People have complained about the lack of customer service and poor responsiveness when investments take a turn for the worse.

To make matters worse, the company currently has an F rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), partly due to its communication issues with investors. 

Does Yieldstreet fare any better?

The alternative investment platform makes it much easier for you to track down their contact information, and it’s all readily available on their website. 

Or you can just take a look here:

When it comes to the BBB reviews—it’s a mixed bag. 

Yieldstreet has an impressive A- ranking, but it’s not accredited by the Bureau (which basically means it doesn’t need to follow their rule book). 

Overall, Yieldstreet reviews show a customer rating of 2.5/5. 

Some have praised the platform, while others have criticized their lack of communication and misinformation about investments.

Yieldstreet vs. Crowdstreet: Usability 

Crowdstreet’s key feature is the Marketplace, where you can browse real estate opportunities. It’s easy to use and has a range of nifty filters divided into Individual Deals, Funds & Vehicles, and Tailored Portfolios. 

You can also filter by deal terms, offerings, eligibility, and sponsor details to find your perfect match. Each listing includes everything you need to know about the opportunity, from location and description to minimum investments and images.

Crowdstreet also provides investor relations support, portfolio management tools, and educational resources to help you make the best investment decisions.

Yieldstreet also has a range of filters to help you explore and learn more about different investment opportunities. It gets extra points for having an app (something missing from Crowdstreet). 

The Yieldstreet app lets you filter alternative investments by income, growth, and type. 

You can also use the app to manage your accounts, track performance, and receive real-time notifications on investment performance and payment processing. 

Plus, with bank-level security protocols, such as 256-bit SSL encryption and two-factor authentication, you can be rest assured that your data is safe.

Check out the best investment apps for other investment solutions.

Yieldstreet vs. Crowdstreet: Which is Better for You?

When it comes to choosing between Yieldstreet and CrowdStreet, it’s all about finding the platform that speaks to your investment goals and risk tolerance. 

Here are some factors to consider:

• Yieldstreet tends to focus on shorter-term investments with holding periods of 1–5 years, while CrowdStreet offers both short and long-term investment opportunities.
• CrowdStreet has a wider variety of real estate investment options, including office, industrial, retail, and hospitality properties. While Yieldstreet has more limited real estate offerings, but with more alternative assets thrown into the mix. 
• Yieldstreet has a lower investment minimum of $10,000, while CrowdStreet’s minimum investment is over double at $25,000. 
• Crowdstreet promises high returns of 19.2% but comes with higher risks due to the large investment amount. 

Ultimately, both platforms have their own pros and cons, so make sure you do your research and choose the one that best meets your investment needs.

And if you still can’t decide, why not invest in both? 

Yieldstreet is great for shorter-term investments, and Crowdstreet is ideal for long-term commitments. This can also diversify your portfolio since you won’t be putting all your eggs into one platform. 

CrowdStreet vs. Fundrise vs. Yieldstreet

We’ve given you everything you need to know about Yieldstreet vs. Crowdstreet. 

But if neither of these streets is right up your alley, there’s always Fundrise waiting around the corner. 

Here’s how the leading platforms compare:

The returns with Fundrise may not blow you away, averaging around 5.29%, but the easy diversification and low minimum investment of just $10 make it a solid option. 

Fundrise also lets you submit liquidation requests if you want to withdraw your funds, which are reviewed every quarter. 

But a heads up—any shares from an eREIT or eFund will face a 1% penalty fee if you decide to liquidate after less than five years. 

So if you’re willing to wait, Fundrise can be a promising way to add flavor to your investment strategy. 

Key Takeaways