Zeffy and Givebutter both let nonprofits raise money without losing part of each gift to fees when their tip models apply. Both can be free to use. The choice rests on donor tips, daily records, and the tools your team needs next.
For a small nonprofit starting with donation forms and event ticketing, I would begin with Zeffy. Its single free offering keeps the software budget simple. Givebutter is the stronger choice when your team wants a free donor CRM with a paid path to more workflow and outreach tools, or needs the choice to turn off tips and pay fees instead.
This comparison focuses on US organizations. Check eligibility first, then compare the tasks you will do each week. A long feature list has little value if volunteers cannot find a donor record or close out an event.
Zeffy vs Givebutter at a glance
| Zeffy | Givebutter |
|---|---|
| Best starting point for small nonprofits seeking one free set of tools. | Best for teams wanting a free core with optional paid workflow tools. |
| Optional donor contributions fund the platform; Zeffy covers processing. | Optional donor tips can cover the free model. A fees-based route is also available. |
| Donation forms, recurring donations, ticketing, donor records, and auctions. | Donation forms, recurring donations, ticketing, donor CRM, and auctions. |
| No paid feature tier. | Optional Givebutter Plus subscription for added features. |
| US organizations need an EIN and an organization bank account. | Built for organizations and affiliated fundraisers, not standalone personal fundraising. |
Pricing: both can leave the full gift with your nonprofit
Zeffy's pricing model uses optional contributions from donors to fund the service. The nonprofit pays no platform fee or payment processing fees. Zeffy still covers the fees if a donor leaves no tip. Its tools do not have a paid upgrade tier.
Givebutter's current pricing also offers zero platform and processing fees for nonprofits when tips are enabled, backed by the Givebutter Guarantee. The nonprofit keeps the donation even if a donor declines to cover processing. Do not compare Zeffy with an old Givebutter fee model.
Givebutter lets you disable tips. That route has a 3% platform fee plus standard processing: 2.9% plus 30 cents for cards, or 1.9% plus 30 cents for ACH. Paid Plus features are separate from that choice.
The key difference is control. Zeffy offers a simple free model. Givebutter gives your organization a way to trade the tip prompt for stated fees. With either, check how the form feels to a donor.
What a $100 card gift looks like
With Zeffy, the nonprofit receives the $100 gift under its fee-free model. With Givebutter tips enabled, an eligible nonprofit also keeps the $100. Any optional platform support is separate from that gift.
If Givebutter tips are disabled and the organization absorbs the listed fees, a $100 card donation leaves $93.80. That is $3 in platform fees and $3.20 in processing. This example excludes any extra amount the donor might choose to cover.
For 100 separate $100 card gifts with the same settings, the fees total $620. Gift size matters. Each payment has its own fixed 30-cent charge. Use your usual gift sizes to work out the cost. A percentage alone leaves out part of the fee.
Donor tips: read the form as a supporter would
A free fundraising platform still needs funds to run. On both services, optional donor support helps pay for the platform. Donors should know which amount goes to your cause and which goes to the software.
Before launch, open one checkout on a phone and another on a larger screen. Read the tip prompt, make the payment, and check the receipt. Ask a volunteer to explain the final total without coaching. If they hesitate, plan how you will answer donors' questions.
This check shows what your donors may need help with. It does not prove that one service loses more gifts than the other. Some donors use online forms often. Others may need more help.
Optional donor tips are not a required part of the gift to your nonprofit. Avoid language that blurs those two amounts. Clear terms help build trust that lasts beyond one campaign.
Donation forms and recurring donations
Both Zeffy and Givebutter support donation forms and recurring giving. For a small team, start with a clear purpose, a short form, and a clear note on how you will use the funds. Extra fields can wait unless they serve a real need.
A monthly giving program needs more than a recurring payment button. Decide who will welcome recurring donors, answer questions, and help when a payment fails. The platform handles parts of the payment flow. Your team still needs to care for donors.
When comparing customizable donation forms, try the same small campaign on each service. Use the same goal, text, suggested amounts, and image. Then compare the donor steps and the record your team receives. That makes the tradeoff easier to see. Two different demo pages are harder to compare.
For a group running one annual appeal and a small monthly giving program, Zeffy's free tools are a sensible starting point. For a team planning more detailed donor follow-up, compare Givebutter's free CRM and any paid features you would actually use.
Donor management: both have tools beyond a payment page
Do not choose based on the claim that Zeffy has no donor management tools. Its current help center includes a CRM, contact imports, contact organization, and email tools. Compare the current product rather than a review of an older version.
Givebutter's donor CRM brings giving history, event tickets, messages, and contact activity together. It supports contact profiles, households, tags, and saved segments. The free CRM has unlimited contacts.
One person may buy tickets, give money, and bring a friend to an event. A single donor record can help the team see those connections. It also gives a new team member one place to start.
Before moving donor data, use a small sample. Include a recurring donor, a household, an event buyer, and someone who has asked not to receive email. Check names, amounts, dates, and contact preferences after import. An upload can work and still leave records that need to be fixed.
For either platform, ask the person who sends thank-you notes to try the task. Ask the treasurer to find a payment and its payout record. Those are better tests of fit than counting the number of menu items.
When Givebutter Plus is worth considering
Givebutter Plus adds paid tools such as automated workflows, task management, reporting, and texting. It is optional. Plus pricing is based on contact count. A growing list does not force you to pay for the free CRM.
Pay for a plan when it saves work or solves a clear problem. Write down that job first. “Send this reminder after this event” is a useful requirement. “Get more advanced features” is not.
Compare the subscription cost with the value of the work it saves. Include the time needed to set up and maintain any automation. One volunteer may find it easier to do the work by hand. A larger team may need shared tasks and reports.
Zeffy's lack of a paid tier keeps that budget decision simpler. It does not mean both tools do all the same things. Check the exact task before treating the two products as interchangeable.
Event ticketing, auctions, and peer-to-peer fundraising
Both services offer event ticketing and auctions. Those labels alone do not tell you which is best. Run through the event you plan to host. A small workshop, a dinner, and a silent auction have different needs.
For ticketed events, check how your team will find guests at the door, handle a changed name, and record a refund. If volunteers will use phones, rehearse with the actual devices. A form that looks clear on a laptop may feel different at a busy check-in table.
Zeffy's auction tools include item listings, outbid alerts, and collection of winning payments. That makes “Zeffy cannot run auctions” an outdated reason to dismiss it. For either platform, check the rules for bidding, closing, payments, and item pickup before asking supporters to bid.
With peer-to-peer fundraising, supporters raise funds through their own pages. It can spread the work, but it also creates more people who need clear instructions. Decide who will help a supporter set up a page and who will answer donor questions.
For a first community fundraiser, I would keep the event simple. Prove the ticketing and payment flow before adding an auction and several peer-to-peer teams. More features do not automatically mean more funds raised.
Eligibility comes before feature comparisons
In the US, Zeffy's eligibility rules require an EIN and a bank account in the organization's name. An eligible nonprofit does not necessarily need 501(c)(3) status. Personal fundraising accounts are not supported.
Givebutter is also built for organizations and affiliated fundraisers. Its current rules do not support standalone personal fundraising accounts. Do not assume either service fits a personal appeal just because someone can create a donation page elsewhere.
Get your account approved before you set a launch date. Check who can use the group account. Make sure the bank details belong to the right group. A platform's low fees cannot fix an account that is not eligible to receive funds.
Payouts and integrations: check the whole routine
Before switching fundraising software, ask when new payments become available, how payouts reach the bank, and which records your treasurer can export. Do not plan a vendor payment around a donation that has not yet settled.
Also check the exact integrations you need. A native connection, an automation through another service, and a manual file export are different ways of moving data. Each needs a clear owner when something goes wrong.
If you already use a payment processor, ask whether your existing setup can move and what happens to recurring donations. Do not assume that having your own Stripe account makes payment details portable between every fundraising platform.
Ask both support teams the same concrete question. Include the software you use, the data fields you need, and how often the transfer should happen. Save the answers before deciding. You need those details to plan the move.
Choose Zeffy when the free essentials cover the work
Zeffy is my first choice for a small nonprofit that wants donation forms, monthly giving, event ticketing, and donor records without a paid software tier. Its pricing is easy to explain to a board: the tools are free, and optional donor contributions support the platform.
That fits a volunteer group collecting gifts for a local program or selling tickets to a modest event. The main question is whether its actual forms, records, and follow-up tools suit the people doing the work.
The tradeoff is the tip-supported model. Your group needs to be comfortable explaining that checkout to donors. If removing the tip prompt is a firm requirement, compare Givebutter's paid-fee route.
Choose Givebutter when flexibility is the deciding factor
Givebutter is my choice for a team that wants a free fundraising core plus the choice to add paid workflow tools later. It also suits organizations that want a clear alternative to donor tips and are prepared to budget for fees.
Its donor management features make it worth a close look when your fundraising efforts span events, repeat gifts, and regular outreach. Start with the free plan. Add Plus only when a specific need justifies the cost.
The tradeoff is more decisions: tip settings, payment fees, free versus paid features, and the routines your team will maintain. Make those choices before launch so volunteers can give donors consistent answers.
Before moving a live campaign
Keep your current records until you have checked the new setup. Export donor data, save campaign reports, and confirm what happens to recurring donors. Names and email addresses may move. That does not mean recurring payments move with them.
Test a small donation, receipt, refund, and payout process before a large campaign. Assign one person to check the records and another to review the donor-facing messages. Resolve any mismatch before sharing the new link widely.
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Zeffy vs Givebutter: the final choice
Start with Zeffy if one free set of fundraising tools fits your work. Choose Givebutter if its donor records, optional paid tools, or ability to disable tips solve a need your team can name.
Both can be useful fundraising platforms. Choose one your team can run and your donors can use. Your treasurer should be able to match the records to the money in the bank.
Common questions
Is Zeffy really free for nonprofits?
Yes, under its current model. Zeffy covers platform and processing fees and relies on optional donor contributions.
Does Givebutter charge a platform fee?
Not for nonprofits using its tips-enabled model. Turning tips off brings a 3% platform fee plus processing. Optional Plus subscriptions are separate.
Can both platforms handle monthly giving?
Yes. Before moving an existing program, ask support how recurring payments can transfer and whether donors need to authorize new payments.
Does Zeffy have donor management?
Yes. Compare its current CRM and email tools with Givebutter's current offering rather than relying on older descriptions.