One platform instead of three
Most nonprofits stitch together a donation tool, a grant tool and a spreadsheet for everything else. GiveKit covers fundraising, grants, volunteers and your board in one place.
Features included of 14 compared
14- Zeffy9
- Givebutter9
- Donorbox6
- BetterUnite5
Paid add-ons included. Based on each company's public website.
Features compared
Based on what each company lists on its own website.
| Feature | | Zeffy | Givebutter | Donorbox | BetterUnite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fundraising | |||||
| Donation forms & campaigns | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Peer-to-peer fundraising | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Events & ticketing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Memberships | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Pro plan |
| Silent auctions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| Automatic max bids | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| Soft close on late bids | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Paid add-on |
| Grants | |||||
| Grant discovery & matching | Yes | Search only | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Guided grant writing | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Grant pipeline tracking | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Premier plan |
| Relationships & operations | |||||
| Donor CRM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Add-on | Separate module |
| Email newsletters | Add-on | Yes | Yes | Add-on | Premier plan |
| Volunteer shift scheduling | Yes | Sign-ups | Not listed | Not listed | Pro plan |
| Board management | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Offered · — Not listed on their website. "Add-on" means available for an extra charge. GiveKit Email is +$10/month.
What sets GiveKit apart
Everything on one profile
Donations, tickets, auction bids, memberships, grants and volunteer shifts all land on the same supporter record.
Your whole organization
Volunteer shifts, board meetings and documents, and grants sit next to your fundraising, not in separate tools.
Grants built in
Find matching grants, draft applications with guided help, and track every one, next to the rest of your fundraising.
No tip prompts at checkout
Your donors see your cause, not a request to tip the software company.
How each one charges
Every model works differently, so here's what you actually pay, and who pays it.
GiveKit
From $50/mo
Everything included. 4.9% + 30¢ per card payment or 1.8% (max $10) per ACH transfer, almost always covered by donors. No tip prompts.
See GiveKit plansZeffy
Free to you
Paid for by your donors: a prefilled tip for Zeffy sits inside your form, and you can't remove it.
Givebutter
Free to you, or Plus from $29/mo
Free only while your donors are asked to tip Givebutter. Turn tips off and it's 3% plus processing.
Donorbox
2.95–3.95% per gift
Free plan with a platform fee plus processing; Pro is $150/mo at a lower fee.
BetterUnite
Free at 3%, or from $65/mo
Free with a 3% platform fee plus processing. Paid plans are sold per module (Events & Auctions from $65/mo, CRM Plus from $80/mo, billed annually); Pro and Premier are quoted.
Third-party card processing fees may also apply, depending on the platform and plan.
"Free" costs you your donors' trust
Tip-funded platforms don't charge you. They add a tip for themselves inside your form, right as your supporters decide how much to give to you, and it's easy to mistake for part of the gift.
Donors think the tip is part of their gift
The tip sits inside your form, under your name, often already filled in. It's easy to mistake for an extra gift to your cause. Zeffy even has help-center instructions for donors who added one by accident.
When they find out, they blame you
Donors don't remember the platform's name. They remember your form. When a supporter realizes part of what they paid went to a software company, the bad feeling lands on your organization, and that's trust you spent years building.
It isn't a gift to you at all
The tip goes to the software company, not your nonprofit. Givebutter's help center says its tips aren't tax-deductible.
Opting out isn't really an option
Zeffy says its suggested contribution can't be removed or customized. Turning Givebutter tips off adds a 3% platform fee plus card processing.
Detailed comparisons
Pricing, strengths and who each platform fits best, one competitor at a time.
Zeffy is free for nonprofits and funded by optional donor tips. GiveKit is one monthly plan with no tip prompts, plus grants, volunteer shifts and board management.
Read the comparison GiveKit vs GivebutterGivebutter is free with donor tips (or a 3% fee without them), with paid Plus plans from $29/mo. GiveKit is one monthly plan with grants, volunteer shifts and board management built in.
Read the comparison GiveKit vs DonorboxDonorbox charges a 2.95–3.95% platform fee per gift on its free plan, with no native auctions. GiveKit is one monthly plan with auctions, grants and a CRM included.
Read the comparison GiveKit vs BetterUniteBetterUnite is free at a 3% platform fee, or sold per module from $65/mo, with grants, email and volunteers on higher tiers. GiveKit is one monthly plan with them included.
Read the comparisonCommon questions
Zeffy and Givebutter are free. Why pay for GiveKit?
Free platforms are paid for by your donors: they're asked to add a tip for the platform at checkout, right as they decide what to give you. Zeffy's suggested contribution can't be removed, and turning Givebutter's tips off adds a 3% fee. GiveKit is one monthly plan instead, with no tip requests, and it covers more of your organization in one place, including grants, volunteer shift scheduling and board management.
How is GiveKit different from BetterUnite?
Both cover events, silent auctions, peer-to-peer and a CRM. BetterUnite sells events and its CRM as separate modules in three tiers, with memberships and volunteers on Pro and grants and email marketing on Premier. GiveKit is one published monthly plan with grants, volunteers, memberships and automations included.
Can you help us switch from another platform?
Yes. We help bring your contacts and giving history into GiveKit so you don't start from scratch.
Competitor information is based on each company's public website as of October 2026 and may change. Zeffy, Givebutter, Donorbox and BetterUnite are trademarks of their respective owners. Spot something out of date?Let us know.
See GiveKit for yourself
Pick a plan and start today, or get a walkthrough built around your organization.