GiveKit vs Givebutter
Givebutter and GiveKit both offer donation forms, events, auctions, memberships, peer-to-peer fundraising and a donor CRM. They differ in how they charge, and in whether grants, volunteers and your board live in the same place.
Updated October 2026
At a glance
- What it is
- All-in-one fundraising, grants and nonprofit operations
- Pricing
- From $50/mo
- Features compared
- 14 of 14
Givebutter
- What it is
- Free, tip-funded fundraising platform with paid Plus plans
- Pricing
- Free to you, or Plus from $29/mo
- Features compared
- 9 of 14
The short answer
Choose Givebutter if you want a free, tip-funded platform with strong fundraising pages and are happy to add Plus for advanced CRM features. Choose GiveKit if you want one simple plan with no tip prompts, and grants, volunteer shifts and board management alongside your fundraising.
GiveKit and Givebutter features
Based on what each company lists on its own website.
| Feature | | Givebutter |
|---|---|---|
| Fundraising | ||
| Donation forms & campaigns | Yes | Yes |
| Peer-to-peer fundraising | Yes | Yes |
| Events & ticketing | Yes | Yes |
| Memberships | Yes | Yes |
| Silent auctions | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic max bids | Yes | Yes |
| Soft close on late bids | Yes | Yes |
| Grants | ||
| Grant discovery & matching | Yes | Not listed |
| Guided grant writing | Yes | Not listed |
| Grant pipeline tracking | Yes | Not listed |
| Relationships & operations | ||
| Donor CRM | Yes | Yes |
| Email newsletters | Add-on | Yes |
| Volunteer shift scheduling | Yes | Not listed |
| Board management | Yes | Not listed |
Offered · — Not listed on their website · "Add-on" means available for an extra charge
How GiveKit and Givebutter charge
GiveKit
From $50/mo
- Plan
- One monthly price by size, with every feature included
- Card fee
- 4.9% + $0.30, covered by 98% of donors
- ACH bank transfer fee
- 1.8%, capped at $10
- Donor tips
- None. Every ask on your form is for your cause
Givebutter
Free to you, or Plus from $29/mo
- Free plan
- Free only while donors are asked to tip Givebutter
- Where the tip goes
- To Givebutter. Not tax-deductible, and none of it reaches your mission
- Turn tips off
- 3% platform fee plus 2.9% + 30¢ processing
- Givebutter Plus
- From $29/mo for advanced CRM tools
Givebutter's free plan is paid for by your donors' tips, and switching them off costs you 3% plus processing. Plus plans add automated workflows, texting and custom reports on top. With GiveKit you pay one monthly plan, donors almost always cover the transaction fee, and there are no tip prompts.
"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
With tips on, a tip for Givebutter sits inside your form, under your name. It's easy to mistake for an extra gift to your cause.
When they find out, they blame you
Donors don't remember Givebutter'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 tax-deductible
Givebutter's help center says tips aren't tax-deductible. A donor who thought they were giving you more gets no receipt for it, and none of it reaches your mission.
Turning tips off isn't free
Switch tips off and Givebutter charges a 3% platform fee plus 2.9% + 30¢ processing. On $50,000 raised, that's about $2,950 plus 30¢ a gift, unless donors cover it.
What Givebutter offers, and the catch
- Free while tips are onNo platform fee as long as donors are asked to tip. Switch tips off and it's 3% plus processing.
- Fundraising pagesForms, campaign pages, events and peer-to-peer, plus a check-in app.
- Auctions with max bidsMax bids and late-bid time extensions, which GiveKit auctions include too.
- Advanced CRM costs extraAutomated workflows, texting and custom reports need a Givebutter Plus plan, from $29/mo.
What GiveKit does differently
- No tip promptsGiveKit doesn't ask donors to tip the software company, and there's no fee for turning tips off.
- Grants built inGiveKit includes grant matching, guided drafting and a pipeline. Grant tracking is a feature request in Givebutter's community.
- Volunteer shift schedulingGiveKit publishes volunteer shifts and tracks hours on each volunteer's profile.
- Board managementGiveKit includes board members, committees, meetings, agendas and documents.
Which one is right for you?
Givebutter may suit you if…
- You want a free platform and are fine with donor tips
- Fundraising pages and peer-to-peer are your main focus
- You rely on many third-party integrations
GiveKit is a great fit if…
- You'd rather not show donors a tip request
- You apply for grants and want them tracked next to fundraising
- You schedule volunteers or manage a board
GiveKit vs Givebutter: common questions
How does Givebutter make money?
Givebutter's free plan is funded by optional donor tips. If tips are turned off, it charges a 3% platform fee plus card processing. It also sells Givebutter Plus plans starting at $29 a month.
Does Givebutter have grant management?
Grant tracking appears as a feature request in Givebutter's community. GiveKit includes grant matching, guided application drafting and a pipeline board.
Can I move from Givebutter to GiveKit?
Yes. We help bring your contacts and giving history into GiveKit so you don't start from scratch.
Givebutter information is based on its public website as of October 2026 and may change. Givebutter is a trademark of its owner. Spot something out of date? Let us know.
Thinking about switching from Givebutter?
Get started today, and we'll help move your contacts and giving history over.