Fundraise Up vs Donately:
Which is better for small nonprofits

Looking for a Fundraise Up alternative? Donately delivers powerful fundraising tools without complex pricing or enterprise-only features—perfect for small teams who need full control and fast setup.

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* Disclaimer: The comparison details on this page are based on publicly available data as of August 2025.^¹

Best fit breakdown

When Donately wins and when Fundraise Up might

Every platform has its sweet spot. Here’s when Donately makes the most sense and when Fundraise Up might be the better fit based on your fundraising needs and team setup.

Donately is your match if:

You need to launch quickly—without depending on a dev team

You’re tired of support tickets and want real people to talk to

You want forms, campaigns, and recurring tools that are easy to build, manage, and optimize—no advanced setup required

Fundraise Up

Fundraise Up might work if:

You have a tech team and want full control over A/B testing, behavioral prompts, and custom flows

You’re optimizing at scale and can commit time to refining donation conversion tactics

You're comfortable with a steeper learning curve to unlock more automation

Smart Growth Shouldn’t Come at a premium

When optimization isn’t the only goal

Advanced tools can be powerful, but they often come with steep setup requirements and hidden costs. Donately offers flexible, ready-to-use features with clear pricing and real support—no dev team required.

Fundraise up says...

“Start for free. No contracts.”

But the reality? Platform fees (4%) and Stripe/PayPal processing still apply, and donor opt-ins heavily influence actual cost coverage.

Donately says: Transparent pricing. No tip tricks. Predictable costs from day one.

Fundraise Up says...

“AI-optimized donor checkout.”

But the reality? It relies on AI-driven triggers that require no manual adjustments, but insights can feel like a black box.

Donately says: Smart tools with human control—high performance without sacrificing visibility.

Fundraise Up says...

“Deep analytics and A/B tools included.”

But the reality? Those features live behind advanced plans or add-ons, raising costs as you grow.

Donately says: Robust analytics, campaign insights, and customization—all included, no upsells required.

Donately vs Fundraise Up:
feature comparison

Fundraising platforms can look similar—until you dig in. From native integrations to transparent pricing and real support, Donately gives small teams everything upfront. Here’s how we compare:

Donately

Get started

Fundraise Up

Flexibility

Transparent pricing tiers with optional lower-fee and no-fee plans

Flat 4% platform fee on all donations - 5% on crypto
(custom rates available at high volume)

Customization

Full customization on all plans

Full customization included, but may require developer assistance for advanced implementation

Usability

Simple, intuitive UX built for small and growing teams

Sophisticated UI designed for optimization; best suited for orgs with technical or marketing teams

Support

Same-day, real-human support on all plans.

Email and chat support included; onboarding and success team access for larger orgs

Integrations

Salesforce, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Webflow, Constant Contact, Zapier and more.

Integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, and more

Time to launch

Self-serve launch in minutes, no tech team required

Setup can be fast, but often requires onboarding and dev coordination

Pricing clarity

Transparent pricing, no long-term contracts, no hidden fees.

Simple 4% platform fee + processing; all features included
(custom pricing at scale)

Team fit

Ideal for lean fundraising teams and fast-moving small orgs

Best for large orgs with internal technical resources and optimization goals

Top goal

Run smart, scalable campaigns with minimal overhead.

Maximize conversions with advanced A/B testing, upsell prompts, and donor intelligence

For $10,000 monthly donation volume

You save: $440+ per month with Donately*

Fundraise Up focuses on AI optimization—but often requires developer support and higher volume to see full value. Donately gives small teams everything they need to launch, customize, and grow—without complex setup or enterprise pricing.

All features. No surprises.

Fundraise Up

Smart fundraising. Not always simple.

Platform fees

$0–$400
(0%- 4%)

$400-$500
(4% on standard donations; 5% on crypto)

Processing fees

$220–$290
Stripe (2.2–2.9% + $0.30)

~$220+
2.2% + $0.30 per transaction

Subscription fees

$0–$99 /month

$0 standard
Custom pricing possible, but not disclosed

Support

Included with all plans

24/7 email support included; advanced support not disclosed

Total monthly

$220–$789 /month

$660-$760+ /month
(varies widely based on implementation and plan)

Ask yourself before choosing Fundraise Up

If you answered “no” to any of these, Donately gives you what Fundraise Up can’t.

Explore Donately

Do you have the in-house development resources to fully implement and manage advanced configurations?

Are you prepared for custom pricing and unclear platform costs as your needs grow?

Can your team navigate a highly optimized system that may prioritize data over day-to-day usability?

Why nonprofits choose Donately instead

Donately offers branded peer-to-peer, recurring, and text-to-donate campaigns with extensive integrations (HubSpot, Webflow, Zapier, etc.), human support during business hours, and transparent pricing without feature paywalls or hidden costs.

Design that fits your brand

Create donation pages and forms that look and feel like you—not a template

Real support, right when you need it

Same-day responses and hands-on help from real humans

Flexible where it counts

Adapt campaigns, forms, and data fields to match your internal systems—not the other way around

Smarter tracking, out of the box

Native GA4, Pixel, and Tag Manager integrations

Insights that matter

Campaign and donor data you can actually use

Fundraise Up alternative — frequently asked questions

Are there any contracts or setup fees with Fundraise Up?

No. Fundraise Up doesn’t charge setup fees or monthly contracts—the 4% fee covers access to the full platform.

Do I need a developer to launch with Donately?

Not at all. Donately is built for nonprofits to get started quickly—most teams launch their first campaign independently. Our support team is available to help you connect to your site or CRM without needing technical help.

Is Fundraise Up complicated for small teams?

Fundraise Up includes advanced features like AI optimization and upsell prompts. While powerful, these tools often require setup and technical support—so smaller teams without dedicated operations or development resources may find it more involved to use effectively.

What’s Fundraise Up’s pricing model?

Fundraise Up charges a flat 4% platform fee per donation, on top of standard payment processing rates. There are no subscription fees, but total cost depends on donor tipping behavior and donation volume.

What kind of support does Donately offer?

All users receive support from real people—no bots or queued tickets. Expect same-day responses and strategic guidance, whether you're launching a campaign or configuring an integration.

Can I fully customize my forms and campaigns?

Yes. Donately offers full customization—from branding and layout to fields and form behavior—on every plan. No need to upgrade or pay extra for advanced design options.

Does Donately integrate with existing platforms?

Absolutely. We support integrations with tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier, Webflow, GA4, and Mailchimp to fit your existing workflow—no custom development required.

Can I sign up without scheduling a sales demo?

Yes. Donately offers immediate access through a free account—no required demo or calls. You can explore the platform on your timeline and reach out when you're ready.

BEST IN CLASS SOFTWARE FOR BEST IN CLASS ORGANIZATIONS