Givebutter vs Donately: Which is better for small nonprofits?
Looking for a Givebutter alternative? Donately offers small nonprofits a simpler way to launch campaigns, manage giving, and grow—without paywalls or tipping prompts.*
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When Donately wins and when Givebutter might
Every platform has its sweet spot. Here’s when Donately makes the most sense and when Bonterra might be the better fit based on your fundraising needs and team setup.
When “free” isn’t the full picture
Donor trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. Tipping prompts and unclear pricing can chip away at the experience. Donately puts you—and your donors—first with transparent, no-surprise pricing.
"Free fundraising platform."
But donors are prompted to tip—and if they don’t, you pay 1–5%. That’s not free.
Donately keeps it simple with no tipping defaults, just transparent pricing and tools that work.
"CRM included."
Free CRM with unlimited contacts. Optional Givebutter Plus adds advanced automation and analytics for contact-based pricing.
Donately keeps things simple: one flat price or no price at all. No CRM metering.
"Everything in one place."
You’ll need to upgrade to Givebutter Plus for basic automation, segmentation, or analytics.
Donately includes all essential features—no surprise gating or upsells.
Donately vs Givebutter:
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
Givebutter
For $10,000 monthly donation volume
Donately’s flat pricing eliminates tip-dependency, contact-based limits, and confusing tier jumps.
Givebutter
(1%–5% + CRM on Plus)
Ask yourself before choosing Givebutter
If you answered “no” to any of these, Donately gives you what Givebutter can’t.
Are you comfortable asking your donors to cover platform costs through tipping?
Will basic tools be enough as your organization grows—or will you need features behind CRM pricing tiers?
Can your team manage surprise fees if contact counts spike or tipping opt-outs increase?
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.
Tools that just work
No tipping schemes. Just campaigns that convert.
Data you can use
Built-in insights and integrations, transparent pricing for CRM growth.
Real support
Actual humans who know fundraising, not chatbots or paywalled service tiers.
Predictable pricing
No hidden fees, no upgrade surprises, no donor guilt.
Built to grow with you
Whether you're a solo fundraiser or a growing team, Donately scales with your mission and not against your budget.
Donately vs Givebutter — frequently asked questions
Do I need a developer to use Donately?
Depends. You can do most customizations by yourself but developer support is available for advanced requirements.
Is Givebutter actually free?
Yes for core fundraising and unlimited CRM contacts. If you disable optional donor tips, platform fees of 1–5% apply based on campaign type. Advanced features (automation, analytics) require optional Givebutter Plus subscription based on contact count.
How does Donately pricing work as we grow?
Simple: choose from three plans. Start free, upgrade when you're ready, or go one-time with Scale. All plans include full access—no tipping, no surprise upsells.
Can I customize campaigns and forms in Donately?
Yes. Branding, fields, logic, and campaign types like team fundraising and text-to-donate are all customizable—with in-house dev support available.
Is Givebutter a legitimate site?
Yes, it is. Givebutter is a fundraising platform that lets nonprofits manage donor management tools, events, auctions, and donation forms.
Does Donately integrate with the tools we already use?
Absolutely. Hubspot, Salesforce, Zapier, HubSpot, Constant Contact, Webflow, GA4, and more.
What is Givebutter and how does it work?
Givebutter is a free all-in-one fundraising platform that works on a tip-or-fee model where donors optionally covering the transaction fees to support the platform.
Does Donately offer 24/7 phone support like other platforms?
While Donately provides real human support during business hours rather than 24/7 phone access, they offer AI assistance available around the clock, ensuring users get help when needed without long wait times.
Is Donately's pricing transparent or are there hidden costs?
Unlike competitors with hidden fees and percentage-based pricing tricks, Donately emphasizes transparent pricing without feature paywalls, allowing organizations to grow with predictable costs and no surprise charges.
Which platform is better for organizations wanting completely free fundraising?
Givebutter offers all features for free with optional donor-covered fees, while Donately focuses on transparent, predictable pricing without the complexities of tip-based models.
BEST IN CLASS SOFTWARE FOR BEST IN CLASS ORGANIZATIONS
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Trusted by thousands of schools, churches and organizations
Secure, high-converting donation forms
Platform fees as low as 0%
Built-in campaign templates and marketplace
Sign up and launch in 5 minutes
Fully customizable to your brand
No feature limits—everything included
No setup fees. No surprise costs.
Integrates with your favorite tools