Paybee vs Donately:
Which is better for small nonprofits

Looking for a Paybee alternative? Donately gives growing nonprofits the flexibility, control, and transparency they need—without being locked into Paybee’s event-first, complex pricing structure. *

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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 Paybee might

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

Donately is your match if:

You want a year-round fundraising engine—not just a platform for events.

You prefer all-in-one access to forms, P2P, text-to-donate, recurring giving, and team fundraising.

You value strong branding, modern integrations, and real human support without extra licenses.

Paybee

Paybee might work if:

You run frequent in-person or hybrid events (galas, auctions, paddle raises).

You’re focused on live engagement and need robust event tools.

You’re okay with a simple backend, limited integrations, and tipping-style fee recovery.

event tools aren't campaign tools

When “event-first” has its limits

Paybee is built for auctions and galas—but that structure doesn’t always translate to year-round fundraising. If your team needs flexibility beyond the ballroom, event-first platforms can fall short.

paybee says...

“Only 1% cost thanks to donor coverage.”

But the reality? That assumes 90% donor fee opt-in. Without it, costs jump to 4.7%+ per donation.

Donately says: Predictable pricing. No tipping required. Costs you can control.

paybee says...

“Unlimited events for a one-time fee.”

But the reality? The platform is purpose-built for galas—not campaign-based fundraising.

Donately says: Campaigns, forms, and fundraising flows built for teams—not just events.

paybee says...

“We simplify auctions and appeals.”

But the reality? Auctions are great—but what happens between galas?

Donately says: Activate giving year-round with forms, email flows, and automated recurring options.

Donately vs Paybee:
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

Paybee

Flexibility

Transparent tiered pricing

2% on all donations + processing fees; no subscription fee

Customization

Full customization available on all plans

Limited form design options; optimized for event participation

Usability

Designed for lean teams and digital-first campaigns

Designed for in-person or hybrid event flow; more manual outside of event use

Support

Real humans, same-day help included

Support available; setup more event-focused

Integrations

Deep integrations with Zapier, Salesforce, Webflow, HubSpot, Constant Contact

Limited integrations; not positioned for tech-stack orchestration

Time to launch

Launch campaigns in minutes

Event setup can be quick; general campaign launch less flexible

Pricing clarity

Transparent, public pricing with no donor tipping model

Simple rates, but relies on donor fee coverage for affordability

Team fit

Great for growth-stage orgs running recurring, digital, and campaign-based giving

Great for nonprofits that center fundraising around a few large-scale galas or auctions

Top goal

Donor acquisition and campaign scaling

Event-driven fundraising with live appeals and paddle raises

For $10,000 monthly donation volume

You save: $50–250+ per month with Donately*

While Paybee shines for event-heavy nonprofits, Donately offers a more comprehensive platform with robust form design, campaign flexibility, text messaging, and built-in insights—all without requiring separate tools or long-term commitments.

All features. No surprises.

Paybee

Built for galas, not growth.

Platform fees

$0–400/month
‍Standard (4%) = $400
Lower Fee (2%) = $200
No Fee (0%) = $0

2% platform fee on all donations = $200/month

Processing fees

$220–290/month
Stripe (2.2–2.9% + $0.30)

$220–290/month
Credit/Debit: 2.7% + $0.30
ACH: 1.3%

Subscription fees

$0–$99/month depending on plan

$0 for online platform
‍$599/2 years for unlimited in-person/hybrid events

Setup/Onboarding

Total monthly

$220–689 /month
(Transparent pricing + free integrations)

$200–290 /month (avg processing fees)
+ optional $25/month effective cost for event plan ($599/24 months)

Ask yourself before choosing Give Lively

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

Explore Donately

Are you focused on year-round digital fundraising—or just a few in-person events per year?

Can you run campaigns without relying on galas, auctions, or hybrid events?

Are you okay with limited branding and integration capabilities?

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.

Fundraising beyond events

Donately powers year-round giving, not just one-night galas.

Modern campaign tools

Launch text-to-donate, recurring giving, and P2P with no extra setup or licenses.

Integrates into your stack

Hubspot, Salesforce, Zapier, Constant Contact, GA4, Webflow, and more.

Real human support

From campaign setup to CRM workflows, you’ll always talk to a person.

Predictable pricing

No donor tipping model, no event fees, and no guesswork in your budget.

Donately vs Paybee — frequently asked questions

Does Paybee support regular donation campaigns?

Yes, but the platform is optimized for live events, auctions, and in-person giving. Campaigns exist, but are secondary.

Does Donately offer auction tools?

Not currently. Donately is built for digital campaigns, peer-to-peer, recurring giving, event ticketing and donor engagement—not in-person bidding.

How does pricing work in Paybee vs Donately?

Paybee has no monthly fees but collects 2% platform fees + 2.7% processing fees. Event features require a $599 one-time fee for 2-year access. Donately starts at 0% and includes all features—no donor tipping dependency.

Which is better for events?

Paybee. It specializes in paddle raises, hybrid bidding, and event ticketing. Donately can complement event campaigns—but it doesn’t replace event software.

Which is better for year-round growth?

Donately. It’s designed to scale your donor base with repeatable, flexible giving flows and full-stack integrations.

Is PayBee only focused on events and auctions, not comprehensive fundraising?

While PayBee excels at events, it offers digital ticketing, auctions, pledge drives, QR code donations, recurring donations, donor CRM, and comprehensive reporting for all fundraising activities.

BEST IN CLASS SOFTWARE FOR BEST IN CLASS ORGANIZATIONS