Donation processing
Givebutter
Givebutter is a free fundraising platform covering donation forms, ticketing, auctions, and peer-to-peer campaigns. The pricing is a clean either/or: leave optional donor tips on and pay a 0% platform fee, or turn tips off and pay a flat 3%. Payment processing applies either way. For campaign and event fundraising, it’s the most polished free option available.
Who it fits
Organizations whose fundraising has a public face: giving days, galas, walk-a-thons, team pages. The donor experience (modern pages, wallet payments, live displays) is Givebutter’s real edge, and donor-facing polish moves conversion more than fee points do.
Pricing
| Configuration | Platform fee |
|---|---|
| Donor tips enabled | 0% |
| Tips disabled | 3% flat |
| Processing (always) | ~2.9% + 30¢ cards / 1.9% + 30¢ ACH |
| Givebutter Plus (optional CRM tools) | from ~$29/mo |
The tips-off option is a fair, known cost if the tip prompt isn’t for you.
How it compares
Zeffy is the purer free deal, with no processing fees at all, and fits simple forms-and-tickets needs. Donorbox is deeper on recurring-gift management. OneCause takes over when a signature gala needs live-auction machinery. Givebutter owns the middle: real events and campaigns, zero platform cost, modern donor experience.
Bottom line
Setting up costs nothing, so run your next campaign on it and judge the results. One habit worth keeping: export attendees and donors into your CRM after every event, so this year’s gala feeds next year’s asks.
Strengths
- Free platform spanning donations, ticketing, auctions, and peer-to-peer
- The most modern donor-facing experience among the free options
- Clean pricing switch: tips on for 0%, tips off for a flat 3%
Limitations
- Processing fees still apply either way
- The free tier is a fundraising engine, not a full CRM
- Complex recurring-gift programs get more from Donorbox