Fundraise Up vs Givebutter Comparison 2026
Fundraise Up charges a flat 4 percent of every donation, no matter what, in exchange for a checkout tuned to raise more per gift. Givebutter charges 0 percent when donor tips are switched on, funding itself from an optional tip instead, with a $29-a-month Plus tier that only adds marketing and contact features on top of a free core product. The real question is whether you want a guaranteed 4 percent taken automatically, or a 0 percent rate that depends on your donors choosing to tip.
A donation checkout tuned to raise more
Fundraising that runs on optional tips
At a glance
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
- Givebutter takes no share of what you earn. Fundraise Up takes 4%.
Side by side
Fundraise Up | Givebutter | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | From $29 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Free | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing (they differ) | Usage-based | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | 30 days |
| API | Yes |
Fundraise Up
A donation checkout tuned to raise more
Fundraise Up replaces a donation form with a checkout tuned to raise the amount given: suggested upgrades, a monthly nudge, wallets and a currency the donor recognises. It charges four percent of what comes in and sells no plans at all. The company's own figure is that most donors elect to cover that cost, which is the argument for a percentage over a subscription.
Our note
Four percent on top of processing is more than a plain Stripe form costs, and the case for it is that the checkout raises more than it takes. Ask for the figures on comparable organisations before assuming that holds for your audience.
Only on this side
- Covers monetization & payments
Givebutter
Fundraising that runs on optional tips
Givebutter charges nothing for donation pages, events and its fundraising CRM, and funds itself from a tip donors can choose to add at checkout. Turning tips off swaps them for a platform fee, which is the honest version of free. The paid tier is a marketing add-on rather than the fundraising itself, and most organisations never need it.
Why people weigh these two
- Givebutter instead of Fundraise Up
- Givebutter runs fundraising on optional donor tips instead of a percentage, with a free tier and paid features from $29.
- Fundraise Up instead of Givebutter
- Fundraise Up is free to run and focuses purely on the donation checkout itself, the pick for optimizing one conversion step rather than running events and pages too.
Which one should you pick
Pick Fundraise Up if you want the fee handled without asking your donors to opt in to anything: 4 percent comes off automatically, in exchange for a checkout built to raise more per gift with suggested amounts and a recurring-giving nudge. The company states most donors elect to cover that 4 percent themselves at checkout, though no figure for how often is given.
Pick Givebutter if a 0 percent platform fee matters more than a guaranteed one, and you are comfortable with donors seeing a tip prompt to fund it. The fundraising CRM, events and donation pages are free with unlimited contacts, and Plus at $29 a month only adds marketing tools that most organisations never need. Turn tips off and a platform fee applies instead, so read that page before assuming zero is permanent.
Common questions
- Which one actually charges the organisation less?
- Givebutter, while donor tips stay switched on: the platform fee is 0 percent. Fundraise Up takes a flat 4 percent of every donation regardless of donor tipping, though it states most donors choose to cover that cost themselves.
- What happens if Givebutter's donor tips are turned off?
- A platform fee applies instead, though the listing does not print the exact percentage. The cost simply moves from the donor back to the organisation rather than disappearing.
- Does either charge a monthly subscription for basic fundraising?
- No. Both core products are free of a subscription: Fundraise Up on its flat 4 percent, Givebutter on its 0 percent tip-funded model. Givebutter's $29-a-month Plus tier is a marketing add-on, not a requirement for fundraising itself.
- Is Givebutter's free CRM actually unlimited?
- Yes, contacts are not capped or charged for on the free plan, which the listing calls unusual in fundraising software. Contact-based pricing only applies on the paid Plus tier.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.