Fundraise Up vs Zeffy Comparison 2026
Fundraise Up takes a flat 4 percent of every donation, plus Stripe or PayPal processing, for a checkout tuned to raise more per gift. Zeffy takes nothing at all, platform or processing, and covers its own costs from an optional tip donors see at checkout. Zeffy only signs up registered nonprofits; Fundraise Up does not ask you to be one, and serves creators raising money from a cause as well.
A donation checkout tuned to raise more
Fundraising with no platform or processing fee
At a glance
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
- Zeffy takes no share of what you earn. Fundraise Up takes 4%.
Side by side
Fundraise Up | Zeffy | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Yes | Not stated |
| Data export |
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.
Zeffy
Fundraising with no platform or processing fee
Zeffy takes nothing from a donation, and covers card processing itself out of the optional tips donors leave at checkout. Donations, ticketed events, raffles, auctions, memberships and a donor database are all in the same account. It is built for nonprofits, and the sign-up asks you to be one.
Our note
Why people weigh these two
- Zeffy instead of Fundraise Up
- Zeffy makes the opposite pricing bet, fundraising with no platform or processing fee at all, against Fundraise Up's four percent.
- Fundraise Up instead of Zeffy
- Fundraise Up tunes the donation checkout specifically to raise more per gift, free to start, a conversion focus rather than Zeffy's full suite of events and raffles.
Which one should you pick
Pick Fundraise Up if you are not a registered nonprofit, since Zeffy's signup checks for one, or if the checkout's revenue lift is worth more to you than avoiding a fee entirely. Its 4 percent covers every feature with no premium tier, and most donors reportedly choose to cover the cost themselves at checkout.
Pick Zeffy if you qualify as a nonprofit, because nothing beats a genuine zero on both platform and processing fees. The one cost is social rather than financial: your donors see a tip prompt asking them to fund Zeffy directly, and some organisations would rather absorb Fundraise Up's 4 percent than put that prompt in front of a supporter.
Common questions
- Is Zeffy actually free, including card processing?
- Yes. Zeffy states it takes no platform fee and no processing fee, covering card costs itself from the optional tip a donor sees at checkout. Fundraise Up charges a flat 4 percent plus separate Stripe or PayPal processing fees on every donation.
- Who can sign up for Zeffy?
- Registered nonprofits only; the signup checks for it. Fundraise Up carries no such requirement and serves creators raising money from a cause as well as nonprofits.
- Do both platforms ask donors to cover the fee?
- Both offer the option. Fundraise Up presents it at checkout and states most donors take it. Zeffy's entire model runs on the donor tip prompt, since the platform itself charges nothing to the organisation either way.
- Does Fundraise Up offer anything Zeffy does not?
- A REST API for pulling donation data into other systems is listed for Fundraise Up and not for Zeffy. Zeffy instead bundles ticketed events, raffles, auctions and memberships alongside donations in the same free account.
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.