Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover crowdfunding. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| Givebutter | PledgeBox | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $29 | Free |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Usage-based |
| Free trial | 30 days | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | None | 3% of what you earn |
| Runs on | Web | Web |
| Covers | Tips & Donations, Crowdfunding | Crowdfunding |
| Works with | Nothing in particular | Nothing in particular |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
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.
Our note
The 0 percent platform fee holds only while donor tips are switched on, and a fee applies if they are turned off. The cost moves from the organisation to the donor rather than disappearing, which is the trade to weigh against Donorbox.
Only on this side
Pledge manager for a funded campaign
PledgeBox handles what happens after a campaign funds: surveying backers for addresses and choices, selling add-ons, and producing the shipping list. It costs nothing unless the survey earns something, because the fee is a percentage of add-on sales rather than a subscription. Campaigns with no upsell pay nothing at all.
Our note
Free until there are add-ons to sell is the right shape for a first campaign, because the cost only arrives with the revenue. The 3 percent applies to add-on sales and not to what the campaign already raised, which is the distinction that makes it cheap.
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.