GiveKit vs Zeffy
Zeffy and GiveKit both cover the core of online fundraising: donation forms, events, memberships, auctions, raffles and a donor CRM. The biggest differences are how each one is paid for, and how much of your organization beyond fundraising each one runs.
Updated October 2026
At a glance
- What it is
- All-in-one fundraising, grants and nonprofit operations
- Pricing
- From $50/mo
- Features compared
- 15 of 15
Zeffy
- What it is
- Free, tip-funded fundraising platform
- Pricing
- Free
- Features compared
- 11 of 15
The short answer
Choose Zeffy if keeping software cost at zero matters most and you're comfortable with donors being asked to tip Zeffy at checkout. Choose GiveKit if you want a predictable plan with no tip prompts, and grants, volunteer shifts and board management in the same system as your fundraising.
GiveKit and Zeffy features
Based on what each company lists on its own website.
| Feature | | Zeffy |
|---|---|---|
| Fundraising | ||
| Donation forms & campaigns | Yes | Yes |
| Peer-to-peer fundraising | Yes | Yes |
| Events & ticketing | Yes | Yes |
| Memberships | Yes | Yes |
| Silent auctions | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic max bids | Yes | Yes |
| Soft close on late bids | Yes | Yes |
| Raffles | Yes | Yes |
| Grants | ||
| Grant discovery & matching | Yes | Yes |
| Guided grant writing | Yes | Not listed |
| Grant pipeline tracking | Yes | Not listed |
| Relationships & operations | ||
| Donor CRM | Yes | Yes |
| Email newsletters | Add-on | Yes |
| Volunteer shift scheduling | Yes | Sign-ups |
| Board management | Yes | Not listed |
Offered · — Not listed on their website · "Add-on" means available for an extra charge
How GiveKit and Zeffy charge
GiveKit
From $50/mo
- Plans
- Community $50/mo · Impact $150/mo · Momentum $250/mo
- Annual billing
- Save 10%
- Donor tips
- None. Your checkout shows your cause only
Zeffy
Free
- Platform cost to you
- Free
- How it's funded
- Optional tips donors are asked to add at checkout
- Card processing
- Covered by Zeffy
Zeffy says it covers platform, transaction and card fees, and that about two in three donors leave a tip. With GiveKit you pay a flat monthly plan and your checkout shows your cause, not a tip request.
"Free" is paid for by your donors
Tip-funded platforms don't charge you. They ask your supporters instead, at the moment they're deciding how much to give to you.
Your donors foot the bill
Zeffy is funded by a contribution donors are asked to add on top of their gift. Zeffy says about two in three donors leave one.
The suggestion isn't yours to change
Zeffy prefills the contribution using its own algorithm. Its help center says nonprofits can't remove or customize it.
It competes with your ask
Right as a supporter decides what to give you, they're asked to give to a software company too. Every dollar tipped to the platform is a dollar that didn't go to your mission.
Your checkout ends with their ask
The last thing supporters see before they pay is a request for Zeffy, not your cause.
What Zeffy offers, and the catch
- Free to you, not to your donorsNo platform or card fees for the nonprofit. Donors are asked to cover the cost with a tip instead.
- Core fundraising toolsForms, events, memberships, auctions, raffles, peer-to-peer and a store. Grant writing, volunteer shifts and board management aren't included.
- Auctions with auto-bidMax bids and a soft close, which GiveKit auctions include too.
- Grant discovery onlyA grant finder helps you spot opportunities, but drafting and tracking applications happens somewhere else.
What GiveKit does differently
- No tip promptsGiveKit doesn't ask your donors to tip the software company at checkout.
- Grant writing and trackingZeffy's grant finder is for discovery. GiveKit adds guided application drafting and a pipeline from backlog to awarded.
- Volunteer shift schedulingZeffy offers volunteer sign-ups. GiveKit publishes shifts, tracks who claims them and ranks volunteers by hours.
- Board managementGiveKit includes board members, committees, meetings, agendas and documents.
Which one is right for you?
Zeffy may suit you if…
- Keeping software cost at zero is the top priority
- You're comfortable with donors seeing a tip request
- You mainly need donation forms, events and ticketing
GiveKit is a great fit if…
- You'd rather not show donors a tip request
- You apply for grants and want them tracked next to fundraising
- You schedule volunteer shifts or manage a board
GiveKit vs Zeffy: common questions
Is Zeffy really free?
Zeffy doesn't charge nonprofits platform or card processing fees. It's funded by optional tips that donors are asked to add when they give.
Why choose GiveKit over Zeffy if Zeffy is free?
Zeffy is free to you because your donors are asked to fund it, with a contribution Zeffy prefills at checkout and nonprofits can't remove. GiveKit is a flat monthly plan with no tip requests, so supporters' generosity goes to your cause. It also covers more of your organization in one place, including grant drafting and tracking, volunteer shift scheduling and board management.
Can I move from Zeffy to GiveKit?
Yes. We help bring your contacts and giving history into GiveKit so you don't start from scratch.
Zeffy information is based on its public website as of October 2026 and may change. Zeffy is a trademark of its owner. Spot something out of date? Let us know.
Thinking about switching from Zeffy?
We'll help move your contacts and giving history, and show you GiveKit with your own programs in mind.