Top 8 PayPal Alternatives for Community Theaters (2025)

Community theaters run on tight budgets and volunteer boards—you’re already juggling show production, ticket sales, and fundraising while trying to maximize every dollar. It’s frustrating to see money lost to payment processing fees. This guide compares eight PayPal alternatives designed for theaters—from zero-fee platforms that combine ticketing and donations, to specialized tools for box office sales and fundraising events.

Table of Contents

1. Why Community Theaters Are Exploring PayPal Alternatives

2. How Zeffy Solves What PayPal Can't for Community Theaters

3. Quick Comparison of PayPal Alternatives for Community Theaters

4. Best PayPal Alternatives for Community Theaters

5. Reasons We Win

6. Choose the Payment Platform That Saves Your Mission Dollars

7. Frequently Asked Questions

Why Community Theaters Are Exploring PayPal Alternatives

PayPal’s fees seem small at first—2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for standard accounts, or 1.99% + $0.49 for eligible nonprofit accounts. But if you’re selling season tickets, collecting donations, and managing memberships all year, those charges add up quickly.

A small theater raising $10,000 online in a year can lose $290–$390 just to PayPal fees. That’s money that could cover costume rentals for an entire production or pay a local set designer.

Here’s what PayPal may be costing your theater:

• Lost production budget: Every dollar in fees is a dollar you can’t spend on costumes, sets, or artist stipends.

• Broken checkout experience: Patrons leave your website to pay, which makes it harder to build strong supporter relationships.

• No ticketing tools: You’ll need separate platforms like Eventbrite, which have their own fees.

• Delayed access to funds: PayPal sometimes holds money for days or weeks, which can be tough when vendors need to be paid before opening night.

• Manual donor tracking: There’s no easy way to view patron history across seasons or see who your most loyal supporters are.

Beyond fees, PayPal can create headaches for volunteer-run theaters. You’re often juggling multiple platforms just to sell tickets and collect donations. You might be tracking who bought what by hand. And you might wait for funds when production expenses are due.

How Zeffy Solves What PayPal Can't for Community Theaters

Zeffy is a zero-fee platform created for nonprofit fundraising and arts organizations. You pay nothing—no platform fees, no transaction fees, and no percentage cut from ticket sales, donations, or memberships.

A theater raising $10,000 keeps the full $10,000—not $9,600 after fees.

What makes Zeffy different for theaters:

• Zero fees on everything: Ticket sales, donations, and season memberships are all free.

• Built-in event ticketing: Sell show tickets and manage seating with no need for extra platforms.

• Season membership tools: Track annual supporters and member benefits in a single dashboard.

• Embedded checkout: Patrons complete purchases on your website—no redirects.

• Instant payouts: Get your funds immediately when production costs are due.

• Automatic tax receipts: Donors get instant receipts, so there’s no manual work for your team.

Zeffy stays free through optional donor tips. At checkout, donors can choose to add a tip to help keep Zeffy free for all nonprofits. It’s completely optional, and donors can adjust or remove the tip anytime. This means your theater never pays fees, and donors who care about zero-fee fundraising can support the model if they wish.

For volunteer boards with limited tech support, Zeffy’s simplicity is key. You can set up donation forms, ticket sales, and membership pages in minutes. Everything is managed in one dashboard, so you’re not logging into multiple platforms or copying data between spreadsheets.

Learn more about how Zeffy stays free

“We switched to Zeffy last year and saved $1,247 in fees. That allowed us to offer free tickets to students for our spring musical.” — Jane, Treasurer, Elm Street Playhouse

“Setting up ticketing and donations with Zeffy was so easy, and our volunteers don’t have to chase down receipts anymore.” — Chris, Board Member, Riverbend Community Theatre

Quick Comparison of PayPal Alternatives for Community Theaters

Here’s how the top payment platforms stack up for theater-specific needs. Most platforms charge fees that eat into your fundraising, but Zeffy is the only truly free option.

Most platforms charge 2–4% in fees per transaction. A $5,000 fundraiser means $100–$200 lost in fees. Zeffy completely eliminates those costs.

Best PayPal Alternatives for Community Theaters

These platforms offer different solutions for theater fundraising. While most charge fees, each serves specific needs based on your budget, technical skills, and fundraising goals.

1. Zeffy

Zeffy is the only zero-fee platform that gives community theaters everything in one place. Where PayPal requires separate tools for ticketing and memberships, Zeffy brings donations, ticket sales, season subscriptions, and donor management together with no fees.

Many small theaters save hundreds to thousands each year by switching. For example, a theater selling $8,000 in tickets and raising $4,000 in donations would pay $348–$468 in PayPal fees—enough to fund a full costume budget or pay local artists.
Zeffy's all-in-one dashboard lets community theaters manage tickets, donations, and memberships without fees.

Pricing: $0 platform fees, $0 transaction fees, $0 monthly charges

Key features:

• Online and in-person ticket sales with QR code check-in

• Season membership management with automatic renewals

• Donation forms that embed directly on your website

• Built-in donor CRM to track patron history

• Automatic tax receipts for all contributions

• Mobile-friendly checkout with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Android support

Best for: Community theaters of any size that want to keep 100% of ticket sales and donations

Theater-specific benefits:

• Sell show tickets and collect donations in a single checkout

• Manage season subscribers and track attendance across productions

• Volunteers can check in guests using QR codes on any smartphone

• Instant access to funds—no waiting days for payouts

• Android and mobile-first design for easy access on any device

“Since moving to Zeffy, we’ve saved $1,950 in processing fees. That meant we could offer a free summer camp for kids in our community.” — Megan, Artistic Director, North Star Theater Guild

Compare Zeffy to PayPal in detail

2. Donorbox

Donorbox is a donation platform that lets you embed forms directly on your website, so patrons can give without leaving your site. It supports multiple currencies, which is handy for theaters with international audiences or tours.

Donorbox works well for collecting donations but isn’t built specifically for event ticketing. You’ll need to add other tools for full show management.

Donorbox specializes in embeddable donation forms but often requires additional software for ticketing.

See how Zeffy compares to Donorbox

Pricing: 2.95% platform fee + 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee (donors can cover fees)

Key features:

• Customizable donation forms that match your website

• Recurring donation options for season supporters

• QR codes for quick giving

• Multi-currency support

Best for: Theaters prioritizing website integration with ticketing handled elsewhere

Theater limitations:

• Event ticketing is a workaround, not a core feature

• No built-in tools for season memberships

• A $5,000 fundraiser costs $292.50 in fees

• Limited check-in or event day tools

Read the full Zeffy vs Donorbox comparison

3. Stripe

Stripe is a payment processor for credit cards on websites and apps. It’s flexible and developer-friendly, but requires technical skills to customize for theater needs.

Unlike plug-and-play platforms, Stripe provides payment infrastructure—you’ll need to build donation forms, ticketing pages, and membership systems yourself or hire a developer.

Stripe provides a powerful backend for payments but often requires custom development.

See the full Zeffy vs. Stripe comparison

Pricing: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (nonprofit discounts available)

Key features:

• Accepts all major credit cards and wallets

• Recurring billing for season subscriptions

• Strong fraud prevention

• API access for custom setups

Best for: Theaters with technical staff or budget for development

Theater considerations:

• Requires coding knowledge or developer support

• No pre-built donation forms, ticketing, or CRM

• Setup takes longer than plug-and-play platforms

• Still pay 2–3% in fees after building

See how Stripe compares to PayPal

4. Square

Square is a point-of-sale system best for in-person payments with card readers. It’s great for box office sales, concessions, or merchandise at your theater.

Square works well for face-to-face transactions, but you’ll need other tools for online ticketing, donation pages, or donor management.

Square's interface is designed for in-person box office and concession sales.

Discover the differences between Zeffy and Square

Pricing: 2.6% + $0.10 per in-person transaction / 2.9% + $0.30 online

Key features:

• Card readers for box office payments

• Point-of-sale for merchandise and concessions

• Next-day deposits for most transactions

• Basic inventory tracking

Best for: Theaters focused on in-person sales and merchandise

Theater applications:

• Accept credit cards at the box office

• Sell concessions and show merchandise

• Process payments at fundraising events

• Track daily sales easily

Compare Square to PayPal

5. Qgiv

Qgiv helps theaters create visually appealing donation and event pages. It offers mobile bidding and auction tools that work well for fundraising galas or benefit performances.

Qgiv provides tools for creating branded fundraising pages and managing auctions.

Read our full Zeffy vs. Qgiv comparison

The polished design comes with monthly fees and per-transaction charges that can add up for small theaters.

Pricing: 3.95% + $0.30 per transaction + monthly fees starting at $25

Key features:

• Drag-and-drop builder for event pages

• Mobile auction bidding

• Text-to-give donation options

• "Add to Calendar" buttons

Best for: Theaters wanting professional-looking pages and planning auctions

Cost considerations:

• Higher transaction fees than most alternatives

• Monthly subscription fees add up

• A $5,000 fundraiser costs $222.50 in fees plus monthly charges

• Advanced features may require higher-tier plans

6. Donately

Donately offers simple, conversion-optimized donation forms that are quick to set up. It’s a good fit for theaters needing basic online giving without complex event management.

Event ticketing and membership tools are limited, so full season theaters will likely need other platforms.

Pricing: 4% platform fee (no monthly fee) or 2% platform fee ($99/mo plan) + 2.9% + $0.30 processing

Key features:

• Fast setup—create donation forms in minutes

• Recurring giving

• Basic peer-to-peer fundraising

• Embeddable forms for your site
  

  Donately provides a clean interface for creating basic donation forms.

  See how Zeffy compares to Donately

  
  

Best for: Theaters that need simple donation collection

Missing features:

• No comprehensive ticketing system

• Limited tools for memberships

• No check-in or event management

• Basic reporting only

7. Fundly

Fundly is a crowdfunding platform for specific production or project fundraising. If your theater needs to raise money for a show, renovation, or special initiative, Fundly’s campaign-style approach can help.

It’s built for one-time campaigns, not ongoing operations like season ticketing or regular donations.

Fundly's interface focuses on visual storytelling for specific campaigns rather than general theater operations.

Read our full Fundly comparison

Pricing: 0% platform fee to organizers + 2.9% + $0.30 Stripe processing (donors can tip Fundly)

Key features:

• Campaign pages with photos, videos, and updates

• Social sharing tools

• Mobile-optimized donation experience

• Team fundraising options

Best for: Theaters raising money for specific productions or capital projects

Campaign types:

• Fund a production’s costs

• Raise money for renovations or equipment

• Support touring or festivals

• Emergency fundraising for unexpected expenses

8. Snowball

Snowball focuses on auction and event fundraising tools for galas, benefit performances, and special events. It includes mobile bidding, which works well for silent auctions during intermission or at fundraising galas.

The auction focus means you’ll need other tools for regular ticket sales and donations.

See how Zeffy compares to Snowball Fundraising

Pricing: Custom pricing based on event size and needs

Key features:

• Mobile bidding for auctions

• Event registration and ticketing

• Donation collection during events

• Real-time bidding updates and notifications

Best for: Theaters hosting fundraising galas or benefit performances

Event tools:

• Run silent auctions during special performances

• Manage bidding for exclusive experiences (like backstage tours)

• Collect donations during events

• Track auction results and donor info

Reasons We Win

• Zero fees: You keep every dollar you raise—no platform, transaction, or credit card fees.

• All-in-one: Ticketing, donations, memberships, and donor management in one place.

• Low setup: Get started in minutes, even with limited tech experience.

• QR code support: Fast check-in and ticket scanning for in-person events.

• Mobile-first and Android support: Manage everything on the go, with accessibility for all devices.

Choose the Payment Platform That Saves Your Mission Dollars

Every dollar lost to processing fees is a dollar not spent on productions, artists, or community programs. For community theaters with tight budgets and volunteer boards, the right payment platform can directly impact your ability to serve your audience.

The math is simple: A theater raising $15,000 through ticket sales and donations pays $435–$585 in fees with traditional platforms. That could fund a show’s costume budget, pay a local choreographer, or keep ticket prices family-friendly.

What fee savings mean for theaters:

• $300 saved = costume rentals for a full production

• $500 saved = stipends for local artists and designers

• $1,000 saved = upgraded lighting or set materials

• $2,000 saved = keeping tickets accessible for families

Beyond dollars, the right platform saves you time. Volunteer board members shouldn’t spend weekends copying data between PayPal, Eventbrite, and spreadsheets. Your team deserves a single dashboard for tickets, donations, and donor info—all together.

Why Zeffy works for community theaters:

✅ Zero fees—you keep every dollar raised for productions and artists ✅ Built for volunteer teams—simple enough for anyone to use, no tech background needed ✅ Everything in one place—ticketing, donations, memberships, and donor tracking in one dashboard ✅ Professional experience—patrons get a smooth checkout without surprise fees ✅ Instant access to funds—no waiting days or weeks for payouts when production costs are due ✅ Accessible tools—mobile-first design, QR code check-in, Android support

Frequently Asked Questions