BigCommerce vs. Squarespace – Best online store platform for nonprofits (2026)

Big Commerce VS Squarespace

Big Commerce VS Squarespace: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Ecommerce & Online Stores Features

Product Catalog Management

Shopping Cart Functionality

Inventory Management

Information not available

Product Variants (Size, Color)

Shipping Integrations

Discount Codes & Promotions

DOrder Management

Payment Processing

Pricing

N/A.

No pricing information available

N/A.

No pricing information available

Processing fees

2.89% + $0.29.

per transaction on Standard plan; lower rates on higher tiers

2.9% + $0.30.

for domestic card transactions on most plans; other payment methods and cards have different rates

Platform fees

0%.

BigCommerce does not charge additional transaction fees on any plan

2%.

Transaction fee on Basic plan; lower or no fees on higher plans and digital products

Monthly fees

$29/month.

Starting at $29/month for Standard plan

$16/month.

Starting at $16/month for Basic plan

Value for money

4.1.

4.3.

Features

4.1/5.

Powerful but complex. Needs apps and custom work for nonprofits.

4.3/5.

Beautiful design, but missing nonprofit essentials. Requires add-ons.

Donations

No built-in donation tools - requires third-party integrations and additional transaction fees to accept donations through your online store

No built-in donation tools. You'd need third-party apps or custom coding to accept donations, which adds complexity and costs.

Ticketing

Basic event functionality through apps, but no dedicated ticketing system - limited features for nonprofit events and galas

Basic event pages possible, but no dedicated ticketing system. Limited features for managing attendee information and check-ins.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

No peer-to-peer fundraising features - would need custom development or third-party solutions to enable supporters to fundraise for you

No peer-to-peer fundraising features. You'd need separate platforms and manual coordination to run supporter-led campaigns.

Auctions

BigCommerce doesn't offer auction functionality - you'd need to add third-party apps or custom development to run charity auctions

Squarespace doesn't support auction functionality. You'd need separate auction software and manual processes to manage bidding and payments.

Raffles

No raffle or lottery management tools - you'd need to find and integrate separate raffle software with additional costs

No raffle or lottery functionality. You'd need third-party tools and manual processes to manage ticket sales and winner selection.

Online store

Full eCommerce platform with product catalogs, inventory management, and checkout - but charges transaction fees on top of payment processing

Strong ecommerce capabilities with product management, inventory tracking, and payment processing built for retail businesses.

Memberships

BigCommerce doesn't offer built-in membership management. You'd need third-party apps or custom development to handle recurring memberships and member access levels.

Limited membership features. Basic subscription options available through third-party apps, but requires technical setup and ongoing management.

Donor Management/CRM

Limited customer data tracking focused on sales, not donor relationships. No donation history, giving patterns, or nonprofit-specific donor insights.

No dedicated donor management. Basic contact forms and customer data, but lacks nonprofit-specific features like donation tracking and donor relationships.

Emails & Newsletter

No built-in email marketing tools. Requires integration with external platforms like Mailchimp or Constant Contact, adding complexity and monthly costs.

Basic email marketing through Squarespace Email Campaigns. Limited automation and donor segmentation compared to nonprofit-focused tools.

Payment Processing

Supports multiple payment gateways but charges transaction fees on top of gateway fees. Processing costs can add up quickly for donation-heavy organizations.

Supports multiple payment gateways but charges transaction fees on top of gateway fees. Processing costs can add up quickly for donation-heavy organizations.

Payment methods

Credit cards and digital wallets only. No ACH or mobile tap-to-pay app

Credit cards and digital wallets only. No ACH or in-person options

Credit Card Payments

Yes - Accepts all major credit cards through payment gateways

Supported - Accepts major credit cards through Stripe with 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction

Apple Pay & Google Pay

Yes - Supports digital wallets through integrated payment gateways

Supported - Offers Apple Pay and Google Pay through Stripe integration

ACH / Bank Transfers

Limited - Available through third-party payment processors only

Not supported - Squarespace focuses on credit card processing through Stripe

Tap to Pay App

No - No native mobile point-of-sale app for in-person payments

Not supported - No dedicated tap-to-pay mobile app for in-person transactions

Customer Support

4.3/5.

Unlimited Support

Squarespace limits support based on subscription tier, with premium support for higher plans

Phone Support / Office Hours

Squarespace offers phone support during business hours for Commerce plans and above

Webinars

Squarespace provides educational webinars and Circle Sessions for skill building

Help Center

Squarespace maintains a help center with guides, tutorials, and troubleshooting resources

Squarespace offers email support with response times varying by plan level

Nonprofit-Focused Support Team

Support built for website builders, not nonprofits — phone help limited to commerce plans

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over BigCommerce and Squarespace?

Why choose Zeffy over BigCommerce and Squarespace if you're a nonprofit

💯

Keep 100% of your fundraising proceeds

BigCommerce and Squarespace charge monthly fees plus card fees on every donation. Zeffy charges zero fees, so your auction or online store actually raises money for your mission.

🏛️

Built for nonprofits, not retail stores

BigCommerce and Squarespace are built for selling products online. Zeffy includes donation pages, raffle management, and donor tracking designed for nonprofit fundraising.

🤝

Get real support from people who understand nonprofits

BigCommerce and Squarespace offer limited support based on your plan tier. Zeffy provides unlimited email support and live training sessions for all users at no extra cost.

Frequently asked questions

How does Zeffy's pricing compare to BigCommerce and Squarespace for nonprofits?

BigCommerce and Squarespace charge $29-79+ monthly plus 2.9% on every transaction. For a nonprofit raising $30,000 annually, that's $870+ in fees. Zeffy is completely free - no monthly fees, no transaction costs. Donors can leave voluntary contributions, but it's optional.

Why can't I just use BigCommerce or Squarespace for my nonprofit's online presence?

These eCommerce platforms are built for selling products, not fundraising. You'll need expensive third-party apps for donations, auctions, and donor management. Zeffy provides all nonprofit tools built-in - donation forms, event ticketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, and donor CRM.

Why choose Zeffy over BigCommerce or Squarespace for my nonprofit's online fundraising?

BigCommerce and Squarespace charge monthly fees plus transaction costs on every donation. Zeffy is completely free for nonprofits - no monthly fees, no transaction fees, no hidden costs. Plus, we're built specifically for nonprofits with donation tools, donor management, and event ticketing that eCommerce platforms simply don't offer.

Can BigCommerce or Squarespace handle my nonprofit's donation and fundraising needs?

These platforms are designed for selling products, not fundraising. They lack donation forms, peer-to-peer campaigns, auction tools, and donor management features. You'd need expensive third-party apps and custom development. Zeffy provides all these fundraising tools built-in, saving you time and money.

How much money will I save using Zeffy instead of BigCommerce or Squarespace?

BigCommerce and Squarespace charge $29-79+ monthly plus 2.9% transaction fees on every donation. For a nonprofit raising $50,000 annually, that's $1,450+ in fees alone. With Zeffy, you keep 100% of donations. Donors can leave voluntary contributions to support our platform, but it's completely optional.

Looking for a better option?

Zeffy was built for nonprofits like yours

focus on what matters

Built for small teams with big missions.

Zeffy is the fundraising platform that cuts out the fees, clears up your tech mess, and puts your cause first — so your team, even if you're a small team wearing many hats or a one-person show, can focus on what really matters.

Start your nonprofit

ZERO-FEE

Keep 100% of every dollar.

No platform fees. No processing fees. No catch. We know it sounds too good to be true, but it's not. Every penny goes straight to your mission, while competitors take 2-3% off every donation.

Start your nonprofit

ALL-IN-ONE PLatform

Ditch the tech mess.

Stop bouncing between MailChimp, Eventbrite, and all those spreadsheets. Now you can handle donations, ticket sales, memberships, raffles, and all your donor info in one spot.

Start your nonprofit

plug-and-play

Get going, fast.

Built for teams like yours — whether you're volunteer-led or have limited staff. Set up donation forms, sell tickets, and launch campaigns without needing a tech wizard. It's super easy, and you'll be up and running in minutes.

Start your nonprofit

mobile-first

Fundraise from every device, anywhere.

From QR codes on flyers to Tap-to-Pay on a phone, Zeffy makes it easy to accept donations on the go. Mobile-optimized and offline-ready, so no donor slips through the cracks.

Start your nonprofit

No turnover

Never lose a donor to volunteer transition.

Centralize supporter relationships, automate thank-you messages, and preserve institutional knowledge when board members rotate out.

Start your nonprofit

100% free forever.

100,000+ nonprofits trust Zeffy — and keep their fees at $0.

For 7+ years, Zeffy has supported nonprofits with free, user-friendly fundraising tools.

As a startup nonprofit with only two members, and no funding (yet) we’d need something with low (or no) fees. Zeffy was a dream come true.

Masey, Loose Ends.

Read the full story

“We were incurring a ton of fees for our past fundraising platform and Zeffy has helped us receive so much more of our donations.”

Zeffy has been invaluable in helping me track our donors, sales, events, and revenue in one spot. The coolest thing about Zeffy is it really is free!

Everything about Zeffy suits us starting with (of course, NO fees) but also the ease of use and customer experience as well as their client support!!

Zeffy is very easy to use and ensures that every dollar quickly gets into our account.. A huge help to our work!

Zeffy is very simple, allows for a lot of customization and seamlessly integrates into our website. The fact that all of this is free is still wild to me.

We couldn't believe there was a free payment platform for our Girl Scout group. Zeffy took ZERO fees from us, which is huge when you run on very small amounts of money.

We were ready to sell tickets in less than 30 minutes. The reporting capabilities were better than some other paid-for sites.

Since using Zeffy, our conversion rate of donations has skyrocketed. It's an easy platform to use. Plus customer support has always been responsive and helpful!