Donorbox vs GoFundMe: Which Is Better for Collecting Nonprofit Donations? (2026)

Setting up online donations for your nonprofit? Donorbox is a nonprofit donation platform that charges 1.6–2.95% per donation on top of payment processing fees. GoFundMe runs a crowdfunding platform for individuals and GoFundMe Pro (formerly Classy) for nonprofits. Here's how all three compare to Zeffy, the 100% free fundraising platform trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

GoFundMe

Donorbox VS GoFundMe

Donorbox VS GoFundMe: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

GoFundMe

Donation Features

Simple Online Donation Forms

One-Time Giving Option

Recurring/Monthly Donations

Suggested Levels & Custom Donation Amounts

Custom Forms Builder

Donate button/Donation Link

Mobile‑Friendly Donation Experience

Embedable donation forms

Apple Pay/Google Pay/ Digital Wallets

Secure Payment Processing

Pricing

1.6–2.95%.

Platform fee, plus payment processing pass-through (Stripe/PayPal).

2.2% + $0.30.

Rates vary depending on which GoFundMe product you're using.

Platform fees

1.6–2.95%.

Standard (free plan): 2.95% per donation, 3.95% for events/memberships.
Pro ($150/month): 1.75% donations, 2% events/memberships.
Premium (contact sales): 1.6% donations, 2% events.

$0.

$0 platform fee on GoFundMe and GoFundMe Pro Essentials (under $1M revenue). Pro Custom: contact sales.

Processing fees

2.2% + $0.30.

Stripe (nonprofit rate, passed through): 2.2% + $0.30 cards, 0.8% ACH (capped at $5).
PayPal (nonprofit rate, passed through): 1.99% + $0.49. Crypto/Stock: 3.95% all-inclusive.
Donorbox does not process payments directly.

2.2% + $0.30.

GoFundMe (verified 501(c)(3) charity): 2.2% + $0.30.
GoFundMe Pro (via GoFundMe Pay): 2.4% + $0.30 cards, 2.5% PayPal/Venmo (+1% Amex).
GoFundMe (standard): 2.9% + $0.30.

Monthly fees

$0–$150/mo.

Standard plan: $0/month.
Pro plan: $150/month. Premium plan: contact sales.
Text-to-Give: $19–$50/month. Live Kiosk: $50–$80/month for the first device.

$0.

GoFundMe: $0
GoFundMe Pro Essentials: $0
Pro Custom: contact sales

Value for money

4.6/5.

Source: Donorbox Value for Money on Capterra (589 reviews) →

3.9/5.

Source: GoFundMe Pro Value for Money on Capterra (104 reviews) →

Features

4.8/5.

Source: Donorbox Ease of Use on Capterra (625 reviews) →

4.3/5.

Source: GoFundMe Pro Ease of Use on Capterra (122 reviews) →

Donations

Donation pages with recurring giving, suggested amounts, custom fields, and donor-paid-fee option.

GoFundMe: donation pages and crowdfunding campaigns.
GoFundMe Pro: branded donation pages with recurring giving, Intelligent Ask Amounts, and suggested levels.

Ticketing

Event ticketing supported at 3.95% on the free plan (2% on Pro/Premium), plus payment processing.

GoFundMe Pro: event ticketing, registration, and check-in for galas, endurance events, and live experiences.
GoFundMe (standard): not available.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Peer-to-peer fundraising with team pages and personal fundraiser tools (Pro/Premium plans).

GoFundMe: team pages and personal fundraiser tools.
GoFundMe Pro: enterprise peer-to-peer campaigns with team management.

Auctions

No native auction tools; requires third-party auction platform.

GoFundMe Pro: silent and live auctions, paddle raises, and digital bidding displays.
GoFundMe (standard): not available.

Raffles

No raffle functionality; can't sell numbered tickets or run compliant drawings.

Online store

No online store builder or merchandise sales functionality.

No online store or merchandise sales functionality.

Memberships

Membership management with tiered plans and automated recurring billing (3.95% free plan, 2% Pro/Premium).

GoFundMe Pro: recurring giving available, but no dedicated membership tiers or member portals.
GoFundMe (standard): not available.

Donor Management/CRM

Built-in donor management with profiles, giving history, segmentation, and tax-receipt automation.

GoFundMe Pro: donor dashboard, donor portals, giving history, year-end statements, and integrations with Salesforce and EveryAction.
GoFundMe (standard): basic campaign donor list only.

Emails & Newsletter

Built-in email outreach tools for donor communications and campaign updates.

GoFundMe Pro: donor email tools and campaign communications.
GoFundMe (standard): basic campaign updates only.

Payment Processing

Pass-through processing via Stripe and PayPal. Donorbox layers a platform fee (1.6–2.95%) on top.
Cards via Stripe: 2.2% + $0.30 (nonprofit). PayPal: 1.99% + $0.49 (nonprofit). ACH: 0.8% capped at $5.

GoFundMe Pay (Pro): 2.4% + $0.30 cards, 2.5% PayPal/Venmo (+1% Amex).
GoFundMe (charity): 2.2% + $0.30. GoFundMe (standard): 2.9% + $0.30.

Payment methods

Credit Card Payments

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover via Stripe.
Nonprofit rate: 2.2% + $0.30. Donorbox adds platform fee 1.6–2.95% on top.

GoFundMe Pay (Pro): 2.4% + $0.30 cards, 2.5% PayPal/Venmo (+1% Amex).
GoFundMe (charity): 2.2% + $0.30. GoFundMe (standard): 2.9% + $0.30.

Apple Pay & Google Pay

Supports Apple Pay and Google Pay via Stripe integration at standard card rates.

Supports Apple Pay and Google Pay on GoFundMe and GoFundMe Pay (Pro).

ACH / Bank Transfers

ACH bank transfers via Stripe at 0.8% capped at $5 (plus Donorbox platform fee).

GoFundMe Pay (Pro): ACH bank transfers supported (US only, 5–7 day processing via Plaid).
GoFundMe (standard): not available.

PayPal / Venmo

PayPal integration available; 1.99% + $0.49 nonprofit rate. Venmo via PayPal Checkout.

GoFundMe Pay (Pro): PayPal and Venmo at 2.5% + $0.30.
GoFundMe (standard): not available as Pay methods.

In-Person / Tap to Pay

Donorbox Live Kiosk supports in-person donations at $50–$80/month for the first device, $15/month for additional devices.

GoFundMe Pro: in-person event payments via partner hardware and integrations.
GoFundMe (standard): online-only crowdfunding platform.

Customer Support

4.7/5.

Source: Donorbox Customer Service on Capterra (573 reviews) →

4.2/5.

Source: GoFundMe Pro Customer Service on Capterra (113 reviews) →

Dedicated Nonprofit Support

Donorbox support is purpose-built for nonprofits, with onboarding guidance and fundraising best practices.

GoFundMe Pro: dedicated nonprofit success team for Essentials and Custom Pricing plans, including Pro Academy training and the annual Collaborative conference.
GoFundMe (standard): help center for individual fundraisers.

Phone Support

No phone support on the Standard (free) plan; available with Pro/Premium plans only.

GoFundMe Pro: phone support available on the Custom Pricing plan.
GoFundMe (standard): no phone support; help center and chat only.

Webinars & Training

Donorbox Academy webinars, fundraising guides, and recorded training sessions.

GoFundMe Pro: Pro Academy training, webinars, and the annual Collaborative conference.
GoFundMe (standard): occasional blog posts and basic tutorials.

Help Center

Comprehensive help center with fundraising guides, setup walkthroughs, and FAQs.

GoFundMe Pro: comprehensive help center with fundraising guides, FAQs, and best practices.
GoFundMe (standard): knowledge base aimed at individual fundraisers.

Email Support

Email support available on all plans; response times prioritized for paid plans.

GoFundMe Pro: email support for campaign creators and donors with response times based on plan.
GoFundMe (standard): email support with slower response times.

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

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How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over Donorbox and GoFundMe?

Why nonprofits choose Zeffy over Donorbox and GoFundMe

💯

Keep more of every donation

Donorbox charges a 1.6–2.95% platform fee plus payment processing (Stripe nonprofit rate 2.2% + $0.30 cards, PayPal 1.99% + $0.49). GoFundMe Pro charges 2.4–2.5% + $0.30 per transaction; GoFundMe (standard) charges 2.9% + $0.30, or 2.2% + $0.30 for verified charities. Zeffy gives you 100% — even when donors skip the optional tip. We cover processing fees.

🔧

One platform for everything you need

Donorbox bundles donations, recurring giving, events, and memberships but charges different rates per feature (3.95% on events/memberships on the free plan). GoFundMe is built for crowdfunding; GoFundMe Pro adds a nonprofit suite at 2.4–2.5% + $0.30. Zeffy gives you donations, events, raffles, memberships, an online store, and donor management in one place — all free.

🤝

Get real help when you need it

Donorbox has responsive support, but phone support is locked behind paid plans ($150/month and up). GoFundMe Pro offers phone support only on its Custom Pricing plan. Zeffy gives every nonprofit free phone support, 2–6 hour email responses, and office hours calls — no paid tier required.

Frequently asked questions

How does Zeffy's pricing compare to Donorbox and GoFundMe for nonprofit donations?

Donorbox charges a layered fee: 2.95% platform fee on the Standard (free) plan (1.75% on Pro at $150/month, 1.6% on Premium) plus payment processing pass-through (Stripe nonprofit rate: 2.2% + $0.30 cards, 0.8% ACH capped at $5; PayPal nonprofit rate: 1.99% + $0.49). GoFundMe has two products: GoFundMe Pro (pro.gofundme.com, formerly Classy): 2.4–2.5% + $0.30 per transaction, plus 1% for American Express. GoFundMe (gofundme.com): 2.9% + $0.30 per donation, or 2.2% + $0.30 for verified 501(c)(3) charities. Zeffy charges no platform fees, no transaction fees, no credit card fees — 100% of every donation reaches your nonprofit.

Can I access all features without upgrading to a paid plan?

Donorbox's Standard (free) plan covers donation pages but caps you at the 2.95% platform fee and reserves advanced features for paid plans (Pro at $150/month unlocks lower fees, automation, and CRM upgrades). GoFundMe (standard) is free but built for personal crowdfunding, not nonprofit operations. GoFundMe Pro Essentials starts at $0/month but layers per-transaction fees. Zeffy gives every nonprofit full platform access — donations, events, CRM, peer-to-peer, raffles, memberships — at $0/month and 0% in fees.

Why do Donorbox and GoFundMe charge fees when Zeffy doesn't?

Donorbox and GoFundMe are both for-profit companies that earn revenue from transaction and platform fees on donations. Zeffy is funded by optional donor contributions instead. When you raise money through Zeffy, donors can choose to leave a contribution at checkout to help keep the platform free. They can adjust or remove it at any time. Your nonprofit receives 100% of every donation either way.

Can I run events and sell memberships with these platforms?

Donorbox supports event ticketing and memberships, but they're billed at a higher rate (3.95% on the free plan; 2% on Pro/Premium) plus payment processing. GoFundMe (standard) is online-only crowdfunding — no events or memberships. GoFundMe Pro adds event ticketing, recurring giving, and donor portals at 2.4–2.5% + $0.30. Zeffy includes event ticketing, memberships, peer-to-peer, auctions, and raffles — all free.

Can I switch from Donorbox or GoFundMe to Zeffy without losing donor data?

Yes. You can export your donor and transaction data from Donorbox or GoFundMe and import it into Zeffy's donor management system. Our team can help you get set up and answer questions along the way.

How does Zeffy's pricing compare to Donorbox and GoFundMe for nonprofit donations?

Can I access all features without upgrading to a paid plan?

Why do Donorbox and GoFundMe charge fees when Zeffy doesn't?

Can I run events and sell memberships with these platforms?

Can I switch from Donorbox or GoFundMe to Zeffy without losing donor data?

Yes. You can export your donor and transaction data from Donorbox or GoFundMe and import it into Zeffy's donor management system. Our team can help you get set up and answer questions along the way.

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Built for small teams with big missions.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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!