Airtable Requires Custom Builds. Zeffy Works Out of the Box.

Airtable costs $144+/yr per user and still needs third-party tools to accept donations.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

Airtable

Zeffy VS Airtable

Zeffy VS Airtable: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Pricing

Completely free. Always. But how? →

Varies.

$20/seat monthly plus add-on fees

Processing fees

$0 in credit card and transaction fees. Zeffy covers these. How? →

N/A.

Not applicable — no built-in payment processing for donations.

Platform fees

Zeffy never takes a cut. Unlike platforms that skim 3–5%, you keep 100% of every donation.

$0.

No separate platform fees — subscription covers platform access.

Monthly fees

0/month.

No subscriptions, no paywalls. Every org, big or small, gets full access for free.

$12/month.

$12/user/month for qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofits (50% off the standard $24/user/month Team plan rate).

Other fees

We've never charged a single cent to nonprofits and we never will.

N/A.

No additional or hidden fees mentioned for nonprofit plans.

Pricing transparency

10/10.

No platform fees, no credit card fees, no hidden fees, no fees period!

3/10.

No pricing page found. Must dig through support docs to find nonprofit discount info buried in FAQs.

Value for money

5/5.

450+ reviews on Capterra. All-in-one fundraising, zero fees, unbeatable value.

7.6/10.

Features

5/5.

No training needed. Built for busy nonprofit teams, not tech pros. Launch a campaign in under 30 minutes.

4.4/5.

Database tool, not fundraising software - requires custom builds and third-party integrations for donations

Donations

Donations without the cut. Custom forms, tax receipts, donor tracking — all fee-free.

No donation forms or payment processing - requires third-party tools and manual data entry

Ticketing

Sell tickets, check in guests, track sales — and keep 100%. No fees. No fine print.

No ticketing features - you'll need separate event software and manual attendee tracking

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Teams or individuals launch fundraising pages in minutes. Track progress, keep 100%. No fees.

No peer-to-peer campaigns - would require complex custom builds with no fundraising features

Auctions

Run auctions without giving up a percentage. List items, track bids, collect payments — all fee-free.

No auction features - Airtable is a database tool, not fundraising software, requires custom builds

Raffles

Host online raffles and 50/50s. Track sales, set ticket limits, stay compliant — all without paying a cent.

No raffle tools - requires building custom workflows and separate payment collection

Online Store

Skip the tool sprawl. Sell merch and manage your store in one place — no fees, no add-ons.

No store functionality - not designed for product sales or inventory management

Memberships

Automate memberships with no per-member fees. Dues go straight to your org — perfect for clubs, alumni, and supporters.

Custom membership tracking possible but requires building databases from scratch with no nonprofit templates

Donor management/CRM

Ditch the expensive CRM. Track donations, send thank-yous, and build donor loyalty — all fee-free.

Flexible database for donor tracking but requires manual setup - no nonprofit-specific fields or reports

Emails & Newsletter

Manage contacts and send newsletters from the same place you fundraise. Unlimited sends, no fees.

No email tools - requires connecting external platforms like Mailchimp through integrations

Payment Processing

Accept donations, ticket sales, and payments — all 100% fee-free. No cuts, no hidden fees, ever.

No payment processing - requires third-party integrations like Stripe through extensions or Zapier

Payment Methods

All-in-one fundraising: donations, events, memberships, email, and donor CRM — 100% free.

Database only. No payment processing, digital wallets, or in-person options without third-party setup.

Credit Card Payments

Accept all major credit cards with zero processing fees. Zeffy covers the cost — you keep 100% of every donation.

No native payment processing - requires third-party integrations like Stripe for card acceptance

Apple Pay & Google Pay

One-tap donations and tickets with Apple Pay & Google Pay. No fees, just smooth mobile checkouts.

No digital wallet support - database management only, no payment processing features

ACH / Bank Transfers

Accept bank transfers with zero fees. Full donation amounts go straight to your mission.

No ACH payment capabilities - database only, requires separate payment processor setup

Tap to Pay App

Anyone on your team can take payments from their phone. No card reader, no fees, no friction.

No in-person payment tools - CRM database only, requires external hardware and payment systems

Support

5/5.

Real humans, real fast. Free email and phone support — no bots, no paywalls, no runaround.

4.2/5.

Support built for business database users, not nonprofits. Free plan limited to community forums — paid support starts at $20/user/month.

Help Center

Searchable help docs, video tutorials, and step-by-step guides — all free, all the time.

Comprehensive knowledge base and help center focused on business workflows rather than nonprofit fundraising; free to access.

Email Support

Email us anytime. Most questions answered within hours — not days.

Email support available but built for business users - no nonprofit-specific guidance or donor management expertise

Phone Support

Need to talk? Call us. Real support from real people who understand nonprofits.

Phone support available on enterprise plans only — most nonprofits are limited to email and chat.

Onboarding

Get set up in under 30 minutes. No training required — but we're here if you need us.

Self-service onboarding only — dedicated onboarding and hands-on setup require an enterprise contract.

Community

Join thousands of nonprofits sharing tips, templates, and best practices.

Active community forums available on the free plan for peer help; paid plans provide direct support channels.

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over Airtable?

You need fundraising software, not a database project

🚀

You need fundraising software, not a database project

Airtable makes you build what Zeffy gives you ready to use — donation forms, donor tracking, and email tools that work together from day one

🎯

Built for fundraising, not custom builds

Airtable requires integrations, custom workflows, and technical setup just to accept a donation. Zeffy gives you donation forms, ticketing, CRM, and email tools that work together from day one.

🎓

Your team shouldn't need a database degree

Airtable charges $12/user/month and still requires you to connect payment processors, build donor databases from scratch, and manage multiple tools. Zeffy is 100% free and built for nonprofits who need to fundraise, not troubleshoot.

⏱️

Get started in minutes, not months

Airtable requires technical setup, custom builds, and third-party integrations before you can accept your first donation. Zeffy works out of the box — no setup fees, no learning curve, just fundraising tools ready when you are.

Questions nonprofits ask when choosing between Zeffy and Airtable

Is Zeffy really 100% free for nonprofits?

Yes. Zeffy is completely free with zero platform fees, monthly charges, or transaction costs. Donors have the option to leave a voluntary contribution to support our platform, so your nonprofit keeps 100% of every donation.

Can I accept donations without connecting third-party payment tools?

Yes. Zeffy includes built-in payment processing for credit cards, ACH, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can start accepting donations immediately without connecting Stripe, building integrations, or managing multiple tools.

Do I need technical skills to set up donor tracking in Zeffy?

No. Zeffy's donor CRM works out of the box with nonprofit-specific fields, automated receipts, and donor history tracking already set up. You can start managing relationships on day one without building databases or learning complex software.

Does Zeffy include email tools or do I need to connect another platform?

Zeffy includes built-in email tools so you can send campaigns, receipts, and updates directly from your CRM. No need to connect Mailchimp, manage integrations, or export contact lists between platforms.

Does Airtable offer a nonprofit discount in 2026?

Airtable offers some nonprofit discounts, but you'll still pay $12-20+ per user per month plus transaction fees from third-party payment processors. Zeffy is 100% free with no monthly fees or processing costs.

How much does Airtable cost for nonprofit CRM and events?

Airtable starts at $12-20+ per user monthly, and you'll need to add third-party tools for payment processing, which typically charge 2-3% per transaction. Zeffy includes CRM, events, and payment processing with zero fees.

Can I use Airtable for nonprofit fundraising and email campaigns?

Airtable requires you to build custom databases and connect separate tools for donations and email. Zeffy gives you ready-made donation forms, a built-in CRM, and email tools in one platform—no technical setup needed.

Still undecided?

Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy

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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.

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!