GiveSmart Fees vs Zeffy: What Does Each Platform Actually Cost?
GiveSmart starts at $1,400/yr plus 3.5% per transaction. Zeffy charges $0 in fees, forever.
Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits
Zeffy VS GiveSmart
Zeffy is 100% free, always.
Run your fundraising without paying for the platform
🎉
Run your fundraising without paying for the platform
Zeffy gives you donations, ticketing, auctions, and donor management with zero subscription fees — so you can fundraise year-round, not just at events.
💸
Your budget shouldn't pay for software before it pays for your mission
Zeffy is 100% free for nonprofits. No annual subscription, no gated features, no surprise costs. Every dollar raised goes directly to your work.
🧰
Run year-round fundraising without switching between event tools
Zeffy handles donations, ticketing, raffles, auctions, and memberships in one place. No need to pay for event software when you're fundraising all year.
⚡
Get started in minutes, not months of onboarding calls
Zeffy is built for small teams who need to launch fast. No complex setup, no enterprise training required. Create your first form and start fundraising today.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Zeffy actually cost compared to GiveSmart?
Zeffy is free forever. GiveSmart charges $1,400–$3,000 per year before you raise a single dollar. With Zeffy, 100% of donations go to your mission, and donors can choose to leave a voluntary contribution to keep the platform running.
Can I run online raffles and peer-to-peer campaigns without upgrading my plan?
Yes. Zeffy gives you raffles, peer-to-peer, donation forms, ticketing, and a donor CRM upfront with no plan tiers. GiveSmart locks key features behind higher-priced packages, so you pay more as your fundraising grows.
Will I get real support or just be sent to a help center?
Every Zeffy user gets free, unlimited support from real people who understand small nonprofits. GiveSmart gates phone support by plan level and prioritizes enterprise customers, leaving smaller organizations waiting longer for help.
Does Zeffy work for small fundraisers or just big events?
Zeffy works for everything from $50 raffles to year-round campaigns. GiveSmart is built for large galas with complex setups, making simple fundraisers harder than they need to be.
What percentage does GiveSmart take from donations?
GiveSmart charges platform fees around 5% plus processing fees of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. On a $10,000 event, that adds up to roughly $790 in fees. Zeffy charges zero platform or processing fees, so your nonprofit keeps every dollar.
Is Zeffy a legitimate fundraising platform for nonprofits?
Yes. Zeffy is trusted by over 100,000 nonprofits who've raised more than $2 billion through the platform. It's funded by optional donor tips, not fees from your organization, so there's no catch.
What's a good free alternative to GiveSmart?
Zeffy is a 100% free alternative that includes donations, ticketing, auctions, raffles, peer-to-peer campaigns, and donor management with no platform fees or monthly costs. You get all features upfront without paying for upgrades.
How much does GiveSmart cost per month?
GiveSmart pricing starts around $1,195 per month depending on your plan, plus processing fees on every transaction. Zeffy has no monthly fees and no per-transaction costs for nonprofits.
Can I use Zeffy for event ticketing like GiveSmart?
Yes. Zeffy includes free event ticketing with guest management, e-tickets, and real-time reporting. Unlike GiveSmart, there are no platform fees or ticketing charges eating into your event revenue.
Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
100,000+ nonprofits trust Zeffy — and keep their fees at $0.
For 7+ years, Zeffy has supported nonprofits with free, user-friendly fundraising tools.
.webp)
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.
%20(1).webp){kind=avatar}
%20(1).webp)
.webp){kind=avatar}
.webp)
%20(1).webp)
.webp)
SUCCESS STORIES
Zero-fee fundraising in action — nonprofit stories worth sharing.
.webp)
