Harness Pricing Breakdown: Volunteer Tool vs. Full Fundraising Platform

Harness charges $99-$849/mo plus 2.9% per transaction. Zeffy includes donations, events, and CRM for $0.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

Zeffy VS Harness

Zeffy VS Harness: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Pricing

Completely free. Always. But how? →

Varies.

$849/month + 1% platform cut + card fees

Processing fees

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

2.9% + $0.30.

Standard: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (Visa, MC, etc.); Discounted: 2.2% + $0.30 per transaction; AmEx: 3.5%; ACH (Bank Transfer): 0.8% or $100 cap; additional 0.7% recurring charge fee by Stripe

Platform fees

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

1%.

Platform fee for Premier and Executive plans

Monthly fees

0/month.

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

$99/month.

$99/month for Premier Plan; higher tiers (Essential, Executive) with pricing up to $849/month

Other fees

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

Varies.

0.5% fee included in total fee coverage option for donors; additional services available for extra fees on certain plans

Pricing transparency

10/10.

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

4/10.

Fees split across catalog page and help articles. No single pricing page with all costs visible.

Value for money

5/5.

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

7.5/5.

Features

5/5.

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

8.8/5.

Volunteer management platform, not a fundraising tool - no donation forms, payment processing, or donor features

Donations

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

Donation forms with recurring giving options - requires paid plan for custom branding and advanced features

Ticketing

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

Event ticketing with registration management and check-in tools - limited customization on lower tiers

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

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

Peer-to-peer campaigns with team pages and fundraiser dashboards - available on select paid plans only

Auctions

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

No auction features - Harness is a volunteer management platform, not a fundraising or event tool

Raffles

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

Raffle and auction tools available - requires add-ons or higher-tier plans to access full functionality

Online Store

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

Merchandise sales and product management - commerce features require paid plan upgrades

Memberships

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

No membership management - focuses on volunteer scheduling and coordination, not member relationships

Donor management/CRM

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

Volunteer database only - tracks volunteer hours and schedules, not donor relationships or giving history

Emails & Newsletter

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

Volunteer communication tools only - no donor outreach, fundraising campaigns, or marketing emails

Payment Processing

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

No payment processing - volunteer management only, requires separate donation platform

Payment Methods

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

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

Credit Card Payments

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

All major credit and debit cards accepted through Stripe integration

Apple Pay & Google Pay

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

Apple Pay and Google Pay supported through Stripe checkout

ACH / Bank Transfers

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

No ACH bank transfers - card payments only, limiting options for large donors

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 - online platform only, requires separate hardware for events

Support

5/5.

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

4.5/5.

Support built for enterprise software teams, not nonprofits. Developer-focused resources require technical expertise to navigate.

Help Center

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

Searchable knowledge base with technical docs and FAQs — focused on enterprise and developer use rather than nonprofit-specific guidance.

Email Support

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

Email support available but built for enterprise software teams; no nonprofit-specific guidance or expertise.

Phone Support

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

Phone support available for enterprise customers but not accessible to small nonprofits on basic plans.

Onboarding

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

No dedicated onboarding for most users; personalized onboarding typically requires an enterprise contract.

Community

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

Limited community support available on free tiers; broader peer networks and dedicated channels are reserved for higher-paying customers.

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over Harness?

Keep more of every dollar without paying upfront for the platform

🆓

Keep more of every dollar without paying upfront for the platform

Harness charges monthly fees plus platform fees on top of processing costs. Zeffy is 100% free so you can invest in your mission, not software.

💵

Keep more of every dollar you raise

Harness charges monthly fees, platform fees, and processing fees. Zeffy is 100% free, so your donors' gifts go directly to your mission, not your software budget.

❤️

Built for nonprofits, not software teams

Harness support is built for enterprise tech teams. Zeffy's team knows nonprofits — we answer questions in plain language, help you launch fast, and never assume you have IT staff.

⚡

Get started in minutes, not months

Harness requires setup, training, and technical know-how. Zeffy is ready to use right away — create your first form, send it out, and start raising funds today.

Questions nonprofits ask when choosing between Zeffy and Harness

Does Zeffy really have no monthly fees or platform fees?

Yes. Zeffy is 100% free for nonprofits. There are no monthly fees, no platform fees, and no hidden costs. Donors have the option to leave a voluntary contribution to keep Zeffy free for organizations like yours.

Can I accept all types of payments with Zeffy?

Yes. Zeffy accepts all major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and ACH bank transfers. Your donors can give however they prefer, and you keep 100% of every donation.

How quickly can I start raising funds with Zeffy?

You can start raising funds in minutes. Create your first donation form, event, or campaign right away without setup fees, training sessions, or technical expertise. Just sign up and go live.

What fundraising tools does Zeffy include for free?

Zeffy includes donation forms, event ticketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, raffles, auctions, memberships, and a built-in CRM. Everything you need to raise funds and manage donors is included at no cost.

How much does Harness charge for nonprofit fundraising?

Harness charges monthly fees starting at $99/month (up to $849/month for higher tiers), plus a 1% platform fee and processing fees of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Zeffy has no monthly fees, no platform fees, and covers all processing costs.

Is Harness or Zeffy better for small nonprofits?

For small nonprofits watching every dollar, Zeffy offers the same core fundraising tools without the monthly subscription or per-transaction fees that Harness charges. You can launch donation forms, events, and peer-to-peer campaigns without paying $99+/month.

Does Harness charge processing fees on donations?

Yes. Harness charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (or 2.2% + $0.30 on discounted plans), plus an additional 0.7% Stripe fee. Zeffy covers all credit card and processing fees, so your nonprofit keeps 100%.

What's the catch with Zeffy being free?

There's no catch. Zeffy stays free through optional tips that donors can choose to leave at checkout. The tip is never required, and your nonprofit always receives the full donation amount.

Can I switch from Harness to Zeffy easily?

Yes. Zeffy is designed to get you up and running in under 30 minutes with no setup fees or training required. You can create donation forms, events, and campaigns right away.

Still undecided?

Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy

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CauseVox

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!