Is NationBuilder Right for Your Nonprofit? A Side-by-Side Comparison

NationBuilder charges $34/mo + up to 5.5% per donation and focuses on voter outreach—not donor relationships.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

NationBuilder

Zeffy VS NationBuilder

Zeffy VS NationBuilder: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Pricing

Completely free. Always. But how? →

Varies.

$34/mo plus 4.9% + card fees

Processing fees

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

3.9% + $0.30.

per transaction on Pro plan (US) domestic; 4.9% + $0.30 international; Nonprofit Starter: 4.2% + $0.30 domestic, 5.2% + $0.30 international, 5.5% Amex; standard nonprofit rate: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction

Platform fees

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

$0.

No separate platform fees charged on top of monthly subscription.

Monthly fees

0/month.

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

$34/month.

Starter from $34/month ($41/month billed monthly, $34/month billed annually); Pro from $160/month ($179/month billed monthly, $160/month billed annually); Enterprise with custom pricing.

Other fees

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

Varies.

Add-ons available at additional cost; Enterprise pricing is custom based on needs.

Pricing transparency

10/10.

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

7/10.

Clear pricing page with monthly fees visible, but processing fees require clicking through to support docs.

Value for money

5/5.

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

3.9/5.

Features

5/5.

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

3.6/5.

Built for political campaigns, not nonprofits - requires paid plans and technical setup for basic fundraising

Donations

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

NationBuilder includes donation pages with custom fields and recurring giving - but requires paid plans starting at higher tiers

Ticketing

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

Event pages with RSVP tracking and ticketing available - but focused on political events rather than nonprofit fundraising

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

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

No peer-to-peer fundraising - designed for grassroots organizing and voter outreach, not supporter-led campaigns

Auctions

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

No auction tools - platform focuses on advocacy campaigns and political organizing, not fundraising events

Raffles

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

No raffle tools - platform built for advocacy campaigns and political organizing, not fundraising activities

Online Store

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

No online store functionality - requires third-party integrations to sell merchandise or products

Memberships

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

Supporter database with tagging and segmentation - no membership tiers, renewals, or self-service portal

Donor management/CRM

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

Contact database built for political campaigns - tracks engagement and actions, not donor giving history

Emails & Newsletter

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

Email campaigns with templates and automation - designed for advocacy mobilization, not donor communication

Payment Processing

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

Stripe integration for donations and payments - requires paid plan for payment processing features

Payment Methods

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

Credit cards only. No digital wallets, ACH, 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 NationBuilder Payments - requires their payment processor

Apple Pay & Google Pay

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

No Apple Pay or Google Pay support - traditional card checkout only for political donations

ACH / Bank Transfers

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

No ACH bank transfers available - card payments only for donations and event tickets

Tap to Pay App

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

No native in-person payment tools - advocacy platform focused on digital engagement and voter outreach

Support

5/5.

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

3.8/5.

Support access varies by plan starting at $29/mo and is focused on political campaigns rather than nonprofits; email support is available but can be slow, while phone and advanced help are reserved for higher tiers.

Help Center

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

Comprehensive help center with guides, tutorials, and resources at no charge.

Email Support

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

Email support available but response times slow during campaign seasons — built for political clients.

Phone Support

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

Phone support available on higher-tier plans — designed for political campaigns, not nonprofit operations.

Onboarding

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

No dedicated onboarding; setup relies on self-serve guides and webinars focused on political advocacy, with paid plans offering more hands-on options.

Community

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

No community forum or user groups available; support is delivered via official docs, email, and webinars.

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over NationBuilder?

Built for nonprofits, not political campaigns

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Built for nonprofits, not political campaigns

NationBuilder charges monthly fees and processing fees on top of each other — and its tools are designed for voter outreach, not donor relationships.

🏘️

Built for campaigns, not community fundraising

NationBuilder was designed for voter outreach and advocacy mobilization. Zeffy was built for nonprofits who need donation pages, event ticketing, and donor management that actually work for fundraising.

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Your donors don't need a political checkout

NationBuilder charges monthly fees starting at $34 plus processing fees up to 5.5% per transaction. Zeffy is 100% free for your organization with no monthly costs, no processing fees, and no add-ons to unlock fundraising tools.

⚡

Get started in minutes, not months

NationBuilder requires setup for political campaigns and voter databases. Zeffy gets your donation page live in minutes with tools designed for nonprofits who need to fundraise today.

Questions nonprofits ask when choosing between Zeffy and NationBuilder

Can I manage donor relationships without a political campaign database?

Yes. Zeffy tracks donor giving history, recurring donations, and engagement for fundraising. NationBuilder's contact database was built to track voter actions and advocacy engagement, not donor relationships.

Does Zeffy charge monthly fees like NationBuilder?

No. Zeffy is 100% free for nonprofits with no monthly subscription fees, no processing fees, and no add-ons to pay for. NationBuilder charges monthly fees starting at $34 plus processing fees up to 5.5% per transaction.

Can I accept donations without paying processing fees?

Yes. Zeffy charges zero fees so you keep 100% of every donation. Donors have the option to leave a voluntary contribution to support our platform. NationBuilder charges 2.9% to 5.5% plus 30¢ per transaction on top of monthly fees.

Is Zeffy built for nonprofits or political campaigns?

Zeffy was built specifically for nonprofits who need donation pages, event ticketing, and donor management for fundraising. NationBuilder was designed for political campaigns and voter outreach, not community fundraising.

Can a 501(c)(3) nonprofit use NationBuilder for fundraising?

NationBuilder can accept donations, but it was designed for political campaigns and voter outreach. Nonprofits often find the platform complex for straightforward fundraising needs. Zeffy was built specifically for 501(c)(3) organizations with donation pages, event ticketing, and donor management included.

How much does NationBuilder cost per year for a small nonprofit?

NationBuilder starts at $34 per month ($408 per year) plus processing fees of 2.9% to 5.5% on every transaction. A nonprofit raising $50,000 could pay over $2,000 in combined fees. Zeffy has no monthly fees and no processing fees.

What's the best NationBuilder alternative for nonprofit fundraising?

For nonprofits focused on donations and events rather than political campaigns, Zeffy offers donation pages, event ticketing, and donor management with zero fees. You keep 100% of what you raise instead of paying monthly subscriptions and per-transaction costs.

Is NationBuilder hard to set up for someone who isn't tech-savvy?

NationBuilder was built for political organizers managing voter databases and advocacy campaigns, which can feel complex for basic fundraising. Zeffy lets you create a donation page in minutes with no training required.

Do donors trust giving through Zeffy if they've never heard of it?

Zeffy is trusted by over 100,000 nonprofits who've raised more than $2 billion through the platform. Donors see a professional, branded donation page and receive automatic tax receipts, which builds confidence in the giving experience.

Can I manage donor relationships without a political campaign database?

Does Zeffy charge monthly fees like NationBuilder?

Can I accept donations without paying processing fees?

Is Zeffy built for nonprofits or political campaigns?

Can a 501(c)(3) nonprofit use NationBuilder for fundraising?

How much does NationBuilder cost per year for a small nonprofit?

What's the best NationBuilder alternative for nonprofit fundraising?

Is NationBuilder hard to set up for someone who isn't tech-savvy?

Do donors trust giving through Zeffy if they've never heard of it?

Still undecided?

Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy

No items found.

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!