Zeffy VS Pledge

Keep 100% of every donation with zero fees while building stronger donor relationships through personalized follow-ups and branded campaigns. Pledge charges fees that cut into your mission funding.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

Zeffy VS Pledge

Zeffy VS Pledge: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Pricing

Completely free. Always.But how? →

5% platform cut + card fees per gift

Processing fees

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

2.9% + $0.30.

per transaction (credit card processing)

Platform fees

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

5%.

platform fee on all donations

Monthly fees

0/month.

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

$0.

No monthly fee

Value for money

5/5.

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

5.0/5.

Features

5/5.

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

4.9/5.

Good features, but setup takes time and training

Donations

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

Yes - Accepts one-time and recurring donations with customizable forms and donor management tools

Ticketing

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

Yes - Event ticketing with registration management and check-in capabilities for fundraising events

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

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

Yes - Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns with supporter pages and social sharing tools

Auctions

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

Limited - Basic auction features through event management, but not a comprehensive auction platform

Raffles

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

Limited - Basic raffle functionality through event management, but not a dedicated raffle tool

Online Store

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

No - Does not offer dedicated online store or merchandise sales functionality

Memberships

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

Limited membership tools - Basic recurring donation setup with minimal customization options for ongoing supporter relationships

Donor management/CRM

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

Standard donor tracking - Core contact management and donation history with limited reporting and engagement analytics

Emails & Newsletter

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

Basic email capabilities - Simple donor communication tools without advanced segmentation or automated campaign features

Payment Processing

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

Multiple payment fees - Processes donations through third-party providers with transaction costs that reduce your fundraising impact

Payment methods

All the ways donors want to give: cards, mobile wallets, and bank transfers — all 100% fee-free.

Credit cards and digital wallets only. Missing ACH transfers and 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.

Pledge accepts all major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover for both one-time and recurring donations through their secure payment processing system.

Apple Pay & Google Pay

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

Pledge integrates Apple Pay and Google Pay for quick, secure mobile donations, enabling donors to complete gifts with just a touch or click using their stored payment methods.

ACH / Bank Transfers

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

Pledge supports ACH bank transfers for recurring donations and one-time gifts, allowing donors to give directly from their bank accounts with lower processing fees than credit cards.

Tap to Pay App

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

Pledge offers mobile card readers and point-of-sale solutions for accepting donations at events, galas, and fundraising activities, with real-time syncing to your donor database.

Customer Support

4.9/5.

5.0/5.

Unlimited Support

Free, unlimited support for every nonprofit. No hidden tiers. No upsells.

Limited support with response time delays

Phone Support / Office Hours

Book a real call or video session — no endless hold music.

No phone support or scheduled office hours

Webinars

Weekly live trainings and topic-based webinars. Practical campaigns, donor tips, and workflows — not just demos.

Not mentioned or offered

Help Center

Clear step-by-step guides, FAQs, and videos built for nonprofits. Simple, jargon-free.

Comprehensive help center with step-by-step guides, video tutorials, and nonprofit-specific resources

Reach out anytime — if AI can’t help, our support team jumps in within 2–6 business hours.

Available through contact form and support tickets

Nonprofit-Focused Support Team

You’ll talk to nonprofit experts, not generic tech support. Our team responds in 2–6 business hours (and nonprofits rate us 9.3/10).

Support through contact forms with delayed responses and basic FAQ documentation.

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over Pledge?

Keep 100% of donations, not 95%

💯

Keep 100% of every donation

Pledge charges 5% platform fees plus processing costs. With Zeffy, donors see their full gift go to your mission, building trust and increasing giving.

🧰

One platform, zero complexity

Skip the tool juggling. Zeffy combines donations, events, and donor management in one simple platform built for small teams who need it to work right away.

🛟

Get help when you need it most

Pledge's limited support leaves you stuck when campaigns go wrong. Zeffy's nonprofit experts respond in 2-6 hours with real solutions, not generic help docs.

Questions nonprofits ask when choosing between Zeffy and Pledge

Why should nonprofits choose Zeffy over Pledge for fundraising?

Zeffy keeps 100% of donations in your hands with zero platform fees, while Pledge takes 5% plus processing costs. You get more funding for your mission and comprehensive donor management tools built specifically for nonprofits.

How much money can we save by switching from Pledge to Zeffy?

On $10,000 in donations, Pledge charges $500 in platform fees plus processing costs. Zeffy charges nothing. That's $500 more going directly to your programs and beneficiaries instead of platform profits.

Does Zeffy offer the same fundraising features as Pledge without the fees?

Yes, Zeffy provides donation forms, event ticketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, and donor management. Plus you get features Pledge doesn't offer like raffles, auctions, and online stores - all at zero cost to your organization.

Can Zeffy handle our organization's growth better than Pledge?

Zeffy grows with your nonprofit without adding costs. As your donations increase, you keep 100% while Pledge's 5% fee grows too. Our platform handles everything from small community groups to established organizations.

What happens to our donor data if we switch from Pledge to Zeffy?

Zeffy makes switching simple with data import tools and dedicated migration support. Your donor information, giving history, and contact details transfer seamlessly so you can focus on fundraising, not data entry.

Still undecided?

Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy

Planning Center

Clickbid

Network for Good

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.”

Amy R

Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago

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!

Debra B

Glory to Glory Women's Mentoring Ministry

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!!

Carmen M

DIVINA World Foundation

Zeffy is very easy to use and ensures that every dollar quickly gets into our account.. A huge help to our work!

Nathan C

Jiwa International

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.

Ryan S

Jesters Theatre: Youth Unlimited

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.

Jennifer H

GSCB Troop 144

We were ready to sell tickets in less than 30 minutes. The reporting capabilities were better than some other paid-for sites.

Mark B

Theta Mu Lambda Charitable Foundation

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!