Shopify Wasn't Built for Fundraising — Here's What Nonprofits Actually Need

Shopify costs $29/mo and lacks donation forms or tax receipts. Compare it to a free platform built for nonprofits.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

Shopify

Zeffy VS Shopify

Zeffy VS Shopify: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Pricing

Completely free. Always. But how? →

Varies.

$29/month subscription plus card fees and platform cut

Processing fees

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

1%.

transaction fee when using third-party payment providers; lower Shopify Payments card rates around 2.7% + $0.30 for online transactions

Platform fees

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

$0.

No additional platform fees beyond the monthly subscription.

Monthly fees

0/month.

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

$29/month.

Flat $29 USD per month subscription.

Other fees

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

N/A.

No additional fees mentioned; plan includes extras like unlimited staff accounts and real-time shipping rates.

Pricing transparency

10/10.

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

3/10.

NPO pricing buried in community forums with no dedicated pricing page and case-by-case approval.

Value for money

5/5.

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

4.3/5.

Features

5/5.

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

4.5/5.

Built for eCommerce, not nonprofits - requires apps and workarounds for donations, events, and donor tracking

Donations

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

No donation tools - built for product sales, not charitable giving or tax receipts

Ticketing

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

No event ticketing features - requires third-party apps to sell tickets or manage attendees

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

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

No peer-to-peer fundraising - built for direct sales, not supporter-led campaigns

Auctions

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

No auction features - built for product sales, not fundraising auctions or silent bidding

Raffles

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

No raffle tools - not designed for fundraising campaigns or compliance tracking

Online Store

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

Full eCommerce platform with inventory management, product variants, and checkout customization

Memberships

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

Subscription products available but no nonprofit membership tools or donor relationship features

Donor management/CRM

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

Customer database tracks purchase history only - no donor profiles or nonprofit relationship tools

Emails & Newsletter

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

Shopify Email for product promotions - not designed for donor communications or fundraising campaigns

Payment Processing

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

Shopify Payments built-in with support for major credit cards and digital wallets

Payment Methods

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

Accepts credit cards and digital wallets via Shopify Payments; in-person sales require separate Shopify POS hardware purchase. No ACH/bank transfer support.

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 through Shopify Payments - requires monthly subscription plus transaction fees

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 at checkout through Shopify Payments

ACH / Bank Transfers

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

No ACH bank transfers - card payments only, missing cost-effective option for large donations

Tap to Pay App

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

Shopify POS hardware available - requires separate device purchase and setup for events

Support

5/5.

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

4.4/5.

Support access depends on plan tier — basic users get chat and email while priority help and phone support require higher-priced plans.

Help Center

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

Comprehensive free resource library built specifically for nonprofit fundraising

Email Support

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

Email support with response times varying by plan - faster replies cost more per month

Phone Support

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

Phone support available on advanced plans only - basic users limited to chat and email options

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 or hands-on setup requires an enterprise or higher-tier plan.

Community

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

No community forum or user groups available

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over Shopify?

Sell merch without losing donations to monthly fees

🛍️

Sell merch without losing donations to monthly fees

Shopify charges $29/month plus processing fees. Zeffy gives you a free online store, donation forms, and event ticketing built for fundraising, not retail.

🎯

Built for selling products, not raising funds

Shopify tracks customers and orders, not donors and campaigns. Zeffy gives you donation forms, tax receipts, and donor profiles built for fundraising.

🆓

Monthly fees before you raise a dollar

Shopify charges $29 per month plus processing fees whether you raise $100 or $10,000. Zeffy is free, so every dollar you raise goes to your mission.

⚡

Get started in minutes, not months

Shopify requires setup, apps, and workarounds to accept donations. Zeffy gives you donation forms, tax receipts, and donor tools ready to use today.

Questions nonprofits ask when choosing between Zeffy and Shopify

Does Shopify charge monthly fees for nonprofits?

Yes. Shopify's nonprofit plan costs $29 per month plus processing fees, whether you raise $100 or $10,000. Zeffy is completely free with no monthly costs, so you keep 100% of what you raise.

Can I accept donations and sell merchandise on the same platform?

Shopify is built for product sales, not fundraising. You'll need third-party apps to accept donations or issue tax receipts. Zeffy gives you a free online store plus donation forms, event ticketing, and tax receipts in one platform.

Do I need technical skills to set up fundraising on Shopify?

Shopify requires setup, theme customization, and app integrations to work for nonprofits. Zeffy's donation forms, online store, and tax receipt tools are ready to use right away with no technical experience needed.

How does Zeffy make money if there are no fees?

Zeffy is funded by optional contributions that donors can choose to leave at checkout. There are no required fees, subscriptions, or hidden costs for your organization.

How much does Shopify take from each sale for nonprofits?

Shopify charges processing fees of 2.7% to 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction on top of monthly plan costs. On a $100 sale, that's $3 or more going to fees. Zeffy has no processing fees, so your nonprofit keeps the full amount.

Does Shopify offer a discount for nonprofits?

Shopify offers an NPO Lite plan at $29 per month, but you still pay processing fees on every transaction. Zeffy is completely free with no monthly costs and no transaction fees for registered nonprofits.

Can I run a raffle or fundraising event through Shopify?

Shopify isn't built for fundraising events like raffles or ticketed galas. You'd need to add third-party apps and pay extra fees. Zeffy includes free raffle tools, event ticketing, and auction features designed specifically for nonprofits.

Is there a free ecommerce platform for charities to sell merchandise?

Zeffy offers a free online store for nonprofits to sell merchandise, accept donations, and manage events in one place. Unlike Shopify, there are no monthly fees or transaction costs eating into your fundraising.

What's the best Shopify alternative for nonprofit fundraising?

Zeffy is built specifically for nonprofits, with donation forms, tax receipts, event ticketing, and an online store included free. You skip the $29 monthly fee and processing costs that come with using Shopify for fundraising.

Still undecided?

Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy

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Bonfire

Print your cause

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!