StratusLIVE Charges $99/mo + 2.9% Per Gift. Zeffy Charges Nothing.

Plus Zeffy includes peer-to-peer campaigns, raffles, and online stores that StratusLIVE doesn't offer.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

StratusLIVE

Zeffy VS StratusLIVE

Zeffy VS StratusLIVE: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Pricing

Completely free. Always. But how? →

Varies.

$99/month + 2.9% card fees per gift

Processing fees

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

2.9% + $0.30.

per transaction (standard card processing fees)

Platform fees

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

N/A.

Not publicly disclosed; pricing is customized based on organization size and selected modules

Monthly fees

0/month.

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

$99/month.

$99/month listed; some sources indicate $125/month starting price

Other fees

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

N/A.

Not publicly specified

Pricing transparency

10/10.

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

3/10.

No public pricing page. Must contact sales or dig through terms to find fees buried in third-party sites.

Value for money

5/5.

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

N/A.

Features

5/5.

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

4.0/5.

Event-focused platform with donor tracking - requires paid plans and setup time for full fundraising features

Donations

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

Donation processing with donor tracking and receipt automation - requires paid plan for full features

Ticketing

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

Event ticketing with registration management and attendee tracking built into the CRM

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

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

No peer-to-peer fundraising - focused on direct donations and event management only

Auctions

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

Full auction platform with mobile bidding, catalog management, and real-time bidding tracking

Raffles

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

No raffle tools - requires third-party integration or manual management outside the platform

Online Store

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

No online store functionality - not designed for selling merchandise or products

Memberships

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

Member tracking in donor records - no self-service portal or automated membership renewal tools

Donor management/CRM

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

Full donor database with giving history, engagement tracking, and campaign management tools

Emails & Newsletter

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

Built-in email campaigns with templates, donor segmentation, and automated acknowledgments

Payment Processing

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

Integrated payment processing with credit card and ACH support for donations and event payments

Payment Methods

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

Credit cards and ACH only through their payment processor. No digital wallets 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.

Card payments through StratusLIVE Payments - must use their processor with transaction fees

Apple Pay & Google Pay

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

No digital wallet support - card and ACH only through their payment processor

ACH / Bank Transfers

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

ACH available through StratusLIVE Payments only - adds processing costs to bank transfers

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 - CRM only, requires separate payment hardware and setup

Support

5/5.

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

4.5/5.

Support built for businesses, not nonprofits. Email-only help with unclear response times and no dedicated nonprofit expertise.

Help Center

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

Yes — comprehensive help center with guides, tutorials, and FAQs available at no charge.

Email Support

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

Email support available but response times unclear; appears to be business-focused rather than nonprofit-specific.

Phone Support

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

Phone support is unclear or not publicly available — no dedicated nonprofit phone support.

Onboarding

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

No dedicated onboarding — self-service resources only; personalized onboarding likely requires an enterprise or paid contract.

Community

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

No community forum or user groups visible.

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over StratusLIVE?

Run your CRM and fundraising in one place, without the fees

🧩

Run your CRM and fundraising in one place, without the fees

Zeffy includes donor tracking, online donations, event ticketing, and auctions with zero monthly costs or transaction fees

💸

Your CRM shouldn't cost more than your fundraising tools

StratusLIVE charges $99/month plus 2.9% per gift before you accept a single donation. Zeffy includes donor tracking, email campaigns, and payment processing at zero cost.

🤹

Run campaigns without juggling logins or payment processors

StratusLIVE tracks donors but requires separate tools for peer-to-peer campaigns, raffles, and merchandise sales. Zeffy handles donations, events, auctions, and stores in one place.

⚡

Get started in minutes, not months

StratusLIVE requires customized pricing calls and setup before you can launch. Zeffy lets you create donation forms, send emails, and accept gifts the same day you sign up.

Questions nonprofits ask when choosing between Zeffy and StratusLIVE

How much does Zeffy cost compared to StratusLIVE?

StratusLIVE charges $99/month plus 2.9% per donation before you raise a dollar. Zeffy charges zero platform fees and zero monthly costs, so you keep 100% of what you raise.

Can I run my entire fundraising operation in Zeffy without paying monthly fees?

Yes. Zeffy includes donor tracking, online donations, event ticketing, auctions, raffles, and stores at no cost. StratusLIVE requires separate tools for peer-to-peer campaigns and merchandise sales.

Does Zeffy include donor management and email tools like StratusLIVE?

Zeffy includes a full donor database, email campaigns, and automated receipts with zero fees. StratusLIVE offers similar features but charges monthly subscription costs plus transaction fees on every gift.

Does Zeffy work for small nonprofits just starting to track donors?

Yes. Zeffy works for organizations of any size with zero setup costs or monthly minimums. You get the same donor tracking, email tools, and payment processing whether you raise $500 or $50,000 per month.

Can I import my donor records into Zeffy and start accepting donations immediately?

Yes. You can import your donor records into Zeffy and start accepting donations immediately. There are no migration fees, setup costs, or contracts locking you into StratusLIVE's monthly charges.

How long does it take to set up Zeffy compared to StratusLIVE?

Zeffy allows same-day setup with no technical expertise required. StratusLIVE has a more complex setup process that typically takes longer to configure.

Does StratusLIVE charge transaction fees on every donation?

Yes. StratusLIVE charges 2.9% per donation on top of its $99/month subscription. Zeffy charges zero transaction fees and zero monthly costs.

Can I run peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns in Zeffy?

Yes. Zeffy includes peer-to-peer campaigns, raffles, auctions, and online stores all in one platform. StratusLIVE requires separate tools for these activities.

Is there a contract or commitment required with Zeffy?

No. Zeffy has no contracts, no setup fees, and no monthly minimums. You can start accepting donations immediately without being locked into any agreement.

How does Zeffy stay free if there are no platform fees?

Zeffy is funded by optional tips from donors. Donors can choose to leave a small tip to support the platform, but it's never required. Nonprofits always keep 100% of what they raise.

Still undecided?

Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy

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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!