Does Tithely Charge Fees? Yes — Here's a Zero-Fee Alternative

Tithely charges 2.9% + 30¢ per donation plus $19-$119/month for features. Zeffy includes everything free.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

Zeffy VS Tithely

Zeffy VS Tithely: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Pricing

Completely free. Always. But how? →

2.9%.

plus card fees per gift

Processing fees

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

2.9% + $0.30.

Credit/Debit cards: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction; American Express: 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction; ACH/Bank transfers: 1% + $0.30 per transaction

Platform fees

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

$0.

$0 for Free Giving platform; optional paid plans: Text-to-Give ($19/month), Church Management ($72/month), All Access ($119/month)

Monthly fees

0/month.

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

$0.

$0/month for Free Giving; paid plans from $19/month for Text-to-Give up to $119/month for All Access

Other fees

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

$0.

No setup fees; no contracts required

Pricing transparency

10/10.

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

7/10.

Clear pricing page with fees listed, but requires clicking through to help center for full details

Value for money

5/5.

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

4.7/5.

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 churches, not nonprofits - limited fundraising tools and requires paid plans for events

Donations

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

Donation forms with recurring giving and text-to-give - built specifically for churches, not nonprofits

Ticketing

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

Event registration available on higher-tier plans - requires paid subscription to access

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 church giving, not campaign-based fundraising

Auctions

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

No auction features - focused on church giving and event ticketing, not fundraising auctions

Raffles

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

No raffle tools - churches need separate platform for compliance and winner selection

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 product sales or merchandise

Memberships

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

Church member directory and groups - no membership tiers, recurring billing, or self-service portal

Donor management/CRM

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

Church member database with giving history and attendance tracking - designed for churches, not nonprofits

Emails & Newsletter

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

Basic church communication tools - limited templates and automation for donor engagement

Payment Processing

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

Tithe.ly Payments processes donations with text-to-give and kiosk options for in-person giving

Payment Methods

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

Credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and ACH. In-person payments require separate mobile app setup.

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 with 2.9% + 30¢ processing 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 through Stripe checkout on donation forms

ACH / Bank Transfers

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

ACH bank transfers available for recurring giving - reduces fees on larger donations

Tap to Pay App

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

Tithe.ly Go app enables mobile card readers and cash tracking for events and services

Support

5/5.

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

4.6/5.

Support available on all plans but church-focused — faith-based resources with limited guidance for secular nonprofits.

Help Center

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

Complete resource library with step-by-step guides and video tutorials.

Email Support

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

Email support with response times varying by plan tier — faster response for higher-paid subscribers.

Phone Support

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

Phone support available during business hours, primarily staffed for church operations and giving workflows.

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 requires an enterprise contract.

Community

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

No community forum or user groups available.

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

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How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over Tithely?

Run your nonprofit without paying for church software

🆓

Run your nonprofit without paying for church software

Tithely was built for churches, not nonprofits. Zeffy gives you donation forms, ticketing, CRM, and peer-to-peer fundraising with zero fees.

🌍

Built for nonprofits, not just churches

Tithely's features are designed for faith communities. Zeffy works for every mission — food banks, animal rescues, youth programs, and advocacy groups.

🔓

Every tool you need, no monthly fees to unlock them

Tithely charges $19 to $119 per month to access text-to-give, event tools, and management features. Zeffy includes donations, ticketing, CRM, and peer-to-peer in one free platform.

⚡

Get started in minutes, not months

Tithely's church-focused setup can feel overwhelming for small nonprofits. Zeffy's built for first-time users — create your first form, send it out, and start fundraising today.

Questions nonprofits ask when choosing between Zeffy and Tithely

How is Zeffy different from Tithely?

Zeffy charges zero fees and was built for all nonprofits. Tithely charges 2.9% + 30¢ per donation plus monthly fees up to $119, and its features are designed for churches.

Does Zeffy work for nonprofits that aren't churches?

Yes. Zeffy works for food banks, animal rescues, youth programs, advocacy groups, and any mission. Tithely's tools and support are focused on faith communities and church giving.

Do I have to pay monthly fees to access all of Zeffy's features?

No. Zeffy includes donation forms, ticketing, CRM, peer-to-peer fundraising, and email tools with zero platform fees. Donors have the option to leave a voluntary contribution.

Do I have to pay monthly fees to access all of Zeffy's features?

Yes. Zeffy includes text-to-give and recurring donations with zero platform fees. Tithely charges $19 per month for text-to-give on top of transaction fees.

Can I switch from Tithely to Zeffy without losing my donor data?

Yes. Zeffy lets you import your donor list and giving history so you can keep building relationships without starting over. Your supporters won't notice the switch.

How much does Tithely charge per transaction?

Tithely charges 2.9% + 30¢ per credit or debit card transaction, 3.5% + 30¢ for American Express, and 1% + 30¢ for ACH bank transfers. Zeffy charges zero transaction fees on all payment types.

Is there a free alternative to Tithely for nonprofits?

Yes. Zeffy offers donation forms, ticketing, CRM, peer-to-peer fundraising, and text-to-give with zero platform or transaction fees. It works for any registered nonprofit, not just churches.

Does Tithely charge extra for text-to-give?

Yes. Tithely charges $19 per month for text-to-give on top of its transaction fees. Zeffy includes text-to-give at no extra cost.

How does Zeffy stay free if there are no fees?

Zeffy is funded by optional tips from donors at checkout. The tip is never required, and nonprofits always keep 100% of what they raise.

Can I use Zeffy if my nonprofit isn't a church?

Absolutely. Zeffy was built for all nonprofits, including food banks, youth sports leagues, PTAs, animal rescues, and advocacy groups. Tithely's features are designed specifically for churches.

Still undecided?

Keep comparing — and see why nonprofits choose Zeffy

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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.”

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!