Best fundraising platforms for UK charities in 2026

Check out our complete fundraising platform overview for UK charities. In just a few minutes, learn about the best online fundraising solutions, from 100% free options to paid tools to help you ramp up your digital fundraising efforts.

We explore the best peer-to-peer fundraising platforms and a wide range of modern strategies for raising money and engaging your community.

We examine and compare online fundraising platforms to help you find what best suits your needs, focusing on features, costs, benefits, and ease of use.

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In this article:

• The state of online fundraising

• What features should a UK charity look for in a fundraising platform?

• How to choose the best online fundraising platform

• The best online fundraising platforms: Detailed comparison

• What is the best donation platform with zero fees?

• Which of the online fundraising platforms should you use?

• Frequently asked questions

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The state of online fundraising

Online fundraising is no longer a nice-to-have for UK charities. As donor behaviour continues to shift toward digital, organisations must keep up with modern expectations or risk falling behind.

Many small UK charities are already stitching together three to five separate tools: a £15 fete ticket goes through one platform, an autumn appeal donate page through another, a Christmas raffle through a third, and a sponsored 5K through a fourth. Each tool charges its own fees, holds data in its own silo, and demands its own logins. The right fundraising platform should consolidate that stack, not add to it.

Donors now expect fast, mobile-friendly giving experiences, personalised communication, and easy ways to engage, from monthly giving to peer-to-peer campaigns. Charities that continue to modernise and evolve their online presence are more likely to build lasting relationships and grow sustainable impact.

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How do you start fundraising online for a UK charity?

Getting started with online fundraising might feel overwhelming at first, but the good news is you do not have to reinvent the wheel. With the right platform and a clear plan, you can launch a campaign that connects with supporters and raises money.

One question worth settling first: is your organisation a registered charity? Many UK groups running fundraisers, including village halls, community interest companies (CICs), unincorporated associations, and parent-teacher associations (PTAs), are not yet registered charities. Some platforms and most Gift Aid access are gated to organisations that hold HMRC-recognised charity status. If you are based in England or Wales, the Charity Commission can advise on registration. Scottish organisations register with OSCR. Northern Ireland charities register with CCNI.

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Benefits of online fundraising platforms

Diverse fundraising tools

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These may include customisable donation forms and tracking, peer-to-peer fundraising capabilities, event management tools, and social media integration. This diversity allows organisations to choose and implement the methods that align best with their goals and target audience.

Efficiency

Donation platforms streamline the fundraising process, making it more efficient and cost-effective for both organisations and donors. These platforms automate tasks such as donation processing, acknowledgement generation, and communication, reducing the administrative burden on charities.

Engagement and communication

Online fundraising platforms facilitate direct and immediate communication between organisations and donors. Through email updates, social media integrations, and personalised messages, charities can engage with supporters, share success stories, and express gratitude.

Impact assessment

By leveraging detailed analytics, charities can track the performance of individual campaigns, identify trends, and gain a comprehensive understanding of donor behaviour over time. This information allows for the segmentation of donors, enabling more personalised communication and targeted fundraising strategies.

Additionally, online donation platforms help measure the return on investment for each campaign, providing essential information for evaluating the financial efficiency of fundraising strategies and making adjustments as needed.

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What features should a UK charity look for in a fundraising platform?

Use this quick guide to find the right fundraising platform with everything you need to raise more.

✅ Ease of use

The platform's user-friendly interface ensures that charity staff and donors can easily navigate it. This encourages more donations across a variety of campaigns, including e-commerce options, auctions, raffles, personal fundraising pages, crowdfunding campaigns, and virtual and hybrid events.

✅ Online donation processing

The platform should support online donations, with fundraising tools that allow supporters to make contributions easily and securely through various payment methods.

✅ Mobile responsiveness

Cash is dying at UK community events. Supporters are not carrying cash to fetes, village hall suppers, or quiz nights the way they used to, so your chosen platform must provide a seamless and responsive experience on smartphones and tablets, whether through a fundraising app or a mobile-first design for online campaigns. Tap-to-pay and contactless giving are now essential.

✅ Peer-to-peer fundraising

Sponsored fundraising is one of the biggest income streams for UK charities, from runners in the TCS London Marathon and Great Run series to sponsored walks, swims, and silences. Your platform should allow custom team and individual fundraising pages so you do not miss out on this opportunity.

✅ Gift Aid handling

This is the single most important UK-specific feature to check. A platform that lets donors tick a Gift Aid declaration at checkout and then helps your charity submit claims to HMRC via Charities Online allows you to reclaim 25p for every £1 donated by a UK taxpayer. That uplift can be transformative for a small charity. Note that Gift Aid does not apply to raffle ticket purchases, event ticket prices at face value, or auction lots. See HMRC's Gift Aid guidance and the Charity Tax Group for technical detail.

✅ Donor management

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✅ Integrations

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✅ Customisation options

Fundraising tools to customise donation forms, campaign pages, and communications help charities maintain a consistent brand identity and meet specific campaign needs. Offering multiple payment methods is another way to tailor the way you gather donations to your specific donor audience.

✅ Event management

For charities organising events, features such as online event registration, ticketing, and participant management are essential for streamlined event planning and diversified fundraising activities.

✅ Regular giving

Direct Debit accounts for roughly 31% of UK charity donations, making it the single largest payment method for regular gifts. Supporters' ability to set up regular contributions gives charities a steady and predictable source of income.

✅ Analytics and reporting

Robust analytics and reporting tools allow charities to track campaign performance, measure success, and make data-driven decisions for future fundraising efforts.

✅ Security and UK GDPR compliance

The platform should prioritise security to protect donor information and adhere to the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. UK donors and trustees ask about GDPR compliance before adopting new tools, so look for a platform that is transparent about its data-processing practices. The Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice (effective 1 November 2025) also sets requirements for online platforms in its new Section 9.

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A note on raffles and lotteries

If your charity runs a raffle or prize draw, you need to know where you stand under UK gambling law. In the UK, most charity raffles are classed as 'small society lotteries' under the Gambling Act 2005 and are regulated by the Gambling Commission.

The key rules for small society lotteries:

• Register with your local council (£40 initial registration, £20 annual renewal).

• Single-draw ticket sales cap: £20,000.

• Annual aggregate cap: £250,000 across all your lotteries.

• At least 20% of proceeds must go to the charitable cause.

• Maximum single prize: £25,000.

• Submit a return to the local authority within three months of the draw.

If the tickets are sold and the draw is conducted entirely at an event (a school fete raffle, for example), it may qualify as an incidental non-commercial lottery, which needs no registration at all.

Pick a platform that supports the compliance and reporting side of running a raffle legally. For more, see the Gambling Commission's small society lotteries guidance and our guide to online raffle platforms for UK charities.

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How to choose the best online fundraising platform

Step 1: Clarify your fundraising goals

Every charity's goals, mission, budget, and resources are different. However, every charity should have a few essential elements in their fundraising platform to make the most impact possible.

As you go through each online fundraising platform overview below, remember what will help you scale this year and into the future.

Start by identifying what your charity truly needs from a platform by asking yourself:

• Which type of campaigns do you want to run? (Think personalised fundraising pages, monthly giving, auctions, events, accepting donations through your website, and more.)

• Do you need additional donor engagement tools like supporter management or email marketing?

• What is your donation volume and average gift size?

• How many people will need to access your fundraising software, and will they need to collaborate?

Pro tip: Consider future needs and choose something that can grow with you.

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Step 2: Review features to consider in a fundraising platform

When reviewing platforms, focus on the features that will truly support your fundraising strategy, not just now, but as your organisation grows. Look for essentials like customisable donation forms, peer-to-peer campaign options, regular donation tools, and integrations with your CRM or email software.

It is helpful to consider donor experience too:

• Is the platform mobile-friendly?

• Does it support multiple payment methods?

• Features like event management, real-time analytics, and donor segmentation can significantly impact your long-term success.

Pro tip: Go into your evaluation process with a wish list of features to make it easier to compare platforms side by side.

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Step 3: Consider your ideal customer support experience

You can define the level of customer support needed based on your technical expertise and customisation preferences. Every fundraising platform has a different support system, with some offering onboarding and support articles for common challenges and others making it hard to get in touch when something goes wrong.

Responsive and knowledgeable customer support is crucial for troubleshooting issues and ensuring a smooth experience for charities and donors. Your ability to solve a technical issue with your fundraising platform's support team often directly influences the donor experience you can offer.

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Step 4: Set your budget and understand the full picture of costs

Understanding the platform's fee structure, including transaction fees and subscription costs, is essential for budget planning and maximising the impact of donations. To make the most impact, consider using a free fundraising platform for charities, like Zeffy.

Also ask: does the platform handle Gift Aid?

Before committing to any platform, confirm whether it supports Gift Aid declarations at the point of donation and helps your charity submit claims to HMRC. The mechanic is straightforward: your charity reclaims 25p from HMRC for every £1 a UK taxpayer donates, turning a £100 gift into £125 at no extra cost to the donor. Platforms that handle this in-product save your team significant administrative time. Note that Gift Aid does not apply to raffle entries, ticket prices, or auction lots at fair value. (HMRC Gift Aid guidance)

How much do online fundraising platforms cost?

Every fundraising platform has a different fee and pricing structure. When choosing the best fit for your charity, check out their charges.

Some platforms charge:

• Subscription or usage fees: Some fundraising platforms operate on a subscription model, where charities pay a regular platform fee for access to the platform's features (often in annual or monthly payments). Others may charge based on the volume or value of transactions.

• Payment processing fees: Besides the platform fees, payment gateways (such as credit card processors) may charge payment processing fees for handling transactions.

• Customisation or premium features: Some fundraising platforms offer premium features or enhanced customisation options that may come with an additional cost.

• Training and support costs: While many online fundraising platforms offer essential support, some may provide additional training or premium support services for an extra cost. These organisations may charge setup fees or other onboarding fees.

• Integration costs: If a charity requires integrations with other tools or systems (such as CRM software), additional fees may be associated with setting up and maintaining these integrations.

• Platform switching costs: If a charity decides to switch to a different fundraising platform, there may be costs associated with migrating data, reconfiguring campaigns, and adapting to the new system.

Are free fundraising platforms actually free?

While many platforms advertise themselves as "free," there is usually some kind of cost involved, whether it is transaction fees or premium features behind a paywall (unless you are using Zeffy's 100% free platform, of course). The key is understanding what "free" really means, so you can choose a platform that fits your budget and fundraising goals.

UK charities should also look carefully at voluntary contribution prompts (sometimes called "tips") on donor checkout pages. These default percentage prompts have attracted significant scrutiny from UK fundraising press and donor-trust bodies. A platform that is transparent about how it is funded, and never links its free promise to a compulsory or default add-on, is the safer choice.

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The best online fundraising platforms: Detailed comparison

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1. Zeffy: the best free all-in-one platform for UK charities

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Zeffy is a 100% free online fundraising platform built for charities. Unlike other fundraising software, Zeffy is a true all-in-one solution that offers a full suite of tools. From event ticketing and raffles to auctions and membership management, Zeffy is the only platform that helps you raise money and reach your fundraising goals without taking a penny of your donations.

Advantages

• Customisable forms: Create branded donation forms, event registrations, and ticket sales pages.

• Event management: Tools for ticketing, early bird pricing, tiered tickets, and attendee tracking.

• Supporter management: Integrated CRM for tracking donor data, analysing reports, and building relationships.

• Gift Aid handling: Enables Gift Aid declarations at checkout so your charity can reclaim 25p per £1 from HMRC.

• Campaign flexibility: Easily run donation drives, fundraising campaigns, and membership renewals.

• Regular giving: Allows donors to set up regular contributions to boost long-term support.

• Scalable: Works for both small grassroots charities and larger organisations.

• Data insights: Access reporting and analytics to optimise fundraising efforts.

Disadvantages

Pricing and fees

Zeffy is 100% free: no platform fee, no transaction fee, no card fee. Ever. While every other platform takes fees away from your mission, Zeffy delivers 100% to your charity.

Here is how it works

When someone donates through your fundraising form, they have the option (but are never obliged) to leave a voluntary contribution to Zeffy. Not everyone gives every time, and that is fine. Enough supporters leave a contribution to cover overheads and fees.

User testimonials

"The ability to create our own form to fit our needs. Customer support was very responsive to my questions and put me at ease before we launched our registration form. We also love the 'no transaction fee'. It is very difficult to find, if not impossible, an option that does not require a piece of the pie. When it comes to a charity that 100% goes back to the community, every pound counts." - Carrie B.

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2. JustGiving: the household-name UK donation platform

JustGiving is the most recognised donation platform in the UK, giving charities access to a broad, familiar brand that cold donors already trust. Owned by Blackbaud since 2017, it has been the default home for sponsored fundraising pages for more than two decades.

The honest take: the ~17% default donor tip prompt on checkout is the single most-criticised pricing pattern in UK fundraising press. Money Saving Expert and numerous charity forums highlight it as a conversion drag and an embarrassment to the charities whose donation pages it appears on. If donor trust and fee transparency matter to your audience (and they should), weigh that carefully.

Advantages

• Household-name brand recognition with cold donors

• Peer-to-peer sponsorship pages for mass-participation events (outside official LME/Great Run channels)

• Large existing donor base

• Social sharing tools

Disadvantages

• Default ~17% donor tip prompt is politically charged and widely criticised

• Gift Aid processing fee of 5% on the Gift Aid value

• Blackbaud ownership limits independence

Pricing and fees

0% platform fee; approximately 1.9% + 20p card processing; 5% on Gift Aid value. Some charities pay a monthly subscription. See the Zeffy vs JustGiving comparison for current UK fees.

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3. Enthuse: mandatory if you have London Marathon or Great Run places

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If your charity has places in the TCS London Marathon or the Great Run series, Enthuse is not optional. It is the official online fundraising partner for both programmes under an exclusive contract to 2034. Branded fundraising pages put your charity front and centre, not the platform.

Advantages

• Branded pages: supporters see your charity, not Enthuse

• Automatic fundraising page creation for event registrants

• Deep integration with LME and Great Run registration

• FCA-regulated

Disadvantages

• Outside flagship mass-participation events, the value proposition is weaker

• The subscription model adds up if you are not maximising volume

• Transaction fee on event tickets

Pricing and fees

0% platform fee on donations; 1.9% + 30p card processing; 5% on Gift Aid value; 3.5% + 75p per event ticket; optional monthly subscription. See the Zeffy vs Enthuse comparison for current UK fees.

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4. CAF Donate: the trust-first, low-flair option for embedded donate buttons

CAF Donate is built by the Charities Aid Foundation, one of the oldest UK charity infrastructure bodies, and is used by more than 8,000 UK charities. It is the platform trustees recognise and donors trust, with no monthly subscription and straightforward fee structures.

Advantages

• Built by a registered charity, for charities

• Trusted by 8,000+ UK charities

• No monthly subscription

• Strong for embedded donate buttons and Direct Debit

Disadvantages

• Reporting is more basic than commercial competitors

• Limited marketing flair or discovery features

Pricing and fees

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5. Wonderful.org: genuinely 0% via Open Banking

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Wonderful.org uses Open Banking (account-to-account transfers) to deliver 100% of every donation to the charity, with no platform fee and no tip jar. It is the most fee-transparent option in the UK market.

Advantages

• Genuinely 0%: no platform fee, no Gift Aid fee on Pay by Bank

• Open Banking journey removes card-processing costs

• Praised by independent reviewers for fee transparency

Disadvantages

• Narrower reach than JustGiving for cold-donor discovery

• Open Banking requires donors to authenticate with their banking app, which converts well with younger, digitally confident donors and less well with older donors

Pricing and fees

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6. Ticket Tailor: the UK ticketing winner for paid events

Ticket Tailor is a UK-founded, B Corp-certified ticketing platform and the most-cited Eventbrite alternative among independent UK event organisers. It charges a flat per-ticket fee rather than a percentage, and offers a 50% charity discount. Direct Stripe payouts mean you access funds immediately, without the payout delays of some larger platforms.

Advantages

• Flat per-ticket fee (£0.22 to £0.60); no percentage cut

• 50% charity discount

• B Corp certified; bootstrapped; no venture capital

• Direct Stripe or PayPal payouts

• Free events under 2,000 tickets per year are free

Disadvantages

• No discovery marketplace; you bring your own audience

• Not a full fundraising stack (donation pages, memberships, or donor management not included)

Pricing and fees

Pay-as-you-go: £0.60 per ticket; pre-purchased credits as low as £0.22. Plus Stripe card processing (1.5% + 20p for UK cards). See the Zeffy vs Ticket Tailor comparison for current UK fees.

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7. Eventbrite: the discovery network you pay for

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Eventbrite is the dominant global event platform, still useful when public discovery matters. For a fundraiser that genuinely needs strangers to find it, the Eventbrite marketplace adds real value. For a community-fete ticket or a school quiz night where the audience is already coming, the fee per ticket can eat your margin.

Advantages

• Large discovery marketplace; versatile event types

• User-friendly interface for both organisers and attendees

• Attendee communication tools

• Integrated ticket and payment processing

Disadvantages

• Fee per paid ticket is punitive on low-price events (a £10 ticket can cost more than £1.29 in combined fees)

• Free events above 25 attendees now require a paid plan

• Limited customisation

Pricing and fees

From £0 (free events up to 25 attendees); paid events roughly 6.95% + £0.59 per ticket plus payment processing. See the Zeffy vs Eventbrite comparison for current UK fees.

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8. GoFundMe: personal and emergency crowdfunding

GoFundMe is the dominant personal crowdfunding platform in the UK and is widely used for individual and emergency causes. Registered charities can also use it for campaigns, with a reduced fee rate.

Advantages

• Global and UK audience reach

• Social media integration

• User-friendly interface for campaign creation

• Recognised brand for cold donor outreach

Disadvantages

• The platform is primarily built for personal crowdfunding; charities looking for advanced donor management, regular giving, or Gift Aid automation typically need a dedicated charity platform alongside it

• A GoFundMe page may signal personal cause rather than registered charity, which can affect donor trust

• Transaction fees on every donation

Pricing and fees

Registered charities pay 1.9% + 20p per donation; personal campaigns pay 2.9% + 25p, plus an optional donor voluntary contribution at checkout. See the Zeffy vs GoFundMe comparison for current UK fees.

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9. Crowdfunder UK: the home-grown platform for time-bound campaigns

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Crowdfunder UK is the largest UK-based crowdfunding platform and the best option for charities running a time-bound campaign with a clear funding target. The real reason to pick Crowdfunder over a straight donate page is the match-funding partnerships, which deliver additional free grant money from the National Lottery Community Fund, local authorities, and other bodies.

Advantages

• 0% platform fee for charities

• Match-funding partnerships are a genuine differentiator: free additional grant money if you qualify

• Well-known in the UK community fundraising sector

• Supports rewards-based, community-shares, and prize-draw campaigns

• Registered with the Fundraising Regulator

Disadvantages

• Best for time-bound campaigns; less suited to steady-state donate buttons or regular giving

• No ticketing, membership management, or auction tools built in

Pricing and fees

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10. GalaBid and Givergy: mobile bidding for silent auctions and galas

For charities running gala dinners, golf days, or school fundraising nights, GalaBid and Givergy are the UK's leading mobile-bidding platforms.

GalaBid has more than 10 years of UK gala track record, strong silent-auction tooling, and a donor-covered fee option. Givergy's 'Keep it FREE' initiative means UK charities pay nothing: donors voluntarily cover the platform's costs. Both platforms are a strong fit when you need guests to bid from their phones, not paper bid sheets.

Advantages (both platforms)

• Mobile bidding from any smartphone

• Silent auction and fundraising event management

• UK-focused support and track record

• Givergy: 100% free for UK charities via donor-covered model

• GalaBid: 10+ years of UK gala experience

Disadvantages

• Specialist auction tools only; no full fundraising stack for year-round giving

• Costs vary significantly by tier and event size

Pricing and fees

Givergy: free for UK charities (donor-covered fee model). GalaBid: tiered pricing; donor-covered option available. See the Zeffy vs GalaBid comparison for current UK fees.

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11. Beacon: the #1 UK fundraising CRM when you outgrow spreadsheets

Beacon is not a standalone donation platform, but it is the most widely recommended fundraising CRM for small-to-mid UK charities. Rated number one in Fundraising Magazine's UK CRM survey for six consecutive years, it offers native Gift Aid claim submission, fast onboarding, and a modern interface built specifically for UK fundraising.

If your charity has grown to the point where donor data, Gift Aid claims, and campaign reporting are scattered across spreadsheets and email folders, Beacon is the natural next step.

Advantages

• UK-built and UK-focused

• Native Gift Aid claim submission to HMRC

• Fast onboarding; modern interface

• Rated #1 UK fundraising CRM for six years

Disadvantages

• Subscription cost (from £33.50 per month); not free

• Fundraising-focused; limited case management or service-delivery features

• Best as part of a wider stack (pair with Zeffy for donations and ticketing)

Pricing and fees

Starter from £33.50 per month; scales by active supporter count.

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What is the best donation platform with zero fees?

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While every other platform takes a portion of donations in fees, Zeffy gives 100% of all donations directly to charities. Donors can be reassured that the entirety of their gift is going straight to the cause. No platform fee, no transaction fee, no card fee. Ever.

Platform fees and voluntary contribution prompts on donor checkout pages can routinely account for 5% to 20% of a donation before it reaches the cause. For a small charity raising £50,000 a year, that is up to £10,000 lost to platform costs. Zeffy removes that cost entirely.

At Zeffy, we are working to make sure that the money raised goes directly to every charity's mission.

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Which of the online fundraising platforms should you use?

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There are many fundraising platforms to choose from. Each offers different pros and cons, and some are more specialised than others.

Unlike most platforms, Zeffy is the only wholly free fundraising platform for charities: no transaction fees, subscription fees, or monthly payments. Simple to use with unlimited, free customer support plus a whole host of features like peer-to-peer campaigns, membership management, and a free online donation platform, Zeffy makes sure that all of your money goes to your charity.

Join the 100,000+ charities and organisations that use and trust Zeffy every single day.

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Frequently asked questions

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