Online giving isn’t optional anymore. Donors expect it, and nonprofits that don’t offer it leave money on the table — literally. But the giving platform landscape is crowded, and the wrong choice means higher fees, frustrated donors, and more admin work reconciling data across systems.

We compared the best online giving platforms for small nonprofits on fees, ease of use, donor experience, and integrations.

Quick Comparison

1. Donorbox — Best for Quick Setup on Existing Websites

Donorbox is the easiest way to add a professional donation form to any website. You embed a widget or link to a hosted form, and donors can give in minutes. No website rebuild required. It’s the go-to for nonprofits that already have a site and just need a giving page.

Pros:

• Embeds on any website in under 15 minutes
• Clean, mobile-optimized donation forms
• Recurring giving, dedicated campaigns, and goal tracking
• Donor portal for managing recurring donations
• Supports ACH, credit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay
• Works with any website builder (Wix, Squarespace, WordPress, etc.)
• Good integration with CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot, Little Green Light)
• No monthly fee — just processing fees

Cons:

• Processing fees are standard (2.95% + $0.30) unless you use their fee-free option with donor-covered fees
• No built-in event registration or peer-to-peer fundraising (separate tools)
• Limited branding customization on lower tiers
• Donor management features are basic (not a full CRM)
• No nonprofit discount on processing
• Form design options are limited compared to custom builds

Pricing: Free to use; processing 2.95% + $0.30; Premium plan $199/month for advanced features

Best for: Small nonprofits that want to add online giving to their existing website quickly and affordably.

Get Donorbox →

2. Givebutter — Best Free Platform with Fundraising Tools

Givebutter offers online giving, event registration, peer-to-peer fundraising, and donor management — all for free (revenue comes from optional donor tips instead of platform fees). It’s the most feature-rich free option available.

Pros:

• No platform fees (donors can cover processing via tips)
• Online giving + events + peer-to-peer + CRM in one platform
• Modern, attractive donation forms
• Text-to-give included
• Good social fundraising tools (campaigns, teams, leaderboards)
• Donor CRM included
• No monthly subscription required

Cons:

• Tip model can confuse or annoy some donors
• Processing fees are standard if donors don’t tip
• Donor CRM is basic compared to dedicated CRMs
• Branding customization requires paid plan
• Customer support can be slow for free users
• Less mature than Donorbox for embeddable forms

Pricing: Free (donor tip model); processing 2.9% + $0.30; Pro plans available

Best for: Nonprofits that want giving, events, and peer-to-peer fundraising in one free platform and don’t mind the tip-based model.

Get Givebutter →

3. Fundraise Up — Best AI-Optimized Donation Experience

Fundraise Up uses AI to optimize every part of the donation experience — form layout, suggested amounts, payment methods, and follow-ups. The result is higher conversion rates. If every donation dollar matters, Fundraise Up’s optimization can meaningfully increase total giving.

Pros:

• AI-optimized forms that increase conversion rates
• Smart suggested amounts based on donor behavior
• Dynamic payment method presentation
• Excellent mobile experience
• Good donor portal
• Supports 30+ currencies and payment methods
• Recurring giving with smart retention
• ACH processing at lower rates

Cons:

• Higher processing fees for some card types
• Newer platform with a smaller track record
• CRM integrations are limited compared to Donorbox
• No event registration or peer-to-peer fundraising
• Pricing requires a demo for full platform
• Less customizable than a Stripe custom build
• No free tier for advanced features

Pricing: Processing 2.9% + $0.30; platform fee varies (requires demo)

Best for: Nonprofits that want to maximize conversion rates and average donation size through AI optimization.

Get Fundraise Up →

4. Stripe + Custom Build — Lowest Fees, Requires Developer

If you have access to a developer (or are one), building a custom donation form on Stripe gives you the lowest possible processing fees and complete control over the donor experience. Stripe’s nonprofit program reduces fees further.

Pros:

• Lowest possible processing fees (2.9% + $0.30, or 2.2% + $0.30 with nonprofit discount)
• Complete control over form design and donor experience
• Stripe handles PCI compliance, fraud, and payment processing
• Supports 135+ currencies
• Strong API for custom integrations
• Recurring donations via Stripe Subscriptions
• No platform fees — you only pay processing
• Full data ownership

Cons:

• Requires developer time to build and maintain
• No built-in donor management (you build it or use a CRM)
• No out-of-the-box donation forms
• You handle receipts, donor portal, and reporting
• Ongoing maintenance (updates, security, feature additions)
• Not realistic for nonprofits without technical resources
• PCI compliance responsibility shifts to your implementation

Pricing: Processing 2.9% + $0.30; nonprofit discount reduces to 2.2% + $0.30; no platform fees

Best for: Tech-savvy nonprofits or those with developer volunteers who want maximum control and minimum fees.

Get Stripe →

5. PayPal Donations — Simplest, Most Familiar

PayPal is the payment method most donors already know and trust. Setting up a PayPal donation page takes 10 minutes, and donors don’t need to enter their card information — they just log into PayPal. It’s the simplest option, but also the most limited.

Pros:

• Donors already have PayPal accounts (no new account to create)
• Setup takes under 10 minutes
• Trusted brand — reduces donor hesitation
• Nonprofit discount available (1.99% + $0.49 vs. standard 2.89% + $0.49)
• Accepts credit cards, debit cards, and PayPal balance
• Recurring donations supported
• No monthly fees

Cons:

• Limited customization (donation pages look like PayPal)
• No donor portal or CRM features
• No campaign or peer-to-peer fundraising tools
• Donor experience is less modern than Donorbox or Givebutter
• Higher processing fees than custom Stripe for non-discounted cards
• Limited reporting and analytics
• Donors must leave your site to donate (or use embedded button)

Pricing: Processing 2.89% + $0.49 standard; 1.99% + $0.49 with confirmed nonprofit discount

Best for: Tiny nonprofits that need to accept online donations today and want the simplest possible setup.

Get PayPal Donations →

How to Choose

1. What’s your primary need?

Just add a donate button to your website → Donorbox or PayPal. Giving + events + fundraising → Givebutter. Maximum conversion → Fundraise Up. Lowest fees + developer available → Stripe.

2. What’s your budget?

Zero → Givebutter (free) or PayPal (no monthly cost). Under 3% processing → Donorbox or Stripe (with nonprofit discount). Willing to pay for optimization → Fundraise Up.

3. Do you have a website?

Yes → Donorbox (embed on existing site). No → Givebutter (hosted pages). Custom build → Stripe.

4. Do you need more than giving?

Yes (events, peer-to-peer, CRM) → Givebutter. No (just giving) → Donorbox or Fundraise Up.

Our Top Pick

For most small nonprofits, Donorbox is the best starting point — embed it on your existing site in 15 minutes and start accepting donations. If you also need events and fundraising campaigns, Givebutter gives you all of that for free. And if conversion optimization is your priority, Fundraise Up can meaningfully increase your total giving.

SoftDecide helps churches, nonprofits, and small organizations find the right software. Our comparisons are independently researched. We may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page — at no extra cost to you.