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Nonprofits · head to head

Aplos vs Donorbox

Aplos logo

Aplos

Nonprofits

Fund accounting for nonprofits and churches, with donor management and online giving attached

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Donorbox logo

Donorbox

Nonprofits

Online fundraising platform for nonprofits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Donorbox has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Aplos the donor management side is record keeping rather than fundraising software, so any organisation running segmented appeals or automation will still buy a CRM and pay twice.; Donorbox standard plan charges 2.95-3.95% platform fee per donation on top of payment processor fees (2.2-2.49% + card processing)
  • They diverge on capability: Aplos covers Fund accounting ledger, Donorbox covers Custom donation forms.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aplos and Donorbox actually diverge.

Attributes where Aplos and Donorbox differ
AttributeAplosDonorbox
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer month by feature tierfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
FoundedUnknown2016

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Nonprofits).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Aplos

  • Fund accounting ledger
  • Nonprofit financial statements
  • Online giving pages
  • Budgeting by fund
  • Church tools

Only in Donorbox

  • Custom donation forms
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising
  • Payment processing
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Mailchimp
  • Zapier
  • Web support

Both cover

  • Donor management

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Aplos

  • A nonprofit whose auditor has raised restricted fund reporting as a findingnot Donorbox
  • A church tracking contributions, designated funds and giving statements in one systemnot Donorbox
  • A small organisation replacing QuickBooks plus a spreadsheet of fund balancesnot Donorbox
  • An Aplos and Keela buyer wanting gifts to post from the CRM into the ledger without exportnot Donorbox

Donorbox

  • Small to mid-sized nonprofits needing affordable donation processing in 96+ countriesnot Aplos
  • Organisations seeking integrated event ticketing and peer-to-peer fundraisingnot Aplos
  • Multi-channel giving strategies including text-to-give and membership programmesnot Aplos

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Aplos

  • The donor management side is record keeping rather than fundraising software, so any organisation running segmented appeals or automation will still buy a CRM and pay twice.
  • It is not a general ledger for complex structures, so multi entity groups, consolidations and intercompany transactions push organisations back to a mainstream accounting package.
  • Higher tiers are needed for the budgeting and custom reporting many buyers assume are standard, so the entry price is rarely the real price.
  • Payroll is handled through a partner rather than natively, which adds a vendor and a reconciliation step for organisations with staff.
  • The bookkeeper ecosystem is far smaller than QuickBooks, so finding an accountant already fluent in the product is harder and handover after staff turnover takes longer.

Donorbox

  • Standard plan charges 2.95-3.95% platform fee per donation on top of payment processor fees (2.2-2.49% + card processing)
  • Premium plan pricing requires contacting sales, not displayed publicly
  • Pro plan limited to growing organisations; larger nonprofits must upgrade to Premium with custom pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Aplos

On request
  • Aplos$undefined/month
    • Published monthly tiers separating core accounting from the full suite
    • Advanced accounting, budgeting by fund and custom reporting sit in higher tiers
    • Card and bank processing on donations charged separately

Donorbox

Free
  • StandardFree
    • Unlimited donation forms and pages
    • Basic reporting
    • 2.95-3.95% transaction fees
  • Pro$150/month
    • Advanced customizations
    • Crypto and stock donations
    • AI assistant included

Which should you pick?

Choose Aplos if

  • You need fund accounting ledger.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want nonprofit financial statements.
Aplos review

Choose Donorbox if

  • You need custom donation forms.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want peer-to-peer fundraising.
Donorbox review

Questions people ask

Is Aplos or Donorbox better?
Neither clearly leads. Aplos starts at On request and Donorbox at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aplos or Donorbox?
Donorbox has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Aplos and Free for Donorbox.
Does Aplos or Donorbox run on more platforms?
Aplos runs on Web, iOS, Android. Donorbox runs on Web.
Can I use Donorbox for free?
Yes. Donorbox has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Aplos starts at On request.
What is Aplos best used for?
Aplos is most often used for a nonprofit whose auditor has raised restricted fund reporting as a finding, a church tracking contributions, designated funds and giving statements in one system, a small organisation replacing quickbooks plus a spreadsheet of fund balances, an aplos and keela buyer wanting gifts to post from the crm into the ledger without export. Of those, a nonprofit whose auditor has raised restricted fund reporting as a finding and a church tracking contributions, designated funds and giving statements in one system are not what Donorbox is typically brought in for.
What can Aplos do that Donorbox cannot?
Aplos covers Fund accounting ledger, Nonprofit financial statements, Online giving pages, Budgeting by fund. Donorbox covers Custom donation forms, Peer-to-peer fundraising, Payment processing, Stripe. Both handle Donor management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aplos: Is Aplos an accounting system or a CRM?

Primarily fund accounting. The donor management is included but shallow compared with a dedicated nonprofit CRM.

Donorbox: How much does Donorbox cost?

Donorbox Standard is free with 2.95-3.95% transaction fees. Pro is $150/month with 1.75-2% transaction fees, advanced customizations, and AI assistance. Premium requires a custom quote.

Source
Aplos: What is the relationship with Keela?

Aplos acquired Keela in 2023. The two are being integrated, so a buyer comparing them is comparing products from one company.

Donorbox: Is Donorbox free?

Yes, Donorbox Standard is free with unlimited donation forms and basic reporting, though transaction fees of 2.95-3.95% apply.

Source
Aplos: Can it replace QuickBooks?

For a single entity nonprofit, usually yes, and it handles restricted funds far better. For multi entity consolidation, no.

Donorbox: What are Donorbox's transaction fees by plan?

Standard plan charges 2.95-3.95% per transaction. Pro charges 1.75-2%. Premium charges 1.6-2%. All plans allow donors to cover processing fees.

Source
Aplos: Does it handle payroll?

Through a partner integration rather than natively, so payroll is an extra subscription and an extra reconciliation.

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