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Nonprofits · head to head

Aplos vs Salesforce for Nonprofits

Aplos logo

Aplos

Nonprofits

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Salesforce for Nonprofits logo

Salesforce for Nonprofits

Nonprofits

Enterprise CRM for nonprofit organizations

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Salesforce for Nonprofits 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.; Salesforce for Nonprofits the Power of Us free grant covers only 10 Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud or Sales/Service Cloud licences; every licence beyond that is paid
  • They diverge on capability: Aplos covers Fund accounting ledger, Salesforce for Nonprofits covers Campaign tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aplos and Salesforce for Nonprofits actually diverge.

Attributes where Aplos and Salesforce for Nonprofits differ
AttributeAplosSalesforce for Nonprofits
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer month by feature tiersubscription
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown1999

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Salesforce for Nonprofits

  • Campaign tracking
  • Volunteer management
  • Program tracking
  • Advanced reporting
  • Stripe
  • Google Analytics
  • Slack
  • Tableau

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 Salesforce for Nonprofits
  • A church tracking contributions, designated funds and giving statements in one systemnot Salesforce for Nonprofits
  • A small organisation replacing QuickBooks plus a spreadsheet of fund balancesnot Salesforce for Nonprofits
  • An Aplos and Keela buyer wanting gifts to post from the CRM into the ledger without exportnot Salesforce for Nonprofits

Salesforce for Nonprofits

  • Nonprofit constituent CRM covering fundraising, programs, outcomes and volunteersnot Aplos
  • Consolidating donor, grant and program data on the Salesforce platformnot 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.

Salesforce for Nonprofits

  • The Power of Us free grant covers only 10 Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud or Sales/Service Cloud licences; every licence beyond that is paid
  • Nonprofit Cloud Enterprise is $60 per user per month billed annually and Nonprofit Cloud Unlimited is $100 per user per month billed annually
  • The free licences require passing Salesforce eligibility criteria for the Power of Us program
  • Most Salesforce products are sold on annual contracts
  • Some products must scale together when you add or upgrade, which requires going through an Account Executive

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

Salesforce for Nonprofits

Free
  • Nonprofit CloudFree
    • Donor management
    • Campaign tracking
    • Volunteer management
  • Professional$150/month
    • Advanced reporting
    • API integrations
    • Customization

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 Salesforce for Nonprofits if

  • You need campaign tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want volunteer management.
Salesforce for Nonprofits review

Questions people ask

Is Aplos or Salesforce for Nonprofits better?
Neither clearly leads. Aplos starts at On request and Salesforce for Nonprofits at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aplos or Salesforce for Nonprofits?
Salesforce for Nonprofits has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Aplos and Free for Salesforce for Nonprofits.
Does Aplos or Salesforce for Nonprofits run on more platforms?
Aplos runs on Web, iOS, Android. Salesforce for Nonprofits runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Salesforce for Nonprofits for free?
Yes. Salesforce for Nonprofits 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 Salesforce for Nonprofits is typically brought in for.
What can Aplos do that Salesforce for Nonprofits cannot?
Aplos covers Fund accounting ledger, Nonprofit financial statements, Online giving pages, Budgeting by fund. Salesforce for Nonprofits covers Campaign tracking, Volunteer management, Program tracking, Advanced reporting. 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.

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.

Aplos: Can it replace QuickBooks?

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

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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