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Nonprofits · head to head

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge vs Give Lively

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge logo

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

Nonprofits

Enterprise-grade donor management system

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Give Lively logo

Give Lively

Nonprofits

Fundraising software given free to nonprofits, funded by its founders rather than by fees

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Give Lively has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Blackbaud Raiser's Edge no published pricing on website - requires custom quote based on organization size and solutions; Give Lively eligibility is limited to US 501(c)(3) organisations, so charities registered in the UK, Canada, Australia or the EU cannot use it at all regardless of fit.
  • They diverge on capability: Blackbaud Raiser's Edge covers Donor management, Give Lively covers Branded donation pages.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blackbaud Raiser's Edge and Give Lively actually diverge.

Attributes where Blackbaud Raiser's Edge and Give Lively differ
AttributeBlackbaud Raiser's EdgeGive Lively
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree to nonprofits, card processing charged by the processor
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, MobileWeb
Founded1981Unknown

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 Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

  • Donor management
  • Gift tracking
  • Prospect research
  • Campaign management
  • Advanced reporting
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Salesforce

Only in Give Lively

  • Branded donation pages
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising
  • Text-to-donate
  • Event ticketing
  • Donor database
  • DAFpay
  • Multiple processors

What people use each for

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

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

  • Donor management and gift processing for nonprofitsnot Give Lively
  • Major gift portfolio management for fundraisersnot Give Lively
  • Campaign and appeal trackingnot Give Lively
  • Prospect research and wealth screeningnot Give Lively
  • Fundraising reporting for boards and fundersnot Give Lively

Give Lively

  • A US nonprofit currently paying a percentage platform fee on every gift and wanting that money back in programme budgetnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
  • Running a peer-to-peer campaign where thin margins make a per-donation platform cut painfulnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
  • A small organisation with no software budget that still needs branded, mobile-ready donation pagesnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
  • Adding donor advised fund giving at checkout without paying for a separate DAF integrationnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

Where each one falls short

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

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

  • No published pricing on website - requires custom quote based on organization size and solutions
  • Pricing varies significantly by product and organizational complexity

Give Lively

  • Eligibility is limited to US 501(c)(3) organisations, so charities registered in the UK, Canada, Australia or the EU cannot use it at all regardless of fit.
  • The platform is funded by its founders' personal philanthropy rather than by revenue, so there is no contractual commitment to a roadmap or a service level and no paying customer base to keep it alive if that funding stops.
  • Support is email based with no paid escalation tier, so an organisation mid-campaign with a broken form has no way to buy faster attention.
  • The donor database is adequate for gift tracking but thin compared with a real CRM, so most organisations still pay for Bloomerang, DonorPerfect or Salesforce alongside it and maintain a sync.
  • Optional donor tips appear at checkout to fund the platform, which some boards object to because it puts a second ask in front of a donor who has already decided what to give.

Pricing, plan by plan

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

On request
  • Standard$200/month
    • Donor database
    • Gift tracking
    • Reports
  • Premium$500/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Prospect research
    • Custom reporting

Give Lively

Free
  • Give LivelyFree
    • All fundraising products included
    • No platform fee on donations
    • No setup or subscription charge

Which should you pick?

Choose Blackbaud Raiser's Edge if

  • You need donor management.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want gift tracking.
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge review

Choose Give Lively if

  • You need branded donation pages.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want peer-to-peer fundraising.
Give Lively review

Questions people ask

Is Blackbaud Raiser's Edge or Give Lively better?
Neither clearly leads. Blackbaud Raiser's Edge starts at On request and Give Lively at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blackbaud Raiser's Edge or Give Lively?
Give Lively has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Blackbaud Raiser's Edge and Free for Give Lively.
Does Blackbaud Raiser's Edge or Give Lively run on more platforms?
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile. Give Lively runs on Web.
Can I use Give Lively for free?
Yes. Give Lively has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Blackbaud Raiser's Edge starts at On request.
What is Blackbaud Raiser's Edge best used for?
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge is most often used for donor management and gift processing for nonprofits, major gift portfolio management for fundraisers, campaign and appeal tracking, prospect research and wealth screening. Of those, donor management and gift processing for nonprofits and major gift portfolio management for fundraisers are not what Give Lively is typically brought in for.
What can Blackbaud Raiser's Edge do that Give Lively cannot?
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge covers Donor management, Gift tracking, Prospect research, Campaign management. Give Lively covers Branded donation pages, Peer-to-peer fundraising, Text-to-donate, Event ticketing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge: How much does Raiser's Edge NXT cost?

Blackbaud does not publish pricing for Raiser's Edge NXT or other products on their website. Pricing is customized based on your organization's size, goals, and the solutions you need. You must submit a form to request a personalized quote.

Source
Give Lively: Is it genuinely free, or free with a percentage taken?

Genuinely free. Give Lively takes no cut of donations and charges no subscription. You pay only the card processing fee, which goes to Stripe, Shift4 or PayPal, starting around 1.99% plus $0.25.

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge: How is Blackbaud pricing calculated?

Blackbaud pricing is based on several factors including organization size, number of users, selected solutions or modules, and the level of support and services desired. Pricing is designed to scale with organizational needs.

Source
Give Lively: How does the company make money?

It does not, in the ordinary sense. Operating costs are covered by its founders as a philanthropic commitment, plus voluntary tips donors can add at checkout.

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge: Does Blackbaud charge hidden fees?

No, Blackbaud pricing is structured to be transparent with no hidden fees. Their representative walks through all costs during consultation before you move forward.

Source
Give Lively: Can a UK or Canadian charity use it?

No. Give Lively requires US 501(c)(3) status.

Give Lively: Does it replace a donor CRM?

Not for most organisations. It stores donors and gift history, but fundraisers running major gift or grant pipelines usually keep a dedicated CRM and sync to it.

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