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Nonprofits · head to head

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge vs Keela

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge logo

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

Nonprofits

Enterprise-grade donor management system

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Keela logo

Keela

Nonprofits

Nonprofit CRM and fundraising platform with Canadian tax receipting built in

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Blackbaud Raiser's Edge no published pricing on website - requires custom quote based on organization size and solutions; Keela pricing scales with contact count, so a charity that keeps twenty years of lapsed donors pays every month for records it never contacts, and the only fix is deleting history it may need for reporting.
  • They diverge on capability: Blackbaud Raiser's Edge covers Donor management, Keela covers Donor records and segmentation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Blackbaud Raiser's Edge and Keela differ
AttributeBlackbaud Raiser's EdgeKeela
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer month by contact count
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, MobileWeb
Founded1981Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 Keela

  • Donor records and segmentation
  • CRA and IRS receipting
  • Donation forms and pages
  • Email and automation
  • Grant and pledge tracking
  • Reporting dashboards

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 Keela
  • Major gift portfolio management for fundraisersnot Keela
  • Campaign and appeal trackingnot Keela
  • Prospect research and wealth screeningnot Keela
  • Fundraising reporting for boards and fundersnot Keela

Keela

  • A Canadian registered charity that must issue CRA compliant receipts without building templates itselfnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
  • A development team of two to five people replacing spreadsheets and a mailing toolnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
  • An organisation already running Aplos fund accounting that wants gifts to post through automaticallynot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
  • A bilingual charity sending French and English donor communications from one contact listnot 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

Keela

  • Pricing scales with contact count, so a charity that keeps twenty years of lapsed donors pays every month for records it never contacts, and the only fix is deleting history it may need for reporting.
  • The email marketing tools are adequate for donor appeals but weaker than a dedicated platform, so organisations with heavy newsletter programmes end up paying for a second tool and syncing lists.
  • Custom reporting is limited to the fields and filters Keela exposes, so questions the product did not anticipate require exporting to a spreadsheet.
  • The integration list is short next to Salesforce or Blackbaud, so a charity running an unusual event, membership or advocacy tool will be moving data by CSV.
  • Since the 2023 Aplos acquisition the roadmap serves a combined accounting and fundraising suite, so investment favours the accounting join rather than standalone CRM depth.

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

Keela

On request
  • Keela$undefined/month
    • Published tiers priced by number of contacts held, not by user seat
    • Higher tiers unlock automation, custom fields and additional reporting
    • Card processing is charged separately by the payment processor

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 Keela if

  • You need donor records and segmentation.
  • You also want cra and irs receipting.
Keela review

Questions people ask

Is Blackbaud Raiser's Edge or Keela better?
Neither clearly leads. Blackbaud Raiser's Edge starts at On request and Keela at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blackbaud Raiser's Edge or Keela?
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge starts at On request and Keela at On request.
Does Blackbaud Raiser's Edge or Keela run on more platforms?
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile. Keela runs on Web.
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 Keela is typically brought in for.
What can Blackbaud Raiser's Edge do that Keela cannot?
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge covers Donor management, Gift tracking, Prospect research, Campaign management. Keela covers Donor records and segmentation, CRA and IRS receipting, Donation forms and pages, Email and automation.

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
Keela: Does Keela issue CRA compliant tax receipts?

Yes, receipt numbering, required wording and batch issuance are built in, which is the main reason Canadian charities choose it over US products.

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
Keela: Who owns Keela?

Aplos Software, a US fund accounting vendor, acquired it in 2023. Keela is still sold as its own product but shares a roadmap with Aplos.

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
Keela: Is pricing per user?

No, it is by contact count. Adding staff does not raise the bill, growing the mailing list does.

Keela: Can it replace a fund accounting system?

No. It records income and pledges but does not do fund accounting, so you still need Aplos, QuickBooks or an equivalent.

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