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Nonprofits · head to head

Bloomerang vs CiviCRM

Bloomerang logo

Bloomerang

Nonprofits

Donor relationship management for nonprofits

From
$40/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CiviCRM logo

CiviCRM

Nonprofits

Open source constituent relationship management for nonprofits, with no per contact or per donation fee

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CiviCRM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bloomerang pricing is based on the number of constituent records tracked, so the bill grows with the database rather than with usage; CiviCRM nobody maintains it for you, so security patches and major version upgrades are your operational responsibility and organisations that skip them end up stranded on an old release.
  • They diverge on capability: Bloomerang covers Donor database management, CiviCRM covers Contribution and pledge tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bloomerang and CiviCRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Bloomerang and CiviCRM differ
AttributeBloomerangCiviCRM
Starting price$40/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, Linux, Self-hosted
Founded2012Unknown

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 Bloomerang

  • Donor database management
  • Donation tracking
  • Relationship tracking
  • Task management
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Mailchimp
  • Google Drive

Only in CiviCRM

  • Contribution and pledge tracking
  • Membership management
  • Events and registration
  • Case management
  • CMS integration
  • Extension framework

What people use each for

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

Bloomerang

  • Nonprofit fundraising managementnot CiviCRM
  • Donor database and engagementnot CiviCRM
  • Volunteer coordinationnot CiviCRM

CiviCRM

  • A membership organisation with a large contact file that refuses to pay a per contact meternot Bloomerang
  • An advocacy group needing to hold constituent data on infrastructure it controlsnot Bloomerang
  • A charity already running Drupal or WordPress that wants CRM inside the same stacknot Bloomerang
  • An organisation with unusual data requirements that no hosted product will build for itnot Bloomerang

Where each one falls short

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

Bloomerang

  • Pricing is based on the number of constituent records tracked, so the bill grows with the database rather than with usage
  • The all in one Giving Platform starts at $242 a month billed annually
  • The products are sold separately, with Fundraising from $40 a month, CRM from $125 and Volunteer from $119, so a full stack means stacking subscriptions
  • Every published price is a starting figure billed annually, with exact cost requiring a sales conversation

CiviCRM

  • Nobody maintains it for you, so security patches and major version upgrades are your operational responsibility and organisations that skip them end up stranded on an old release.
  • The interface and configuration model are dated compared with hosted competitors, and staff turnover is expensive when the next fundraiser has to be trained on it from scratch.
  • Extension quality is inconsistent, so a payment processor or integration that works on one version can break on the next with no vendor obligation to fix it.
  • Total cost of ownership is genuinely low only at scale, and a five person charity often pays more to a partner for setup and support than a hosted product would have charged outright.
  • Implementation partners hold the practical knowledge of your configuration, so switching partners can be as disruptive as switching products despite the software being free.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bloomerang

$40/month
  • Fundraising$40/month
    • Donor tracking and management
  • CRM$125/month
    • Customer relationship management
  • Volunteer$119/month
    • Volunteer management and scheduling
  • Bundled Giving Platform$242/month
    • All three products combined

CiviCRM

Free
  • CiviCRMFree
    • No licence fee, no per contact charge and no percentage of donations
    • Costs are hosting, implementation partner time and upgrade work
    • Paid hosting and support available from partners at their own rates

Which should you pick?

Choose Bloomerang if

  • You need donor database management.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want donation tracking.
Bloomerang review

Choose CiviCRM if

  • You need contribution and pledge tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Self-hosted.
  • You also want membership management.
CiviCRM review

Questions people ask

Is Bloomerang or CiviCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Bloomerang starts at $40/month and CiviCRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bloomerang or CiviCRM?
CiviCRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $40/month for Bloomerang and Free for CiviCRM.
Does Bloomerang or CiviCRM run on more platforms?
Bloomerang runs on Web, IOS, Android. CiviCRM runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted.
Can I use CiviCRM for free?
Yes. CiviCRM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bloomerang starts at $40/month.
What is Bloomerang best used for?
Bloomerang is most often used for nonprofit fundraising management, donor database and engagement, volunteer coordination. Of those, nonprofit fundraising management and donor database and engagement are not what CiviCRM is typically brought in for.
What can Bloomerang do that CiviCRM cannot?
Bloomerang covers Donor database management, Donation tracking, Relationship tracking, Task management. CiviCRM covers Contribution and pledge tracking, Membership management, Events and registration, Case management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bloomerang: What does Bloomerang's individual pricing cost?

Bloomerang's individual products cost $40/month for Fundraising, $125/month for CRM, and $119/month for Volunteer management.

Source
CiviCRM: Is CiviCRM really free?

The software is, with no licence, per contact or per donation charge. Hosting, implementation and support are real costs and are where the budget goes.

Bloomerang: How much does Bloomerang's bundled platform cost?

Bloomerang's Bundled Giving Platform costs $242 per month, which is less than the individual products' combined cost of $284 per month.

Source
CiviCRM: Do we need a developer?

You need technical capacity, either in house or a retained partner. Treating it as a hosted product without support is the common failure mode.

Bloomerang: Are there unlimited users included in Bloomerang pricing?

Yes, all Bloomerang paid plans include unlimited users, allowing your entire team to access the platform.

Source
CiviCRM: Where does it win against commercial CRMs?

At scale. A large contact file or high donation volume that would cost tens of thousands a year in metered fees costs nothing in licence here.

Bloomerang: What payment methods does Bloomerang accept?

Bloomerang accepts credit and debit cards, ACH, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and Tap to Pay for subscriptions.

Source
CiviCRM: Can it be hosted for us?

Yes, several partners offer managed CiviCRM hosting, which removes the upgrade burden and reintroduces a monthly fee.

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