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Nonprofits · head to head

Bonterra vs Givebutter

Bonterra logo

Bonterra

Nonprofits

The rolled-up parent of EveryAction, Apricot, CyberGrants and Network for Good, sold as three product lines

From
On request
Rated
-
Givebutter logo

Givebutter

Nonprofits

Free nonprofit fundraising with donor management and campaign tools

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Givebutter has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bonterra the three lines are separately acquired codebases, so buying two of them gives you two logins, two support queues and a connector rather than one system.; Givebutter free tier includes 3% platform fee when donor tips are disabled
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bonterra and Givebutter actually diverge.

Attributes where Bonterra and Givebutter differ
AttributeBonterraGivebutter
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

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 Bonterra

  • Case management
  • Fundraising and engagement
  • Corporate grantmaking
  • Employee giving and volunteering
  • Outcomes reporting
  • Impact data connectors

Only in Givebutter

Nothing recorded that Bonterra does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Bonterra

  • A human services agency that must report participant outcomes to a government funder and cannot do it in a donor CRMnot Givebutter
  • A national advocacy organisation needing high-volume email, action alerts and distributed organising in one donor recordnot Givebutter
  • A large employer running a global employee match and grant disbursement programme across many countriesnot Givebutter
  • A nonprofit consolidating a legacy Salsa or ETO deployment onto a supported product within the same vendornot Givebutter

Givebutter

  • Launching donation pages where donors cover feesnot Bonterra
  • Managing peer-to-peer and event fundraising togethernot Bonterra
  • Automating donor thank-you workflows and tasksnot Bonterra
  • Accepting donations across Venmo, PayPal, cards, ACHnot Bonterra

Where each one falls short

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

Bonterra

  • The three lines are separately acquired codebases, so buying two of them gives you two logins, two support queues and a connector rather than one system.
  • Legacy products absorbed in the roll-up, notably ETO and older Salsa modules, receive limited development while investment goes to flagship products, leaving those customers on a slowly ageing platform.
  • No pricing is published for any line, and quotes vary widely by contact count and negotiation, so benchmarking against competitors requires a full sales cycle.
  • Private equity ownership has produced repeated renewal price increases reported by customers, and the portfolio structure reduces the credibility of threatening to switch since several obvious alternatives are also Bonterra products.
  • Implementation for Case Management is a configuration project measured in months, and agencies routinely underestimate the internal staff time required to define forms and outcome measures.

Givebutter

  • Free tier includes 3% platform fee when donor tips are disabled
  • Plus pricing varies by contact volume: up to $129/month for 2,500+ contacts

Pricing, plan by plan

Bonterra

On request
  • Bonterra Fundraising and Engagement$undefined/year
    • Donor CRM and email
    • Advocacy and organising tools
    • Priced by contact record count
  • Bonterra Case Management$undefined/year
    • Apricot participant records and assessments
    • Outcomes and funder reporting
    • Priced by user seats and programme count
  • Bonterra Corporate Social Responsibility$undefined/year
    • CyberGrants grant disbursement
    • Employee giving and volunteering
    • Enterprise contract, priced by programme spend

Givebutter

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Donation forms
    • Fundraising pages
    • Donor CRM
  • Givebutter Plus$29/month
    • For 250 or fewer contacts: $29/month or $348/year
    • Automated workflows
    • Task management

Which should you pick?

Choose Bonterra if

  • You need case management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want fundraising and engagement.

Choose Givebutter if

  • You want to start without paying.

Questions people ask

Is Bonterra or Givebutter better?
Neither clearly leads. Bonterra starts at On request and Givebutter at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bonterra or Givebutter?
Givebutter has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Bonterra and Free for Givebutter.
Does Bonterra or Givebutter run on more platforms?
Bonterra runs on Web, iOS, Android. Givebutter runs on Web.
Can I use Givebutter for free?
Yes. Givebutter has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bonterra starts at On request.
What is Bonterra best used for?
Bonterra is most often used for a human services agency that must report participant outcomes to a government funder and cannot do it in a donor crm, a national advocacy organisation needing high-volume email, action alerts and distributed organising in one donor record, a large employer running a global employee match and grant disbursement programme across many countries, a nonprofit consolidating a legacy salsa or eto deployment onto a supported product within the same vendor. Of those, a human services agency that must report participant outcomes to a government funder and cannot do it in a donor crm and a national advocacy organisation needing high-volume email, action alerts and distributed organising in one donor record are not what Givebutter is typically brought in for.
What can Bonterra do that Givebutter cannot?
Bonterra covers Case management, Fundraising and engagement, Corporate grantmaking, Employee giving and volunteering.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bonterra: Is Bonterra a single product?

No. It is three product lines built from separately acquired software. You buy one of them, and integration between them is a connector rather than a shared database.

Givebutter: How much does Givebutter cost?

Givebutter's core platform is free to use. The optional Givebutter Plus upgrade starts at $29 per month for nonprofits with 250 or fewer contacts, scaling to $129 per month for 2,500+ contacts.

Source
Bonterra: What happened to EveryAction and Apricot?

They still exist as the underlying products, rebranded as Bonterra Fundraising and Engagement and Bonterra Case Management respectively.

Givebutter: How does Givebutter stay free?

Givebutter remains free when nonprofits enable optional donor tips. Donors can choose to tip when donating, and Givebutter covers any uncovered transaction costs through the Givebutter Guarantee. Without tips enabled, a 3% platform fee applies plus standard processor fees.

Source
Bonterra: Does Bonterra publish pricing?

No line has published pricing. Fundraising is generally priced by contact record count, case management by seats and programmes.

Givebutter: Can I cancel Givebutter Plus anytime?

Yes, Givebutter Plus subscriptions can be cancelled anytime; cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period. A 30-day Plus trial is available.

Source
Bonterra: Should a small nonprofit consider Bonterra?

Rarely. The entry price and implementation effort suit organisations with dedicated operations staff; smaller charities are better served by a single-product CRM.

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