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Nonprofits · head to head

Cause IQ vs Zeffy

Cause IQ logo

Cause IQ

Nonprofits

Integrated fundraising and CRM platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zeffy logo

Zeffy

Nonprofits

100% free fundraising platform for nonprofits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zeffy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cause IQ pricing is not published; Zeffy revenue model relies entirely on donor voluntary tips with no guaranteed income
  • They diverge on capability: Cause IQ covers Donor management, Zeffy covers Donation forms.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cause IQ and Zeffy actually diverge.

Attributes where Cause IQ and Zeffy differ
AttributeCause IQZeffy
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20132019

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 Cause IQ

  • Donor management
  • Event management
  • Online giving
  • Volunteer tracking
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics

Only in Zeffy

  • Donation forms
  • Event ticketing
  • Membership management
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising
  • Recurring donations
  • Mailchimp
  • Zapier
  • Facebook

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Cause IQ

  • Prospect research across nonprofit organisationsnot Zeffy
  • Benchmarking a nonprofit client against peersnot Zeffy
  • Building target lists for firms serving the sectornot Zeffy
  • Enriching existing records with nonprofit financial datanot Zeffy

Zeffy

  • Donation collection for nonprofitsnot Cause IQ
  • Event ticketing with check-innot Cause IQ
  • Membership sales with tiersnot Cause IQ
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising campaignsnot Cause IQ
  • In-person payment with Tap to Paynot Cause IQ

Where each one falls short

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

Cause IQ

  • Pricing is not published
  • Sold to firms selling into the nonprofit sector rather than to nonprofits running their own operations

Zeffy

  • Revenue model relies entirely on donor voluntary tips with no guaranteed income
  • All features included equally with no upgrade path for additional capabilities

Pricing, plan by plan

Cause IQ

On request
  • Standard$95/month
    • Donor management
    • Event management
  • Advanced$200/month
    • Prospect research
    • Fundraising reports
    • Advanced analytics

Zeffy

Free
  • Free ForeverFree
    • Unlimited donations
    • Ticketing
    • Memberships

Which should you pick?

Choose Cause IQ if

  • You need donor management.
  • You also want event management.
Cause IQ review

Choose Zeffy if

  • You need donation forms.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want event ticketing.
Zeffy review

Questions people ask

Is Cause IQ or Zeffy better?
Neither clearly leads. Cause IQ starts at On request and Zeffy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cause IQ or Zeffy?
Zeffy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Cause IQ and Free for Zeffy.
Does Cause IQ or Zeffy run on more platforms?
Cause IQ runs on Web. Zeffy runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Zeffy for free?
Yes. Zeffy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cause IQ starts at On request.
What is Cause IQ best used for?
Cause IQ is most often used for prospect research across nonprofit organisations, benchmarking a nonprofit client against peers, building target lists for firms serving the sector, enriching existing records with nonprofit financial data. Of those, prospect research across nonprofit organisations and benchmarking a nonprofit client against peers are not what Zeffy is typically brought in for.
What can Cause IQ do that Zeffy cannot?
Cause IQ covers Donor management, Event management, Online giving, Volunteer tracking. Zeffy covers Donation forms, Event ticketing, Membership management, Peer-to-peer fundraising. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cause IQ: Does Cause IQ offer a free plan?

Yes. Cause IQ offers a free plan with basic nonprofit searches using 8 filters and limited profile access. Core and Pro plans are paid subscriptions.

Source
Zeffy: How much does Zeffy cost for nonprofits?

Zeffy is completely free for nonprofits. There are no platform fees, transaction fees, credit card processing fees, monthly subscriptions, or setup costs. Nonprofits retain 100% of funds raised.

Source
Cause IQ: What is included in Cause IQ's pricing?

Core Plan costs $349/month (or $199/month for 501(c)(3) nonprofits) with access to 400+ filters. Pro Plan costs $5,988/year with three user licenses and unlimited exports. Annual discounts available.

Source
Zeffy: How does Zeffy make money if it's free?

Zeffy relies on voluntary donor tips at checkout. On average, 2 out of 3 donors leave a tip. Tips are optional and donors can opt out, but Zeffy operates on this voluntary contribution model.

Source
Cause IQ: Does Cause IQ integrate with Salesforce?

Yes. Cause IQ provides direct Salesforce integration to create, update, and enrich Leads, Contacts, and Accounts with nonprofit data. Bulk operations and field mapping are supported.

Source
Zeffy: What nonprofit organizations can use Zeffy?

Schools, churches, sports teams, animal rescues, food banks, volunteer fire departments, arts organizations, and PTAs can all use Zeffy. Over 100,000 nonprofits globally use the platform.

Source
Cause IQ: Does Cause IQ have an API?

Yes. Cause IQ provides a REST API that returns JSON responses. The API allows programmatic searches for nonprofits, EIN lookups, and access to over 400 organization fields.

Source
Cause IQ: How much nonprofit data does Cause IQ contain?

Cause IQ aggregates data from over a dozen sources covering 1.73 million organizations, 9.86 million people (board members and key personnel), and 52,143 vendor profiles.

Source
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