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Software · head to head

Charity Navigator vs Donorbox

Charity Navigator logo

Charity Navigator

Software

Nonprofit intelligence and rating platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Donorbox logo

Donorbox

Software

Online fundraising platform for nonprofits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Charity Navigator charity Navigator is a free 501(c)(3) nonprofit service funded by donor donations rather than charging the charities it rates, so it has no vendor pricing model to compare (own about-us page).; Donorbox standard plan charges 2.95-3.95% platform fee per donation on top of payment processor fees (2.2-2.49% + card processing)
  • They diverge on capability: Charity Navigator covers Nonprofit ratings, Donorbox covers Custom donation forms.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Charity Navigator and Donorbox actually diverge.

Attributes where Charity Navigator and Donorbox differ
AttributeCharity NavigatorDonorbox
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb
Founded20012016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Charity Navigator

  • Nonprofit ratings
  • Financial analysis
  • Donor reviews
  • Impact metrics
  • Fundraising data
  • GiveWell
  • BBB Wise Giving Alliance

Only in Donorbox

  • Custom donation forms
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising
  • Payment processing
  • Donor management
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Mailchimp
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Mobile-responsive support

What people use each for

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

Charity Navigator

  • Business operationsnot Donorbox
  • Productivitynot Donorbox
  • Automationnot Donorbox

Donorbox

  • Small to mid-sized nonprofits needing affordable donation processing in 96+ countriesnot Charity Navigator
  • Organisations seeking integrated event ticketing and peer-to-peer fundraisingnot Charity Navigator
  • Multi-channel giving strategies including text-to-give and membership programmesnot Charity Navigator

Where each one falls short

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

Charity Navigator

  • Charity Navigator is a free 501(c)(3) nonprofit service funded by donor donations rather than charging the charities it rates, so it has no vendor pricing model to compare (own about-us page).

Donorbox

  • Standard plan charges 2.95-3.95% platform fee per donation on top of payment processor fees (2.2-2.49% + card processing)
  • Premium plan pricing requires contacting sales, not displayed publicly
  • Pro plan limited to growing organisations; larger nonprofits must upgrade to Premium with custom pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Charity Navigator

Free
  • Free ProfileFree
    • Nonprofit profile
    • Ratings
    • Financial data

Donorbox

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Donorbox review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Charity Navigator if

  • You need nonprofit ratings.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want financial analysis.
Charity Navigator review

Choose Donorbox if

  • You need custom donation forms.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want peer-to-peer fundraising.
Donorbox review

Questions people ask

Is Charity Navigator or Donorbox better?
Neither clearly leads. Charity Navigator starts at Free and Donorbox at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Charity Navigator or Donorbox?
Charity Navigator starts at Free and Donorbox at Free.
Does Charity Navigator or Donorbox run on more platforms?
Charity Navigator runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. Donorbox runs on Web.
Can I use Charity Navigator for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Charity Navigator best used for?
Charity Navigator is most often used for business operations, productivity, automation. Of those, business operations and productivity are not what Donorbox is typically brought in for.
What can Charity Navigator do that Donorbox cannot?
Charity Navigator covers Nonprofit ratings, Financial analysis, Donor reviews, Impact metrics. Donorbox covers Custom donation forms, Peer-to-peer fundraising, Payment processing, Donor management. Both handle Web support, Mobile-responsive support.
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Related pages

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