Softwr

Nonprofits · head to head

Charity Navigator vs Sumac

Charity Navigator logo

Charity Navigator

Nonprofits

Nonprofit intelligence and rating platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sumac logo

Sumac

Nonprofits

Modular nonprofit CRM that pairs donor management with client case management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Charity Navigator has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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).; Sumac pricing is not published at all, so a small organisation cannot compare Sumac against per contact priced competitors without committing to a sales process.
  • They diverge on capability: Charity Navigator covers Nonprofit ratings, Sumac covers Donor and gift management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Charity Navigator and Sumac differ
AttributeCharity NavigatorSumac
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb, Windows
Founded2001Unknown

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 Charity Navigator

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

Only in Sumac

  • Donor and gift management
  • Case management module
  • Memberships and volunteers
  • Grant management
  • Role based permissions
  • Custom fields and forms

What people use each for

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

Charity Navigator

  • Nonprofit evaluation and researchnot Sumac
  • Charitable giving decisionsnot Sumac
  • Donor due diligencenot Sumac

Sumac

  • A social service agency that must record client cases and donor gifts without buying two systemsnot Charity Navigator
  • A charity that wants only donor and grant modules and refuses to pay for an events suite it will not usenot Charity Navigator
  • A Canadian organisation wanting local support hours and receipting conventionsnot Charity Navigator
  • An agency replacing a legacy Access or FileMaker database with something supportednot 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).

Sumac

  • Pricing is not published at all, so a small organisation cannot compare Sumac against per contact priced competitors without committing to a sales process.
  • The interface reflects the product's age, and staff arriving from consumer grade software find navigation and data entry slower than in newer CRMs.
  • Holding client case notes and donor records in one database makes permission design a compliance obligation, and a misconfigured role can expose confidential client material to fundraising staff.
  • The integration catalogue is small, so payment, email and accounting connections outside the listed few mean manual export or paid custom work.
  • Modular licensing means the price rises in visible steps as programmes expand, and organisations frequently discover the module they need most was not in the original quote.

Pricing, plan by plan

Charity Navigator

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

Sumac

On request
  • Sumac$undefined/year
    • Quoted by module selection and organisation size
    • Case management is a separately licensed module
    • Implementation and data migration quoted separately

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 Sumac if

  • You need donor and gift management.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want case management module.
Sumac review

Questions people ask

Is Charity Navigator or Sumac better?
Neither clearly leads. Charity Navigator starts at Free and Sumac at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Charity Navigator or Sumac?
Charity Navigator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Charity Navigator and On request for Sumac.
Does Charity Navigator or Sumac run on more platforms?
Charity Navigator runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. Sumac runs on Web, Windows.
Can I use Charity Navigator for free?
Yes. Charity Navigator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sumac starts at On request.
What is Charity Navigator best used for?
Charity Navigator is most often used for nonprofit evaluation and research, charitable giving decisions, donor due diligence. Of those, nonprofit evaluation and research and charitable giving decisions are not what Sumac is typically brought in for.
What can Charity Navigator do that Sumac cannot?
Charity Navigator covers Nonprofit ratings, Financial analysis, Donor reviews, Impact metrics. Sumac covers Donor and gift management, Case management module, Memberships and volunteers, Grant management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Charity Navigator: Is Charity Navigator free to use?

Yes, Charity Navigator provides completely free access to its database of charity ratings, donor education resources, Giving Basket donation tool, and AI-powered charity recommendations.

Source
Sumac: Is Sumac the same product as Societ?

The vendor has been moving its products under the Societ brand, so you may see both names for the same platform during a sales cycle.

Charity Navigator: How does Charity Navigator make money if its services are free?

Charity Navigator operates through donations to the organization itself. The site includes a 'Support Charity Navigator' link for users who wish to contribute.

Sumac: Can it handle client case management?

Yes, that is its clearest differentiator among donor CRMs. It is a licensed module, not part of the base product.

Charity Navigator: What information can I access for free on Charity Navigator?

Free access includes searching and rating charities, using the Giving Basket donation tool, accessing donor education materials, and using Horizon AI Search for personalized charity recommendations.

Sumac: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted by module and organisation size, which makes like for like comparison harder than with published per contact products.

Sumac: Does it work for US charities?

Yes, though the vendor is Canadian and its receipting and support conventions are strongest for Canadian organisations.

Share

Related pages

More on Charity Navigator

More on Sumac

Keep looking

Other head to heads