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Nonprofits · head to head

CharityEngine vs Handbid

CharityEngine logo

CharityEngine

Nonprofits

Nonprofit CRM with its own in-house payment processing rather than a third-party gateway

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Handbid logo

Handbid

Nonprofits

Mobile-first auction and event fundraising platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CharityEngine payment processing rates are negotiated and never published, so the total cost cannot be compared to a licence-only CRM without getting a quote and modelling your own volume in basis points.; Handbid the pricing page publishes no plan, no rate, no minimum and no per-event fee; it states there are no preset tiers and directs every visitor to a pricing consultation
  • They diverge on capability: CharityEngine covers In-house payment processing, Handbid covers Mobile bidding.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CharityEngine and Handbid actually diverge.

Attributes where CharityEngine and Handbid differ
AttributeCharityEngineHandbid
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 CharityEngine

  • In-house payment processing
  • Recurring giving recovery
  • Direct mail segmentation
  • Peer-to-peer and events
  • Advocacy and membership
  • Marketing automation

Only in Handbid

  • Mobile bidding
  • Silent auctions
  • Live auctions
  • Fund-a-need
  • Ticketing
  • Salesforce
  • Stripe
  • PayPal

What people use each for

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

CharityEngine

  • A nonprofit processing high recurring gift volume that wants card updater and dunning built into the CRM rather than bought separatelynot Handbid
  • Replacing a stack of a CRM, an email tool and a separate donation gateway with one contract and one reconciliationnot Handbid
  • A direct mail heavy organisation that needs offline gift entry and mail file segmentation as first-class features, not add-onsnot Handbid
  • An organisation whose finance team wants a single settlement file that already reconciles to donor recordsnot Handbid

Handbid

  • Mobile bidding for charity and fundraising auctionsnot CharityEngine
  • Event ticketing, registration and check-in with tap to paynot CharityEngine
  • White-labelled online auctions for schools, nonprofits and corporate eventsnot CharityEngine

Where each one falls short

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

CharityEngine

  • Payment processing rates are negotiated and never published, so the total cost cannot be compared to a licence-only CRM without getting a quote and modelling your own volume in basis points.
  • Because the vendor is both the software provider and the merchant processor, switching CRM also means re-papering merchant services and re-tokenising every recurring donor, which is a far larger project than a normal migration.
  • Subscription pricing is quote-only and reported entry points come from third parties rather than the vendor, so small organisations often discover the floor is well above what they budgeted.
  • The interface is dense and configuration-heavy, and organisations without a dedicated database administrator tend to use a fraction of what they pay for.
  • Implementation and data migration are billed on top of the subscription and are commonly the largest first-year line item, which is easy to miss when comparing monthly figures.

Handbid

  • The pricing page publishes no plan, no rate, no minimum and no per-event fee; it states there are no preset tiers and directs every visitor to a pricing consultation
  • There is no self-serve signup path; the only routes offered are Start Chatting, a consultation or a demo booking
  • Because packages are assembled per event, the cost of white-label auctions, text-to-give and support levels is not published

Pricing, plan by plan

CharityEngine

On request
  • CharityEngine$undefined/year
    • Donor CRM and gift processing
    • In-house payment processing at a negotiated rate
    • Email, SMS and direct mail tools

Handbid

On request
  • Starter$199/month
    • Basic auction features
    • Up to 50 items
  • Professional$499/month
    • Unlimited items
    • Live streaming
    • Fund-a-need
  • Enterprise$999/month
    • Multi-event license
    • White labeling
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose CharityEngine if

  • You need in-house payment processing.
  • You also want recurring giving recovery.
CharityEngine review

Choose Handbid if

  • You need mobile bidding.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want silent auctions.
Handbid review

Questions people ask

Is CharityEngine or Handbid better?
Neither clearly leads. CharityEngine starts at On request and Handbid at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CharityEngine or Handbid?
CharityEngine starts at On request and Handbid at On request.
Does CharityEngine or Handbid run on more platforms?
CharityEngine runs on Web. Handbid runs on Web, IOS, Android.
What is CharityEngine best used for?
CharityEngine is most often used for a nonprofit processing high recurring gift volume that wants card updater and dunning built into the crm rather than bought separately, replacing a stack of a crm, an email tool and a separate donation gateway with one contract and one reconciliation, a direct mail heavy organisation that needs offline gift entry and mail file segmentation as first-class features, not add-ons, an organisation whose finance team wants a single settlement file that already reconciles to donor records. Of those, a nonprofit processing high recurring gift volume that wants card updater and dunning built into the crm rather than bought separately and replacing a stack of a crm, an email tool and a separate donation gateway with one contract and one reconciliation are not what Handbid is typically brought in for.
What can CharityEngine do that Handbid cannot?
CharityEngine covers In-house payment processing, Recurring giving recovery, Direct mail segmentation, Peer-to-peer and events. Handbid covers Mobile bidding, Silent auctions, Live auctions, Fund-a-need.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CharityEngine: Does CharityEngine publish pricing?

No. Both the subscription and the payment processing rate are quoted. Third-party sites report a starter tier around 550 US dollars a month, but the vendor does not confirm this.

Handbid: How much does Handbid cost?

Handbid does not use standard pricing tiers. Instead, the company provides custom quotes based on your event needs, event volume, and support requirements. Handbid emphasizes no commission on funds raised.

Source
CharityEngine: Is the payment processing optional?

In practice no. The processing is the product. Using an external gateway removes most of what distinguishes CharityEngine from cheaper CRMs.

Handbid: Does Handbid take a commission on auction proceeds?

No. Handbid does not charge a percentage of funds raised. Platform fees are separate from payment processing.

Source
CharityEngine: Is there a nonprofit discount?

Every customer is a nonprofit, so there is no separate discount; pricing is tiered by contact count and gift volume instead.

Handbid: What payment processing fees does Handbid charge?

Handbid's payment processing fees are: Visa/Mastercard/Discover 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction, American Express 3.95% + $0.30 per transaction, and ACH 1.5% flat with no per-transaction fee.

Source
CharityEngine: How long is the contract?

Annual terms are standard, and multi-year commitments are used to buy down the rate.

Handbid: What is included in Handbid licenses?

All Handbid licenses include unlimited items, guests, and bidders; all auction formats (silent, live, paddle raise); ticketing and check-in; money handling and reporting; platform updates; and live phone support during events.

Source
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