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Nonprofits · head to head

CharityEngine vs TechSoup

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
T

TechSoup

Nonprofits

Technology solutions and discounts for nonprofits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only TechSoup has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; TechSoup plus membership requires $200 annual commitment
  • They diverge on capability: CharityEngine covers In-house payment processing, TechSoup covers Software marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CharityEngine and TechSoup actually diverge.

Attributes where CharityEngine and TechSoup differ
AttributeCharityEngineTechSoup
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown1987

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 TechSoup

  • Software marketplace
  • Hardware discounts
  • Vendor directory
  • Technology resources
  • Training
  • Various vendors
  • Web support

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 TechSoup
  • Replacing a stack of a CRM, an email tool and a separate donation gateway with one contract and one reconciliationnot TechSoup
  • A direct mail heavy organisation that needs offline gift entry and mail file segmentation as first-class features, not add-onsnot TechSoup
  • An organisation whose finance team wants a single settlement file that already reconciles to donor recordsnot TechSoup

TechSoup

  • Business operationsnot CharityEngine
  • Productivitynot CharityEngine
  • Automationnot 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.

TechSoup

  • Plus membership requires $200 annual commitment
  • Advanced courses at high original cost ($5,900 valued)
  • Community networking limited to 10 members in dedicated space
  • Chat support only available to Plus members

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

TechSoup

Free
  • TechSoup CoreFree
    • Up to 90% discounts on 100+ software and hardware
    • Basic and intermediate courses
    • Select webinars
  • TechSoup Plus$200/year
    • All Core benefits
    • Exclusive limited-time partner offers
    • Advanced courses at 80% discount

Which should you pick?

Choose CharityEngine if

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

Choose TechSoup if

  • You need software marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want hardware discounts.
TechSoup review

Questions people ask

Is CharityEngine or TechSoup better?
Neither clearly leads. CharityEngine starts at On request and TechSoup at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CharityEngine or TechSoup?
TechSoup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CharityEngine and Free for TechSoup.
Does CharityEngine or TechSoup run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use TechSoup for free?
Yes. TechSoup has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CharityEngine starts at On request.
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 TechSoup is typically brought in for.
What can CharityEngine do that TechSoup cannot?
CharityEngine covers In-house payment processing, Recurring giving recovery, Direct mail segmentation, Peer-to-peer and events. TechSoup covers Software marketplace, Hardware discounts, Vendor directory, Technology resources.

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.

TechSoup: How much does TechSoup cost?

TechSoup Core is free, while TechSoup Plus costs $200 per year and includes exclusive offers, advanced courses, expert consultations, and networking events.

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.

TechSoup: Is TechSoup free to join?

Yes, TechSoup Core membership is completely free and provides access to 100+ discounted software and hardware solutions from major partners like Microsoft, Adobe, and AWS.

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.

TechSoup: What additional benefits does TechSoup Plus provide?

TechSoup Plus ($200/year) adds exclusive partner offers, advanced courses at 80% discount, expert-led webinars, personalized tech audits, one-on-one consultations, and a dedicated community space.

Source
CharityEngine: How long is the contract?

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

TechSoup: Who qualifies for TechSoup membership?

TechSoup is designed for nonprofits and provides discounted access to software from Microsoft, Adobe, Intuit, AWS, Cisco, Dell, and other technology partners.

Source
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