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Nonprofits · head to head

CiviCRM vs Funraise

CiviCRM logo

CiviCRM

Nonprofits

Open source constituent relationship management for nonprofits, with no per contact or per donation fee

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Funraise logo

Funraise

Nonprofits

Nonprofit fundraising and donor management with revenue-based free tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CiviCRM nobody maintains it for you, so security patches and major version upgrades are your operational responsibility and organisations that skip them end up stranded on an old release.; Funraise premium plans require custom pricing with sales contact
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CiviCRM and Funraise actually diverge.

Attributes where CiviCRM and Funraise differ
AttributeCiviCRMFunraise
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Self-hostedWeb

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 CiviCRM

  • Contribution and pledge tracking
  • Membership management
  • Events and registration
  • Case management
  • CMS integration
  • Extension framework

Only in Funraise

Nothing recorded that CiviCRM does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

CiviCRM

  • A membership organisation with a large contact file that refuses to pay a per contact meternot Funraise
  • An advocacy group needing to hold constituent data on infrastructure it controlsnot Funraise
  • A charity already running Drupal or WordPress that wants CRM inside the same stacknot Funraise
  • An organisation with unusual data requirements that no hosted product will build for itnot Funraise

Funraise

  • Managing recurring donor relationships and pledge trackingnot CiviCRM
  • Conducting peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns for eventsnot CiviCRM
  • Processing multiple payment types including stock donationsnot CiviCRM
  • Screening donors for wealth and giving capacitynot CiviCRM
  • Automating email workflows based on donor behaviornot CiviCRM

Where each one falls short

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

CiviCRM

  • Nobody maintains it for you, so security patches and major version upgrades are your operational responsibility and organisations that skip them end up stranded on an old release.
  • The interface and configuration model are dated compared with hosted competitors, and staff turnover is expensive when the next fundraiser has to be trained on it from scratch.
  • Extension quality is inconsistent, so a payment processor or integration that works on one version can break on the next with no vendor obligation to fix it.
  • Total cost of ownership is genuinely low only at scale, and a five person charity often pays more to a partner for setup and support than a hosted product would have charged outright.
  • Implementation partners hold the practical knowledge of your configuration, so switching partners can be as disruptive as switching products despite the software being free.

Funraise

  • Premium plans require custom pricing with sales contact
  • Processing fees of 5% platform fee plus 2.9% plus $0.60 per transaction on Free plan
  • Processing fees 0-3% platform fee plus 2.9% plus $0.60 per transaction on Premium plans

Pricing, plan by plan

CiviCRM

Free
  • CiviCRMFree
    • No licence fee, no per contact charge and no percentage of donations
    • Costs are hosting, implementation partner time and upgrade work
    • Paid hosting and support available from partners at their own rates

Funraise

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Donation forms and pages
    • Recurring donations
    • Events and tickets
  • Premium$null/mo
    • Custom pricing
    • Onboarding and dedicated success manager
    • Peer-to-peer fundraising

Which should you pick?

Choose CiviCRM if

  • You need contribution and pledge tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Self-hosted.
  • You also want membership management.
CiviCRM review

Choose Funraise if

  • You want to start without paying.
Funraise review

Questions people ask

Is CiviCRM or Funraise better?
Neither clearly leads. CiviCRM starts at Free and Funraise at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CiviCRM or Funraise?
CiviCRM starts at Free and Funraise at Free.
Does CiviCRM or Funraise run on more platforms?
CiviCRM runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted. Funraise runs on Web.
Can I use CiviCRM for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CiviCRM best used for?
CiviCRM is most often used for a membership organisation with a large contact file that refuses to pay a per contact meter, an advocacy group needing to hold constituent data on infrastructure it controls, a charity already running drupal or wordpress that wants crm inside the same stack, an organisation with unusual data requirements that no hosted product will build for it. Of those, a membership organisation with a large contact file that refuses to pay a per contact meter and an advocacy group needing to hold constituent data on infrastructure it controls are not what Funraise is typically brought in for.
What can CiviCRM do that Funraise cannot?
CiviCRM covers Contribution and pledge tracking, Membership management, Events and registration, Case management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CiviCRM: Is CiviCRM really free?

The software is, with no licence, per contact or per donation charge. Hosting, implementation and support are real costs and are where the budget goes.

Funraise: How much does Funraise cost?

Funraise offers a free plan for organizations raising under $1 million annually. Premium plans require custom pricing and contacting their sales team for a personalized quote based on organization needs.

Source
CiviCRM: Do we need a developer?

You need technical capacity, either in house or a retained partner. Treating it as a hosted product without support is the common failure mode.

Funraise: What are Funraise's payment processing fees?

Free plan has approximately 2.5% total average costs with 5% platform fee. Premium plans have approximately 0.8% total average costs with 0-3% platform fee. Both include 2.9% plus $0.60 per card transaction. Approximately 90% of donors cover fees, reducing net costs.

Source
CiviCRM: Where does it win against commercial CRMs?

At scale. A large contact file or high donation volume that would cost tens of thousands a year in metered fees costs nothing in licence here.

Funraise: Are there setup fees for Funraise?

Funraise has no setup fees. Pricing is transparent and usage-based for premium plans, with volume pricing available for high-volume fundraisers.

Source
CiviCRM: Can it be hosted for us?

Yes, several partners offer managed CiviCRM hosting, which removes the upgrade burden and reintroduces a monthly fee.

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