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Nonprofits · head to head

CiviCRM vs Galaxy Digital

CiviCRM logo

CiviCRM

Nonprofits

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Galaxy Digital logo

Galaxy Digital

Nonprofits

Digital marketing platform for nonprofits

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CiviCRM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Galaxy Digital volunteer-focused tool, not a general-purpose social media management platform
  • They diverge on capability: CiviCRM covers Contribution and pledge tracking, Galaxy Digital covers Email marketing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CiviCRM and Galaxy Digital actually diverge.

Attributes where CiviCRM and Galaxy Digital differ
AttributeCiviCRMGalaxy Digital
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Self-hostedWeb, Mobile-responsive
FoundedUnknown2009

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 CiviCRM

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

Only in Galaxy Digital

  • Email marketing
  • Social media management
  • Online advertising
  • Analytics
  • Automation
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Mailchimp

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 Galaxy Digital
  • An advocacy group needing to hold constituent data on infrastructure it controlsnot Galaxy Digital
  • A charity already running Drupal or WordPress that wants CRM inside the same stacknot Galaxy Digital
  • An organisation with unusual data requirements that no hosted product will build for itnot Galaxy Digital

Galaxy Digital

  • Business operationsnot CiviCRM
  • Productivitynot CiviCRM
  • Automationnot 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.

Galaxy Digital

  • Volunteer-focused tool, not a general-purpose social media management platform
  • Enterprise-only pricing model with custom quotes
  • Acquired by Better Impact, creating transition uncertainty for existing customers

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

Galaxy Digital

On request
  • Starter$99/month
    • Email marketing
    • Basic social media
  • Professional$299/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Social media management
    • Automation

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 Galaxy Digital if

  • You need email marketing.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want social media management.
Galaxy Digital review

Questions people ask

Is CiviCRM or Galaxy Digital better?
Neither clearly leads. CiviCRM starts at Free and Galaxy Digital at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CiviCRM or Galaxy Digital?
CiviCRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CiviCRM and On request for Galaxy Digital.
Does CiviCRM or Galaxy Digital run on more platforms?
CiviCRM runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted. Galaxy Digital runs on Web, Mobile-responsive.
Can I use CiviCRM for free?
Yes. CiviCRM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Galaxy Digital starts at On request.
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 Galaxy Digital is typically brought in for.
What can CiviCRM do that Galaxy Digital cannot?
CiviCRM covers Contribution and pledge tracking, Membership management, Events and registration, Case management. Galaxy Digital covers Email marketing, Social media management, Online advertising, Analytics.

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.

Galaxy Digital: What does Galaxy Digital's Get Connected do?

Get Connected is a volunteer management platform that helps nonprofits recruit, schedule, track, and report on volunteer engagement at scale through centralized scheduling and impact reporting.

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.

Galaxy Digital: Does Get Connected integrate with social media platforms?

Yes. Get Connected includes social media integration with quick-share icons and direct posting to volunteers' social networks, plus live infographic-style impact reporting shareable on social media.

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.

Galaxy Digital: What is the current status of Galaxy Digital?

Get Connected by Galaxy Digital was acquired by and is now part of Better Impact, which continues to provide the volunteer management and social media integration services.

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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