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Nonprofits · head to head

Classy vs Give Lively

Classy logo

Classy

Nonprofits

Platform for modern nonprofit fundraising

From
$300/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Give Lively logo

Give Lively

Nonprofits

Fundraising software given free to nonprofits, funded by its founders rather than by fees

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Give Lively has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Classy email receipts come from platform rather than organization email, causing issues with spam filtering; Give Lively eligibility is limited to US 501(c)(3) organisations, so charities registered in the UK, Canada, Australia or the EU cannot use it at all regardless of fit.
  • They diverge on capability: Classy covers Online fundraising platform, Give Lively covers Branded donation pages.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Classy and Give Lively actually diverge.

Attributes where Classy and Give Lively differ
AttributeClassyGive Lively
Starting price$300/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownFree to nonprofits, card processing charged by the processor
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb
Founded2006Unknown

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 Classy

  • Online fundraising platform
  • Event management
  • Donation management
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Salesforce
  • Slack
  • Web support

Only in Give Lively

  • Branded donation pages
  • Text-to-donate
  • Event ticketing
  • Donor database
  • DAFpay
  • Multiple processors

Both cover

  • Peer-to-peer fundraising

What people use each for

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

Classy

  • Business operationsnot Give Lively
  • Productivitynot Give Lively
  • Automationnot Give Lively

Give Lively

  • A US nonprofit currently paying a percentage platform fee on every gift and wanting that money back in programme budgetnot Classy
  • Running a peer-to-peer campaign where thin margins make a per-donation platform cut painfulnot Classy
  • A small organisation with no software budget that still needs branded, mobile-ready donation pagesnot Classy
  • Adding donor advised fund giving at checkout without paying for a separate DAF integrationnot Classy

Where each one falls short

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

Classy

  • Email receipts come from platform rather than organization email, causing issues with spam filtering
  • Limited customization options for donation page templates and design
  • No live phone support, only email tickets with slow response times
  • Salesforce integration reportedly has implementation issues and does not follow best practices
  • High pricing and onboarding complexity unsuitable for small organizations

Give Lively

  • Eligibility is limited to US 501(c)(3) organisations, so charities registered in the UK, Canada, Australia or the EU cannot use it at all regardless of fit.
  • The platform is funded by its founders' personal philanthropy rather than by revenue, so there is no contractual commitment to a roadmap or a service level and no paying customer base to keep it alive if that funding stops.
  • Support is email based with no paid escalation tier, so an organisation mid-campaign with a broken form has no way to buy faster attention.
  • The donor database is adequate for gift tracking but thin compared with a real CRM, so most organisations still pay for Bloomerang, DonorPerfect or Salesforce alongside it and maintain a sync.
  • Optional donor tips appear at checkout to fund the platform, which some boards object to because it puts a second ask in front of a donor who has already decided what to give.

Pricing, plan by plan

Classy

$300/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Classy review.

Give Lively

Free
  • Give LivelyFree
    • All fundraising products included
    • No platform fee on donations
    • No setup or subscription charge

Which should you pick?

Choose Classy if

  • You need online fundraising platform.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want event management.
Classy review

Choose Give Lively if

  • You need branded donation pages.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want text-to-donate.
Give Lively review

Questions people ask

Is Classy or Give Lively better?
Neither clearly leads. Classy starts at $300/month and Give Lively at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Classy or Give Lively?
Give Lively has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $300/month for Classy and Free for Give Lively.
Does Classy or Give Lively run on more platforms?
Classy runs on Web, Mobile. Give Lively runs on Web.
Can I use Give Lively for free?
Yes. Give Lively has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Classy starts at $300/month.
What is Classy best used for?
Classy is most often used for business operations, productivity, automation. Of those, business operations and productivity are not what Give Lively is typically brought in for.
What can Classy do that Give Lively cannot?
Classy covers Online fundraising platform, Event management, Donation management, Stripe. Give Lively covers Branded donation pages, Text-to-donate, Event ticketing, Donor database. Both handle Peer-to-peer fundraising.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Classy: What is the pricing structure for Classy/GoFundMe Pro?

GoFundMe Pro pricing is custom and enterprise-based, starting around $300+ per month plus per-transaction platform fees. Organizations typically sign annual subscriptions with tiered pricing based on feature set and fundraising volume, with multi-year contracts locking in commitments.

Source
Give Lively: Is it genuinely free, or free with a percentage taken?

Genuinely free. Give Lively takes no cut of donations and charges no subscription. You pay only the card processing fee, which goes to Stripe, Shift4 or PayPal, starting around 1.99% plus $0.25.

Classy: Does Classy integrate with Salesforce?

Yes, GoFundMe Pro (Classy) offers deep Salesforce integration with real-time sync of donations, supporters, and campaigns to Salesforce. Data syncs to Gift Transactions, Gift Commitments, and Person Accounts for unified donor insights.

Source
Give Lively: How does the company make money?

It does not, in the ordinary sense. Operating costs are covered by its founders as a philanthropic commitment, plus voluntary tips donors can add at checkout.

Classy: How customizable are donation pages on Classy?

Classy offers limited design customization for donation pages, with most campaigns using similar templates. While organizations can build highly branded experiences, there are constraints compared to some competitors.

Source
Give Lively: Can a UK or Canadian charity use it?

No. Give Lively requires US 501(c)(3) status.

Give Lively: Does it replace a donor CRM?

Not for most organisations. It stores donors and gift history, but fundraisers running major gift or grant pipelines usually keep a dedicated CRM and sync to it.

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