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Software · head to head

Customer.io vs Donorbox

Customer.io logo

Customer.io

Software

Data-driven messaging for teams getting started, scaling and beyond

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Donorbox logo

Donorbox

Software

Online fundraising platform for nonprofits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Donorbox has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Customer.io essentials plan caps at 5,000 profiles (people and objects) and 1,000,000 monthly emails, with overages billed at $0.12 per 1,000 emails beyond that; Donorbox standard plan charges 2.95-3.95% platform fee per donation on top of payment processor fees (2.2-2.49% + card processing)

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Customer.io and Donorbox actually diverge.

Attributes where Customer.io and Donorbox differ
AttributeCustomer.ioDonorbox
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2016

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Customer.io

Nothing recorded that Donorbox does not also cover.

Only in Donorbox

  • Custom donation forms
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising
  • Payment processing
  • Donor management
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Mailchimp
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

Customer.io

No use cases recorded yet. See the Customer.io review.

Donorbox

  • Small to mid-sized nonprofits needing affordable donation processing in 96+ countriesnot Customer.io
  • Organisations seeking integrated event ticketing and peer-to-peer fundraisingnot Customer.io
  • Multi-channel giving strategies including text-to-give and membership programmesnot Customer.io

Where each one falls short

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

Customer.io

  • Essentials plan caps at 5,000 profiles (people and objects) and 1,000,000 monthly emails, with overages billed at $0.12 per 1,000 emails beyond that
  • Standard and Premium tiers show custom pricing only, and Enterprise is negotiated rate, so three of the four published tiers require a sales conversation
  • Monthly plans accept credit card only; annual billing via invoice (ACH/wire) requires the annual commitment

Donorbox

  • Standard plan charges 2.95-3.95% platform fee per donation on top of payment processor fees (2.2-2.49% + card processing)
  • Premium plan pricing requires contacting sales, not displayed publicly
  • Pro plan limited to growing organisations; larger nonprofits must upgrade to Premium with custom pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Customer.io

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Customer.io review.

Donorbox

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Donorbox review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Customer.io if

Nothing in the data separates Customer.io from Donorbox on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Customer.io review

Choose Donorbox if

  • You need custom donation forms.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want peer-to-peer fundraising.
Donorbox review

Questions people ask

Is Customer.io or Donorbox better?
Neither clearly leads. Customer.io starts at On request and Donorbox at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Customer.io or Donorbox?
Donorbox has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Customer.io and Free for Donorbox.
Does Customer.io or Donorbox run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Donorbox for free?
Yes. Donorbox has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Customer.io starts at On request.
What can Customer.io do that Donorbox cannot?
Donorbox covers Custom donation forms, Peer-to-peer fundraising, Payment processing, Donor management.
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Related pages

More on Customer.io

More on Donorbox

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