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Nonprofits · head to head

DonorPerfect vs Give Lively

DonorPerfect logo

DonorPerfect

Nonprofits

Comprehensive donor management software

From
On request
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: DonorPerfect the pricing page publishes only a 'starting at $99/month' figure and asks for a custom quote for the Core, Plus and Pro tiers; 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: DonorPerfect covers Campaign management, 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 DonorPerfect and Give Lively actually diverge.

Attributes where DonorPerfect and Give Lively differ
AttributeDonorPerfectGive Lively
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree to nonprofits, card processing charged by the processor
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, MobileWeb
Founded1995Unknown

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 DonorPerfect

  • Campaign management
  • Event management
  • Grant tracking
  • Financial reporting
  • QuickBooks
  • Salesforce
  • Constant Contact
  • MailChimp

Only in Give Lively

  • Branded donation pages
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising
  • Text-to-donate
  • Event ticketing
  • DAFpay
  • Multiple processors

Both cover

  • Donor database

What people use each for

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

DonorPerfect

  • Donor management and gift tracking for small and mid sized nonprofitsnot Give Lively
  • Running online donation, event and membership forms tied to a donor databasenot Give Lively

Give Lively

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

Where each one falls short

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

DonorPerfect

  • The pricing page publishes only a 'starting at $99/month' figure and asks for a custom quote for the Core, Plus and Pro tiers
  • QuickBooks integration, crowdfunding, moves management, batch gift entry and ReadySetAuction are all withheld from the entry Core tier
  • Custom API access is available only on the top Pro tier
  • Enterprise direct mail segmentation and enterprise reports and graphs are Pro tier only
  • Scheduled reports are capped at 5 on Plus and 100 on Pro, and are unavailable on Core
  • Phone support is Pro tier only; Core and Plus get chat support
  • The bundled Constant Contact account is the Lite version on Core

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

DonorPerfect

On request
  • Express$80/month
    • Donor database
    • Gift tracking
  • Professional$175/month
    • Campaign management
    • Grant tracking
    • Prospect research

Give Lively

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

Which should you pick?

Choose DonorPerfect if

  • You need campaign management.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want event management.
DonorPerfect review

Choose Give Lively if

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

Questions people ask

Is DonorPerfect or Give Lively better?
Neither clearly leads. DonorPerfect starts at On request and Give Lively at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DonorPerfect or Give Lively?
Give Lively has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for DonorPerfect and Free for Give Lively.
Does DonorPerfect or Give Lively run on more platforms?
DonorPerfect runs on Web, Desktop, 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. DonorPerfect starts at On request.
What is DonorPerfect best used for?
DonorPerfect is most often used for donor management and gift tracking for small and mid sized nonprofits, running online donation, event and membership forms tied to a donor database. Of those, donor management and gift tracking for small and mid sized nonprofits and running online donation, event and membership forms tied to a donor database are not what Give Lively is typically brought in for.
What can DonorPerfect do that Give Lively cannot?
DonorPerfect covers Campaign management, Event management, Grant tracking, Financial reporting. Give Lively covers Branded donation pages, Peer-to-peer fundraising, Text-to-donate, Event ticketing. Both handle Donor database.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DonorPerfect: What is the minimum monthly cost to use DonorPerfect?

The Core plan starts at $99/month and includes basic donor management, outreach, and stewardship features. Constant Contact digital marketing is included in every plan.

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.

DonorPerfect: What features distinguish the Plus and Pro tiers?

Plus tier adds QuickBooks integration, auction management, crowdfunding, moves management, batch gift entry, and 5 scheduled reports. Pro tier includes enterprise direct mail segmentation, unlimited scheduled reports (100), and custom API access. Exact pricing requires a custom quote.

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.

DonorPerfect: Is there a free trial, and what does it include?

DonorPerfect offers a free practice trial with AI for Plus and Pro tiers. Free data transfers are also available from most CRM systems mentioned.

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

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

DonorPerfect: Is data migration from another CRM included?

Yes, free data transfers from most CRMs are included. Expert onboarding support is available to help with setup and training.

Source
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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