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Nonprofits · head to head

Funraise vs Give Lively

Funraise logo

Funraise

Nonprofits

Nonprofit fundraising and donor management with revenue-based free tier

From
Free
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

  • Each has a real cost: Funraise premium plans require custom pricing with sales contact; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Funraise and Give Lively differ
AttributeFunraiseGive Lively
Pricing modelfreemiumFree to nonprofits, card processing charged by the processor

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), 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 Funraise

Nothing recorded that Give Lively does not also cover.

Only in Give Lively

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

What people use each for

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

Funraise

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

Give Lively

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

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

Give Lively

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Funraise if

  • You want to start without paying.
Funraise 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 Funraise or Give Lively better?
Neither clearly leads. Funraise starts at Free and Give Lively at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Funraise or Give Lively?
Funraise starts at Free and Give Lively at Free.
Does Funraise or Give Lively run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Funraise for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Funraise best used for?
Funraise is most often used for managing recurring donor relationships and pledge tracking, conducting peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns for events, processing multiple payment types including stock donations, screening donors for wealth and giving capacity. Of those, managing recurring donor relationships and pledge tracking and conducting peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns for events are not what Give Lively is typically brought in for.
What can Funraise do that Give Lively cannot?
Give Lively covers Branded donation pages, Peer-to-peer fundraising, Text-to-donate, Event ticketing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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.

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
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.

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
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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