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Nonprofits · head to head

Give Lively vs Google Meet

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
Google Meet logo

Google Meet

Webinars

Get on a video call in seconds

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Google Meet google Meet only available as part of Google Workspace subscription; no standalone free option
  • They diverge on capability: Give Lively covers Branded donation pages, Google Meet covers Video conferencing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Give Lively and Google Meet actually diverge.

Attributes where Give Lively and Google Meet differ
AttributeGive LivelyGoogle Meet
Pricing modelFree to nonprofits, card processing charged by the processorfreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile
CategoryNonprofitsWebinars
FoundedUnknown1998

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Give Lively

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

Only in Google Meet

  • Video conferencing
  • Screen sharing
  • Recording
  • Chat
  • Real-time captions
  • Hand raise
  • Grid view
  • Google Calendar

What people use each for

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

Give Lively

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

Google Meet

  • Video conferencing for remote teamsnot Give Lively
  • Educational virtual classroomsnot Give Lively
  • Large-scale webinars with up to 1,000 participantsnot Give Lively

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Google Meet

  • Google Meet only available as part of Google Workspace subscription; no standalone free option
  • Starter plan limits Meet to 100 participants; Standard tier required for 150 participants
  • Organisation-wide user cap of 300 users on Starter, Standard, and Plus plans
  • Enterprise tier requires custom pricing and sales contact; no transparent per-user cost
  • Free tier (from basic Google account) limits meetings to 60 minutes with 3+ participants

Pricing, plan by plan

Give Lively

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

Google Meet

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 100 participants
    • Up to 60 minutes per meeting
  • Google Workspace Starter$4.76/month
    • Up to 100 participants
    • 24-hour meeting duration
  • Google Workspace Standard$9.52/month
    • Up to 150 participants
    • 24-hour meeting duration
    • Recording capability
  • Google Workspace Plus$14.77/month
    • Up to 500 participants
    • 24-hour meeting duration
    • Attendance tracking

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Google Meet if

  • You need video conferencing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want screen sharing.
Google Meet review

Questions people ask

Is Give Lively or Google Meet better?
Neither clearly leads. Give Lively starts at Free and Google Meet at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Give Lively or Google Meet?
Give Lively starts at Free and Google Meet at Free.
Does Give Lively or Google Meet run on more platforms?
Give Lively runs on Web. Google Meet runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Give Lively for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Give Lively best used for?
Give Lively is most often used for a us nonprofit currently paying a percentage platform fee on every gift and wanting that money back in programme budget, running a peer-to-peer campaign where thin margins make a per-donation platform cut painful, a small organisation with no software budget that still needs branded, mobile-ready donation pages, adding donor advised fund giving at checkout without paying for a separate daf integration. Of those, a us nonprofit currently paying a percentage platform fee on every gift and wanting that money back in programme budget and running a peer-to-peer campaign where thin margins make a per-donation platform cut painful are not what Google Meet is typically brought in for.
What can Give Lively do that Google Meet cannot?
Give Lively covers Branded donation pages, Peer-to-peer fundraising, Text-to-donate, Event ticketing. Google Meet covers Video conferencing, Screen sharing, Recording, Chat.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Google Meet: What are the participant limits in Google Meet's free plan?

The free version of Google Meet allows up to 100 participants per meeting. One-on-one calls and mobile calls have unlimited duration, but group meetings are limited to 60 minutes.

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.

Google Meet: How long can meetings last on paid Google Workspace plans?

All paid Google Workspace plans (Starter, Standard, Plus, Enterprise) support up to 24-hour meeting durations, removing the 60-minute limit of the free tier.

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

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

Google Meet: What participant limits apply to different Google Workspace tiers?

Starter tier supports 100 participants, Standard supports 150, Plus supports 500, and Enterprise tier supports up to 1,000 participants for in-domain live streaming.

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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