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Nonprofits · head to head

Give Lively vs OneCause

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
OneCause logo

OneCause

Nonprofits

Event management and auction fundraising platform, now part of Bonterra

From
On request
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: 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.; OneCause no transparent pricing published; all plans require contacting sales at 888-475-5214 or online form for custom quotes
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Give Lively and OneCause differ
AttributeGive LivelyOneCause
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree to nonprofits, card processing charged by the processorquote
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: 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 Give Lively

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

Only in OneCause

Nothing recorded that Give Lively does not also cover.

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 OneCause
  • Running a peer-to-peer campaign where thin margins make a per-donation platform cut painfulnot OneCause
  • A small organisation with no software budget that still needs branded, mobile-ready donation pagesnot OneCause
  • Adding donor advised fund giving at checkout without paying for a separate DAF integrationnot OneCause

OneCause

  • Managing ticketing, sponsorships, and registration for fundraising eventsnot Give Lively
  • Running silent and live auctions with mobile bidding capabilitiesnot Give Lively
  • Coordinating peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns like walks and runsnot Give Lively
  • Processing donations with gift matching and recurring contributionsnot 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.

OneCause

  • No transparent pricing published; all plans require contacting sales at 888-475-5214 or online form for custom quotes

Pricing, plan by plan

Give Lively

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

OneCause

On request
  • Professional$undefined/mo
    • Foundational fundraising software
    • Ticketing, tables, sponsorships, auctions, donations
    • Suited for galas, luncheons, golf outings
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Large or multiple ticketed events
    • Event Ambassador Fundraising
    • Event Series
  • Nationals$undefined/mo
    • National organizations managing affiliate chapters
    • Organization Structure & Hierarchy
    • Event Templates

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 OneCause if

Nothing in the data separates OneCause from Give Lively on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

OneCause review

Questions people ask

Is Give Lively or OneCause better?
Neither clearly leads. Give Lively starts at Free and OneCause at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Give Lively or OneCause?
Give Lively has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Give Lively and On request for OneCause.
Does Give Lively or OneCause run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Give Lively for free?
Yes. Give Lively has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OneCause starts at On request.
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 OneCause is typically brought in for.
What can Give Lively do that OneCause cannot?
Give Lively covers Branded donation pages, Peer-to-peer fundraising, Text-to-donate, Event ticketing.

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.

OneCause: How much does OneCause cost?

OneCause does not publish pricing online. All plans require a custom quote. Contact OneCause at 888-475-5214 or submit a request through their website for pricing information.

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.

OneCause: What pricing tiers does OneCause offer?

OneCause offers three main tiers: Professional (foundational fundraising software), Enterprise (large/multiple event management), and Nationals (national organizations with affiliate chapters). All require custom quotes.

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

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

OneCause: Is there a Pay As You Go option?

OneCause indicates Pay As You Go availability is offered within the Professional plan, but specific costs require contact with sales.

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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