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Nonprofits · head to head

Give Lively vs VolunteerHub

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
VolunteerHub logo

VolunteerHub

Nonprofits

Volunteer management platform for nonprofits

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.; VolunteerHub both published plans are billed annually and carry a set up fee on top of the monthly figure
  • They diverge on capability: Give Lively covers Branded donation pages, VolunteerHub covers Volunteer database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Give Lively and VolunteerHub differ
AttributeGive LivelyVolunteerHub
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree to nonprofits, card processing charged by the processorsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2011

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 Give Lively

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

Only in VolunteerHub

  • Volunteer database
  • Scheduling
  • Task management
  • Communication tools
  • Reporting
  • Zapier
  • Google Calendar
  • Slack

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

VolunteerHub

  • Scheduling and self-registration for volunteer shifts and eventsnot Give Lively
  • Tracking volunteer hours and generating custom reportsnot Give Lively
  • Recruiting volunteers through branded opportunity landing pagesnot 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.

VolunteerHub

  • Both published plans are billed annually and carry a set up fee on top of the monthly figure
  • The entry Plus plan starts at $143 per month and Pro at $288 per month, both quoted as starting prices
  • Plans carry a user limit; only volunteers inactive for a full twelve months stop counting against it
  • Single Sign-On is an optional paid add-on on every tier including Enterprise, not an included feature
  • Background check integrations with Sterling Volunteers and PeopleFacts are optional paid add-ons on every tier
  • CRM integrations such as Raiser's Edge are optional add-ons rather than included
  • Volunteer fundraising is optional on Plus and Pro and carries a processing fee when used
  • The Enterprise tier has no published price and requires contacting sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Give Lively

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

VolunteerHub

On request
  • Starter$75/month
    • Volunteer database
    • Scheduling
  • Professional$150/month
    • Advanced reporting
    • Mobile app
    • Integrations

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 VolunteerHub if

  • You need volunteer database.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want scheduling.
VolunteerHub review

Questions people ask

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

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.

VolunteerHub: What is VolunteerHub's least expensive plan?

The Plus plan starts at $143 per month when billed annually, plus a setup fee.

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.

VolunteerHub: What additional costs might apply with VolunteerHub's Pro plan?

The Pro plan starting at $288/month includes most core features, but advanced features are marked as optional, suggesting additional costs may apply for add-ons like group management and data import/export.

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

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

VolunteerHub: Are there any limitations on users or reports with VolunteerHub?

No, all three VolunteerHub tiers (Plus, Pro, and Enterprise) include unlimited users and unlimited event configuration.

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.

VolunteerHub: What integrations does VolunteerHub support?

All VolunteerHub plans include integration with Zapier and access to CRM and background check integrations.

Source
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