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Nonprofits · head to head

Givebutter vs Submittable

Givebutter logo

Givebutter

Nonprofits

Free nonprofit fundraising with donor management and campaign tools

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Submittable logo

Submittable

Nonprofits

Application, review and grant management for funders running open calls at volume

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Givebutter has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Givebutter free tier includes 3% platform fee when donor tips are disabled; Submittable pricing is not published and tier jumps are steep, so an organisation that grows past a submission or form limit can face a renewal quote well above the previous year with limited negotiating room mid-programme.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Givebutter and Submittable actually diverge.

Attributes where Givebutter and Submittable differ
AttributeGivebutterSubmittable
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
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 Givebutter

Nothing recorded that Submittable does not also cover.

Only in Submittable

  • Configurable application forms
  • Blind and multi-stage review
  • Reviewer management
  • Grant payments
  • Impact reporting
  • Applicant messaging
  • API and integrations

What people use each for

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

Givebutter

  • Launching donation pages where donors cover feesnot Submittable
  • Managing peer-to-peer and event fundraising togethernot Submittable
  • Automating donor thank-you workflows and tasksnot Submittable
  • Accepting donations across Venmo, PayPal, cards, ACHnot Submittable

Submittable

  • A foundation running an open grant round where a volunteer panel must score hundreds of applications without seeing applicant identitiesnot Givebutter
  • A corporate giving team collecting employee-nominated grant requests and needing an audit trail for financenot Givebutter
  • An arts council managing fellowship and residency applications with multi-stage juriesnot Givebutter
  • A city agency distributing relief funds and required to show equitable review and decision recordsnot Givebutter

Where each one falls short

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

Givebutter

  • Free tier includes 3% platform fee when donor tips are disabled
  • Plus pricing varies by contact volume: up to $129/month for 2,500+ contacts

Submittable

  • Pricing is not published and tier jumps are steep, so an organisation that grows past a submission or form limit can face a renewal quote well above the previous year with limited negotiating room mid-programme.
  • It is built around the application funnel rather than the funder's relationship with grantees, so long-term relationship management, pledge tracking and multi-year commitments are weaker than in a purpose-built grants CRM.
  • Applicant-facing forms are constrained by the platform's templates, and organisations wanting a fully branded application experience on their own domain will find the customisation shallow.
  • Reporting is serviceable for programme counts but limited for board-level financial reporting, so many finance teams still export to spreadsheets to reconcile awards against the general ledger.
  • Payment disbursement capability varies by tier and region, and organisations funding recipients outside the United States often still pay grants through their bank rather than through the platform.

Pricing, plan by plan

Givebutter

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Donation forms
    • Fundraising pages
    • Donor CRM
  • Givebutter Plus$29/month
    • For 250 or fewer contacts: $29/month or $348/year
    • Automated workflows
    • Task management

Submittable

On request
  • Submittable$undefined/year
    • Application forms and applicant portal
    • Reviewer workflow and scoring rubrics
    • Grant award and reporting modules on higher tiers

Which should you pick?

Choose Givebutter if

  • You want to start without paying.
Givebutter review

Choose Submittable if

  • You need configurable application forms.
  • You also want blind and multi-stage review.
Submittable review

Questions people ask

Is Givebutter or Submittable better?
Neither clearly leads. Givebutter starts at Free and Submittable at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Givebutter or Submittable?
Givebutter has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Givebutter and On request for Submittable.
Does Givebutter or Submittable run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Givebutter for free?
Yes. Givebutter has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Submittable starts at On request.
What is Givebutter best used for?
Givebutter is most often used for launching donation pages where donors cover fees, managing peer-to-peer and event fundraising together, automating donor thank-you workflows and tasks, accepting donations across venmo, paypal, cards, ach. Of those, launching donation pages where donors cover fees and managing peer-to-peer and event fundraising together are not what Submittable is typically brought in for.
What can Givebutter do that Submittable cannot?
Submittable covers Configurable application forms, Blind and multi-stage review, Reviewer management, Grant payments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Givebutter: How much does Givebutter cost?

Givebutter's core platform is free to use. The optional Givebutter Plus upgrade starts at $29 per month for nonprofits with 250 or fewer contacts, scaling to $129 per month for 2,500+ contacts.

Source
Submittable: What does Submittable actually cost?

It is not published. Reported entry points are in the low thousands of dollars a year, with price driven by submission volume, number of forms and seats. Get the tier limits written into the contract before signing.

Givebutter: How does Givebutter stay free?

Givebutter remains free when nonprofits enable optional donor tips. Donors can choose to tip when donating, and Givebutter covers any uncovered transaction costs through the Givebutter Guarantee. Without tips enabled, a 3% platform fee applies plus standard processor fees.

Source
Submittable: Is it a grants management system or a submission manager?

Both, depending on tier. The review side is its strength. Award tracking, payments and grantee reporting sit on higher tiers and are less deep than a dedicated grants CRM.

Givebutter: Can I cancel Givebutter Plus anytime?

Yes, Givebutter Plus subscriptions can be cancelled anytime; cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period. A 30-day Plus trial is available.

Source
Submittable: Can reviewers work anonymously?

Yes. Blind review, staged rounds and conflict of interest flagging are core features rather than paid extras.

Submittable: Is there a nonprofit discount?

Nonprofit pricing exists but is applied inside the quote rather than published as a percentage, so compare quotes rather than assuming a standard rate.

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