Softwr

Nonprofits · head to head

GiveSmart vs Little Green Light

GiveSmart logo

GiveSmart

Nonprofits

Mobile bidding and event fundraising for charity auctions and galas

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Little Green Light logo

Little Green Light

Nonprofits

Affordable donor management for small nonprofits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Little Green Light has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GiveSmart licensing is annual while many buyers run a single event a year, so the effective cost per event is far higher than the annual figure makes it look.; Little Green Light pricing is driven purely by constituent record count, so inactive and lapsed records still raise the bill
  • They diverge on capability: GiveSmart covers Mobile bidding, Little Green Light covers Donor database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GiveSmart and Little Green Light actually diverge.

Attributes where GiveSmart and Little Green Light differ
AttributeGiveSmartLittle Green Light
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile-responsive
FoundedUnknown2008

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 GiveSmart

  • Mobile bidding
  • Auction management
  • Ticketing and check in
  • Text to give
  • Paddle raise and appeals
  • Payment settlement

Only in Little Green Light

  • Donor database
  • Prospect tracking
  • Relationship management
  • Task management
  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • Google Drive
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

GiveSmart

  • A hospital or school foundation running an annual gala with a live and silent auctionnot Little Green Light
  • An organisation losing revenue to uncollected pledges after event nightnot Little Green Light
  • A charity running several auction events a year that can amortise an annual licencenot Little Green Light
  • A team wanting bidding, check in and payment settlement handled by one system on the nightnot Little Green Light

Little Green Light

  • Donor management and gift tracking for small nonprofitsnot GiveSmart
  • Segmenting constituents for appeals and mailingsnot GiveSmart
  • Online donation forms with pay-as-you-go processingnot GiveSmart

Where each one falls short

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

GiveSmart

  • Licensing is annual while many buyers run a single event a year, so the effective cost per event is far higher than the annual figure makes it look.
  • Pricing is not published, and quotes commonly separate the licence, payment processing, hardware and event night staffing, so the first number a buyer sees is rarely the total.
  • On site technical support and equipment are usually extra, and organisations that decline them discover that event night is the worst possible time to be self supporting.
  • It is event software rather than a donor CRM, so guest and bidder data has to be pushed into the CRM afterwards or the relationship built at the gala is not retained.
  • Consolidation under Community Brands means several nominally competing products share an owner, which reduces the negotiating leverage a buyer thinks a shortlist gives them.

Little Green Light

  • Pricing is driven purely by constituent record count, so inactive and lapsed records still raise the bill
  • The base plan is $45 per month for up to 2,500 constituents, rising to $135 per month at 50,000
  • Above 50,000 records each additional 10,000 tier adds $15 per month
  • An account is hard-capped at 200,000 constituent records
  • Online donation processing costs from 2.2% plus $0.30 per transaction to the payment processor
  • The 10% saving requires annual rather than monthly billing

Pricing, plan by plan

GiveSmart

On request
  • GiveSmart$undefined/year
    • Quoted as an annual licence rather than per event
    • Payment processing charged separately on funds raised
    • On site staffing, hardware and additional event support quoted as add ons

Little Green Light

Free
  • Up to 2,500 constituents$45/month
  • Up to 5,000 constituents$60/month
  • Up to 10,000 constituents$75/month
  • Up to 20,000 constituents$90/month

Which should you pick?

Choose GiveSmart if

  • You need mobile bidding.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want auction management.
GiveSmart review

Choose Little Green Light if

  • You need donor database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want prospect tracking.
Little Green Light review

Questions people ask

Is GiveSmart or Little Green Light better?
Neither clearly leads. GiveSmart starts at On request and Little Green Light at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GiveSmart or Little Green Light?
Little Green Light has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for GiveSmart and Free for Little Green Light.
Does GiveSmart or Little Green Light run on more platforms?
GiveSmart runs on Web, iOS, Android. Little Green Light runs on Web, Mobile-responsive.
Can I use Little Green Light for free?
Yes. Little Green Light has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. GiveSmart starts at On request.
What is GiveSmart best used for?
GiveSmart is most often used for a hospital or school foundation running an annual gala with a live and silent auction, an organisation losing revenue to uncollected pledges after event night, a charity running several auction events a year that can amortise an annual licence, a team wanting bidding, check in and payment settlement handled by one system on the night. Of those, a hospital or school foundation running an annual gala with a live and silent auction and an organisation losing revenue to uncollected pledges after event night are not what Little Green Light is typically brought in for.
What can GiveSmart do that Little Green Light cannot?
GiveSmart covers Mobile bidding, Auction management, Ticketing and check in, Text to give. Little Green Light covers Donor database, Prospect tracking, Relationship management, Task management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GiveSmart: Is GiveSmart priced per event?

It is normally an annual licence, so organisations running one event a year carry the full cost against one night.

Little Green Light: How much does Little Green Light cost?

Little Green Light uses tiered pricing starting at $45/month for up to 2,500 constituents, scaling up to $135/month for up to 50,000 constituents. All tiers include unlimited users and all features. Annual prepayment offers a 10% discount.

Source
GiveSmart: Who owns GiveSmart?

Community Brands, the private equity backed nonprofit and association software group that also owns MemberClicks.

Little Green Light: Is there a free trial for Little Green Light?

Yes, Little Green Light offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required, giving full access to all platform features during the trial period.

Source
GiveSmart: Does it replace our donor database?

No. It captures bidders and guests at an event and needs to feed a CRM afterwards.

Little Green Light: What additional fees does Little Green Light charge?

Online donation processing charges 2.2% plus $0.30 per transaction paid to the payment processor. There are no setup fees, cancellation fees, or contracts.

Source
GiveSmart: What is the actual benefit over paper bid sheets?

Bidding continues across the room and payment settles before guests leave, which is where paper auctions lose money.

Share

Related pages

More on GiveSmart

More on Little Green Light

Keep looking

Other head to heads