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Nonprofits · head to head

Keela vs Zeffy

Keela logo

Keela

Nonprofits

Nonprofit CRM and fundraising platform with Canadian tax receipting built in

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zeffy logo

Zeffy

Nonprofits

100% free fundraising platform for nonprofits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zeffy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Keela pricing scales with contact count, so a charity that keeps twenty years of lapsed donors pays every month for records it never contacts, and the only fix is deleting history it may need for reporting.; Zeffy revenue model relies entirely on donor voluntary tips with no guaranteed income
  • They diverge on capability: Keela covers Donor records and segmentation, Zeffy covers Donation forms.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Keela and Zeffy actually diverge.

Attributes where Keela and Zeffy differ
AttributeKeelaZeffy
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer month by contact countfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2019

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 Keela

  • Donor records and segmentation
  • CRA and IRS receipting
  • Donation forms and pages
  • Email and automation
  • Grant and pledge tracking
  • Reporting dashboards

Only in Zeffy

  • Donation forms
  • Event ticketing
  • Membership management
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising
  • Recurring donations
  • Mailchimp
  • Zapier
  • Facebook

What people use each for

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

Keela

  • A Canadian registered charity that must issue CRA compliant receipts without building templates itselfnot Zeffy
  • A development team of two to five people replacing spreadsheets and a mailing toolnot Zeffy
  • An organisation already running Aplos fund accounting that wants gifts to post through automaticallynot Zeffy
  • A bilingual charity sending French and English donor communications from one contact listnot Zeffy

Zeffy

  • Donation collection for nonprofitsnot Keela
  • Event ticketing with check-innot Keela
  • Membership sales with tiersnot Keela
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising campaignsnot Keela
  • In-person payment with Tap to Paynot Keela

Where each one falls short

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

Keela

  • Pricing scales with contact count, so a charity that keeps twenty years of lapsed donors pays every month for records it never contacts, and the only fix is deleting history it may need for reporting.
  • The email marketing tools are adequate for donor appeals but weaker than a dedicated platform, so organisations with heavy newsletter programmes end up paying for a second tool and syncing lists.
  • Custom reporting is limited to the fields and filters Keela exposes, so questions the product did not anticipate require exporting to a spreadsheet.
  • The integration list is short next to Salesforce or Blackbaud, so a charity running an unusual event, membership or advocacy tool will be moving data by CSV.
  • Since the 2023 Aplos acquisition the roadmap serves a combined accounting and fundraising suite, so investment favours the accounting join rather than standalone CRM depth.

Zeffy

  • Revenue model relies entirely on donor voluntary tips with no guaranteed income
  • All features included equally with no upgrade path for additional capabilities

Pricing, plan by plan

Keela

On request
  • Keela$undefined/month
    • Published tiers priced by number of contacts held, not by user seat
    • Higher tiers unlock automation, custom fields and additional reporting
    • Card processing is charged separately by the payment processor

Zeffy

Free
  • Free ForeverFree
    • Unlimited donations
    • Ticketing
    • Memberships

Which should you pick?

Choose Keela if

  • You need donor records and segmentation.
  • You also want cra and irs receipting.
Keela review

Choose Zeffy if

  • You need donation forms.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want event ticketing.
Zeffy review

Questions people ask

Is Keela or Zeffy better?
Neither clearly leads. Keela starts at On request and Zeffy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Keela or Zeffy?
Zeffy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Keela and Free for Zeffy.
Does Keela or Zeffy run on more platforms?
Keela runs on Web. Zeffy runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Zeffy for free?
Yes. Zeffy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Keela starts at On request.
What is Keela best used for?
Keela is most often used for a canadian registered charity that must issue cra compliant receipts without building templates itself, a development team of two to five people replacing spreadsheets and a mailing tool, an organisation already running aplos fund accounting that wants gifts to post through automatically, a bilingual charity sending french and english donor communications from one contact list. Of those, a canadian registered charity that must issue cra compliant receipts without building templates itself and a development team of two to five people replacing spreadsheets and a mailing tool are not what Zeffy is typically brought in for.
What can Keela do that Zeffy cannot?
Keela covers Donor records and segmentation, CRA and IRS receipting, Donation forms and pages, Email and automation. Zeffy covers Donation forms, Event ticketing, Membership management, Peer-to-peer fundraising.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Keela: Does Keela issue CRA compliant tax receipts?

Yes, receipt numbering, required wording and batch issuance are built in, which is the main reason Canadian charities choose it over US products.

Zeffy: How much does Zeffy cost for nonprofits?

Zeffy is completely free for nonprofits. There are no platform fees, transaction fees, credit card processing fees, monthly subscriptions, or setup costs. Nonprofits retain 100% of funds raised.

Source
Keela: Who owns Keela?

Aplos Software, a US fund accounting vendor, acquired it in 2023. Keela is still sold as its own product but shares a roadmap with Aplos.

Zeffy: How does Zeffy make money if it's free?

Zeffy relies on voluntary donor tips at checkout. On average, 2 out of 3 donors leave a tip. Tips are optional and donors can opt out, but Zeffy operates on this voluntary contribution model.

Source
Keela: Is pricing per user?

No, it is by contact count. Adding staff does not raise the bill, growing the mailing list does.

Zeffy: What nonprofit organizations can use Zeffy?

Schools, churches, sports teams, animal rescues, food banks, volunteer fire departments, arts organizations, and PTAs can all use Zeffy. Over 100,000 nonprofits globally use the platform.

Source
Keela: Can it replace a fund accounting system?

No. It records income and pledges but does not do fund accounting, so you still need Aplos, QuickBooks or an equivalent.

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