Nonprofit & Fundraising · head to head
Mightycause vs GuideStar
Mightycause
Nonprofit & Fundraising
Fundraising platform for nonprofits and causes
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
GuideStar
Nonprofit & Fundraising
Nonprofit profile and intelligence platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Mightycause payment processing carries an average fee of 0.95% per transaction despite the platform itself being advertised as free; GuideStar guideStar and Foundation Directory are being retired and merged into a single Candid platform, per Candid's own learning.candid.org help pages, with existing subscribers redirected to log in at app.candid.org
- They diverge on capability: Mightycause covers Campaign creation, GuideStar covers Nonprofit profile.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mightycause and GuideStar actually diverge.
| Attribute | Mightycause | GuideStar |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 | 1995 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Mobile-responsive), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Nonprofit & Fundraising).
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 Mightycause
- Campaign creation
- Donation collection
- Email campaigns
- Donation tracking
- Social sharing
- Stripe
- PayPal
Only in GuideStar
- Nonprofit profile
- Impact data
- Donor verification
- Financial transparency
- Ratings
- Salesforce
Both cover
- Google Analytics
- Web support
- Mobile-responsive support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Mightycause
- Nonprofits running online donation and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns without a software subscription feenot GuideStar
GuideStar
- Business operationsnot Mightycause
- Productivitynot Mightycause
- Automationnot Mightycause
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Mightycause
- Payment processing carries an average fee of 0.95% per transaction despite the platform itself being advertised as free
GuideStar
- GuideStar and Foundation Directory are being retired and merged into a single Candid platform, per Candid's own learning.candid.org help pages, with existing subscribers redirected to log in at app.candid.org
- Candid's own pricing page lists Candid Premium (annual) at $1,199 per year in USD, and $219 per month if billed monthly, with an Ultimate annual tier at $1,699 per year adding compliance monitoring features
- Candid's free tier limits search results, profile views and dashboards; full grants and profile data downloads are capped even on Premium annual, at 1,000 grants downloads and 5,000 profile downloads per month
Pricing, plan by plan
Mightycause
Free- FreeFree
- Campaign creation
- Donation collection
- Professional$50/month
- Advanced features
- Email campaigns
- Premium support
GuideStar
Free- ProfileFree
- Nonprofit profile
- Basic data
- Gold$300/month
- Enhanced profile
- Donor verification
- Impact reporting
Which should you pick?
Choose Mightycause if
- You need campaign creation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
- You also want donation collection.
Choose GuideStar if
- You need nonprofit profile.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
- You also want impact data.
Questions people ask
- Is Mightycause or GuideStar better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mightycause starts at Free and GuideStar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mightycause or GuideStar?
- Mightycause starts at Free and GuideStar at Free.
- Does Mightycause or GuideStar run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Mobile-responsive, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Mightycause for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Mightycause best used for?
- Mightycause is most often used for nonprofits running online donation and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns without a software subscription fee. Of those, nonprofits running online donation and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns without a software subscription fee is not what GuideStar is typically brought in for.
- What can Mightycause do that GuideStar cannot?
- Mightycause covers Campaign creation, Donation collection, Email campaigns, Donation tracking. GuideStar covers Nonprofit profile, Impact data, Donor verification, Financial transparency. Both handle Google Analytics, Web support, Mobile-responsive support.