Nonprofits · head to head
Sumac vs Zeffy
Sumac
Nonprofits
Modular nonprofit CRM that pairs donor management with client case management
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Zeffy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Sumac pricing is not published at all, so a small organisation cannot compare Sumac against per contact priced competitors without committing to a sales process.; Zeffy revenue model relies entirely on donor voluntary tips with no guaranteed income
- They diverge on capability: Sumac covers Donor and gift management, Zeffy covers Donation forms.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Sumac and Zeffy actually diverge.
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 Sumac
- Donor and gift management
- Case management module
- Memberships and volunteers
- Grant management
- Role based permissions
- Custom fields and forms
Only in Zeffy
- Donation forms
- Event ticketing
- Membership management
- Peer-to-peer fundraising
- Recurring donations
- Mailchimp
- Zapier
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Sumac
- A social service agency that must record client cases and donor gifts without buying two systemsnot Zeffy
- A charity that wants only donor and grant modules and refuses to pay for an events suite it will not usenot Zeffy
- A Canadian organisation wanting local support hours and receipting conventionsnot Zeffy
- An agency replacing a legacy Access or FileMaker database with something supportednot Zeffy
Zeffy
- Donation collection for nonprofitsnot Sumac
- Event ticketing with check-innot Sumac
- Membership sales with tiersnot Sumac
- Peer-to-peer fundraising campaignsnot Sumac
- In-person payment with Tap to Paynot Sumac
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Sumac
- Pricing is not published at all, so a small organisation cannot compare Sumac against per contact priced competitors without committing to a sales process.
- The interface reflects the product's age, and staff arriving from consumer grade software find navigation and data entry slower than in newer CRMs.
- Holding client case notes and donor records in one database makes permission design a compliance obligation, and a misconfigured role can expose confidential client material to fundraising staff.
- The integration catalogue is small, so payment, email and accounting connections outside the listed few mean manual export or paid custom work.
- Modular licensing means the price rises in visible steps as programmes expand, and organisations frequently discover the module they need most was not in the original quote.
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
Sumac
On request- Sumac$undefined/year
- Quoted by module selection and organisation size
- Case management is a separately licensed module
- Implementation and data migration quoted separately
Zeffy
Free- Free ForeverFree
- Unlimited donations
- Ticketing
- Memberships
Which should you pick?
Choose Sumac if
- You need donor and gift management.
- You work on Web, Windows.
- You also want case management module.
Choose Zeffy if
- You need donation forms.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want event ticketing.
Questions people ask
- Is Sumac or Zeffy better?
- Neither clearly leads. Sumac 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, Sumac or Zeffy?
- Zeffy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Sumac and Free for Zeffy.
- Does Sumac or Zeffy run on more platforms?
- Sumac runs on Web, Windows. 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. Sumac starts at On request.
- What is Sumac best used for?
- Sumac is most often used for a social service agency that must record client cases and donor gifts without buying two systems, a charity that wants only donor and grant modules and refuses to pay for an events suite it will not use, a canadian organisation wanting local support hours and receipting conventions, an agency replacing a legacy access or filemaker database with something supported. Of those, a social service agency that must record client cases and donor gifts without buying two systems and a charity that wants only donor and grant modules and refuses to pay for an events suite it will not use are not what Zeffy is typically brought in for.
- What can Sumac do that Zeffy cannot?
- Sumac covers Donor and gift management, Case management module, Memberships and volunteers, Grant management. Zeffy covers Donation forms, Event ticketing, Membership management, Peer-to-peer fundraising.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Sumac: Is Sumac the same product as Societ?
The vendor has been moving its products under the Societ brand, so you may see both names for the same platform during a sales cycle.
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.
SourceSumac: Can it handle client case management?
Yes, that is its clearest differentiator among donor CRMs. It is a licensed module, not part of the base product.
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.
SourceSumac: Is pricing published?
No. It is quoted by module and organisation size, which makes like for like comparison harder than with published per contact products.
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.
SourceSumac: Does it work for US charities?
Yes, though the vendor is Canadian and its receipting and support conventions are strongest for Canadian organisations.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- Sumac vs CharityEngine
- Sumac vs Bloomerang
- Sumac vs DonorPerfect
- Sumac vs Bonterra
- Sumac vs Keela
- Sumac vs Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
- Sumac vs CiviCRM
- Sumac vs GrantStation
- Sumac vs SmartSimple Cloud
- Sumac vs Aplos
- Sumac vs Wild Apricot
- Sumac vs CommCare
- Sumac vs OpenGrants
- Sumac vs QuickBooks for Nonprofits
- Sumac vs Raisely
- Sumac vs SignUpGenius
- Sumac vs TechSoup
- Sumac vs Tendenci
- Sumac vs Donorbox
- Sumac vs GiveWP
- Sumac vs Classy
- Sumac vs Constant Contact
- Sumac vs Give Lively
- Sumac vs Charity Navigator
- Sumac vs Qgiv
- Sumac vs Instrumentl
- Sumac vs Fundraise Up
- Sumac vs Bloomerang Volunteer
- Sumac vs Candid
- Sumac vs Canva for Nonprofits
- Sumac vs Cause IQ
- Zeffy vs CharityEngine
- Zeffy vs Bloomerang
- Zeffy vs DonorPerfect
- Zeffy vs Bonterra
- Zeffy vs Keela
- Zeffy vs Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
- Zeffy vs CiviCRM
- Zeffy vs GrantStation
- Zeffy vs SmartSimple Cloud
- Zeffy vs Aplos
- Zeffy vs Wild Apricot
- Zeffy vs CommCare
- Zeffy vs OpenGrants
- Zeffy vs QuickBooks for Nonprofits
- Zeffy vs Raisely
- Zeffy vs SignUpGenius
- Zeffy vs TechSoup
- Zeffy vs Tendenci
- Zeffy vs Donorbox
- Zeffy vs GiveWP
- Zeffy vs Classy
- Zeffy vs Constant Contact
- Zeffy vs Give Lively
- Zeffy vs Charity Navigator
- Zeffy vs Qgiv
- Zeffy vs Instrumentl
- Zeffy vs Fundraise Up
- Zeffy vs Bloomerang Volunteer
- Zeffy vs Candid
- Zeffy vs Canva for Nonprofits
- Zeffy vs Cause IQ