Zeffy alternative
Zeffy is 100% free fundraising platform funded by suggested tips to zeffy on every donor's checkout. CharityFundraiser combines auctions, donations, P2P, events, CRM, AI coordinator tooling, volunteer management, and direct mail in one platform — with flat 2% on funds raised, paid by you. no tip prompt on your donors — ever..
“If you're comparing Zeffy and CharityFundraiser: Zeffy is the better fit for zero platform fee if simple donation forms are all you need, but CharityFundraiser wins on price and breadth — flat 2% on funds raised, paid by you. no tip prompt on your donors — ever, plus full event, auction & ai tooling — and your donors are never shown a tip prompt.”
Quick verdict
When Zeffy wins
Zero platform fee if simple donation forms are all you need
When CharityFundraiser wins
Full event, auction & AI tooling — and your donors are never shown a tip prompt
The math nobody mentions
Zeffy is free for your nonprofit because every donor is shown a pre-selected tip to Zeffy at checkout — often around 17%. By Zeffy's own figure only 2 of 3 donors leave one, which means 1 in 3 are being asked and declining. Here's the part that stings: your supporters are ALREADY giving. Asking them to tip on top of their donation is just an added insult — at the exact moment they've chosen to support your cause. We never put a tip prompt in front of your donors. You pay a quiet flat 2%, and their giving experience stays clean and about your mission.
2% flat
paid by your org — your donors never see a tip prompt
~17%
tip Zeffy suggests to each of your donors
1 in 3
donors decline the tip (from Zeffy's own “2 of 3” stat)
And donors are done with tip prompts. Independent surveys consistently find:
Every tip prompt on your donation page is a chance to make a supporter feel pressured — at the exact moment they've chosen to give to you.
Tipflation is hitting a breaking point
"Tipflation" — touchscreen prompts everywhere, ever-higher suggested percentages, and guilt-tipping — has reached its limit. 70%+ of people now feel asked too often and 80%+ say it's out of control. It's driving real backlash: reduced patronage and a growing demand for honest, transparent pricing. Donation tip prompts ride the very same wave — and risk the very same backlash, aimed squarely at YOUR cause. We chose transparent pricing on purpose: a flat 2% you pay, never a tip we shake out of your donors.
The cost of “free”
A “100% free” platform doesn’t make money from thin air — it funds itself by asking your donors for a tip (often ~17%) at checkout. See what that really shifts onto your supporters versus our quiet flat 2% that you pay.
With CharityFundraiser
$1,000
flat 2% — paid by your org
Your donors are asked for $0 in tips
With a “100% free” platform
$5,667
likely pulled from your donors as tips(~17% shown = $8,500; ~2 of 3 donors leave one)
Your org pays $0 — your supporters cover it
On $50,000 raised, you’d pay a predictable $1,000 with us — while a “free” platform would prompt your donors for roughly $5,667 in tips. Either way that money leaves your supporters’ pockets; the only question is whether they’re asked at the moment they’ve chosen to give to you.
Estimate only. Tip rate (~17%) and take rate (2 of 3 donors) reflect Zeffy’s own published figures; actual amounts vary by donor behavior. Standard card processing (~2.9% + $0.30) applies on every platform.
Feature-by-feature
| Capability | Zeffy | CharityFundraiser |
|---|---|---|
| Online donation pages | ||
| Peer-to-peer & memberships | ||
| Silent auctions & mobile bidding | Basic | |
| Live stage auction + fund-a-need + big screen | ||
| Event ticketing & fast check-in | Basic | |
| Donor CRM with segmentation & automation | Basic | |
| Text-to-Give keyword campaigns | ||
| AI suite (concierge, thank-you videos, grant writer) | ||
| Free grants library | ||
| Installable branded app (your logo) | ||
| Volunteer management | ||
| Platform fee paid by the nonprofit | $0 | 2% |
| Cost shifted onto your donors | ~17% suggested tip | None |
| Pricing | $0 to you — funded by a ~17% tip suggested to your donors (only ~2 of 3 leave one) | Flat 2% on funds raised, paid by you. No tip prompt on your donors — ever. |
Data compiled from public Zeffy pricing pages and product documentation as of 2026. Email hello@charityfundraiser.com with corrections.
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