Comparison · Updated October 19, 2026
Zeffy vs Donorbox for nonprofit fundraising
Zeffy
B
Zeffy (called Simplyk until April 2022) is a Montreal-based fundraising platform for nonprofits. It runs donation forms, event ticketing, raffles, auctions, memberships, online stores, a donor CRM and a Tap to Pay phone app. It charges the nonprofit nothing: no platform fee, no card fee and no subscription, and the organisation receives 100% of each gift. Zeffy pays the card processing costs itself and earns its money from an optional contribution, or tip, that donors are asked to add at checkout. That tip is pre-selected. In our October 2026 test on a live US form, a $50 gift came with a 17% ($8.50) contribution already chosen, and a $500 gift with 11% ($54.95). Donors can lower it or set it to zero through an 'Other' option, but the nonprofit cannot change the suggested amounts. Payments run on Stripe: each organisation gets its own Stripe connected account under Zeffy's platform. Payouts go out weekly on Mondays by default. Zeffy is open only to nonprofits and eligible public-benefit organisations, and this review covers its US (USD) and Canadian (CAD) offer. Donor reviews are strongly positive, but the most persistent complaint is donors who did not notice the pre-selected tip.
Donorbox
B
Donorbox is a US donation and fundraising platform run by Rebel Idealist Inc., a Delaware corporation based in Alexandria, Virginia. Founder and CEO Charles Zhang started it in 2014 as a free WordPress donation plugin. It sells donation forms, fundraising and crowdfunding pages, peer-to-peer campaigns, event ticketing, memberships, a donor CRM, text-to-give and an in-person kiosk app. Donorbox does not process payments itself. Each organisation connects its own Stripe or PayPal account, donations land in that account, and Donorbox takes a platform fee on top of the processor's fee. As of October 2026 the free Standard plan charges a 2.95% platform fee on donation forms and pages and 3.95% on events, memberships and supporter peer-to-peer pages. Pro costs $150 a month and lowers those to 1.75% and 2%. Premium is quote-only, with platform fees of 1.6% to 2%. Processing is extra: Donorbox quotes 2.2% + 30 cents for US nonprofits on Stripe's discounted rate, and 2.9% + 30 cents for other organisations. Donors can choose to cover the fees. There is no contract or setup fee. Payouts follow the Stripe or PayPal schedule, every two business days by default for US Stripe accounts. In June 2026 Donorbox said more than 100,000 organisations had raised over $4 billion through it. Trustpilot shows a 4.3 TrustScore, but 26% of its 106 reviews are one-star.
VS
Overview
We compare the two for a US or Canadian nonprofit choosing a donation and fundraising platform, using their published prices as of October 2026. They are paid for in opposite ways. Zeffy charges the nonprofit nothing: no platform fee, no card processing fee and no subscription. It pays Stripe's fees itself and asks donors for an optional contribution to Zeffy at checkout, which it says is its only revenue. That contribution is pre-selected as a percentage that falls as the gift grows, and the nonprofit cannot change the wording or the suggested amounts; donors can lower it or set it to $0. Donorbox charges the nonprofit a platform fee on each gift on top of the Stripe or PayPal processing fee: 2.95% on donation forms and 3.95% on event tickets and memberships on the free Standard plan, or 1.75% and 2% on Pro at $150 a month. Donors can choose to cover the fees. On a $100 card gift at Stripe's US nonprofit rate, a nonprofit keeps $100 on Zeffy and $94.55 on Donorbox Standard unless the donor covers the fees. Zeffy adds free auctions, raffles and a free Tap to Pay phone app. Donorbox adds text-to-give and a kiosk app that works with card readers, both as paid add-ons, and gifts settle into the nonprofit's own Stripe or PayPal account. Neither has a contract. Payment Review grades both B.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Zeffy costs the nonprofit nothing per gift: no platform fee and no card fee, so a $100 card gift arrives as $100. On Donorbox's free Standard plan the same gift carries a 2.95% platform fee plus Stripe's 2.2% + 30¢ US nonprofit rate, leaving $94.55 unless the donor covers the fees.
- ✓Zeffy's cost moves to donors instead. Checkout pre-selects an optional contribution to Zeffy that the nonprofit cannot customise; donors can lower it or set it to $0. Donorbox's pricing describes no donor tip to Donorbox; instead it lets donors opt to cover the fees.
- ✓Zeffy is cheaper for events: tickets, memberships, raffles and auctions are free to the nonprofit. Donorbox charges 3.95% on Standard (2% on Pro) on tickets and memberships, plus processing, and does not run auctions.
- ✓Donorbox pays out faster by default and keeps the money in your own account: Stripe pays US and Canadian accounts every 2 business days, and Donorbox never holds funds. Zeffy pays weekly on Mondays by default (next-day for eligible organizations) through a Stripe account created under its platform.
- ✓Donorbox has paid tools Zeffy lacks: text-to-give from $19 a month and a kiosk app that works with tablets and card readers from $80 a month. Zeffy's free Tap to Pay app runs on phones only and cannot connect an external card reader.
Zeffy
Zeffy suits a small or mid-size US or Canadian nonprofit, school group, club or church that wants donations, tickets, raffles, auctions and memberships at no cost to the organization, and is comfortable with supporters seeing a pre-selected contribution to Zeffy at checkout.
Donorbox
Donorbox suits a nonprofit that wants a published fee instead of a donor tip, its gifts settling into its own Stripe or PayPal account every 2 business days, text-to-give or a card-reader kiosk, and the option of a lower platform fee on Pro once volume justifies $150 a month.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
The choice comes down to who you want to pay for the platform. Zeffy is the cheaper option for the nonprofit by any measure: no platform fee, no card fee and no subscription, with auctions, raffles, ticketing, memberships and a Tap to Pay app included. A $100 card gift arrives as $100, against $94.55 on Donorbox Standard at Stripe's nonprofit rate. The cost moves to donors through a pre-selected contribution to Zeffy that the nonprofit cannot customise, and the money runs through a Stripe account under Zeffy's control, paid weekly by default. Donorbox charges a published fee instead: 2.95% plus processing on donation forms, or 3.95% on tickets and memberships on its free plan, less on Pro at $150 a month, and donors can opt to cover it. In return, gifts settle into the nonprofit's own Stripe or PayPal account every 2 business days, and paid add-ons cover text-to-give and kiosks with card readers. A nonprofit that wants to keep every dollar and is comfortable with its donors being asked to tip will do better on Zeffy. One that prefers a transparent fee it controls, its own processor account or text-to-give will prefer Donorbox.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
What the nonprofit pays (US, as of October 2026)
| Feature | Zeffy | Donorbox |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee on donation forms | 0% Winner | 2.95% (Standard); 1.75% (Pro); 1.6% (Premium) |
| Zeffy's pricing page says 'No transaction fees. No platforms fees. No fees period.' Donorbox's pricing page lists 2.95% on donation forms, fundraising pages, QuickDonate, organization peer-to-peer and crowdfunding pages on the free Standard plan, 1.75% on Pro and 1.6% on Premium. Donorbox caps its platform fee at $25 on any US ACH gift. | ||
| Card processing fee charged to the nonprofit | $0 (Zeffy pays Stripe) Winner | 2.2% + 30¢ (Stripe, US nonprofit rate) |
| Zeffy says it covers '100% of the fees you would normally have to pay with Stripe'. Donorbox passes through your own Stripe or PayPal fee. Its pricing page lists Stripe at 2.2% + 30¢ and PayPal at 1.99% + 49¢ (non-Amex) for registered US nonprofits paying in USD, which Donorbox calls 'typically' the discounted rate. Organizations without the discount pay the processor's standard price. Canadian nonprofits pay Stripe's or PayPal's Canadian pricing, which Donorbox's page does not list. | ||
| What a $100 card gift leaves the nonprofit | $100 Winner | $94.55 (Standard, Stripe nonprofit rate) |
| Donorbox: $2.95 platform fee plus $2.50 Stripe fee ($2.20 + 30¢), assuming the donor does not cover the fees. On Pro the same gift leaves $95.75, before the $150 monthly subscription. Zeffy: the nonprofit receives the full $100 whether or not the donor adds a contribution to Zeffy; the donor pays the gift plus any contribution as one charge. | ||
| Event tickets and memberships | 0% Winner | 3.95% (Standard); 2% (Pro and Premium) |
| Donorbox charges 3.95% on Standard for event ticketing, memberships and supporter peer-to-peer pages, plus the processing fee. Zeffy charges nothing on any form. A $50 ticket on Donorbox Standard at Stripe's nonprofit rate costs $1.98 + $1.40, about 6.8%. | ||
| Monthly subscription | $0 (one free plan) | $0 Standard; $150 Pro; Premium on quote |
| Zeffy says 'there is no paid plan above it'. Donorbox's Standard plan is free, Pro is $150 a month with a discount for yearly billing, and Premium is quote-only. Donorbox add-ons are billed monthly and renew automatically. Both start at $0, so we give no winner. | ||
| US bank (ACH) gifts | $0 Winner | Stripe 0.8% capped at $5, plus platform fee capped at $25 |
| Zeffy charges nothing on ACH (PAD in Canada). Donorbox's help centre says its platform fee is capped at $25 on any ACH gift and Stripe's ACH fee is 0.8% capped at $5. | ||
Platform fee on donation forms
Zeffy
0%
Winner
Donorbox
2.95% (Standard); 1.75% (Pro); 1.6% (Premium)
Zeffy's pricing page says 'No transaction fees. No platforms fees. No fees period.' Donorbox's pricing page lists 2.95% on donation forms, fundraising pages, QuickDonate, organization peer-to-peer and crowdfunding pages on the free Standard plan, 1.75% on Pro and 1.6% on Premium. Donorbox caps its platform fee at $25 on any US ACH gift.
Card processing fee charged to the nonprofit
Zeffy
$0 (Zeffy pays Stripe)
Winner
Donorbox
2.2% + 30¢ (Stripe, US nonprofit rate)
Zeffy says it covers '100% of the fees you would normally have to pay with Stripe'. Donorbox passes through your own Stripe or PayPal fee. Its pricing page lists Stripe at 2.2% + 30¢ and PayPal at 1.99% + 49¢ (non-Amex) for registered US nonprofits paying in USD, which Donorbox calls 'typically' the discounted rate. Organizations without the discount pay the processor's standard price. Canadian nonprofits pay Stripe's or PayPal's Canadian pricing, which Donorbox's page does not list.
What a $100 card gift leaves the nonprofit
Zeffy
$100
Winner
Donorbox
$94.55 (Standard, Stripe nonprofit rate)
Donorbox: $2.95 platform fee plus $2.50 Stripe fee ($2.20 + 30¢), assuming the donor does not cover the fees. On Pro the same gift leaves $95.75, before the $150 monthly subscription. Zeffy: the nonprofit receives the full $100 whether or not the donor adds a contribution to Zeffy; the donor pays the gift plus any contribution as one charge.
Event tickets and memberships
Zeffy
0%
Winner
Donorbox
3.95% (Standard); 2% (Pro and Premium)
Donorbox charges 3.95% on Standard for event ticketing, memberships and supporter peer-to-peer pages, plus the processing fee. Zeffy charges nothing on any form. A $50 ticket on Donorbox Standard at Stripe's nonprofit rate costs $1.98 + $1.40, about 6.8%.
Monthly subscription
Zeffy
$0 (one free plan)
Donorbox
$0 Standard; $150 Pro; Premium on quote
Zeffy says 'there is no paid plan above it'. Donorbox's Standard plan is free, Pro is $150 a month with a discount for yearly billing, and Premium is quote-only. Donorbox add-ons are billed monthly and renew automatically. Both start at $0, so we give no winner.
US bank (ACH) gifts
Zeffy
$0
Winner
Donorbox
Stripe 0.8% capped at $5, plus platform fee capped at $25
Zeffy charges nothing on ACH (PAD in Canada). Donorbox's help centre says its platform fee is capped at $25 on any ACH gift and Stripe's ACH fee is 0.8% capped at $5.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Small nonprofit, PTA or club on a tight budget
Recommended
Zeffy
Zeffy charges nothing per gift and has no subscription, so the organization keeps 100% of donations and ticket sales. Donorbox's free plan still takes 2.95% to 3.95% plus processing on each gift unless donors cover the fees.
Gala or school fundraiser with an auction and raffle
Recommended
Zeffy
Zeffy includes auctions, numbered raffle tickets and ticketing at no cost. Donorbox does not run auctions and charges 3.95% on Standard (2% on Pro) on event tickets, plus processing.
Nonprofit that does not want donors asked to tip a platform
Recommended
Donorbox
Zeffy's checkout pre-selects a contribution to Zeffy that the nonprofit cannot change or switch off. Donorbox charges the nonprofit a published fee instead and lets donors choose to cover it.
Organization that wants gifts in its own Stripe or PayPal account
Recommended
Donorbox
Donorbox never holds funds: gifts settle in your own Stripe account every 2 business days in the US and Canada, or in PayPal. Zeffy uses a Stripe account created through its platform, pays weekly by default and cannot connect an existing Stripe account.
Church or venue that wants text-to-give or a card-reader kiosk
Recommended
Donorbox
Donorbox sells text-to-give from $19 a month and a Live Kiosk app that works with tablets and card readers from $80 a month. Zeffy offers no text-to-give, and its free Tap to Pay app runs on phones only.
Zeffy: Best for 2 use cases
Donorbox: Best for 3 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
For the nonprofit, yes. As of October 2026 Zeffy charges no platform fee, no card processing fee and no subscription, and pays Stripe's fees itself, so the organization receives 100% of each payment. Zeffy is funded by an optional contribution donors are asked to add at checkout. It is pre-selected as a percentage that falls as the gift grows, the nonprofit cannot customise it, and donors can lower it or set it to $0.
As of October 2026, Donorbox's free Standard plan charges a 2.95% platform fee on donation forms and pages and 3.95% on event tickets, memberships and supporter peer-to-peer pages. Pro costs $150 a month and lowers those to 1.75% and 2%; Premium is quote-only from 1.6%. Stripe or PayPal processing comes on top, listed at 2.2% + 30¢ on Stripe for registered US nonprofits. A $100 card gift on Standard leaves $94.55 unless the donor covers the fees.
For the nonprofit, yes. Zeffy charges nothing per gift, while Donorbox charges a platform fee plus processing on every gift. Donors on Zeffy, though, are asked for a contribution to Zeffy that is pre-selected at checkout, so the total a donor pays can be higher than on a Donorbox form where they do not cover the fees.
On Donorbox, yes: organizations can give donors the option to cover the processing and platform fees at checkout. Zeffy has no fees to cover; instead donors are asked for an optional contribution to Zeffy itself, which they can change or set to $0.
Zeffy pays weekly on Mondays by default, or monthly, with next-day payouts for organizations it deems eligible; every payment first passes an anti-fraud review of typically 1 to 3 business days. Donorbox does not control payouts: Stripe pays US and Canadian accounts every 2 business days (the first payout takes about 7 days), and PayPal funds arrive 2 to 3 business days after you withdraw them.
Yes. Zeffy serves Canadian not-for-profits, including those without a registered charity number, charges in CAD and accepts PAD bank payments. Donorbox works anywhere Stripe or PayPal is available, including Canada, with processing fees set by your Canadian Stripe or PayPal account.