Zeffy vs Givebutter (Oct 2026): donor-tip models, payment fees, AI writing help, and which free fundraising platform fits a small nonprofit

What this comparison covers

This page is for an executive director, finance lead, or one-person development office at a small nonprofit choosing a free online fundraising platform, or wondering whether to move from one of these two to the other. It is not legal, tax, or gift-acceptance advice; a named person owns every donor-facing message, gift record, ask amount, and funder submission.

Zeffy facts come from its pricing page, release notes, and two help articles (how Zeffy stays free, the donor contribution), read on 23 October 2026. Givebutter facts come from its pricing page, pricing help article, and Magic page, read the same day, and our Givebutter AI review. We did not test either product. Percentages about donor behavior are each vendor's own figures.

The real difference is who decides what the donor sees at checkout. On Zeffy, the contribution prompt is Zeffy's: you can't change its wording or suggested amounts, and its suggested percentage drops as the gift gets larger. On Givebutter, tips are on by default but you can turn them off and pay a 3% platform fee plus processing instead. Both then add AI on top. For drafting outside either platform, see Claude for nonprofits and ChatGPT for nonprofits; if you need a full donor CRM, see DonorPerfect vs Bloomerang.

Ground rules for either choice: the finance lead checks the fee math and reconciles payouts against gift records; the development lead approves every AI-drafted email or campaign page before supporters see it; the executive director picks the platform and approves any AI connector. This comparison is not a ranking.

Major features (with how someone uses them)

Examples at a glance: each feature has a concrete example from a real job plus a short Try this you can run this week.

1. Run last year's gifts through both fee models (primary)

What it is: Both platforms are free to the nonprofit only in a specific setup. Zeffy says it covers transaction and card fees and that its only revenue is optional donor contributions; it has one plan at $0 (pricing page). Givebutter says that with tips on there are 0% platform fees and, under the Givebutter Guarantee, no processing fees for the nonprofit; with tips off, a flat 3% platform fee plus processing applies: 2.9% + 30¢ for cards and digital wallets, 1.9% + 30¢ for ACH for verified nonprofits (pricing help article).

The math matters most for the cases the free model doesn't cover. Givebutter lists exceptions to its Guarantee, including DAFpay gifts and card reader payments, and campaigns with tips turned off pay standard rates. Run your real gift sizes, not a vendor example.

Concrete example (finance lead at a 4-person food pantry) She exports last year's 620 online gifts as amounts only, no names. In a spreadsheet she calculates what Givebutter with tips off would have cost (3% plus 2.9% + 30¢ per card gift) and notes that Zeffy and Givebutter with tips on would have cost the pantry nothing in fees. She adds a column for how many gifts came by card reader at events, which Givebutter's Guarantee excludes, and gives the sheet to the executive director.

Try this

Run the fee math first:

Take last year's online gifts as a list of amounts only. Have the finance lead work out what each platform's published fees and tip defaults would have meant for that list before the executive director picks one.

2. What the donor sees at checkout

What it is: Zeffy's checkout shows an optional contribution to Zeffy in a dropdown. Zeffy says the wording and suggested amounts can't be customized, that the suggested percentage goes down as the gift goes up, and that donors can set it to $0 (help article, donor help). Zeffy says around 60% of donors contribute; its pricing page says 2 of 3. Givebutter's tips are on by default, can be edited or removed by the donor, and can be turned off by you (pricing help article). We did not find a published default tip percentage for Givebutter; run a test checkout.

Some donors notice an extra line at checkout and some complain about it. That is a donor-experience choice, not only a fee choice.

Concrete example (executive director at a youth arts nonprofit) Before choosing, she makes a $25 and a $500 test gift on a demo form on each platform and screenshots the checkout. She shows the four screenshots to two board members who give online and asks which they would find confusing. One says the default extra on the larger gift felt high; she notes it for the decision.

Try this

See it as a donor:

Make a small and a large test gift on each platform and save screenshots of the checkout. Have the executive director show them to two donors and write down what each found unclear before choosing.

3. AI writing help for emails and campaign pages

What it is: Zeffy added AI email drafting on 4 September 2026: you tell it what you want to say and it drafts an editable email from your campaign details, branding, and tone of voice, or you paste in HTML from an email you like (release notes). Givebutter Magic, launched 1 October 2026, includes a campaign creator that turns your website into a first-draft campaign with a story, branding, and images, plus suggested amounts and recommended goals (Magic page; more in our Givebutter AI review).

A draft that pulls from campaign details can still get a program number, a date, or a donor story wrong. Suggested amounts are an ask-amount decision, and a person owns those.

Concrete example (development lead at an animal rescue) She asks each tool for a spring appeal draft from the same campaign details. Both drafts are usable starting points; one invents a number of animals placed last year and the other uses an old event date. She fixes both against the program report, and the executive director approves the suggested gift amounts on the Givebutter page before it goes live.

Try this

Check every number:

Ask each platform for one draft from the same campaign details. Have the development lead check every number, date, and story against your records and approve it before it reaches supporters.

4. Asking questions about your own fundraising data

What it is: Zeffy's AI Data Assistant (28 September 2026) sits in the dashboard: ask in plain words how much came in this month or who gave last year but not this year, and trend answers come with a chart (release notes). Givebutter Magic adds contact insights (quick summaries and badges about supporters) and smart filters that build a list from a plain-language description; Givebutter says advanced AI reporting is part of Plus (Magic page).

An answer is only as good as the records behind it. Gifts entered by hand, offline checks, and duplicates change the totals.

Concrete example (finance lead at a neighborhood health clinic) He asks for total online gifts last quarter and checks the answer against the payout report. The two match for online gifts, but the AI answer leaves out checks recorded by hand, which the board report includes. He writes the board total himself and keeps the AI answer as a quick check.

Try this

Reconcile one answer:

Ask one question about last quarter's giving in the platform you use. Have the finance lead compare the answer with the payout report and gift records before it goes in any board or funder report.

5. Connecting Claude or ChatGPT to donor data

What it is: Zeffy's Claude connector (12 October 2026) lets you ask Claude about your Zeffy data. Zeffy says it only reads data by default; you can let it update contacts and record manual payments, it asks before deleting anything, and it never refunds payments, sends emails, or changes settings. The same connector works in ChatGPT (release notes). Givebutter Magic lists AI connectors for ChatGPT and Claude (Magic page).

A connector sends donor data to a chat account. Which account, on which plan, with which data rules, is a decision for the executive director, not the person who clicks Connect.

Concrete example (executive director at a 6-person literacy nonprofit) Her development lead wants to connect Zeffy to Claude. She asks which Claude account will be used, checks that it is the organization's team plan and not a personal one, keeps the connector read-only, and writes a one-line rule: no donor names pasted into any other chat. Then she approves it.

Try this

Approve the account first:

Before anyone connects either platform to Claude or ChatGPT, have the executive director confirm which account will be used, keep the connector read-only, and write down the rule for donor data.

6. What you pay for, and when

What it is: Zeffy has one plan at $0 and no paid tier (pricing page). Givebutter is free with tips on; Givebutter Plus adds automated workflows, reporting, texting, and priority support, priced by contact count at $348, $948, or $1,548 billed annually for up to 250, 1,000, or 2,500 contacts, or $33.80, $92.90, or $150.50 a month billed monthly, with a 30-day trial (pricing page). Givebutter says most Magic AI features come with the free account and advanced AI-powered reporting is part of Plus (Magic page).

Free platforms can cost staff time instead of money: missing features, workarounds, and a second tool. Count both.

Concrete example (executive director at a community garden network) She lists the five things her team does every month: forms, an event, a newsletter, a membership drive, and a board report. Both free plans cover the first four. For the fifth, Givebutter's reporting would mean Plus at their contact count; on Zeffy they would keep a spreadsheet. She decides the spreadsheet is fine for now and writes down the contact count at which she would look again.

Try this

List the monthly jobs:

List the jobs your team does every month. Have the executive director mark which ones each free plan covers and what Givebutter Plus would cost at your contact count before choosing.

Pricing context (October 2026)

Zeffy: its pricing page (checked 23 Oct 2026) says “100% free” with one plan at $0; Zeffy covers transaction and card fees and relies on optional donor contributions. Zeffy says on average 2 of 3 donors leave one; its help center says around 60%. Its pricing page also compares other platforms' fees; that comparison is Zeffy's.

Givebutter: its pricing page (checked 23 Oct 2026) says 0% platform fees with tips on and no processing fees for the nonprofit under the Givebutter Guarantee; with tips off, a flat 3% platform fee plus processing (2.9% + 30¢; 1.9% + 30¢ ACH for verified nonprofits). Givebutter Plus: $348, $948, or $1,548 billed annually (250, 1,000, or 2,500 contacts), or $33.80, $92.90, or $150.50 a month billed monthly; larger counts through sales. More in our Givebutter AI review.

Neither price list tells you what your donors will do. Use your own gift amounts, and check each platform's exceptions (card readers, donor-advised funds, recurring gifts) in writing.

Uncertainty: We did not test either product. Facts come from Zeffy and Givebutter pages as read on 23 Oct 2026 and can change. Donor contribution and tip rates are each vendor's own figures. We did not find a published default tip percentage for Givebutter, and Zeffy says its suggested percentage varies with the gift amount, so a test checkout is the way to see what donors see.

When it’s useful (honest take)

Useful when you are a small nonprofit choosing a free online giving platform, your finance lead can run last year's gift amounts through both fee models, and a development lead will check every AI-drafted email or page before supporters see it.

Less useful when you need a full donor CRM with gift officers and moves management (DonorPerfect vs Bloomerang, Blackbaud vs Bonterra), you want AI-set amounts on your own website's checkout (Fundraise Up AI), or you mainly need grant research (Instrumentl vs Candid).

Related options (educational)

FAQ

What is the main difference between Zeffy and Givebutter?

Both are free to use when donors add something extra at checkout. Zeffy's contribution prompt can't be turned off or customized, and Zeffy has no paid plan. Givebutter's tips can be turned off for a flat 3% platform fee plus processing, and Givebutter sells a paid Plus plan. This page is not a ranking.

Is Zeffy really free in October 2026?

Zeffy says it is 100% free, with one plan at $0, and that it covers transaction and card fees. Its revenue comes from optional donor contributions; donors can set the contribution to $0. Zeffy says your nonprofit still receives 100% of the gift either way.

How much does Givebutter cost?

Givebutter is free with tips on. With tips off, a flat 3% platform fee plus processing (2.9% + 30¢ for cards) applies. Givebutter Plus, as printed on 23 Oct 2026, is $348, $948, or $1,548 billed annually for up to 250, 1,000, or 2,500 contacts, or $33.80, $92.90, or $150.50 a month billed monthly.

What AI do Zeffy and Givebutter have?

Zeffy added AI email drafting (4 Sep 2026), an AI Data Assistant in the dashboard (28 Sep 2026), and a Claude connector that also works in ChatGPT (12 Oct 2026). Givebutter Magic (1 Oct 2026) includes a campaign creator, suggested amounts and goals, contact insights, smart filters, and connectors for ChatGPT and Claude.

Who should own the decision?

The finance lead runs the fee math on your own gift amounts and reconciles payouts; the development lead approves every AI draft and suggested amount; the executive director picks the platform and approves any AI connector.

Optional next step (if seats overlap)

If you pay for a giving platform's paid tier, a separate CRM, and chat seats that draft the same appeals, that overlap is worth mapping. Map the overlap with the $19 AI toolkit audit or the $9 AI toolkit spreadsheet. Email Audit $19 or Toolkit spreadsheet $9.

Checkout is live via Stripe. After you pay, we email delivery (spreadsheet) or intake next steps (audit).

Related: Grantable AI · Instrumentl vs Candid · Fundraise Up AI · Claude for nonprofits · ChatGPT for nonprofits · DonorPerfect vs Bloomerang · Blackbaud AI · Bonterra Que · Bloomerang AI · Virtuous AI · Neon One AI · Dataro AI · Blackbaud vs Bonterra · DonorSearch AI · Givebutter AI · Claude · ChatGPT · Microsoft 365 Copilot · Three checks before another AI seat · ops hub