GoFundMe vs iHelp
Individual fundraisers in the US, UK, and English-speaking markets running personal causes (medical, memorial, emergencies) where brand reach matters more than EU data residency.
Spanish nonprofits and donors who value vetted, legitimacy-checked causes and a commission-light giving model, and who are comfortable with a single Santander payment gateway and a smaller catalogue of campaigns.
Of every 100 donated, iHelp delivers 3.20 more per 100 to the recipient than GoFundMe.
Each platform is priced in its own currency: GoFundMe in GBP, iHelp in EUR.
What the data says.
Paying by Credit card, iHelp delivers about 3.15 more of every 100 donated than GoFundMe (€100.00 vs £96.85 per 100).
iHelp stores donor data inside the EEA — a practical advantage for GDPR-sensitive campaigns — while GoFundMe does not.
Per-method pricing.
| Payment method | Per transaction | Of £100, recipient gets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| iDEAL | 2.9% + £0.25 | £96.85 | 0% platform fee |
| Credit card | 2.9% + £0.25 | £96.85 | 0% platform fee |
| PayPal | 2.9% + £0.25 | £96.85 | 0% platform fee |
| Apple Pay | 2.9% + £0.25 | £96.85 | 0% platform fee |
| Google Pay | 2.9% + £0.25 | £96.85 | 0% platform fee |
| Bank Transfer | 2.9% + £0.25 | £96.85 | 0% platform fee |
| Venmo | 2.9% + £0.30 | £96.80 | 0% platform fee |
Side-by-side.
| Metric | GoFundMe | iHelp |
|---|---|---|
| Recipient gets (per 100) | £96.80 | €100.00★ winner |
| Platform fee | 0% | 0% |
| Payment processing fee | 2.9% + £0.30 | 0% + €0.00★ winner |
| Trustpilot | 3.3 (23,979)★ winner | — (0) |
| Country coverage | 20 countries★ winner | 1 countries |
| Data residency | US | EU★ winner |
| Languages | 7★ winner | 2 |
| Payment methods supported | 7★ winner | 1 |
Winner by category.
€100.00 vs £96.80 reaches the recipient.
3.3 vs — on Trustpilot.
20 vs 1 countries.
EEA data residency for GDPR-sensitive donor data.
Choose based on who you are.
Individual fundraisers in the US, UK, and English-speaking markets running personal causes (medical, memorial, emergencies) where brand reach matters more than EU data residency.
- ✓Largest global brand in donation crowdfunding with strong organic discoverability
- ✓0% platform fee since 2017 (donor tips fund the platform)
- ✓Wide international country coverage and currency support
- ✓Established trust signals through high-profile media coverage
Spanish nonprofits and donors who value vetted, legitimacy-checked causes and a commission-light giving model, and who are comfortable with a single Santander payment gateway and a smaller catalogue of campaigns.
- ✓No platform commission charged to nonprofits or donors, per iHelp's FAQ.
- ✓NGOs and causes are vetted for legality and viability before listing.
- ✓Long heritage in Spanish online giving, continuing Cibersolidaridad.org which ran from 2001.
- ✓Post-donation follow-up and a stated focus on transparent, effective altruism.
A third option.
Dutch and other social-impact initiators running Global-Goals-aligned campaigns who value personal coaching and community-building over a high-volume, self-serve crowdfunding marketplace.
Other comparisons.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, GoFundMe or iHelp?
Of every 100 donated, GoFundMe delivers approximately £96.80 to the recipient and iHelp delivers approximately €100.00. Real costs depend on the payment method donors choose.
Which is better for European nonprofits?
iHelp is generally better suited to European nonprofits handling GDPR-sensitive donor data because of its EEA data residency.
Which platform has more country coverage?
GoFundMe operates in 20 countries; iHelp operates in 1.
Rankings are produced by a public editorial methodology — open to peer review. We disclose ownership, scoring weights, and every change.