Donorbox vs Pledge
Small-to-medium nonprofits across verticals like churches, healthcare, education, and animal welfare that want recurring-donation tooling, donor fee-cover, and a managed donation-form product without a CRM-scale platform commitment.
US-based individuals, nonprofits and purpose-driven companies that want a free-to-start fundraiser with a wide range of giving methods - cards, ACH, PayPal, Venmo, stock, donor-advised funds and crypto - plus Shopify and API-based embedded giving.
Of every 100 donated, Pledge delivers 2.25 more per 100 to the recipient than Donorbox.
Each platform is priced in its own currency: Donorbox in AUD, Pledge in USD.
Per-method pricing.
| Payment method | Per transaction | Of A$100, recipient gets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| iDEAL | 2.95% + A$0.29 | A$96.76 | 2.95% platform fee + flat iDEAL processing. |
| SEPA Direct Debit | 3.3% + A$0.25 | A$96.45 | 2.95% platform fee + SEPA Direct Debit processing. |
| Credit card | 5.15% + A$0.30 | A$94.55 | 2.95% platform fee + 2.2% + EUR 0.30 Stripe card. |
Side-by-side.
| Metric | Donorbox | Pledge |
|---|---|---|
| Recipient gets (per 100) | A$94.55 | $96.80★ winner |
| Platform fee | 2.95% | 0%★ winner |
| Payment processing fee | 2.2% + A$0.30 | 2.9% + $0.30★ winner |
| Trustpilot | 4 (52)★ winner | — (0) |
| Country coverage | 23 countries★ winner | 1 countries |
| Data residency | — | US |
| Languages | 12★ winner | 1 |
| Payment methods supported | 19★ winner | 10 |
Winner by category.
$96.80 vs A$94.55 reaches the recipient.
4 vs — on Trustpilot.
23 vs 1 countries.
Both share the same residency posture.
Choose based on who you are.
Small-to-medium nonprofits across verticals like churches, healthcare, education, and animal welfare that want recurring-donation tooling, donor fee-cover, and a managed donation-form product without a CRM-scale platform commitment.
- ✓Donor-cover-fees option at checkout — Donorbox frames opt-in as the default, so the recipient can receive the full donation amount.
- ✓Broad payment-rail support: iDEAL, Bancontact, SEPA, BACS, Klarna, PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, and Link by Stripe.
- ✓Standard plan has no monthly subscription — just per-transaction fees on the 2.95% / 3.95% tier.
- ✓First-class recurring-donation tooling with upsell prompts and donor-management features on the Pro tier.
US-based individuals, nonprofits and purpose-driven companies that want a free-to-start fundraiser with a wide range of giving methods - cards, ACH, PayPal, Venmo, stock, donor-advised funds and crypto - plus Shopify and API-based embedded giving.
- ✓No mandatory platform fee - funded by optional donor tipping, with most donors choosing to cover the fees.
- ✓Exceptionally broad giving methods: cards, ACH, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, stock, donor-advised funds and cryptocurrency.
- ✓Donations are regranted through the Pledgeling Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) public charity, with multi-state US fundraising compliance.
- ✓Shopify "Give & Grow" app and embedded-giving APIs and widgets for e-commerce and product integrations.
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, Donorbox or Pledge?
Of every 100 donated, Donorbox delivers approximately A$94.55 to the recipient and Pledge delivers approximately $96.80. Real costs depend on the payment method donors choose.
Which is better for European nonprofits?
Both platforms operate inside the EEA framework. Choose based on local payment-method coverage and language support.
Which platform has more country coverage?
Donorbox operates in 23 countries; Pledge operates in 1.
Rankings are produced by a public editorial methodology — open to peer review. We disclose ownership, scoring weights, and every change.