Betterplace vs Give Lively
German and Austrian nonprofits and social-cause project owners that want a trusted, charitable, German-run donation platform with low pass-through costs and local data handling.
US 501(c)(3) nonprofits seeking a fully underwritten, no-cost fundraising toolkit - campaign pages, text-to-donate, peer-to-peer, and events - backed by philanthropist founders rather than platform charges.
Of every 100 donated, Give Lively delivers 0.30 more per 100 to the recipient than Betterplace.
Each platform is priced in its own currency: Betterplace in EUR, Give Lively in USD.
Per-method pricing.
| Payment method | Per transaction | Of €100, recipient gets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEPA Direct Debit | 2.8% + €0.00 | €97.20 | Flat 2.8% retained across all methods to cover processing. |
| Credit card | 2.8% + €0.00 | €97.20 | Flat 2.8% retained across all methods to cover processing. |
Side-by-side.
| Metric | Betterplace | Give Lively |
|---|---|---|
| Recipient gets (per 100) | €97.20 | $97.50★ winner |
| Platform fee | 0% | 0% |
| Payment processing fee | 2.8% + €0.00 | 2.2% + $0.30★ winner |
| Trustpilot | 4.8 (851)★ winner | 3.3 (1) |
| Country coverage | 2 countries★ winner | 1 countries |
| Data residency | — | US |
| Languages | 2★ winner | 0 |
| Payment methods supported | 6 | 6 |
Winner by category.
$97.50 vs €97.20 reaches the recipient.
4.8 vs 3.3 on Trustpilot.
2 vs 1 countries.
Both share the same residency posture.
Choose based on who you are.
German and Austrian nonprofits and social-cause project owners that want a trusted, charitable, German-run donation platform with low pass-through costs and local data handling.
- ✓Operated by the charitable betterplace.org gGmbH — a nonprofit, mission-aligned platform.
- ✓Roughly 2.8% transaction fee, with the large majority of each donation passing to the project.
- ✓Free for organisations to set up and run campaigns.
- ✓Supports credit card, PayPal, SEPA Direct Debit, and bank wire transfer.
US 501(c)(3) nonprofits seeking a fully underwritten, no-cost fundraising toolkit - campaign pages, text-to-donate, peer-to-peer, and events - backed by philanthropist founders rather than platform charges.
- ✓Underwritten by philanthropist founders, so member nonprofits are not charged for the software.
- ✓Full toolkit: campaign pages, donation widgets, text-to-donate, peer-to-peer, team fundraising, and events.
- ✓Donors can opt to cover processing, helping organizations keep the full gift.
- ✓Rapid disbursement with no holding period.
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, Betterplace or Give Lively?
Of every 100 donated, Betterplace delivers approximately €97.20 to the recipient and Give Lively delivers approximately $97.50. 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?
Betterplace operates in 2 countries; Give Lively operates in 1.
Rankings are produced by a public editorial methodology — open to peer review. We disclose ownership, scoring weights, and every change.