Give Lively vs Pledge
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.
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.
On a $100 donation, Give Lively delivers $0.70 more to the recipient than Pledge.
Give Lively & Pledge don’t process payments in GBP — pricing shown in USD.
Side-by-side.
| Metric | Give Lively | Pledge |
|---|---|---|
| Recipient gets ($100) | $97.50★ winner | $96.80 |
| Platform fee | 0% | 0% |
| Payment processing fee | 2.2% + $0.30★ winner | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| Trustpilot | 3.3 (1)★ winner | — (0) |
| Country coverage | 1 countries | 1 countries |
| Data residency | US | US |
| Languages | 0 | 1★ winner |
| Payment methods supported | 6 | 10★ winner |
Winner by category.
$97.50 vs $96.80 reaches the recipient.
3.3 vs — on Trustpilot.
1 vs 1 countries.
Both share the same residency posture.
Choose based on who you are.
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.
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, Give Lively or Pledge?
On a $100 donation, Give Lively delivers approximately $97.50 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?
Give Lively operates in 1 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.