GoFundMe vs TotalGiving
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.
UK registered charities and their supporters who want fundraising and sponsorship pages where donations pass directly to the charity, with Gift Aid and multi-currency donations.
On a £100 donation, TotalGiving delivers £3.20 more to the recipient than GoFundMe.
Per-method pricing vs TotalGiving.
| 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 | TotalGiving |
|---|---|---|
| Recipient gets (£100) | £96.80 | £100.00★ winner |
| Platform fee | 0% | 0% |
| Payment processing fee | 2.9% + £0.30 | 0% + £0.00★ winner |
| Trustpilot | 3.3 (23,930)★ winner | — (0) |
| Country coverage | 20 countries★ winner | 1 countries |
| Data residency | US | — |
| Languages | 7★ winner | 1 |
| Payment methods supported | 7★ winner | 3 |
Winner by category.
£100.00 vs £96.80 reaches the recipient.
3.3 vs — on Trustpilot.
20 vs 1 countries.
Both share the same residency posture.
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
UK registered charities and their supporters who want fundraising and sponsorship pages where donations pass directly to the charity, with Gift Aid and multi-currency donations.
- ✓Donations are transferred directly to the recipient charity rather than held by the platform.
- ✓Supports Gift Aid, claimable on eligible UK donations and approved by HMRC.
- ✓Donors can give in many currencies (around 140), converted to GBP for the charity.
- ✓Charity directory and search covering thousands of UK registered charities, with fundraising and sponsorship pages.
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 TotalGiving?
On a £100 donation, GoFundMe delivers approximately £96.80 to the recipient and TotalGiving delivers approximately £100.00. 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?
GoFundMe operates in 20 countries; TotalGiving operates in 1.
Rankings are produced by a public editorial methodology — open to peer review. We disclose ownership, scoring weights, and every change.