Pledge vs Spendenportal
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.
German donors who want to give to vetted, pre-checked charities, and supporters who want to donate goods as well as money - including via SocialBay's eBay-based resale of in-kind donations.
Of every 100 donated, Spendenportal delivers 3.20 more per 100 to the recipient than Pledge.
Each platform is priced in its own currency: Pledge in USD, Spendenportal in GBP.
Side-by-side.
| Metric | Pledge | Spendenportal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | — (0) | — (0) |
| Country coverage | 1 countries | 1 countries |
| Data residency | US | — |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Payment methods supported | 10★ winner | 0 |
Winner by category.
£100.00 vs $96.80 reaches the recipient.
— vs — on Trustpilot.
1 vs 1 countries.
Both share the same residency posture.
Choose based on who you are.
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.
German donors who want to give to vetted, pre-checked charities, and supporters who want to donate goods as well as money - including via SocialBay's eBay-based resale of in-kind donations.
- ✓Handles both monetary (Geldspenden) and in-kind (Sachspenden) donations, the latter via SocialBay's eBay-based resale.
- ✓Charities are vetted and activated only after a review, supporting donor trust.
- ✓Operated by a nonprofit social enterprise (Sozial-Aktien-Gesellschaft) recognized as a donation-collecting organization.
- ✓Donors can choose whether payment-provider costs are added on top of or deducted from their gift.
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, Pledge or Spendenportal?
Of every 100 donated, Pledge delivers approximately $96.80 to the recipient and Spendenportal 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?
Pledge operates in 1 countries; Spendenportal operates in 1.
Rankings are produced by a public editorial methodology — open to peer review. We disclose ownership, scoring weights, and every change.