Pledge vs Zeffy
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.
Nonprofits and charitable organisations in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia that want donation forms, event ticketing, auctions, and donor management together in one tool without per-tool software costs.
On a $100 donation, Zeffy delivers $3.20 more to the recipient than Pledge.
Side-by-side.
| Metric | Pledge | Zeffy |
|---|---|---|
| Recipient gets ($100) | $96.80 | $100.00★ winner |
| Platform fee | 0% | 0% |
| Payment processing fee | 2.9% + $0.30 | 0% + $0.00★ winner |
| Trustpilot | — (0) | 4.5 (441)★ winner |
| Country coverage | 1 countries | 4 countries★ winner |
| Data residency | US | CA |
| Languages | 1 | 2★ winner |
| Payment methods supported | 10★ winner | 4 |
Winner by category.
$100.00 vs $96.80 reaches the recipient.
— vs 4.5 on Trustpilot.
4 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.
Nonprofits and charitable organisations in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia that want donation forms, event ticketing, auctions, and donor management together in one tool without per-tool software costs.
- ✓Combines donation forms, event ticketing, raffles, auctions, peer-to-peer campaigns, memberships, and donor management in one platform.
- ✓Accepts credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and ACH bank transfers.
- ✓Used by more than 100,000 nonprofit organisations across North America.
- ✓Available in English and French, suiting both US and Canadian (including Québec) organisations.
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 Zeffy?
On a $100 donation, Pledge delivers approximately $96.80 to the recipient and Zeffy 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; Zeffy operates in 4.
Rankings are produced by a public editorial methodology — open to peer review. We disclose ownership, scoring weights, and every change.