MemberDrive vs. Givebutter
Givebutter is free if your donors tip. MemberDrive charges 1% with no tip prompt — ever. Here's the honest breakdown.
The honest comparison
Givebutter is a well-reviewed, feature-rich platform with strong G2 ratings and a growing feature set. Their model: free for nonprofits when optional donor tips are enabled, or a flat 3% platform fee if you turn tips off.
That's a meaningful choice they're putting in your hands — and the right answer depends on what you value.
Pricing — The Tip Toggle
Givebutter calls it the "Givebutter Guarantee": enable donor tips and pay $0 in platform or processing fees. Turn tips off and pay 3% plus standard processing.
That's not a hidden fee — Givebutter is transparent about it. But consider the math:
- Tips-on: your donors see a prompt to also support Givebutter when they give. Most comply. A $100 donation may cost your donor $110–115 to complete.
- Tips-off: you pay 3% platform fee plus Stripe's processing fee. On $10,000 raised, that's $300+ in platform fees alone — before processing.
MemberDrive charges 1%, always — no tip toggle, no decision to make, no donor prompt. On $10,000 raised, that's $100. No tips on, tips off, or hidden asks anywhere in the flow.
Pricing Comparison
| MemberDrive | Givebutter (tips on) | Givebutter (tips off) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 1% | 0% | 3% |
| Monthly fee | None | None ($29+/mo for Plus) | None ($29+/mo for Plus) |
| Donor tip prompt | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Processing fees | Stripe standard | Covered | Stripe standard |
| Cost on $10K raised | ~$100 | $0 to orgRequires tipping | ~$300+ |
Feature Comparison
| Feature | MemberDrive | Givebutter |
|---|---|---|
| Online donation forms | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recurring donations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Peer-to-peer / leaderboards | ✓ | ✓ |
| Matching gifts | ✓Full engine | ✗Not offered |
| Pledge tracking | ✓Multi-year | ✗Not offered |
| Donor self-service portal | ✓ | ✗ |
| Member content / posts | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email newsletter (double opt-in) | ✓ | ✓Plus plan |
| Bitcoin (non-custodial) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Non-custodial funds | ✓ | ✗ |
| Donor CRM | ✓ | ✓ |
| Event ticketing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Auctions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cash App / Venmo / PayPal | ✗ | ✓ |
| Text-to-give / SMS | ✗ | ✓ |
| No 501(c)(3) required | ✓ | ✓ |
Where Givebutter wins
Givebutter is genuinely feature-rich. If you need event ticketing, auctions, Cash App or Venmo payments, SMS/text-to-give, or a more advanced email tool, Givebutter covers more ground. Their mobile payment options (PayPal, Venmo, Cash App) are broader than ours, and their email tooling (available on the Plus plan) offers more advanced segmentation. They've also invested heavily in G2 reputation management — they are, by review volume, the most-reviewed nonprofit software on that platform.
If breadth and the option to go tip-free-for-the-org is the priority, Givebutter is worth a serious look.
Where MemberDrive wins
Matching gifts. Givebutter doesn't offer matching gift campaigns. MemberDrive's matching gift engine lets a lead donor set a multiplier, define a time window, and watch real-time progress — with automatic invoice generation when the match closes. For annual fund drives and capital campaigns, this is one of the highest-leverage fundraising tools available.
Pledges. Multi-year pledge tracking isn't available in Givebutter. For churches and schools running building campaigns, endowment drives, or multi-year asks, pledges let donors commit the full amount upfront (which counts immediately toward your goal) and pay over time.
Simpler pricing. Givebutter puts a meaningful decision in your lap: accept tips or pay 3%. MemberDrive just charges 1% — no toggle, no tradeoff, no recalibrating your donor experience.
Non-custodial model. Funds go directly to your own Stripe account. MemberDrive never holds your money.
Bitcoin. Native on-chain Bitcoin and Lightning support. Givebutter has no crypto story.
Family-owned. MemberDrive is independently operated. Givebutter has taken outside investment and is scaling aggressively. For organizations that value alignment and stability over growth-stage energy, the difference matters.
Who should choose Givebutter
- →Organizations that need event ticketing, auctions, SMS/text-to-give, or more advanced email segmentation
- →Organizations with donors who prefer Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal
- →Organizations comfortable with donor tips or willing to pay 3% to disable them
- →Organizations that want the most-reviewed platform in the nonprofit space
Who should choose MemberDrive
- →Organizations that want one flat rate with no decision to make
- →Churches, classical schools, and faith communities that want a clean, no-surprise donor experience
- →Organizations running pledge drives, capital campaigns, or matching gift programs
- →Organizations accepting (or wanting to accept) Bitcoin
- →Organizations that value independent, founder-operated software
One rate. No tips. No tradeoffs.
MemberDrive charges 1% — always. No monthly fees, no tip prompts, no toggle between pricing models. Start fundraising in minutes.
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