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. Many add a tip. 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.
The tip has two more costs. It goes to Givebutter, a company, not to your organization, so it is not part of the tax-deductible gift: the receipt shows the gift, and the card statement shows the gift plus the tip. And when a donor sees that their gift cost more than they expected, they think of your organization, not Givebutter.
MemberDrive charges 1% on card and bank gifts, always, and nothing on Bitcoin — 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.
What about "cover the fees"? MemberDrive does let donors cover the processing and platform fees. It's one checkbox, labeled "Cover estimated fees," that shows the exact amount. The money goes to your organization, not to us, and one click turns it off. It starts checked unless your organization turns that off in the campaign settings. Because the extra amount goes to your organization, it is part of the gift: a donor who gives $100 and covers about $5 in fees gets a receipt for the full amount, and the full amount is tax-deductible. A donor who doesn't cover fees can still deduct the full $100. The fees are your cost, not a reduction of their gift.
Who holds the money
Givebutter and MemberDrive both run on Stripe. The difference is who controls the money between the gift and your bank.
Givebutter: gifts collect in a Givebutter balance. Each gift becomes available 48–72 hours after it is made. Then someone on your team has to start a withdrawal: payouts are not automatic unless a verified nonprofit asks Givebutter to turn on automated payouts. A standard withdrawal takes 3–5 business days. An instant payout takes about an hour and costs 1.75% of the amount. If a donor disputes a charge, Givebutter holds that amount until the dispute is resolved. Givebutter's terms say it is not a payment processor: Stripe moves the money, and the funds are held at Fifth Third Bank.
To be fair to Givebutter: if you keep money in Givebutter Wallet, it pays a variable 2.5% APY reward on the balance. If you want your platform to act like a bank account, that's a real benefit.
MemberDrive: you connect your own Stripe account. You log in to Stripe directly, you own the account, and you set the payout schedule in your Stripe dashboard. Gifts are charged on your account, and MemberDrive's 1% comes out as a Stripe application fee. MemberDrive cannot hold, delay, or redirect your payouts. If you leave, your Stripe account, your balance, and your payment history stay with you.
Stripe can still review or hold a payment, as it can for any business. The difference is that there is no second company between you and your money.
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 + processing | $0 to orgRequires tipping | ~$300 + processing |
| Payouts | Your Stripe schedule | Manual withdrawal, 3–5 days | Manual withdrawal, 3–5 days |
Feature Comparison
| Feature | MemberDrive | Givebutter |
|---|---|---|
| Online donation forms | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recurring donations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Peer-to-peer / leaderboards | ✓ | ✓ |
| Matching gifts | ✓Full engine | ✓Sponsor matching |
| Pledge tracking | ✓Multi-year | ✓ |
| Donor self-service portal | ✓ | ✓ |
| Member content / posts | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email newsletter (double opt-in) | ✓ | ✓Plus plan |
| Bitcoin (non-custodial) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Your own Stripe account and payouts | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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
No tip prompt. Givebutter's free model depends on donors adding a tip at checkout. MemberDrive charges your organization 1% and never asks donors for a tip. The only add-on is an optional checkbox to cover fees, and that money goes to you.
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, on your payout schedule. No balance to withdraw, and no second company between you and Stripe.
Bitcoin. Native on-chain Bitcoin 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 that want gifts to go straight to their own Stripe account, or want Bitcoin
- →Organizations accepting (or wanting to accept) Bitcoin
- →Organizations that value independent, founder-operated software
See MemberDrive for school fundraising · Online giving for churches
One rate. No tips. No tradeoffs.
MemberDrive charges 1% on card and bank gifts and 0% on Bitcoin — always. No monthly fees, no tip prompts, no toggle between pricing models. Start fundraising in minutes.
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