RallyUp vs.
Givebutter

RallyUp is genuinely, seriously easy to use. Pick your fundraiser — a raffle, an online auction, a donation page — and launch it from a template in 15–20 minutes, or have a RallyUp fundraising expert build the whole thing for you, free, usually within one business day.

RallyUp does everything you’d expect — Donation Pages, ticketed events, silent auctions — and then keeps going: raffles and 50/50 raffles, sweepstakes, A-Thons, an online store, and full in-person galas with auctioneer-led live auctions. Both platforms are free to fundraise on with optional donor tips — and only RallyUp’s Donation Pages are free with no donor tipping required at all.

Here’s how RallyUp and Givebutter compare,
feature by feature and dollar by dollar.

Pricing and features current as of September 2026

The 30-second verdict

Easy to build and launch

Launch a single fundraiser from a template in 15–20 minutes — or have a RallyUp fundraising expert build the whole thing for you, free, usually within one business day

Self-serve builder; no free done-for-you build service

Free to fundraise

Free plan with optional donor tips. Donation Pages are free with no donor tipping required at all

Free with optional donor tips; turn tips off and a flat 3% platform fee applies to every campaign type

Raffles and 50/50

Single-Prize, Multi-Prize, 50/50, and Enhanced 50/50 with your own split (e.g., 60/40); automatic in-platform draw; the winner’s live prize total on the campaign page

Standard raffle tickets; no 50/50 format; the draw happens outside the platform

In-person galas

Auctioneer-led live auctions, Paddle Raise+, Fund-a-Need, Live Display, and Event Balances — one tab per guest, one charge

Ticketing plus online and silent auctions; no auctioneer-led live auction; no consolidated event checkout

Test before you launch

Power Preview runs real test transactions through checkout before you go live

Givebutter offers a non-transacting preview for some campaign types but doesn’t support running test transactions through checkout

Support

Ask for a human, get a human — on every plan. Free fundraising experts by chat or email, with phone and Zoom available.

Chat and email on the free plan; phone support requires paid Plus

When you’re ready to grow

12+ Components stack into one campaign — one page, one URL, one checkout — and can be added to a live campaign without rebuilding it. Organizations raise 38% more on average

Three campaign types, run one at a time

Fundraise free

Features Comparison

Full Stack Fundraising — multiple campaign types in one campaign, one checkout

12+ stackable Components in one campaign with one page, one URL, and one checkout

One of its 3 campaign types at a time

Sweepstakes

Full component with no-purchase-necessary infrastructure

A-Thons (walk / run / ride / read pledge campaigns)

Full component

Online storefront / merchandise sales

Full component

Auction types (mobile bidding on both platforms)

Online, silent, and auctioneer-led live auctions

Online and silent only

Raffle formats

Single-Prize, Multi-Prize, 50/50, and Enhanced 50/50 with your own split (e.g., 60/40) — plus an automatic in-platform draw with winner notification

Standard raffle tickets; no 50/50 format. Export the entrant list and draw with an outside random-number generator

Live 50/50 prize total shown to donors

The campaign page shows the winner’s actual prize, updating automatically as entries sell — not just the total raised

No dedicated 50/50 prize display; Givebutter’s own guide tells organizers to update the prize amount on the event page manually every few days

Auction Gifts — capture donations from non-winning bidders

Losing bidders can pledge an optional gift, charged only if they win nothing

Not offered — winners pay only

Fund-a-Need — donors give to a specific need at set levels

In-person, virtual, and hybrid; anonymity options and live thermometer

In-person staff-logged paddle raise only

Paddle raise — the live “ask”

Gifts, raffle entries, items, and pledges

Donation pledges only

Consolidated event checkout / Event Balances

One tab per guest across bids, gifts, and purchases

Not offered

Embedded AI copywriting

No prompts; item descriptions, campaign stories, and donor emails inside the campaign builder

Prompt-based assistant

Built-in donor CRM, email, and SMS suite

Native donor profiles plus integrations

Basics are free; SMS and advanced tools need paid Givebutter Plus

Interest / APY on funds held in a platform wallet

Not offered

2.5% APY wallet

An expert will build your campaign for you, for free

Fundraising experts build professional campaigns tailored to your cause

Expert campaign review and optimization, for free

Fundraising experts review your campaign and offer guidance for success before you launch

Professional campaign planning, for free

Personal meeting with a pro who will help you plan the perfect fundraiser

Predesigned campaign templates built into the app

Instant Fundraiser Templates: full campaigns — galas, A-Thons, Peer-to-Peer, and auctions — launch in one click; 40% of new campaigns start from one

In-person fundraising events

Built for the whole gala: Galas, ticketing and registration, Fund-a-Need, Paddle Raise+, auctioneer-led live auctions, silent auctions, Live Display, and Event Balances

Ticketing and online/silent auctions; paddle raise is limited to donation pledges/staff-logged giving; no consolidated event checkout

Combine different campaign types in a single fundraiser

Combine raffles, auctions, events and ticketing, sweepstakes, crowdfunding, A-Thons, store, livestreaming, and donations in one checkout

Livestreaming

Native studio with pay-to-play trivia and surveys, raffle and auction item spotlights, live donate feed — 0% fee

YouTube / Facebook embed only

Peer-to-Peer with all types of fundraisers

Peer-to-peer across donations/crowdfunding, plus raffles, sweepstakes, A-Thons, tickets, and store

Donations/crowdfunding only

Expert support from real people

Ask for a human, get a human — on every plan. Free fundraising experts by chat or email, with phone and Zoom available.

Chat and email free; phone on paid Plus

Total Custom Branding

Logo, colors, fonts, and custom domain

More limited customization

Donor Tipping

Optional tips can be disabled (flat-rate platform fee). Option to allow tipping and keep donor tips

Optional tips can be disabled (flat-rate platform fee). No option to allow tipping and keep donor tips

Platform fee coverage options

(when donor tipping is disabled)

Organizers can pay fee, ask donors to cover it, or charge a flat convenience fee

Organizers can pay fee, or have donors cover the fee. No convenience fee option

Diverse payment options

Credit and debit cards, ACH Transfers, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal

Reviews

4.8 rating

4.7 rating

In short: RallyUp stacks 12+ Components into one campaign with one page, one URL, and one checkout, where Givebutter runs one of its three campaign types at a time. Sweepstakes, A-Thons, and an online storefront are full RallyUp Components and are not offered by Givebutter. Both platforms run online and silent auctions with mobile bidding; only RallyUp adds auctioneer-led live auctions, and only RallyUp offers Auction Gifts, where non-winning bidders pledge an optional gift that is charged only if they win nothing.

For galas, RallyUp covers Fund-a-Need across in-person, virtual, and hybrid events, a paddle raise that takes gifts, raffle entries, items, and pledges, and Event Balances — one tab per guest across bids, gifts, and purchases. Givebutter offers ticketing and online or silent auctions, limits paddle raise to donation pledges and staff-logged giving, and has no consolidated event checkout. Givebutter does offer a 2.5% APY wallet, which RallyUp does not, along with free CRM and email basics — though that interest accrues only while your funds sit in Givebutter’s wallet, much like an ordinary high-yield savings account. Choose a platform for what it helps you raise, not for where the money rests afterward. On that measure, RallyUp organizations raise 38% more on average by adding more ways to give.

What the full table adds: Breadth is the first thing the table exposes. Sweepstakes with no-purchase-necessary infrastructure, A-Thons, and an online storefront are full RallyUp Components, and every Component can be combined in a single fundraiser with one checkout — combining campaign types is how organizations raise 38% more. Raffles are a second split: RallyUp runs Single-Prize, Multi-Prize, 50/50, and Enhanced 50/50 with your own split, such as 60/40, draws the winner automatically in-platform and notifies them, and shows the winner’s live prize total as entries sell. Givebutter sells standard raffle tickets with no 50/50 format, and its own guide tells organizers to update the prize amount on the event page manually every few days.

Free expert help is RallyUp-only in this comparison: experts build your campaign, review and optimize it before launch, and plan it with you on a call, all at no cost. Livestreaming is native on RallyUp — a studio with pay-to-play trivia and surveys, raffle and auction item spotlights and a live donate feed, at a 0% platform fee — while Givebutter embeds YouTube or Facebook. Peer-to-Peer runs across raffles, sweepstakes, A-Thons, tickets and store on RallyUp, against donations and crowdfunding on Givebutter. On money mechanics, both platforms let organizers pay the fee or have donors cover it; only RallyUp adds a flat convenience fee and lets you allow tipping and keep the donor tips.

Where RallyUp goes further

5, 38% average increase) as bold stat blocks, with the trusted by logos beneath.

Easy two ways

Launch a single-event campaign yourself from a template in 15–20 minutes, or let RallyUp’s free Done-for-You service build the entire campaign — copy, images, branding, and setup — typically within one business day.

One click launches a real campaign, not a blank page

RallyUp’s Instant Fundraiser Templates are complete, working fundraisers — not just color themes, downloadable documents, or email layouts. Pages, participant centers, emails, and checkout are pre-assembled and ready to customize.

AI that drafts your copy with no prompts

RallyUp’s AI is built into the campaign builder and can draft item descriptions, campaign stories, and donor emails by field in your chosen tone and length — no prompt writing required.

Built for the whole gala

RallyUp runs the whole room, not just the form: auctioneer-led live auctions, Paddle Raise+, Fund-a-Need, Live Display, and Event Balances — one tab all night, one charge. Line-free checkout, instant or automatic: 90% of payments complete in under a minute, 75% of guests check out on their phones, auto-checkout guests spend zero minutes in line, and organizers report 50% fewer post-event follow-ups. Givebutter has no consolidated event checkout, so every bid, gift, and purchase settles separately.

Branding that looks like you

RallyUp supports deep customization — logo, colors, fonts, and your own custom domain — so the donor experience reflects your organization’s brand.

When you’re ready to grow, nothing gets rebuilt

Sweepstakes, A-Thons, an online store, raffles, auctions, tickets, and donations combine in a single campaign with one checkout, so a supporter can buy raffle entries, bid on an auction, grab merchandise, and donate in one transaction. Add a Component to a campaign that is already live and nothing gets rebuilt — the page, the URL, and the checkout stay exactly where they are. Organizations that give supporters more ways to give raise 38% more on average.

Pricing, side by side

Free option

Free plan: $0 platform fee with optional donor tips for core components

Free with optional donor tips; the Givebutter Guarantee covers fees so you keep 100%

If donor tips are turned off

Flex pricing: 0% on donation pages; 2.9% tickets and store; 4.9% auctions, crowdfunding, Fund-a-Need, and A-Thons; 6.9% raffles and sweepstakes

Flat 3% platform fee on every campaign type

Donation pages

$0 platform fee — and no donor tipping required

Free only when donor tipping is enabled; otherwise a 3% platform fee applies.

Auction fees

Platform fee capped at $100 per item — a $50,000 winning bid costs $100

3% of every winning bid, no cap — a $50,000 winning bid would cost $1,500 when tips are off or winners are auto-charged

Ways to handle the fee

Organizer pays, donors cover, or a flat convenience fee

Donors cover, or the organization absorbs it

Payment processing

1.9–2.9% + $0.30 via Stripe / PayPal; nonprofit rates available

2.9% + $0.30; 1.9% ACH for verified nonprofits

Advanced tools

Native donor profiles plus native integrations with the CRM and email tools you already use

Automations, advanced email editor, outbound SMS, custom reports, direct mail, and phone support require paid Givebutter Plus, starting at $29/month for under 250 contacts and scaling to $79, $129+/month

Contracts and subscriptions

None; pricing is per campaign

None; Plus is an optional add-on

On price: both platforms have a free plan funded by optional donor tips. Turn tips off and Givebutter charges a flat 3% on every campaign type, including donation pages; RallyUp’s Donation Pages are $0 with no donor tipping required, and Flex pricing runs 2.9% on tickets and store, 4.9% on auctions, crowdfunding, Fund-a-Need, and A-Thons, and 6.9% on raffles and sweepstakes.

The clearest gap is auctions. RallyUp caps the platform fee at $100 per item, so a $50,000 winning bid costs $100, where Givebutter’s uncapped 3% on the same bid would be $1,500 when tips are off or winners are auto-charged. Neither platform requires a contract or subscription, though Givebutter puts automations, its advanced email editor, outbound SMS, custom reports, and phone support behind paid Givebutter Plus, starting at $29 per month.

Both platforms can cost a nonprofit $0 with donor tips on — and with tips on, Givebutter’s Guarantee also covers any processing fees donors do not pick up. The bigger lever is what each platform lets you run: RallyUp organizations see a 38% average increase in funds raised by adding more ways to give. And when tips are off, the math favors RallyUp for event-heavy programs: donation pages are 0% versus a flat 3%, and auction platform fees cap at $100 per item — a $50,000 winning bid costs $100, not $1,500.

vs. Givebutter

Final Takeaway

If your fundraising never goes beyond a donation form and a silent auction, Givebutter will serve you.

RallyUp is the better fit everywhere else — and it’s the easier place to build and launch. Start one simple fundraiser in 15–20 minutes from a template, or let a RallyUp expert build it for you free. Then add raffles, sweepstakes, A-Thons, a store, or a full gala with an auctioneer-led live auction to the same campaign when you’re ready, without rebuilding anything.

Easier to run, faster to launch, and more affordable at scale.

We’ll build your first and every campaign for you, free.

Compare the donor experience side by side before you decide.

Start fundraising for free Talk to a Fundraising Expert

What people say about RallyUp

Hosting our online auction on RallyUp was such a win! We were able to customize the platform to showcase not only the items up for auction but our cause and mission with ease and the customer service couldn’t be beat. We will definitely turn to RallyUp again in the future!

— Stephanie Paddock, Michael J. Fox Foundation

RallyUp is one of the most intuitive and easy sites I have had the pleasure of using. I couldn’t ask for a better experience!

Frequently asked questions

Is Givebutter free for nonprofits?

Givebutter’s free plan runs on optional donor tips, and if you switch tips off a flat-rate platform fee applies instead — there is no option to allow tipping and keep the donor tips for your organization. Organizers can pay the fee themselves or have donors cover it, but there is no flat convenience-fee option. RallyUp’s free plan carries no platform fee with optional donor tips, and you can choose to keep those tips; RallyUp Donation Pages are free with no platform fee and no donor tipping required at all. Advanced tools also stay accessible: SMS and advanced features on Givebutter require paid Givebutter Plus.

Can you run a 50/50 raffle on Givebutter?

Not as a dedicated format. Givebutter sells standard numbered raffle tickets with no 50/50 format, you export the entrant list and draw with an outside random-number generator, and its own guide tells organizers to update the prize amount on the event page manually every few days. RallyUp has Single-Prize, Multi-Prize, 50/50, and Enhanced 50/50 formats with your own split, such as 60/40, draws the winner automatically inside the platform with winner notification, and shows the winner’s actual prize on the campaign page, updating as entries sell. Rules for selling raffle entries vary by state and locality, so check your local guidance first.

Does Givebutter have live auctions?

Givebutter runs online and silent auctions with mobile bidding, but not auctioneer-led live bidding in the room. RallyUp runs all three formats — online, silent, and auctioneer-led live — and adds Auction Gifts, where non-winning bidders pledge an optional gift that is charged only if they win nothing; Givebutter collects from winners only. RallyUp reports Auction Gifts raise 20–35% more, which matters because most bidders in any auction go home empty-handed. RallyUp’s Flex auction platform fee is also capped at $100 per item, so a $50,000 winning bid costs $100 in platform fees.

Which is better for a gala, RallyUp or Givebutter?

RallyUp is built for the whole night. Event Balances give each guest one tab across bids, gifts and purchases that settles in a single charge — Givebutter has no consolidated event checkout — alongside auctioneer-led live auctions, Fund-a-Need across in-person, virtual and hybrid events with anonymity options and a live thermometer, Live Display, and a Paddle Raise+ that takes gifts, raffle entries, items and pledges. Givebutter covers ticketing and online or silent auctions, and limits paddle raise to staff-logged donation pledges. Ninety percent of Event Balances payments complete in under a minute, and guests on automatic checkout spend zero minutes in line.

Does Givebutter offer phone support?

Chat and email support are free on Givebutter, but phone support requires the paid Givebutter Plus plan. RallyUp does not tier access to people: ask for a human, get a human — on every plan. Support opens with an AI assistant trained on RallyUp’s Knowledge Base that answers setup questions and links the right articles, and at any point you can ask for a person and be handed to a free fundraising expert by chat or email, with phone and Zoom available. Those same experts will also build, review or plan your campaign for free at Create My Campaign.

Which is better for peer-to-peer fundraising, RallyUp or Givebutter?

Givebutter’s peer-to-peer covers donations and crowdfunding. RallyUp extends Peer-to-Peer across raffles, sweepstakes, A-Thons, events and ticketing, and the online store as well, so a supporter can sell raffle entries, sell tickets or collect A-Thon pledges on your behalf rather than only asking for gifts. Peer-to-Peer campaigns can also be launched from an Instant Fundraiser Template with a predesigned Participant Center already assembled, and a Component can be added to a campaign that is already live without rebuilding it — where Givebutter runs one of its three campaign types at a time.

RallyUp vs. Givebutter