When people hear the word online fundraising, GoFundMe often comes to mind. It’s a major platform where people raise money for their needs or emergencies. But just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for every situation.
If you’re running a nonprofit, want to create something creative, or need daily support, GoFundMe won’t always be the right fit. The fees are sometimes high, and you can’t customize your campaign. This can make it seem a bit simple and boring.
So I looked at a few other platforms and tested them to see if there were any better ones. My goal was to find platforms that help you raise more money, and keep more of it. Whether you need to manage donors, lower fees, or more creative freedom, you’re sure to find a good option.
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Table of Contents
Quick Overview of the Best GoFundMe Alternatives
If you want to start your campaign as quickly as possible, this simple guide will come in handy. These platforms are best for different needs:
• Charitable
• WP Simple Pay
• WPForms
• GiveWP
• Formidable Forms
• Kickstarter
• Indiegogo
Why Not Use GoFundMe?
GoFundMe is great for personal emergencies, like medical bills or accident relief. People recognize the platform, so there’s a lot of trust. But when it comes to nonprofits or creative projects, there are some major problems.
First of all, GoFundMe’s brand is yours. The page belongs to them, not you. Therefore, you can’t change the page as you wish. Secondly, there are no platform fees in some places, but transaction fees still apply. And their tip system confuses many donors.
Finally, you don’t have complete access to donor data. This means you won’t be able to build a strong relationship with donors like you can on your website.
1. Charitable | Best GoFundMe Alternative for Custom Donation Campaigns
Charitable is a WordPress plugin specifically designed to help you create fundraising campaigns right on your website. This way, you don’t send donors to another site. People stay on your website with your story, which strengthens trust.
My Experience
I really liked Charitable because it didn’t feel like a middleman at all. It was very easy to set up. I could create as many campaigns as I wanted: a general fund, a project relief fund, and a scholarship fund. All three could run simultaneously.
The best part was its fees. Charitable doesn’t charge any extra transaction fees for donations. You just pay Stripe or PayPal’s standard fees. This felt like the best way to keep costs down. The design options were also better than GoFundMe. I could match my donation forms to my website’s colors, which gave donors more confidence.
2. WP Simple Pay | Best for Simple Recurring Donations
Sometimes you don’t need a heavy fundraising system. You just need a simple, safe, and clean way for people to easily donate money. WP Simple Pay is perfect for this. It basically provides a very simple and secure interface for using Stripe.
My Experience
If you’re not a tech whiz, this tool is a perfect fit. I created a donation form in less than five minutes. The drag and drop system is very easy, but its real strength is recurring payments.
I created a test form where people could become supporters for $10 per month. Handling monthly donations on GoFundMe can sometimes be difficult. But everything worked very smoothly with WP Simple Pay. Apple Pay and Google Pay are also directly supported, which is crucial for mobile donors.
This tool doesn’t create the noise of crowdfunding, but instead makes transactions simple and reliable.
3. WPForms | Best for Data-Driven Donation Forms
People often think of WPForms as a contact form plugin, but its payment features make it very powerful for fundraising. If you need to ask donors additional questions, it’s much more flexible than GoFundMe.
My Experience
I used WPForms to test a situation where I needed to gather additional information from donors, such as, “What program is this donation for?” or “Would you like to volunteer?” GoFundMe doesn’t allow this level of data to be collected at checkout.
What impressed me most was its logic system. I set up a form where if a donor donated more than $100, a new field would open: “Do you want a free t-shirt? If yes, please provide the size.” This kind of smart setup helps you treat donors differently, especially those who contribute more.
4. GiveWP | Best WordPress Plugin for Comprehensive Donation Management
If you’re running a serious nonprofit and looking for a dashboard that’s comparable to professional software, GiveWP is perfect. It’s not just a donation form, but a complete donor management system.
My Experience
I found GiveWP to be the strongest of the WordPress alternatives. Its reporting dashboard is very clear and visual, allowing you to easily track your income and trends.
The thing I liked most was the “Donor Wall” feature. Social proof is very important in crowdfunding. With GiveWP, you can display a list of recent donors on your website, which inspires more people to donate.
I also tested their “Fee Recovery” feature, which asks donors if they want to cover credit card processing fees. In my testing, this extra 3% request surprisingly worked, effectively making donations 100% net to the cause.
5. Formidable Forms | Best WordPress Plugin for Complex Multi-Step Donation Campaigns
Formidable Forms is the best choice for developers. It goes beyond simple fields and can handle complex calculations and application-based fundraising.
My Experience
I used Formidable for a tricky scenario: a Buy a Brick campaign, where the donation amount changed based on the size of the brick and engraved letters. GoFundMe couldn’t handle this type of setup.
In Formidable, I created a calculator that displayed real-time donation totals as options were selected. I also set up a multi-page form to make the process simpler and less overwhelming. This tool is definitely advanced, but if your fundraising involves math or specific variables, Formidable Forms does the job easily and efficiently.
6. Kickstarter | Best GoFundMe Alternative for Creative Projects Needing Community Support
Outside of WordPress, Kickstarter is perfect for creatives, inventors, and filmmakers. GoFundMe is often used for charities, but Kickstarter is for every project.
My Experience
Kickstarter uses an all-or-nothing model, which makes the work a little more exciting. I drafted an art book project. The pressure of the deadline actually serves as marketing and creates urgency for backers.
The back-end tools are great for managing rewards. You can easily set tiers for example, a PDF for $20, a hardcover for $50. But the fees are a bit higher: Kickstarter takes 5% plus payment processing fees. Still, you get access to their huge backer audience, who search for new and interesting projects to support.
7. Indiegogo | Best GoFundMe Alternative for Flexible Funding Options
Indiegogo is Kickstarter main competitor, but it has one key difference: flexible funding.
This means you can keep the money you raise, even if you don’t achieve your goal.
My Experience
I tested Indiegogo for a tech gadget idea. The InDemand feature is very useful. It allows you to raise money even after the campaign ends, creating a bridge between crowdfunding and e-commerce.
I found the platform to be a little more flexible and open to different projects than Kickstarter. If you’re launching a product and aren’t sure you’ll reach a large funding target, flexible funding options reduce your risk. You can always borrow some money.
What Is the Best GoFundMe Alternative?
Choosing a winner depends entirely on your goals.
If you have your own WordPress website and want to save on platform fees, Charitable is best. It keeps donors on your site and gives you complete control.
If you’re creative or an entrepreneur and want to test your product idea, Kickstarter is the best choice. It’s unmatched for visibility and backer psychology.
If you need advanced donor management and reporting, without sacrificing a CMS, GiveWP is the professional standard.
Don’t consider GoFundMe the default because of its popularity. By choosing the platform that matches your goals, you’ll save on fees, keep your data, and ultimately raise more money for your cause.
FAQs About GoFundMe Alternatives
Is there a cheaper alternative to GoFundMe?
Yes. Self-hosted solutions like Charitable or WP Simple Pay are cheaper because they don’t charge platform fees. You only pay standard credit card processing fees.
Can I use PayPal for fundraising?
Absolutely. Most WordPress alternatives easily integrate with PayPal, allowing donors to donate with their preferred payment method.
What’s the best site for personal causes?
If you don’t have a website, GoFundMe is still an easy and strong option for personal causes. But if you’re raising money for an ongoing personal project, Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee may be better alternatives.
Is crowdfunding money taxable?
Generally, yes. If you raise money through crowdfunding, payment processors like Stripe or PayPal may issue you a 1099-K form if you meet certain thresholds. It’s best to consult a tax professional for your specific campaign.
